In the fourth installment of the series "Are You Ready for Replatforming?", we take a look at a formalized process for creating criteria and steps for making an ERP or CRM solution transition, including who should be involved in the process and how they should participate.

1. www.blytheco.comwww.blytheco.com
Are You Ready for
Replatforming?
Webinar 4:
How to Evaluate Solutions and Build Your
Evaluation Committee

2. Agenda
Recap: What is Replatforming?
What are the common mistakes in Evaluation?
What are the steps of Evaluation?
Who should be on the Evaluation Committee?
How should the Evaluation Committee participate?
Next Steps and resources for today

3. Introductions
Alicia Anderson
Strategic Marketing
Atlanta, GA-based
19 years in ERP/CRM
sales, service and
marketing

4. Moving to automation for the first time.
Transitioning to a new system.
Upgrading an existing system.
What is replatforming?
This series is designed to give you
the tools and knowledge needed to
make ERP/CRM transition smooth
and minimize risk.
Industry analyst Mint
Jutras reports that 73%
of surveyed companies
said that “management
driven change was
requiring moderate to
substantial ERP change”

5. Series Introduction – May 7
How to Build a Business Case – June 4
How to Scope Your Project – July 9
How to Evaluate Solutions and Build Your Evaluation Committee –
Wednesday - TODAY
Cloud vs. On-Premise - Wednesday, September 3
Know Your Payment Options - Wednesday, September 24
The Series

6. How to Evaluate Solutions
and Build Your Evaluation
Committee
3

7. A formalized structure for guiding the decision process
A set of agreed-upon criteria for making a choice
Buy-in from all impacted users and executives
A decision based on quantitative data
These guidelines will give you…

8. Incomplete requirements
Over-emphasis on cost
Selection bias
Failure to use objective professional services
Not having the right people on board from the start
Common mistakes in ERP / CRM selection
What are some common mistakes that companies make when they
choose an ERP or CRM solution?

9. Define Criteria
Use the Business Case and Project Scope that you developed to define
the needed criteria for your new solution
Functional requirements – the
“deal-breakers”
Usability
Budget
Timeframe
Technology: Cloud vs. On-
Premise.
Consulting partner expertise
Future-proof

10. Criteria of First-time Buyers
1. Price
2. Ease of implementation
3. Ease of use
4. Fit to the business
5. Functionality
6. Compatibility with existing tech
7. Scalability
8. Partner support
9. Quality of documentation
10. Developer’s track record
Criteria of Experienced Buyers
1. Partner support
2. Developer’s track record
3. Fit to the business
4. Scalability
5. Price
6. Quality of documentation
7. Functionality
8. Ease of use
9. Ease of implementation
10. Compatibility with existing tech
Comparing Criteria of Experienced vs. First-time Buyers
Second-time and subsequent buyers have the advantage of experience
and acquired wisdom over their first-time buyer peers. Their rankings are
therefore a better guide for those researching business system options.

11. Research Phase – The Long List
Include industry-specific and general options
Get recommendations from peers
Do web research
Speak to each of them
Narrow down the options
The first step in choosing a solution is to develop the “long list” of
possible options

12. Time to engage with a consulting partner
Conduct a detailed assessment of short-list vendors
Conduct a high-level discussion with them
Schedule a demo
Research Phase – The Short List
Next, narrow down the “long list” into a “short list,” by eliminating solutions
that don’t have the “deal-breaker” criteria

13. What are their capabilities?
How much experience do they
have?
From what location will they serve
you?
What is their implementation
methodology?
How will support and training be
provided?
Work with an expert
When it’s time to engage with a consulting partner, what questions should
you be asking them?

14. Lay out each Solution
Option
Give weighted scores
to each for each
criteria
Get a sample on our
Course site
Develop a Decision Matrix
Working with a Decision Matrix will help you weigh the options in a
quantitative way.

15. The Test Case
Acme Distribution Company
Mid-sized wholesaler
Expanding into global
markets
Using legacy systems and
siloed spreadsheets
Growing organically
Let’s walk through building a project scope document for a sample
company to help illustrate how this will benefit your company

16. Be involved in the project initiation phase where the decision making
process is agreed upon
Assist in the gathering of requirements
Attend the Vendor Demonstrations
Complete quantitative assessments of each short list solution.
The Evaluation Committee
What are the tasks of the Evaluation Committee?

17. Key stakeholders
Evaluation Team – Key Project Stakeholders
Joe Jones,
ControllerBob
Robinson,
COO
Jane Smith,
Operations
Manager
Executive Sponsor
Bill Williams, IT
Manager

18. Evaluation Team – Representatives of User Groups
All impacted team
members should be
involved!

19. Put some structure around the evaluation process with:
Defined criteria
A long list that becomes a short list
A decision matrix
An inclusive evaluation committee
Objective outside assistance
In summary…

20. Resources for today’s class
Available on http://info.blytheco.com/replatform-resources
Decision Matrix Template
Copy of this presentation
Resources from previous classes

21. Next Classes…
Cloud vs. On-Premise Wednesday, Sept 3
Know Your Payment Options Wednesday, Sept 24