Choosing the right business software is no easy task for you as an SME. The range of options is vast, the differences aren’t always clear, and you don’t have the budget to hire an outside specialist to conduct a comparative analysis for you. So you have to rely on the experiences of your colleagues—and on your own judgment. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 tricky questions to help you evaluate the provider of ERP software put pressure on someone, whether it's about Microsoft Dynamics NAV, SAP ERP, open-source ERP, Oracle ERP, or other ERP software.
Will your ERP adapt to the way we work, or will I have to adapt my business processes to your software?
To provide the correct answer, your company needs to clearly identify the key business processes you want to improve or automate:
- Accounting
- Financial Management
- Production
- Distribution
- Supply Chain & Inventory
- …
Once you’ve determined which areas are most important to you, check to see if they’re covered by the standard Dynamics NAV solution. You should also look for an implementation partner that specializes in your industry. Often, they have already developed an extension or add-on for Microsoft Navision, which means there’s no need for extensive custom development. That way, you can choose a solution that works the way you already work.
However, we will always be honest. Because we have extensive experience with business processes, we sometimes notice that SMEs could benefit from approaching certain aspects differently. If that is the case, we recommend modifying certain business processes—not so much for the sake of the ERP system, but rather to establish a better way of working for your company.
Can your ERP system be flexibly deployed on my own servers, in the cloud, and on hosted servers?
Our MS Dynamics solutions can be installed on your servers, in the cloud, or as a hosted service.
Which deployment model (on-premises, cloud, or hosted) is best for my business?
Although ‘cloud solutions’ receive a great deal of attention in the media, they have so far been the exception rather than the rule in the ERP sector. This is partly because the decision-making process is not straightforward. The advantages of cloud-based ERP:
- Lower initial costs and a faster return on investment
- Lower-level hardware / server nodes
- Requires little IT management
- Scales and grows with your needs (easily add or remove users)
On the other hand, traditional ‘on-premises’ ERP also has its advantages:
- Better integration with other software that may not run in the cloud
- More flexible for certain types of custom work
- Your data is stored exclusively on your own servers
OIn what ways can your ERP system be integrated with other accounting software?
Although an ERP package can do a great deal, you’ll still need to use other business software for specific tasks—such as e-commerce, CRM, processing, and so on. Try to get an idea from your ERP partner of how seamlessly they can integrate with your other applications. This applies not only from a technical standpoint but also in terms of their expertise in establishing that integration.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV can be easily integrated with other software or data sources because it uses Web Services and the .NET Framework by default—which is pretty much the standard for establishing connections these days. In addition, as a partner, ESC has a great deal of experience in setting up connections in other ways as well.
Will your ERP package maximize the investments I've already made in Microsoft solutions, such as Office?
Absolutely yes—it would be a shame if that weren’t the case, given that Microsoft Navision comes from the same company. For one thing, Microsoft Dynamics integrates perfectly with Windows and Microsoft .NET. In addition, it uses MSSQL, which you’re likely already using as the underlying database in your company, and runs on Microsoft Server, which is presumably already in use. The software is built to fully leverage the power of your existing Microsoft Office, and the same can be said for SharePoint, if it’s already activated.
Do you have a transparent pricing model?
The pricing model for Microsoft Dynamics NAV depends on how you want to run the software: in the cloud (price per user per month), hosted, or on your own servers. This factor helps determine the cost per employee to use the ERP package. From there, the number of users you want is simply calculated.
In addition, you are entitled to a number of annual updates and patches that Microsoft releases for the ERP software. For this, you pay an annual percentage of the cost per user. This allows you to accurately calculate future costs. No hidden catches, no ‘initial discounts’ designed to get you to sign up quickly only to leave you with a financial hangover in the years to come.
Of course, the Dynamics NAV base package still needs to be customized to meet your specific needs, your employees need to be trained, and so on. As your partner in this process, ESC’s approach is to provide you with a clear quote for these solution customizations at a fixed rate, so that you know exactly what to expect.
How reliable are you as a partner and implementer?
Unlike smaller, local software developers operating on a small scale, you can rely on the stability of a company like Microsoft. The Dynamics ERP software has been around for more than 10 years, and Microsoft is committed to keeping it that way for many years to come.
We have been active as a software partner for more than 30 years, making us one of the most experienced and reliable partners in Belgium.
What is the software vendor's vision for the future, and how will the ERP solution evolve?
Microsoft has a clear ‘roadmap’ for all its software, including its ERP solutions. This ensures that your software evolves in line with new business trends. Microsoft invests billions annually in research and development, and its ERP roadmap focuses on supporting new technologies (such as the cloud), improving integration with new and other software, and simplifying underlying software requirements.
As a user, you can follow all of this very closely. Every year, Microsoft publishes its ‘Statement of Direction’ for Navision. This is a detailed roadmap of new features planned for the next 12 to 18 months.
As an ERP partner, what do you do to maintain a high level of after-sales service, and what does the software vendor do to minimize customer churn?
After-sales service is nowhere more important than in your ERP project. Technology is constantly evolving, and new gadgets are introduced in your company on a weekly basis—just think of iPads and smartphones being used for business purposes. In addition, your company is constantly evolving—people come and go, your operations change, and so on. This naturally affects your administration and, consequently, the way you use your ERP system.
To address this, our team of account managers and consultants is ready to assist our customers. In addition, we organize annual user groups, maintain web pages where our customers can provide feedback, and conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys (which we also publish publicly and which can be downloaded here).
For its part, Microsoft provides a wide range of resources for partners (like us) and end customers (like you). In addition, ESC has purchased Microsoft’s most comprehensive support plan, which allows us to have your questions answered very quickly by their specialists if we’re unable to resolve them on our own.
Will the ERP software help us achieve our goals?
It will certainly support the solution, but it remains merely a tool to help you and your team work more efficiently. ERP should give you the means to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on business. It should give you better insight into your business so you can make faster and better decisions, and it should streamline your processes. Of course, these aren’t your actual business objectives, but they do help you achieve them.
These questions will put you in a stronger position when you start comparing ERP packages, partners, and vendors. Of course, they aren’t a silver bullet—be sure to ask your colleagues and partners about their experiences and gather as much information as possible.
Besides, don't just take our word for it—our References speak for themselves.
