Experienced ERP Selection Consultants
Proven process. Valuable expertise. In our data-driven world, an optimally aligned ERP system serves as the foundation of operational excellence. At Ultra Consultants, our independent ERP experts equip you to navigate the intricacies of ERP selection through proven methodologies, ensuring a strategic choice that aligns with your goals. The outcome is a seamlessly integrated ERP system that complements your existing infrastructure, driving you toward a future of enhanced efficiency and fulfilled objectives.
Independent software selection aligned to your goals.
The value of our ERP software selection consulting services lies in our independent research, without obligation to any specific system. Our objective approach helps you find the best solutions to choose from—based solely on what your business needs, aligning your company, industry and cost requirements with the best technology options.
Our knowledge of your business, your industry and your goals—your future state—informs the selection process and gives us the ability to create customized software requirements, compare best-in-class software vendors, and help you determine the best-fit technology platform to drive next-level performance.
ERP Selection Process: Step by Step
Our decades of experience and vendor-independence give us a neutral, fact-based structure to support your enterprise technology selection and objectively validate your decision. And, because we focus exclusively on manufacturing and distribution industries, you benefit from our industry expertise about what’s important and what works for successful digital transformation.
Our five-step transparent ERP software selection process provides critical analysis, evaluation and guidance—and provides structure to ensure that you choose the best solution for your industry, organization and processes. This thorough approach is essential for navigating the complexities of selecting the right ERP system that meets your company’s scalability and functionality needs.
Technology Alignment
Thorough research.Our ERP software selection consultants do the legwork. Our research gives you an up-front understanding of qualified vendors and the capabilities of their solutions. By moving you a step ahead, you’ll know early in the journey which vendors are experienced and strong in your vertical, and which solutions are most strongly suited to your unique business.
Vendor Qualification
Important questions.We ask the pointed questions that qualify (or disqualify) potential vendors. With your critical requirements and future state vision in-hand, we require software companies to show how their software addresses your key business drivers and enable business performance improvement today and in the future. This is achieved through structured demos from all the vendors. These detailed interviews and briefings give you the information needed to filter out the pretenders and identify the contenders.
Vendor Evaluation
Success-critical info.We ask the final vendors to show you how their software will enable the future state operating model of your business. These highly structured demonstrations follow our agenda (not the vendor’s) and focus on your complete set of requirements and business aspirations. When these in-depth sessions are completed, the data and insight are compiled into a detailed comparative analysis. Then the timeline is refined and the business case is updated.
Due Dilligence
Final Details.With vendors and solutions determined, this next step is focused on understanding the critical considerations beyond software functionality that are necessary to make an informed final decision. Working closely with your project team, we check vendor references, perform total cost analysis, evaluate potential implementation strategies, and begin contract negotiations.
Software Selection
Informed Decision.After structured demos from your short list of vendors, our team presents the pros and cons of each solution, based on your unique selection criteria. Our process simplifies ERP selection, ensuring the right choice is clear.
In addition, we guide the negotiation of the scope of work, and our exceptional experience in ERP software selection ensures that you achieve significant cost savings, mitigate risk and proceed with confidence.
Independent ERP Selection Consultants to guide your selection.
We work with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and ERP-connected software solutions, and nothing else. This concentration means our expert ERP consultants, who understand the unique needs of your industry and your business, know how to help you select ERP software that will deliver the most benefit and greatest performance improvement for your organization. What’s more, our consultants understand that time-to-value and return-on-investment are tremendously important to your company, and that your success requires our people, teams, strategies and solutions to be creative, efficient and flexible.
Examples of technology selection projects
Evans Food Group
To enable growth and expand operations, Evans Food Group needed to solve its business process issues and implement an ERP solution that suited the food business, the organization and the company’s requirements. Read the case study.
PACIFIC PLUMBING COMPANY
Pacific Plumbing Supply selected Ultra Consultants because they wanted a partner, a company that works in the mid-market distribution space, that was not tied to a specific software company, and that sees the world the way they do. Read the case study.
