# ERP System Selection Checklist (With Implementation Proposal Review) > Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-system-selection-checklist-manufacturing > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A tick-and-score checklist to run an ERP selection for a manufacturer, from requirements and demo scripts to reviewing the implementation proposal. ## Category erp-migration ## Industry Discrete Manufacturing ## Audience - ERP project lead - CIO - Operations head - ERP consultant ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### 1. Prepare before talking to vendors **Items:** **Text:** Name an executive sponsor and a project lead with time allocated **Critical:** true **Text:** Write down the three to five business problems the ERP must fix **Critical:** true Document current processes: quoting, order entry, MRP, shop floor, quality, shipping, finance List all systems and spreadsheets the ERP will replace or integrate with Count users by role and site, now and in three years **Text:** Set a budget range covering licenses, implementation, hardware or hosting, training and support **Critical:** true Decide the deployment preference: on-premises, private cloud or SaaS, and why #### 2. Requirements and shortlisting **Items:** **Text:** Split requirements into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have **Critical:** true Include manufacturing specifics: BOM levels, routings, lot or serial traceability, scrap, subcontract Include compliance needs: AS9100, ISO 13485, FDA, ITAR, export control, tax and e-invoicing List integrations: CAD or PLM, MES, EDI, CRM, shipping, banking, reporting Choose three to five vendors that serve your size and industry and have comparable references Send an RFI or RFP with the same questions to every vendor **Text:** Assign weights to criteria before seeing any demo **Critical:** true #### 3. Demos and proofs **Items:** **Text:** Give each vendor the same scripted scenarios using your real part numbers and orders **Critical:** true Script a make-to-order or engineer-to-order case with a changed order mid-production Script a quality event: nonconformance, disposition, cost of scrap and supplier return Script month-end: costing, variances and a financial report you currently produce Have shop floor users and finance staff attend and score the demos independently Ask to see the reporting tool, not just standard screens Test data import of a real item master or BOM sample where possible #### 4. Reviewing the implementation proposal **Items:** **Text:** Check the scope lists modules, sites, entities, users and data migration objects explicitly **Critical:** true **Text:** Check the plan names phases, milestones, your team's required time and the vendor's roles **Critical:** true Confirm whether the price is fixed, capped or time and materials, and what triggers change orders Confirm data migration scope: which masters and open transactions, how many mock loads Look for training, testing, go-live support and hypercare periods, with durations Ask who owns customization and how it is kept through upgrades **Text:** Ask for named consultants and reference calls with similar manufacturers **Critical:** true Compare total five-year cost, not just year-one price #### 5. Contract and readiness **Items:** Check license metric (named, concurrent, role-based) and the cost of adding users Check support terms, response times, upgrade policy and annual increases **Text:** Confirm data ownership, export rights and exit terms **Critical:** true Confirm security, backup, disaster recovery and where data is stored Define acceptance criteria and payment milestones tied to results Plan internal change management, super users and cutover rehearsals Set post go-live success measures: inventory accuracy, on-time delivery, close time **Scoring Note:** Tick what you have completed. Critical items are those that most often decide whether an ERP project overruns. A score below 60 percent means you are not yet ready to sign; between 60 and 85, close the critical gaps first. ## Content **Intro:** An ERP selection goes wrong when companies compare brochures instead of testing against their own processes. This checklist walks through preparation, requirements, scripted demos, review of the implementation proposal, and the contract, so the decision rests on evidence. **Sections:** #### How to use this ERP selection checklist **Body:** Work through the five groups in order and tick items as they are done. Items marked critical are the ones whose absence most often causes budget and schedule overruns. Export the completed list to PDF to share with the steering committee, or to Excel to track owners and dates. Run it twice: once before the vendor search and once before you sign. #### Why scripted demos beat standard demos **Body:** A standard demo shows a polished path through sample data. A scripted demo asks every vendor to run the same awkward scenarios with your parts: a changed customer order mid-production, a nonconformance with supplier return, a month-end close. It shows how many clicks, customizations and workarounds each system needs. Score demos with the people who will use the system, using the criteria weights you set beforehand. #### What a good implementation proposal contains **Body:** A proposal should be specific enough that a dispute could be settled from it. Expect a defined scope by module, site and user count, a phase plan with milestones, explicit data migration objects, named roles on both sides, test and training approach, and go-live support. Vague phrases such as as required or best efforts are warnings. Compare proposals on total five-year cost, including licenses, hosting, support and your own staff time. #### Common mistakes **Body:** The usual errors are selecting by price alone, letting one department drive the choice, underestimating data cleanup, skipping reference calls with similar manufacturers, and signing before agreeing exit and data export terms. If you plan to run AI over ERP data later, ask each vendor how you can reach the data directly and whether on-premises deployment is supported. **Cta:** If you are weighing an ERP or already run one, we can add a private AI layer on top of it, including on-premises, without replacing the system. Happy to review your shortlist from that angle. **Faq:** #### How many ERP vendors should I shortlist? **Answer:** Three to five is usual. Fewer risks weak negotiating leverage; more makes scripted demos and reference checks too costly. Shortlist on fit for your industry, size and deployment model, not on market share alone. #### What should an ERP implementation proposal include? **Answer:** Scope by module, site and users; phases and milestones; data migration objects and mock loads; roles on both sides; training and testing; go-live and hypercare support; pricing basis and change-order rules; and named consultants. Anything vague should be clarified before signing. #### How long does an ERP selection take? **Answer:** For a mid-size manufacturer it commonly runs three to six months from requirements to contract, depending on how many stakeholders and vendors are involved. Rushing the requirements step usually costs more later than the time it saves. #### Should I hire a consultant for ERP selection? **Answer:** It helps when you lack internal ERP experience or have complex needs, as long as the consultant is independent of the vendors. A good one brings requirement templates, benchmarks and negotiation experience, but your own team must still own the decision. ## Search terms erp system selection checklist, erp implementation proposal checklist, erp software research report, erp selection checklist manufacturing, erp vendor evaluation checklist, erp demo script checklist, erp proposal review --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json