ERP unifies inventory, purchasing, production, sales and accounting on one database. Done right, “how much stock do we have, who owes us, what did we earn this month” are answered in seconds. Done wrong, the team drifts back to spreadsheets.
1. Which problem are we solving?
“Let's digitize” is not a goal. “Stock counting takes three days” is. If you can't write down a concrete problem, you're not ready for ERP yet.
2. Off-the-shelf or custom?
Packages start cheap but impose their processes. Custom software fits your workflow and includes only what you need, but takes longer. If your processes *are* your competitive edge, go custom.
3. Who owns it internally?
Every successful ERP project has one internal owner who makes decisions and pulls the team along. Without that person, the best software gets shelved at the first objection.
4. Is your data clean?
ERP multiplies dirty data at speed. Duplicate accounts and mismatched stock must be cleaned before migration — boring, and the most critical step.
5. Phased or big bang?
Big-bang go-live is risky for SMBs. Start with the area that hurts most, then add production, sales and accounting as adoption grows.
6. What about integrations?
E-invoicing, banking, your online store, dealers, shipping — ERP's value comes from talking to other systems. Get the scope in writing.
7. What if we leave the vendor?
Can you fully export your data? Who holds the source code and servers? If that answer is vague, you haven't bought a system — you've bought a dependency.