I am a smaller company in need of an ERP solution. Will I get the same support as a bigger company if I decide to go with one of the big names like Oracle or SAP?

Suggest you do some research on Oracle or SAP as to Total Cost of Ownership and complexity to use. If you are smaller, lesser tier ERP solutions will allow you to grow well past the $100M mark for an order of magnitude less money, with a simpler work flow process, and an implementation time measured in weeks and not months or quarters

It depends. If your set on going with a top tier solution (Oracle, SAP, etc.) and you are a small company then it is probably a better idea to go through a trusted reseller that is specific to your industry and can give you the customer support you need. But it is probably better off to go with a mid tier solution that can scale with your company as you grow and give you the beginning modules that you need (financial management and accounting, inventory control, etc.)

Support from the software vendor, or author, is pretty much provided according to contracts. However, as a smaller customer, chances are that the vendor themselves will not be the consultant implementing the system for you. And the implementing consultant is the one who will have intimate knowledge of your business, and how the system was implemented for you. So the key question you should be asking is to your implementer. selecting the right implementer for your project could be as important as selecting either SAP or Oracle.

I would not immediately run to either Oracle or SAP for the solution. Depending on your size, complexity, industry and growth plans, some of the SMB products might be a better choice. There are a number of different products from good solid companies available in this space. Each of these products have a large number of partners, service providers and consultants that will be able to help you throughout the business case through implementation lifecycle.

Oracle and SAP will provide you good service regardless of your size. They also rely on a great network of systems integrators to assist you throughout the lifecycle. Concentrate on finding a good local company that is certified in whatever product you choose and will be dedicated to making sure you succeed.

Since the ERP market is so mature, you can probably check out what your competitors are doing, any lessons learned etc.

I'd say choosing the package is probably not as important as the people and methodology for the implementation.

As a smaller company, you need to be prepared for the initial and on-going costs of an ERP system. It is not insignificant. You may want to explore cloud based ERP services as an alternative. Support, at least from Oracle, is not based on company size. Negotiating price or modification of the application, however, definitely is!

The ERP solutions SAP or Oracle or any other product have all come of age and pretty much offer similar capabilities. The decision to choose an ERP provider should also be based on the current technical environment and capabilities the organization currently has. As cost is always a significant factor in this decision making, leveraging what an organization has will offset some of the costs and hopefully bring down the ROI.

SAP Support SMB depends on level of service you purchase, the standard service is fairly good, but only useful if you have a skilled team. for a extra fees they can provide "Premium Support" MaxAttention - Again depends on strength and capabilities of the team. But just because you have purchased SAP or Oracle do not expect to be chaffered around.

Good luck

Hi Sarah,

First you need to point out your requirement whether you are looking for some specific module implementation or all Modules/Functionality implementation for your ERP need.For e.g.- (Finance, Material Management, Sales & Distribution, etc..)

First & foremost, What you are going to achieve after getting the ERP solution in your company?

If you have some small requirement and not want to implement SAP & Oracle , then there are many customized ERP available in market which can fulfill your requirement, Also there are companies who can develop the ERP as per your project requirement. But better you come up with your detail & specific requirement which will help us to make a decision whether to choose Big ERP like SAP & Oracle or to choose the customized ERP solution.

yours being a small company and tight budget, i suggest you scan the market for niche erp companies who are specialised in your verticals and also try scanning your competition

you can check with some of the user of oracle & sap in your same business domain how they are getting support or how the product is running in the same vertical, you can also check with the consultant partner who are implementing the things. Before implementing the thing try to get an SRS from the consultants.

I have been looking through some of the answers in this thread and am surprised at the level of self-serving advertising.

In general, for any type of business, larger customers will get a higher level of service -- that's really the nature of business. That said, you may want to work with a value-added reseller, rather than a large software vendor, so you can received tailored advice and guidance from a company that specializes in smaller accounts. Look around, because those folks are out there.

If you are a small company, you don't have the needs a large company has, so you will not need the same support. It is important for you to find a software solution that fits your specific needs and which requires minimal support.

In conclusion, define your needs well and ask vendors to provide just that - don't let them decide for you.

I would suggest go for SAP, I work for a company which implements SAP for Smaller companies and support.

Most probably you will get the same level of service for both. I have experience on both Oracle and SAP, and I recommend Oracle for small companies.