I’ve had the great pleasure and excitement of having worked as a practicing and independent ERP consultant for the better part of two decades. I have worked in all types and configurations of client and consultancy professional environments during that time and each and every year in the ERP ecosystem convinces me even more of the importance of understanding the biases and origin stories of your “Independent” ERP consultancy team staffing your ongoing ERP implementation project:
In my personal and professional opinion, Consultants alongside unqualified managing partners – in addition to what I would term professional missteps in project conduct or technical architecture – have at certain critical junctures during ERP implementation projects adversely affected my clients. This is one of the major reasons why I decided to set up the Seibert Consulting Group. But my experiences in the ERP marketplace have informed my formulation of the questions and tips regarding the vetting of your ERP consultants you will find below.
Perhaps the takeaway is that you can avoid making these same mistakes by posing the right questions to a potential partner, in addition to adequately vetting them before you make the all-important decision of trusting the future of your Business to them.
- Are You Actually Independent?
With the plethora of disparate technologies available as a part of your digital transformation, it is crucial to ensure that your ERP consultants are genuinely independent. You need to know exactly whether they are resellers or partners of software vendors, or if they are affiliated with other similar companies that may divide their loyalty. Again, you will want to be sure that your comparison of Oracle | NetSuite ERP or Oracle Cloud vs SAP S/4HANA vs Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs any other ERP system is impartial and not being fueled by hidden monetary motives.
- How Much Hands-on Implementation Experience Does Your Consultant Have?
I firmly believe that academic consultants aren’t of much value to any business. Some of the best hands I’ve seen on the job are those that can combine theory with real hands-on implementation experience. Verify that your potential and current consultants have actually implemented several technologies in the past.
- What Level of Dedication Will Your Managing Partners Offer – And Do They Know What Consulting Entails?
You need to be guaranteed that your project and organization will remain at the top of the priority list of your consulting firm. Be sure that you have complete trust in their background and ability to further your project – particularly when difficulties start to arise.
- How Much Time Are You Going to Spend Getting Acquainted with My Business and Team?
Consultants are way more effective on the ground, working closely with your team than when they are on the 10th floor of their office. They need to be on-site, learning your culture, understanding the intricacies of your operation and giving you the personalized experience that they have charged you for.
- How Many Times Have Your Firm Been Sacked in The Last Two Years?
An excellent indicator of the ability of a consulting team is their past references, so dig up some of the more recent ones. Find out how often they have been sacked by clients they have worked with very recently. Chances are that if they have a long list of unhappy clients, you are bound to be one too.
- How Many of Your Most Recent Clients Can Provide Positive References?
Some consulting firms live on old glory. Quiz them about their recent projects and be sure that they can show you some of their more recent successes.
- How Much of Your Revenue Is Gotten Via ERP Implementation Vs ERP Software Selection Projects?
Steer clear of consulting firms without adequate experience and revenue from several stages of an implementation cycle. You need to be sure that your consultants don’t just do implementations and pretend to do software (or vice versa). So, do some research into the exact kind of work they do. Regardless of their experience in Oracle | NetSuite ERP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementations, SAP S/4HANA implementations, or any kind of digital transformation, the need for a relevant hands-on experience cannot be negotiated.
- What Reputation Does Your Company Have Among Resellers, Vendors and Competitors?
Competitors that don’t get along well with other players aren’t the best choice. Do some asking and find out what other relevant players think of them. If you hear something terrible, then keep in mind that there is often an iota of truth to every rumor.
- How Do Current and Past Employees Regard Your Firm?
A dissatisfied workforce can considerably hinder the effectiveness of any consulting company. Check out reviews about them on Glassdoor and visit their LinkedIn page to get an idea of where the company is headed. Also, try reaching out to some of their former employees via LinkedIn to get some firsthand information.
- How Much Turnover Have You Recorded Between Executives and Consultants in The Last Couple of Years?
A warning sign that a company is in distress is their turnover rate per year (greater than 10%). Keenly scout the company’s LinkedIn page to ascertain how many people have left their position in recent years. Again, watch out for consulting firms that have a high turnover rate in their executive positions.
Ideally, you want to partner with an ERP consultant that will be in business for a long time. The best ones can make you successful, while the bad ones can considerably mar your chances of success.
For more tips and tricks regarding the selection process you should be emplying to select the best independent ERP consultants for your project, call the Seibert Consulting Group at 760-205-5440, or drop us a line at hello@seibertconsulting.com
