A practical framework for choosing ERP and supply chain platforms without vendor bias.
The Selection Problem
ERP and supply chain platform selection is fraught with bias:
- Vendor presentations focus on strengths and hide weaknesses
- Analyst reports are influenced by vendor advertising spend
- Implementation partners push platforms they know best
- Internal champions advocate for familiar solutions
Cutting through bias requires a structured, vendor-agnostic approach.
The Framework
Step 1: Requirements Before Solutions
Document requirements before talking to vendors. Once vendor conversations start, requirements tend to bend toward available solutions.
Functional Requirements
- Core processes the system must support
- Industry-specific capabilities needed
- Integration points with existing systems
Non-Functional Requirements
- Performance expectations
- Scalability requirements
- Security and compliance needs
Organizational Requirements
- Implementation timeline constraints
- Available internal resources
- Change management capacity
Step 2: Weight Requirements by Business Impact
Not all requirements are equal. Weight by business impact:
Critical - Without this, the system fails its purpose Important - Significant business value but workarounds exist Nice-to-Have - Would improve experience but not essential
Be ruthless. If everything is critical, nothing is critical.
Step 3: Create a Scoring Model
Build a scoring model before vendor evaluation:
- List all requirements
- Assign weights based on business impact
- Define scoring criteria (0-5 scale works well)
- Document what each score means for each requirement
This prevents post-hoc rationalization of preferred solutions.
Step 4: Evaluate Objectively
Evaluate each platform against the scoring model:
Vendor Demos
- Insist on demos of your critical processes
- Use your scenarios, not vendor scripts
- Include edge cases and exceptions
Reference Calls
- Talk to customers in your industry
- Ask about implementation challenges, not just successes
- Inquire about ongoing support quality
Technical Assessment
- Evaluate integration capabilities with your existing systems
- Assess customization requirements and constraints
- Review security and compliance certifications
Step 5: Calculate Total Cost of Ownership
Vendor pricing is designed to look attractive initially. Calculate true TCO:
License/Subscription Costs
- Base fees
- Per-user charges
- Module costs
- Transaction fees
Implementation Costs
- Consulting services
- Data migration
- Custom development
- Training
Ongoing Costs
- Annual maintenance
- Upgrade expenses
- Internal support resources
- Integration maintenance
Hidden Costs
- Customization constraints that force workarounds
- Performance limitations requiring infrastructure investment
- Vendor lock-in costs for future changes
Step 6: Assess Implementation Risk
Platform selection is only half the battle. Implementation risk varies significantly:
Vendor Factors
- Implementation methodology maturity
- Partner ecosystem quality
- Support responsiveness
Organizational Factors
- Internal readiness for change
- Data quality and migration complexity
- Integration landscape complexity
Project Factors
- Scope clarity
- Timeline realism
- Resource availability
Common Pitfalls
Feature Fixation
Choosing the platform with the most features rather than the right features for your needs.
Demo Deception
Impressive demos that don’t reflect actual implementation complexity.
Reference Bias
Only talking to references provided by the vendor.
Cost Anchoring
Focusing on license costs while ignoring implementation and ongoing expenses.
Champion Capture
Internal advocates who stop evaluating objectively once they have a favorite.
The Decision
After scoring is complete:
- Review scores with stakeholder group
- Discuss outliers where scoring seems unexpected
- Consider qualitative factors not captured in scoring
- Make decision based on evidence, not emotion
Document the decision rationale. You’ll need it when questions arise later.
Post-Selection
Selection is just the beginning:
- Negotiate from strength - Use competitive evaluation data in negotiations
- Plan implementation carefully - Most failures happen in implementation, not selection
- Set realistic expectations - No platform is perfect; prepare for compromises
The Bottom Line
Vendor-agnostic selection requires discipline: document requirements before solutions, score systematically, calculate true costs, and assess implementation risk. The extra effort upfront prevents expensive mistakes that take years to correct.