How to Choose an ERP System: 10 Pre-Implementation Questions That Decide Between Success and Chaos

Choosing an ERP system is a decision for 10 to 15 years. The most expensive ERP is not the one you buy, but the one you will have to replace again in a few years.

When a company starts realizing that its current system is no longer sufficient, it’s usually not an overnight decision. First, the accountant complains about entering the same data in two places. Then the warehouse manager mentions he can't see what his colleague has in the other branch. And finally, the CEO wants to know how the company is doing – and has to piece it together from three different spreadsheets.

At that moment, the question arises: what now?

The market offers dozens of solutions. Every vendor claims that theirs is the right one. Distinguishing a good decision from a bad one isn't done through brochures and demos – but through the right questions. The ones you ask yourself before you call anyone.

From dozens of ERP implementations, we know where companies make mistakes most often. Usually, it’s not in the choice of features, but in these ten questions that they either didn't ask at all or asked too late.

1. What specifically isn't working for us today and what is it costing us?

Not what we would like to have extra. But what is holding us back every day.

Companies that don't answer this question specifically end up buying a system full of features while their original problem remains unsolved. If you can't name the pain, you can't verify if the new solution actually cures it.

Try to quantify it: how many hours a week do your people lose on unnecessary manual steps? How many errors occur because data is not in one place? These are not abstract questions. This is money leaking out every month without you seeing it on an invoice.

2. How does information actually travel within our company?

An ERP system touches the entire company – warehouse, sales, accounting, production, HR. The problem arises when each department thinks the new system is for the "others."

Before choosing any solution, map out how information travels in your company today. Who enters what. Who needs to see what. Where unnecessary steps occur. This map is more valuable than any list of requirements and will reveal connections you didn't even know existed.

When you map out how your data actually flows, you will uncover connections you never suspected before.

3. Where do we want to be in three years?

A system that is enough for you today might not be enough in three years. Do you plan to open another branch? Enter a new market? Change your sales model?

We know from experience that companies that choose a system "for now" end up changing it after five years, and the second implementation costs them more than the first because they also have to deal with data migration, process changes, and retraining people from scratch. You pay twice for what you underestimated once.

4. Who will be using it every day?

The system isn't chosen by the IT department or the boss. The system is used by the warehouse worker, the salesperson, the accountant, the shift lead. And if the new solution doesn't suit them, they will bypass it – with their own spreadsheets, papers, and parallel lists.

We've seen implementations worth hundreds of thousands of euros where people were still working in Excel after a year – because nobody asked them what they needed. Involve them in the selection from the beginning. Not to have them make the final decision, but so you know what is supposed to make their work easier.

5. What will happen to the data we've been collecting for years?

Every company has years of records – customers, invoices, inventory history. The question isn't just "will we get a new system," but "what happens to everything we've gathered so far?"

In practice, we see companies that lose part of their history during the transition or have it in an unreadable format. This means problems during tax audits, with warranties, or when making data-driven decisions. If the vendor cannot explain this specifically before the contract is signed, it’s a red flag.

6. How much will it really cost us?

The price of the system and the true cost of the transition are two different things. Besides licenses or monthly subscriptions, you need to account for staff training, a drop in performance during the first weeks, process adjustments, and the time of your people who will lead the project alongside their regular work.

If you underestimate this, you will pay for the implementation twice. Once to the vendor, and a second time in lost time and internal chaos. Demand a full picture of costs from the vendor, not just the license price.

7. What if something doesn't work?

No implementation goes without obstacles. The question isn't whether a problem will occur, but who will help you solve it and how fast.

Who will be your contact? How quickly will someone pick up the phone? Is the support in your language and does it understand the specifics of local accounting and legislation? When something gets stuck in the middle of a month-end close, this is exactly what matters most. References from other customers will tell you more than any presentation.

8. Is it a system for companies like us, or is it a "scaled-down" system for the big players?

There is a big difference between a system created for corporations and later simplified for smaller companies, and a system designed directly for companies of your type and industry.

The former usually offers a lot of what you will never use and lacks what you actually need. The latter knows your problems because it solves them for hundreds of similar customers every day. Ask: how many companies in your industry actually use the system?

9. Can it grow with us without another replacement?

System flexibility is not a marketing buzzword. It's the difference between a solution that serves you for five years and one that serves you for fifteen.

Specifically, this means: can we add new users without a massive price hike? Can we connect a new warehouse, branch, or e-shop? Can we change a process without having to pay for custom development? Ask these questions now. Not when you are actually dealing with growth.

10. Are we, as a company, ready for such a change?

This is the question most companies don't ask. And yet, it determines whether the implementation ends well or poorly.

Changing a system is not just a technical matter. It is a change in the way your people work every day. Someone has to lead it, coordinate it, and communicate it. If nobody has it in their job description and everyone handles it alongside their regular duties, the project will drag on, people will burn out, and the result will be painful regardless of how good the system you chose is.

A good vendor will help you with the preparation. But the willingness to change must come from within the company.

The right questions will save you years of trouble

Choosing an ERP system is not a software purchase. It’s a decision on how your company will function in the coming years: how quickly you will be able to react, how accurate your information will be, and how well your teams will collaborate.

Companies that ask these questions in advance implement faster, cheaper, and with much less stress. Those who skip them usually pay the price – in time, money, or both at once.

We would be happy to go through these 10 questions with you personally and show you where your biggest risks lie before you make a decision. The consultation is free and without obligation.