System and partner selection · Alexander Koltsov
As an independent ERP selection consultant, I help you compare systems against the work your business needs to do. We define requirements, test vendor claims through practical scenarios and examine the implementation effort before you commit.
Discuss your project ↗How I can help
We agree the priorities and deliverables around your business, current systems and team.
A software demonstration shows a vendor’s preferred story. I help your team evaluate the process you will actually operate, including exceptions and integration needs. My hands-on ERP background is strongest in Odoo, and I founded ERPixel, an Odoo business. We make the advisory scope and any delivery involvement explicit before evaluation begins.
I interview management and the people handling daily work, then identify requirements for each business process. We distinguish essential controls from preferences and record the reason behind each requirement. This prevents the shortlist from being driven by whichever department produces the longest feature list.
I review the systems, spreadsheets and workarounds currently supporting the business. We identify what should be retained, redesigned or retired, including data that must move and integrations that must remain. You receive a baseline for comparing the full change required by each option.
I build evaluation criteria around process fit, reporting, integration, permissions, local requirements and the delivery model. We agree on mandatory conditions before assigning scores. A low price or attractive feature should not compensate for a missing process the company cannot operate without.
I investigate options against the agreed requirements and ask vendors to explain material gaps. The review covers the relevant product edition, hosting approach, integration capabilities and support arrangements. Product claims are recorded as questions to verify rather than accepted as proof of a usable solution.
I reduce the long list to options worth testing in detail. Each shortlist decision includes the reason for inclusion or rejection and any unresolved assumptions. The aim is a manageable comparison, with enough information to avoid spending weeks on demonstrations of unsuitable systems.
I prepare scenarios using your transactions: for example a partial receipt, an intercompany sale or a returned order. Vendors demonstrate the complete flow, including reports and exceptions. Users can then evaluate how the proposed system handles their work instead of relying on slides.
I prepare a request for proposal that explains processes, volumes, integrations, data, rollout expectations and responsibilities. A common response structure makes proposals easier to compare. Vendors identify what is standard, configured, customised or supplied by a third party, with assumptions attached to estimates.
I facilitate scoring and maintain an evidence record for each important requirement. We separate demonstrated capability from statements that still need validation. Scores support discussion; unresolved mandatory gaps, delivery risks and business constraints remain explicit in the final decision.
I evaluate who will do the work, their relevant process experience and the availability of the proposed team. We review discovery, testing, migration, training and support responsibilities. A suitable ERP product still needs a delivery partner capable of implementing your particular operating model.
You receive a recommendation explaining the preferred system and partner, remaining gaps, cost assumptions and implementation risks. I also set out the conditions that need to be resolved before commitment. The selection output becomes the starting point for implementation planning.
Relevant experience
These projects show the processes and responsibilities behind the service. Open a case to review the full scope and result.
ERP
An international technology manufacturer operated through three legal entities and needed one evolving ERP environment to support manufacturing, commercial operations, finance, inventory, and management control.
Read the case study ↗ERP
A growing business group needed a unified ERP environment for five legal entities and eight warehouses, with consistent operational control across the organisation.
Read the case study ↗Before we start
No. I start with requirements and constraints. My implementation experience is strongest in Odoo, which I disclose, but the assessment needs to establish whether an option fits your business.
Yes. I can review your criteria, identify missing questions and organise evidence-based demonstrations for the existing shortlist.
It can. Product fit and delivery capability are separate decisions, and I recommend assessing both before committing to implementation.
Define the next step
Describe your situation, the systems you use and the result you need. I will help define a useful starting point.
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