ERP Migration & SelectionFree worksheetPDF, Excel, Word export

ERP Vendor Longlist to Shortlist Tracker Worksheet

Most ERP selections start with a pile of vendor names from analysts, peers and cold calls. This tracker gives that pile a structure so you can cut it to a shortlist for a fair reason, not a gut feeling, and show the steering committee why each vendor stayed or left.

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Vendor / product	Deployment	Industry fit (1-5)	Functional fit (1-5)	Local support (1-5)	Cost fit (1-5)	Vendor viability (1-5)	Screening score (out of 25)	Decision	Reason
							19
							21
							19
							13
							15

Average screening score

17.4

Highest screening score

Vendors tracked

Scores are quick screening judgments from public information, analyst notes and one introductory call. Do the weighted scoring only after the RFP responses arrive. Keep a written reason for every Drop so the decision survives later questions from the steering committee.

Second opinion on your shortlist

Optional: send us your shortlist and we will point out gaps in the screening criteria for a manufacturing ERP.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the tracker

List every vendor you hear about, even ones you suspect are wrong. For each, rate five screening criteria from 1 to 5 using public material: product pages, industry references, partner directories, pricing indications and annual reports. The sheet adds the five scores into a total out of 25. Use the Decision column to mark who is invited to the RFP, who is on hold and who is dropped, with a one line reason. Export to Excel and share it with the steering committee before the RFP goes out.

Screen from public information, do not burn vendor time yet
Rate the same five criteria for every vendor
Write a reason for every Drop and Hold
Aim for three to four vendors in the full RFP

Why screen before the RFP

A full RFP costs both sides real effort. Vendors invest days in a response and your team spends weeks reading it. Sending it to twelve vendors produces twelve answers you cannot evaluate properly. A light screen on industry fit, functional fit, local support, cost and vendor viability removes obvious mismatches, such as a product with no manufacturing depth or a partner network that does not cover your region, before anyone writes a long document.

Choosing the five criteria

The defaults reflect what usually eliminates vendors for manufacturers. Industry fit asks whether similar plants run the product in production. Functional fit asks about the few processes that define your business, for example engineering change control, lot traceability or project costing. Local support covers implementation partners, language and statutory localisation. Cost fit compares rough total cost against budget. Viability looks at ownership, product investment and the release roadmap. Change the labels if your project has different gates, but keep the number at five or fewer.

Common mistakes

The biggest error is shortlisting on brand recognition alone. The second is letting one executive favourite stay on the list without a score. A third is mixing screening with detailed scoring, which turns a one day exercise into a month. Keep screening light and consistent, then do the heavy weighted evaluation on the shortlist only, using your requirements and demo scripts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many ERP vendors should be on the shortlist?

Three to four is the usual range. Fewer than three weakens your negotiating position and gives you little comparison. More than four makes demos and reference calls too heavy for the team, and detailed scoring quality drops.

Should price be a screening criterion?

Use it as a rough fit check against budget, not a precise number. Real pricing depends on users, modules and implementation scope, which you only know after the RFP. Drop vendors early only when they are clearly outside your range.

Can I add or remove columns?

You can add and delete rows in the tool and edit every score. For different criteria, export to Excel and adjust the headers there. Keep the same criteria for all vendors, otherwise the totals are not comparable.

Where do vendor names come from?

Peer companies in your industry, analyst shortlists, partner directories, your current ERP vendor, and implementation consultants. Record where each name came from so you can spot bias, for example a list built only from one consultant's network.

If your shortlist includes Infor SyteLine, M3, LN or NetSuite and you want an independent view of how AI and reporting would work on top of each, Netray can review it with you.

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