# ERP Selection Timeline Calculator: How Long Will Selection Take? > Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-selection-project-duration-calculator > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Estimate weeks and months from selection kickoff to contract signature based on requirements, RFP, demo, reference and negotiation stages. ## Category erp-migration ## Audience - CIO - ERP project lead - Procurement ## Tool **Kind:** calculator **Inputs:** #### Requirements gathering **Key:** req_weeks **Type:** slider **Default:** 6 **Min:** 2 **Max:** 20 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** weeks **Help:** Process workshops, prioritization and sign-off #### RFP preparation **Key:** prep_weeks **Type:** slider **Default:** 3 **Min:** 1 **Max:** 8 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** weeks **Help:** Writing the RFP, legal review, vendor longlist #### Vendor response period **Key:** response_weeks **Type:** slider **Default:** 4 **Min:** 2 **Max:** 8 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** weeks **Help:** Includes the question and answer window #### Vendors in scripted demos **Key:** shortlist **Type:** slider **Default:** 3 **Min:** 1 **Max:** 8 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** vendors #### Demo days per vendor **Key:** demo_days **Type:** select **Default:** 2 **Options:** ##### 1 day **Value:** 1 ##### 2 days **Value:** 2 ##### 3 days **Value:** 3 #### Demo days your team can attend per week **Key:** demo_capacity **Type:** select **Default:** 3 **Options:** ##### 2 days **Value:** 2 ##### 3 days **Value:** 3 ##### 4 days **Value:** 4 ##### 5 days **Value:** 5 #### Negotiation and legal **Key:** nego_weeks **Type:** slider **Default:** 6 **Min:** 2 **Max:** 16 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** weeks **Help:** Commercial terms, order form, statement of work #### Executive and board approval **Key:** approval_weeks **Type:** slider **Default:** 3 **Min:** 0 **Max:** 12 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** weeks #### Contingency **Key:** contingency_pct **Type:** slider **Default:** 15 **Min:** 0 **Max:** 40 **Step:** 5 **Unit:** percent **Help:** Allowance for holidays, slips and rework **Outputs:** #### Scripted demo phase **Key:** demo_weeks **Expr:** ceil(shortlist * demo_days / demo_capacity) **Format:** weeks **Description:** Total demo days divided by days your team can attend each week, rounded up #### Scoring and reference calls **Key:** eval_weeks **Expr:** 2 + if(gt(shortlist, 3), 1, 0) **Format:** weeks **Description:** Assumes two weeks for scoring and reference checks, plus one if more than three vendors are in demos #### Planned duration before contingency **Key:** base_weeks **Expr:** req_weeks + prep_weeks + response_weeks + 2 + demo_weeks + eval_weeks + nego_weeks + approval_weeks **Format:** weeks **Description:** Includes a fixed two-week allowance for response scoring and shortlisting #### Estimated duration with contingency **Key:** total_weeks **Expr:** base_weeks * (1 + contingency_pct / 100) **Format:** weeks **Primary:** true #### Estimated duration in months **Key:** total_months **Expr:** total_weeks / 4.345 **Format:** months **Primary:** true #### Time before the RFP is issued **Key:** time_to_rfp **Expr:** req_weeks + prep_weeks **Format:** weeks **Chart:** #### Selection duration versus vendors in demos **Type:** line **X:** shortlist **From:** 1 **To:** 8 **Steps:** 8 **Series:** - total_weeks **Disclaimer:** Planning estimate only. Real durations depend on approval cycles, vendor availability, holidays and the number of sites and requirements. Stages are modeled sequentially, so overlapping work such as drafting the RFP during workshops can shorten the total. ## Content **Intro:** How long an ERP selection takes is one of the first questions a CIO has to answer for the board. This calculator adds up the stages, requirements, RFP, vendor response, demos, scoring, negotiation and approval, then applies a contingency. It gives a defensible range before you commit to a date. **Sections:** #### How to use the calculator **Body:** Enter the weeks you expect for each stage. Set the shortlist size and demo days per vendor, then the number of days per week your selection team can realistically attend demos. The tool converts demo days to weeks, adds two fixed weeks for scoring the RFP responses and shortlisting, adds scoring and reference call time, then applies your contingency. The chart shows how total duration changes as you add vendors to the demo phase, which is the stage that stretches most. **Bullets:** - Count weeks of elapsed time, not effort - Use real team availability for demo days - Add contingency for holidays and approvals #### The stages and typical ranges **Body:** Requirements gathering usually runs four to ten weeks for a multi-site manufacturer, fewer if processes are already documented. RFP preparation takes two to four weeks. Vendors need three to five weeks to respond properly. Scripted demos take a week or two when scheduled well. Scoring and reference calls add two to three weeks. Contract negotiation and legal review commonly take four to ten weeks, and board approval a few more. Most mid-size selections therefore land between four and nine months. #### Reading the result **Body:** The planned duration is the sum of the stages, and the total adds your contingency percentage. Treat the total as the date to communicate and the planned figure as the target to manage. If the result is longer than your business expects, look at the largest stage first. Often the biggest saving comes from running requirements gathering and RFP drafting in parallel, shrinking the shortlist before demos or starting legal review of draft terms during the demo phase. #### Common mistakes **Body:** The most frequent error is forgetting that selection is only the first phase. Implementation planning and partner selection come afterward, and a go-live date set before selection ends is a guess. Another is underestimating negotiation: contract terms for a multi-year ERP deal and a statement of work seldom close in two weeks. Finally, planning demos for a time when key users are at month end or on holiday results in cancelled sessions and weeks of slippage. **Cta:** If you want help compressing the selection by pre-analyzing your requirements and documents privately, we can walk through how that works in your environment. **Faq:** #### How long does ERP selection usually take? **Answer:** Four to nine months is common for mid-size manufacturers, from kickoff to signed contract. Single-site, single-country projects with clear scope can finish in three to four months. Multi-country projects with formal board and procurement processes can take a year. #### Can we shorten the process? **Answer:** Yes. Prepare requirements before contacting vendors, run RFP drafting in parallel with workshops, limit demos to two or three vendors, pre-agree contract principles, and start legal review early. Skipping the reference calls or scripted demos saves time but increases the risk of a poor choice. #### Does this include implementation time? **Answer:** No. It covers selection only, up to signed contract. For implementation, use the ERP implementation timeline estimator. Remember that vendor and partner selection, planning and resource mobilization add several weeks before the formal project start. #### Why does the number of demo vendors matter so much? **Answer:** Each added vendor requires scripts, data preparation, one to three demo days, scoring and reference checks, and usually a second round of questions. Cutting from five vendors to three often saves a month and improves the quality of evaluation. ## Search terms erp selection timeline, how long does erp selection take, erp selection project plan, erp selection timeline calculator, erp rfp timeline, erp vendor selection schedule, erp selection phases duration --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json