# ERP Selection Readiness Assessment: Are You Ready to Start an RFP? > Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-selection-readiness-assessment > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Nine questions that test whether your organization is ready to run an ERP selection, with a score and next actions. ## Category erp-migration ## Audience - CIO - ERP project lead - Executive sponsor ## Tool **Kind:** assessment **Questions:** #### Is there a named executive sponsor with budget authority? **Help:** The sponsor settles disputes between functions and protects the project at budget time. **Options:** ##### No sponsor yet **Score:** 0 ##### Sponsor named but not engaged **Score:** 1 ##### Sponsor engaged, but budget not approved **Score:** 2 ##### Sponsor engaged and budget range approved **Score:** 3 #### How clear is the business case for replacing the current ERP? **Options:** ##### Mostly a feeling that the system is old **Score:** 0 ##### List of pain points without numbers **Score:** 1 ##### Pain points with some cost and risk estimates **Score:** 2 ##### Quantified case reviewed by finance **Score:** 3 #### How well are your current business processes documented? **Options:** ##### Not documented, in people's heads **Score:** 0 ##### Partially documented in some areas **Score:** 1 ##### Core processes mapped, not validated **Score:** 2 ##### Core processes mapped and validated with owners **Score:** 3 #### Have you prioritized requirements as must, should and could? **Options:** ##### No requirements list **Score:** 0 ##### A long wish list, no priorities **Score:** 1 ##### Prioritized in some areas **Score:** 2 ##### Prioritized and signed off by process owners **Score:** 3 #### Do you have a selection team with business representation and time allocated? **Options:** ##### IT only, part time **Score:** 0 ##### IT plus a few business contacts **Score:** 1 ##### Cross-functional team, time not protected **Score:** 2 ##### Cross-functional team with time released from day jobs **Score:** 3 #### What is the state of your master data (items, BOMs, customers, suppliers)? **Options:** ##### Known duplicates and gaps, no owner **Score:** 0 ##### Quality varies, no cleanup plan **Score:** 1 ##### Cleanup started in key areas **Score:** 2 ##### Owners assigned and quality measured **Score:** 3 #### How well do you understand your integration landscape? **Options:** ##### Unknown, many undocumented interfaces **Score:** 0 ##### Main interfaces known **Score:** 1 ##### Inventory of interfaces with owners **Score:** 2 ##### Inventory with volumes, protocols and retire or keep decisions **Score:** 3 #### Have you agreed how vendors will be evaluated and decided? **Options:** ##### No agreed process **Score:** 0 ##### Informal, based on demos **Score:** 1 ##### Criteria listed, weights not agreed **Score:** 2 ##### Weighted criteria and decision rules agreed up front **Score:** 3 #### How realistic is the timeline and the internal capacity for implementation? **Options:** ##### Fixed date set without a plan **Score:** 0 ##### Target date, little capacity analysis **Score:** 1 ##### Plan drafted, staffing not confirmed **Score:** 2 ##### Plan reviewed with named internal resources and backfill **Score:** 3 **Bands:** #### Not ready: build the foundation first **Min:** 0 **Max:** 39 **Verdict:** Starting an RFP now would likely produce vague requirements, mismatched bids and a stalled decision. **Recommendations:** - Confirm an executive sponsor and a budget range before talking to vendors - Document and validate the core processes with their owners - Quantify the pain points so the business case survives finance review - Assign owners and a cleanup plan for master data #### Partly ready: close the gaps in parallel **Min:** 40 **Max:** 64 **Verdict:** You can begin discovery and an RFI, but several gaps would hurt a full RFP if left open. **Recommendations:** - Run requirements workshops by process area and prioritize with MoSCoW - Agree evaluation criteria and weights before issuing any RFP - Release selection team time from day jobs - Inventory integrations and decide which to retire or keep #### Largely ready: finalize and launch **Min:** 65 **Max:** 84 **Verdict:** The core conditions are in place. A few targeted fixes should let you issue the RFP with confidence. **Recommendations:** - Finish validating requirements and acceptance tests - Prepare scripted demo scenarios using your data - Confirm implementation capacity and backfill plan - Draft the RFP and pricing format for legal and procurement review #### Ready: run the selection **Min:** 85 **Max:** 100 **Verdict:** Your sponsorship, scope, data and process are strong enough to run a disciplined selection. **Recommendations:** - Issue the RFP to a shortlist of four to six vendors - Run scripted demos and reference calls using one scoring matrix - Negotiate price caps and implementation terms before signature - Plan the implementation partner selection alongside the software ## Content **Intro:** Many ERP selections stall or fail before a vendor is chosen, because the organization was not ready to run one. This assessment checks nine areas that predict success: sponsorship, business case, process clarity, requirements, team, data, integrations, evaluation method and capacity. You get a score and a short action list. **Sections:** #### How to use the assessment **Body:** Answer the nine questions honestly, ideally with two or three colleagues who disagree about the current state. Each answer scores from 0 to 3. The total is converted to a percentage and mapped to one of four bands, from not ready to ready. Use the result as a conversation starter with your steering committee rather than a pass or fail grade. Repeat it after a month of preparation work to see which gaps have closed and which are persistent. **Bullets:** - Score as a group, not alone - Use evidence, not intention - Retake after each preparation sprint #### Why these nine areas **Body:** These are the recurring causes of delayed or poor ERP outcomes. Without a sponsor and budget the project stalls at the first conflict. Without a business case the cost cannot be defended. Weak process documentation and unprioritized requirements lead to vague RFPs and demo theatre. Poor master data and unknown integrations become the largest hidden cost during implementation. An undefined evaluation method invites politics, and an unrealistic timeline invites failure after contract signing. #### Reading your band **Body:** A score under 40 percent suggests spending the next month on foundations: sponsor, business case and process mapping. Between 40 and 64 percent, run discovery and an RFI while closing gaps. From 65 to 84 percent, finish preparation and launch the RFP. Above 85 percent you are ready to run the selection in earnest. A single zero on sponsorship or evaluation method is more serious than the total suggests, so treat any zero as a blocker. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Teams often start with vendor demos to learn what they want, which inverts the sequence and gives the vendor control of your requirements. Another is treating selection as an IT project; the business must own the process definitions. Finally, setting a go-live date before selecting a vendor and partner commits you to a timeline that nobody has tested. Use the selection duration calculator and implementation timeline estimator to sanity check the dates. **Cta:** If the assessment shows gaps in data or process knowledge, we can discuss how read-only analysis of your current ERP can help document what is really in use. **Faq:** #### How long does an ERP selection take? **Answer:** Most mid-size manufacturers need four to nine months from kickoff to signed contract, depending on the number of sites, requirements and approval cycles. Readiness gaps add time. Use the selection duration calculator to estimate your own schedule from the stages involved. #### Should I start with an RFI or an RFP? **Answer:** Use an RFI when you are still learning the market or have more than six candidates. Use an RFP once requirements and criteria are agreed and you have four to six vendors. A short RFI saves vendor and internal time by filtering poor fits early. #### Can we run the selection without a consultant? **Answer:** Yes, if you have the time and a capable project lead. Independent advisors help with market knowledge, benchmark pricing and structure. Whatever you choose, keep ownership of requirements and the final decision with your own business leaders. #### What score should I aim for before issuing the RFP? **Answer:** Aim for at least 65 percent with no zero on sponsorship, requirements or evaluation method. Perfect scores are rare. The point is to remove avoidable risks, not to delay forever, so set a date to launch once the critical gaps are closed. ## Search terms erp selection readiness assessment, are we ready for erp selection, erp project readiness checklist, erp selection process steps, erp readiness quiz, when to start erp selection, erp selection preparation --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json