Beyond Software: Why the Culture of your ERP Provider Really Matters

I always describe the relationship with a software vendor as being similar to a marriage.  There will be good times, and not so good times, it's difficult to leave and it's easy to argue.  In the end most ERP selection processes come down to people.  The old adage "people buy from people" is never truer than with ERP.

The fact is most ERP software now does exactly what you would expect it to do.  One system might have slightly more functionality around sales orders, another around manufacturing or distribution, but most organisations can work around these slight differences in functionality or technology.  What you can't work around is the culture of the vendor; the people they employ and the approach taken to working with customers.  The relationship you have with an ERP vendor is a long term relationship, so you need to know from the time you make your initial selection that the vendor you are choosing to work with will be easy to get along with.

So how can you tell whether an ERP vendor has a positive culture?  Here are the most important things to look out for:

1. Customer First

Putting the customer first is not as easy as it sounds.  In ERP it means putting every customer first. The right vendor culture is one that continually balances the needs of all their customers, ensuring they have the right level of resources in the long term and have a flexible approach in the short term.

Over delivering for one customer at the expense of another isn't something that your ERP vendor should be comfortable with.

2. Integrity

Integrity means being honest and trustworthy enough to give useful advice to a customer. It doesn't mean just going along with a customer's suggestions at all times. If the solution proposed isn't right for your business, your ERP vendor should have the integrity to say so. If they aren't able to fix a problem straight away then again, they should admit this and refer you onto someone who can resolve your problem.

The vendor should have a culture of integrity and honesty, tackling the difficult conversations head on, rather than letting them fester and build up into a worse situation. They should pride themselves on this kind of honesty.

3. Expertise

You don't want an ERP consultant who is "one page ahead of you in the manual," you want an expert who can quickly understand your business.  Look at the staff turnover of your vendor.  Ideally you want a strong mix between those who have been with the vendor for years, bringing their experience of business and the existing customer base, blended with new recruits who bring with them experience of the latest technologies and a fresh approach.  The vendor should have a culture of knowledge generation and sharing, both internally and with customers.

4. Professionalism

Your chosen ERP vendor should be a highly professional team, acting seamlessly from sales through to operations to deliver you the right solution.  That team should be innovative, have a passion for excellence and a complete commitment to their customers, yet at the same time should be approachable and down to earth; as comfortable in the boardroom as on the shop floor.