Engleman Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of our latest educational video, Selecting an ERP Implementer, now available in links below. Presented by Mark Engleman, this video draws on insights from over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996 to provide practical guidance for IT personnel and executives tasked with choosing an ERP implementer.

The video outlines critical factors for evaluating potential implementers, including:

Consultant team expertise, particularly the role of the big-picture analyst.
Billing rates for consulting and developer roles.
Proximity to improve timely on-site support, ideally within one flight leg to minimize delays.
Commercial terms that give buyers control over their project and deliverables.
Implementer adaptability to align with the buyer’s preparedness.

Additionally, Mark addresses common misconceptions, advising buyers to discount:

Statements of Work with unreliable consulting time estimates and costs.
Claims of superior methodology, usually just sales rhetoric.
General assurances from implementer leadership, which may not address underlying project risks.

Explore these video and our broader collection of ERP resources to support informed decision-making in your ERP initiatives.

Summary video
on Selecting an ERP Implementer.

Comprehensive video
on Selecting an ERP Implementer.

White paper on ERP implementation control

We’re pleased to share a new educational video, The ERP Boundary, now available for IT personnel and executives engaged in ERP initiatives. Led by industry expert Mark Engleman, this concise video draws on insights from over 1,000 ERP projects since 1996 to address a critical yet often overlooked aspect of ERP planning: defining the appropriate scope of business processes an ERP system should support.

The video introduces the concept of the “ERP Boundary,” which outlines the footprint of business processes an ERP should encompass. Represented visually by a diagram (the orange boundary shown below), this boundary is essential for aligning ERP capabilities with organizational needs. Failing to define it accurately can lead to errors in ERP selection, unnecessary costs, and implementation challenges.

To establish an effective ERP Boundary, the video recommends evaluating:

General functional capabilities of current market ERP generally suitable for the buyer.
The complexity of the buyer’s business processes.
The buyer’s existing business applications.

As these factors evolve, the ERP Boundary should be reassessed to inform future decisions. Watch the video for a clear overview:

Summary video
on The ERP Boundary.

Comprehensive video
on The ERP Boundary.