Important ideas to help technology buyers navigate the ERP
ERP buyers take a realistic, and sometimes tough, stance when negotiating with both services and technology vendors.
- If your ERP is going pear shaped, it is better to seek help now rather than try continue swimming in mud.
- Use your industry peers. They will talk reality.
- If that means a brutal assessment then go for it. It only need happen once and you’ll thank the bringer of bad news. Management will also appreciate your honesty.
- Make sure the people you’re hiring have got the stones to stand up to the implementers AND the vendors. That could mean some tough talk but should mean a better outcome.
- Make sure the people you hire are truly independent and do not make their primary living from scratching the vendors’ or implementers’ backs. That could be tricky but there’s a few names to play with here.
- As [Erik] Kimberling says: never be afraid to say ‘No’ and stand your ground.
- Get your vendor and implementer to understand you’re looking for a partnership - not a transaction. If all they see are dollar signs then it’s fair to say you’re on your own. That’s not a good place to be on any project.