Back in 2015 I authored a whitepaper called “10 Questions to Ask Your Software Vendor”. I spent some time last week double checking to be certain it still had value and was pleased to see that all of the questions discussed are still important to ask before selecting an ERP vendor. Three in particular caught my eye. Asking these questions of your value-added reseller or software developer (or both) should be routine. And any vendor worth their salt will have ready answers (or a means to get them for you quickly) and take no offense at being asked. Here they are:
- Do you offer user forums and/or have an organized user group and how might current users be contacted prior to a buying decision? (This is self-explanatory. User forums and groups are of immense value in gathering data. Watch out for those companies who discourage interaction with their user base, even before your decision. Remember that selective references can be misleading.)
- Do you have references in my industry and in what other ways do you demonstrate commitment to my industry segment? (No developer can be all things to all people. This question can help whittle your decision down to key players. In fairness, however, everyone thinks their business is totally unique. Give the developer a chance to address how their software fits the real requirements of your industry.)
- In terms of the software itself, what are the independent research firms such as Gartner Group saying about the product and the software developer’s approach to the market? (Gartner Group and others are constantly researching software trends and the developer who address them. Look for the magic quadrant.)
Clearly, I’m being self-serving to some degree, but it doesn’t diminish the importance of this sort of question (and 7 others in the whitepaper) in making an informed buying decision.
At ACUMEN Corporation we pride ourselves in the fact that our users are encouraged to interact freely and share best practices. We have a user group and an active and independent board to set its course.
Between ACUMEN and our development partner SAP America we have very large and growing group of references in various industries. We work together with SAP to insure access to the appropriate references in your or similar industries.
Our flagship product, SAP Business One, and its developer have long-term and consistently high ratings with Gartner and others. The 2018/2019 ERP Magic Quadrant should be relatively easy to find online.
If you would like to review the entire set of questions you can find a link on the blog page of our website: www.ACUMENcorp.com .
Meanwhile, good shopping and call if we can help.
