How to Find the Right ERP Vendor for your Service-Centric Business

How do you find ERP vendors for service businesses? The very nature of a service business can make the selection process complex.

As a contrast, consider manufacturing. ERP in the context of manufacturing can seem a natural fit. After all, in a manufactory there is an endless list of moving parts that all need to work together seamlessly. As a holistic solution that organizes data across different business sectors, ERP slides right into this business model.

How then does ERP apply in the service-centric space? Service-centric organizations are not in the business of manufacturing anything, or even selling ‘tangible’ products. Service-centric businesses deliver services, yes, but also virtual products that include digital services or media services. Given this more abstract construct of ‘product’, how does a service-centric business find the right ERP vendor? What should a service-centric business watch for with ERP?

Steps for selecting ERP vendors for services businesses

1. Generate a master list of ERP vendors that you can then vet in a step-by-step process.
2. Create a team that will oversee the vetting process for ERP vendors. You want this team to consist of shareholders from every department at your company. ERP is holistic, after all, and functions best when it serves everyone’s needs and tasks. Match a vendor’s capabilities to certain specifics that define your organization, including:

• company size
• your industry
• your company’s geographic scope

3. Develop an ERP strategy that defines how ERP will be implemented at your organization. Use this strategy to test an ERP vendor’s approach and solution and see how well it can serve this new operating model at your company.
4. Refine your strategy. In refining this strategy, focus on architecting solutions that address:

• How you reach and communicate with your customers. Will your ERP support a UI that facilitates customer reach and interaction?
• How you deliver customer service. What CS aspects are currently underserved by workflows at your company? Where can ERP step in and fill in the blanks to ensure dynamic and more than satisfactory customer service? Can ERP streamline CS across your company, so that there are no miscommunications due to siloed data?
• How you deliver services. Where and how can ERP step in to help you deliver services more quickly and dynamically?

Final Thoughts

ERP within the service-centric space becomes more nuanced, but it brings as much value and insight as it would in any other niche. In fact, service-centric businesses are increasingly turning to ERP to increase productivity and streamline delivery of services, whether those involve consultancy or media. If you would like to learn more about ERP in the service-centric space, reach out to the experts at Intelligent Technologies Inc. to discuss. In a short time, they can help you develop an implementation plan that truly transforms how you do business and deliver services to your customers.