Your Due Diligence Checklist
To avoid costly mistakes, follow this process while evaluating any ERP
Running a business is hard enough — your ERP should make it easier, not more complicated. If your current ERP is slowing you down, creating confusion, or failing to deliver value, it may be time for a change.
Before you continue investing time and money in the wrong system, ask yourself:
- Does your vendor struggle to understand your real requirements?
- Have you invested heavily, but the ERP still isn’t giving the results you expected?
- Is the vendor delaying delivery or avoiding accountability?
- Are you forced to use multiple other applications because the ERP covers only part of your operations?
- Has the implementation dragged on far beyond the promised timeline, with no clear completion in sight?
- If your answer is YES to any of the above…
- It’s Time for a Change — Don’t Hesitate.
- Continuing with an ERP that doesn’t support your business is risky and expensive.
- There is no point throwing good money after bad.
- Your business cannot wait indefinitely for results.
- A wrong ERP can disrupt operations, reduce control, and increase errors.
- In many cases, even manual spreadsheets function better than a half-baked ERP.
- Be bold. Make the switch. Choose an ERP that truly understands your business and gives you peace of mind.
- Choosing the Right ERP for Manufacturing Businesses (Apparel & Textile or Engineering or any Manufacturing)
- Selecting the right ERP is a strategic decision that impacts cost, efficiency, and business continuity. The most expensive ERP isn’t always the best — and the cheapest is rarely the right fit.
- A good Manufacturing ERP must:
- Integrate information across departments, locations, and processes
- Handle the high variability in styles, sizes, colours, processes, and work centers (Apparel)
- Convert raw data into meaningful, actionable MIS reports
- Help you identify bottlenecks and improve productivity
- Support every stage from sampling to shipment
1. Conduct an Initial Demo With All Key Stakeholders
- Process owners
- Department heads
- IT team
- Management
This ensures a balanced evaluation and avoids decisions based on brand bias, cost bias, or incomplete understanding.
2. Do a Real Trial Run
Use one of your recent, complex orders and simulate the entire workflow:
- Data entry
- Work-in-progress
- Production tracking
- Approvals
- Reporting
This will reveal how the ERP handles real operational scenarios.
3. Check References
Speak to actual users from similar industries to understand :
- Stability
- Support quality
- Real-world benefits
- Implementation experience
4. Evaluate the Need for Customisation
After the trial, it becomes clear whether:
The ERP works for your business with minor tweaks
OR requires considerable customization or a different software approach is necessary
