A 10 Step Process to Select Your New System

2021 has moved many teams to the Cloud where companies have found that dialing into on-premise server-based systems can be painful.  Here are the 10 Steps AJC recommends to selecting a new system:

An Example Requirements Scorecard from a former AJC project
  1. Assign a Core Team that can represent all departments expected to use the system, *and* Project Manager
    1. For a CRM, this could be Sales, Marketing, and Accounting
    2. For an ERP, however, this will include all Operations departments, Customer Service, Accounting, possibly Quality, Sales, or more
  2. Decide: In the Cloud, or On-Premise?
  3. Document all system “Need to Haves” and “Nice to Haves”
    1. If you have not yet documented your operational processes, return to Step 1 and do that with the Core Team first!
  4. Prioritize your MUST HAVE CRITICAL Top 15-20 Requirements
  5. First Pass Research/Solutions List Generation
    1. Use online searches, ask industry colleagues, talk to trusted advisors, etc.
  6. Conduct Phone/Email screens to reduce list
  7. Schedule Demos to reduce list further – ideally to a Top 3
  8. Obtain comparable decision-making information for the Top 3:
    1. % “Need to Have” Requirements in base system
    2. Implementation fees (vendor)
    3. Ongoing fees (vendor)
    4. Integration and/or Customization fees
    5. References
    6. Nuances (e.g., % “Nice to Have” Requirements in base system)
  9. Core Team Recommendation to Decision Makers at company
  10. Select System, and negotiate contract

Is your team up for doing this on your own?  Here are two resources to review before you begin:

  1. AJC’s article “Has Working Remotely Accelerated Your Team’s System Pains?“
  2. AJC’s article “DIY Your Own Process Improvement” – comparisons are very similar to discern if your team can Project Manage this on your own
  3. Watch the Lunch and Learn on “ERP Selection with Andrea Jones Consulting and Aldrich Technology” by AJC and CSG Pro for more tips.