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Where do I find an ERP consultant?
I know a Controller/VP of Finance looking for a consultant that can assist in the selection of an ERP software system. The implementation of the system would probably take place in 9-12 months. It is important that the consultant be able to provide a non-biased approach to the selection, and also be able to provide consulting services associated with company process optimization.
Best Answer
- Recommended by:
- Len Green,
- Cliff Kaiser
Hi Cliff,
My name is Susan Penny Brown and I am a Enterprise Software Strategist & Vendor Selection Consultant. I don't resell any solutions so that my loyalty is entirely to the client and their needs. I have a proven methodology that I've been using successfully for the past 12 years. I am already deep in prep ERP research for a prospect I've been talking to but has not yet committed.
Please check out my web site and blog at www.InterimTechExec.com and LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanpennybrown.
I'd be happy to speak with you. My contact info as at my Web site, I'll see if I can find yours via Social Media.
Kind regards,
Susan Penny Brown
- Recommended by:
- Trevor Usken,
- Cliff Kaiser
Cliff:
A very common methodology that we encounter in the marketplace is have the prospective company hire an independent (from a specific ERP software)consultant who is knowledgable about ERP and business processes. Some people identified above seem very good possibilities. This is what I call Stage 1. Stage 2 then is a soliciation of various ERP vendors, like my company, who represent various ERP software solutions as well as implementation and training services. We represent the Sage and Microsoft ERP solutions. However, to get a wider selection of ERP vendors that would meet your requirements, I recommend a free service at www.findaccountingsoftware.com
From Find Accounting you can get up to 8 ERP responses, though I recommend only selecting 4-5 at the most. In addition, the selection process that Find Accounting uses factors in location and past performamce grading of each vendor. The bottomline is that you will get a list that is very credible.
Good Searching....
- Recommended by:
- Cliff Kaiser
Cliff,
I have been providing business process improvement consulting services for 25 years in several industries primarily to large, fast-growing companies. I have worked with several companies to improve business processes before selecting or developing enterprise-wide systems. A brief summary of my background and consulting services is at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelelkourie
Please email me at melkourie@mindspring.com or call 404-252-7177 (Direct) for more information and to set up a time to learn more about the value I might add and for me to learn more about the specifics of the situation so we can decide if there is a good fit.
I look forward to talking with you.
Manuel Elkourie
Hi Cliff, As an independent management consultant, I can provide your client with a non-biased approach towards selecting an ERP system based upon optimal business process and technology requirements. Let me know when is a good time for us to talk about this opportunity!
Bill Jester
Please let me know how I can help. We have full time consultants that do this very thing.
This Question is closed
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Cliff,
First, I'd ask how large the organization is. Less than 1,000 people, you're likely looking at a Tier 3 or 2 application. In those cases, you should have plenty of local resources in your city. Having a good, local provider for these services is critical to getting a good "fit", as you'll need hand-holding, tweaking and on-going support for the first year or two. They can also often help you find a local resource to hire as your internal "expert" - you'll need at least 1 power user and one System Admin internally to handle a true ERP package.
Now, if you end up looking at Lawson (Tier 1/2 application), as of 2 years ago there were only 3 implementers authorized in North America, so getting local won't happen. Understand that you'll end up paying a fair bit simply for consultant's travel - keep that in mind when you're budgeting.
There are also some larger systems integrators, like ePartners (and others) that implement several different applications. They have offices all over the US (I'm not affiliated). Look on any mid-market vendor's web page for their reseller lists, and check out the biggest ones; they probably sell multiple packages.
Finally, again, if this is a mid-size company, there are two major players in the market - Sage and Microsoft. Yes, there are a handful of others, but MS has 4 titles in this market and Sage, at last count, had 5. That's most of the market right there. There are some significant players from Europe as well (most notably IFS); however, their sales forces in North America are usually sparse.
I'm not an authorized consultant or anything, just a long-time user of such products. If you'd like to bounce some ideas around, feel free to reach out to me at rschultz@100wattsolutions.com.