Deschutes Brewery
Ultra built a foundation for Deschutes’ transformation by understanding their unique requirements, presenting what is possible with modern solutions, and creating a desired future-state—and then using that insight to guide technology selection. Read the case study.
Looking closer at our enterprise technology selection services
ERP Selection
ERP Requirements Definition
ERP Selection Criteria
ERP Contract Negotiations
ERP RFP
The enterprise technology selection process is informed by your detailed Future State vision, by changes and critical insight from the Business Process Improvement phase, and by our deep knowledge of your industry, organization and unique requirements.
ERP Selection Consultants: Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the right ERP selection and implementation consultant can greatly impact the success of your project. For help selecting the right ERP solution for your business, make sure your consultant has the following attributes:
Independent. When it comes to ERP software selection, independence is key. This gives you the certainty that the ERP consultant is not incentivized to steer you toward any certain solution over another. An independent ERP consulting company puts your needs first, aligning your business needs with enterprise software that moves your business forward.
Experienced. ERP consultants with real-world project management experience can help move your project towards the finish line, no matter the size of your company or complexity of your issues. The project manager keeps your project on track, on budget, and on time while guiding you to the best ERP service provider for your project.
Industry Experts. You need a ERP consulting firm with decades of experience in your industry who understands from the challenges unique to your business model. They can provide strategy consulting to ensure you select the right business solutions, achieve business process improvement, and reach a successful implementation to maintain your competitive edge.
Available. An ERP selection consultant who is not only willing to meet with you but really listen to the pain points and limitations you are facing with your current business technology or processes. Their objective viewpoint provides advice you can rely on.
Knowledgeable. Choose ERP selection consultants that have a working knowledge of a variety of ERP systems. They know how to work with ERP vendors to secure competitive pricing through contract negotiation, along with process improvement from the new ERP system.
Supportive. ERP consulting firms should make your project easier! The right consulting company provides comprehensive information on the best solutions provider to meet your business goals and requirements, allowing you to make an informed ERP selection. After you have selected an ERP and move into the ERP implementation, you’ll need help managing your ERP project, aiding the data migration, completing a successful implementation process, and realizing your ROI goals. Make sure the consultancy you choose will be there with you along the way.
Knowing where to start with ERP selection can be difficult. With dozens of viable options on the market, how do you quickly determine which solutions will solve your current pain points and take you into the future? Most businesses find that teaming up with an ERP implementation consultant is well worth the investment, saving you valuable time and resources. The best ERP consultants, like the Ultra Consultants team, take an objective look at your business and determine where you may be able to increase efficiency and cut redundant or manual business processes—before starting the selection process. Additionally, our consulting team understands every viable ERP system and industry-specific technology on the market, giving you a better guide to the most advantageous options for your specific needs.
Choosing the right enterprise software can be a make-or-break decision for your business. Before diving into the software selection phase of your ERP project, it’s crucial to consider:
Business requirements: Identify your specific needs and pain points. Every business has unique requirements, so look for ERP solutions that address your industry-specific challenges.
Scalability: Ensure that the software can grow with your business and adapt to changing needs over time.
User-friendliness: The enterprise software should be intuitive and easy to use, so your employees can quickly adapt to it without extensive training.
Integration capabilities: Check if the ERP software can seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, such as CRM or e-commerce platforms.
Vendor reputation and support: Research the vendor’s track record, customer relationship management, customer reviews, and the level of support they provide during ERP implementation and after-sales.
Explore other critical success factors for ERP selection.
We make software selection and implementation easier.
We focus exclusively on ERP and ERP-connected software solutions for manufacturing and distribution companies.
Broad expertise to help you make the right choice.
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Industry Insights
Exploring industry insights highlights how ERP solutions empower manufacturers and distributors, streamlining process and setting the stage for growth.
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