Prep File
Walk into every meeting with a single brief. Judge each candidate system against it, so the decision rests on how it fits your business, not on which screens look nicest.
- 01
First jobs to tackle
Write down the three jobs that cause the most delay, need duplicate entry, or produce the most errors.
- 02
Real scenarios
Pick two of these jobs and trace them start to finish: quote to collection, say, or order to shipment.
- 03
Users and decisions
Note who will use the system, which approvals it needs, and what information management wants to see.
- 04
Data and connections
List the accounts, products, stock and open transactions you need to move, and name the bank, marketplace, carrier or other service connections you rely on.
- 05
Scope of the first phase
Separate what needs to work on day one from requests that can wait.
Questions to Ask in the Meeting
Run Your Real Scenario in the Demo
Don't settle for a canned tour in the demo. Run the two jobs from your prep file instead. Watch where each step creates a record, whose desk it lands on, and which report the result feeds into. Check the same product's quantity across warehouse, store and online sales; the collection status behind a sale; and the record a management report figure actually rests on.
Reading Proposals
First phase
See the included products, workflows, roles and screens spelled out clearly.
Project work
Separate out which parts of data prep, migration, customisation, connections and training the price actually covers.
Ongoing service
Find out the monthly terms for hosting, backups, updates and support.
Work that comes up later
Ask, in writing, how third-party licences, extra development and new requests get handled.
Warning Signs to Watch For
- The demo runs only on canned screens instead of your own example
- Data migration gets pushed to later with no named owner
- A connection is named but its data direction and owner are never explained
- Permissions are demonstrated through a single admin account only
- No written plan covers testing, sign-off, go-live and support
Frequently Asked Questions
Which business scenarios should be prepared before comparing systems?
Choose two real chains, such as order to cash, purchase request to goods receipt or work order to cost. Name the roles that open, approve and close each record.
Should every file and program be migrated?
No. Prioritise data that affects daily transactions, official records or management decisions. List closed history separately from open records needed in live use.
What should we compare besides licence price?
Put data preparation, connections, configuration, testing, training, migration and monthly support into the same table. If out-of-scope work is missing, the total burden of two proposals cannot be compared reliably.
Should a demonstration use a prepared screen or our own work?
Use your own sample order, manufacturing job or service task. This exposes role, approval, exception and reporting needs that a standard demonstration can hide.
How should we define a successful first go-live?
Write measurable acceptance conditions: which records will move, which chain will run end to end and which report must reconcile. Name the owners and acceptance date in the migration plan.