How B2B Buyers Evaluate ERP Solutions

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀 As independent ERP Consultants, we facilitate pragmatic, unbiased and auditable ERP Vendor Evaluations. Selecting a new ERP Vendor and Solution isn’t just about ticking functional boxes, it’s about reducing risk and making confident and well-founded decisions. A structured RFP scoring process to support the ERP Evaluation is imperative as it: ✅ 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 When scoring the RFP submissions we encourage our clients to focus on Vendor transparency, completeness, references, methodology and attention to detail, not just shiny software features. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺 Vendor self-scoring is useful, but usually optimistic by nature. A weighted and standardised scoring matrix enables emphasis on the most critical functions and ensures scoring outcomes are consistent and comparable across the ERP Vendors. ✅ 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Quantitative scoring (cost, financials, compliance) combined with qualitative inputs (comments, cultural fit, demo performance) produces rankings you can trust without pretending the numbers are absolute. ✅ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 Normalising pricing and assessing 1, 5 and 10 year total cost of ownership ensures decisions are based on long-term value, not just headline short term price models. ✅ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Outlier scores are flagged, discussed and resolved with the ERP Evaluation Team as a group. Comments capture rationale. Everyone sees the same information, stored centrally, working from the same version of the truth. ✅ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰����𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Clear timelines, ownership and scoring effort expectations prevent last-minute rushes and decision fatigue especially over holiday periods. The result is a pragmatic and fair ERP Vendor and Solution shortlist that provides the leadership a decision based primarily on evidence, not just gut feel. If you’re evaluating ERP Vendors and Solutions right now, the process you use to score them is just as important as the ERP Solution itself. #erp #crm #erpconsultant

Here are my top takeaways from our research into how the C-suite buys and evaluates software. We surveyed 300 CMOs, CTOs and CFOs from $50M+ B2B SaaS companies. Learnings: • Being top of mind (mental availability) is what determines if you're in the initial consideration set. This will not show up in your marketing analytics. • 75% of buyers turn to peers first when creating vendor shortlists, not Google • Physical availability matters: you gotta be findable on Google, LLMs and review marketplaces when buyers are doing category research + checking you out • Only 5-8 tools make it to initial consideration, then buyers narrow to 3 for demos • Bigger brands automatically get considered (the rich get richer) • Your website sells when you're not in the room. Buyers want to know "why you over the category leader?" (primary JTBD) • For mission-critical, high ACV tools like CRM or security, brand reputation matters most • Lesser-known vendors are considered if lower cost and/or point solutions • Buyers narrow don the shortlist to final 3 vendors BEFORE any contact, based mainly on your website and your reputation • They check your social media to verify if you're still active and viable as a company • Trade shows suck for discovery but are great for building relationships • The personality and preparation of your salesperson significantly impacts buying decisions • Pricing evasiveness is a major turn-off - just give them the damn number • CFOs get involved at different thresholds (as low as $10k for small companies, $1M+ for large enterprise), know what the number is for your ICPs • CFOs are skeptical of your ROI calculations - give them ingredients to make their own • Word of mouth from happy customers is still your best marketing.

The trust recession just hit B2B software buying harder than anyone predicted. 49% of software buyers say the number one thing they would change is the lack of transparent pricing information (Softwareequity). While 52% of B2B respondents now prefer providing their details only to brands they know and trust (Founders Forum Group). The latest Edelman Trust Barometer confirms what we're seeing at Software Finder: enterprise software trust is at all-time lows, and it's reshaping procurement fundamentally. Average decision cycles have extended 40%. 75% of organizations now require an RFP process or multiple vendor prices from procurement. Buyers demand transparent pricing, peer reviews, and implementation case studies before initial demos. The market shift is clear: Buyers don't trust vendor-controlled narratives anymore. They verify everything independently through peer networks, review platforms, and reference calls. The process starts with thorough research to understand vendor reputation and alignment with needs. What this means for vendors: Companies adapting fastest provide transparent pricing documentation, verified customer references, and detailed implementation guides from day one. Trust is now the primary barrier to sale, not features or pricing. The trust recession is the new baseline. Vendors treating transparency as competitive advantage will win. Those hiding behind gated content will watch deals stall. The question isn't whether your product is good enough. It's whether buyers trust you enough to find out. #TrustRecession #B2BSaaS #MarketTransparency #VendorStrategy

I’ve sat in on more Vertical VS Horizontal ERP demos than most ‘industry analysts’ will see in a lifetime. Biggest takeaway? Most vertical ERPs win the first conversation, but then lose once the deal progresses. Here’s how the pattern usually plays out: 1. Vertical ERPs are built for the easy win. If you’re selling to 1000 barbershops or yoga studies, vertical ERPs make sense. But the buyer will be trapped the moment they: • Adds new revenue streams. • Launches a new product line. • Or acquires another business. As a sales leader, I’ve watched vertical ERP vendors burn months and millions. All while horizontal ERPs quietly scale with mid-market and enterprise deals, because flexibility wins every time. 2. Complexity is about growth, not industry. In 2025, every ambitious company is building outside their “vertical.” → The real estate fund acquiring marinas and RV parks. → The simple DTC brand launching full blown wholesale business. → The SaaS company adding hardware and tracking inventory for the 1st time. And the best close always comes when you can show how your platform adapts on command. Because that’s how you get the prospect to stop looking at features and start considering the future fit. 3. Selling horizontal while staying light. The biggest ERP sales mistake? Pitching horizontal as “enterprise-grade” bloatware with 18-month implementation and $500K setup fees. Buyers are tired of that and here’s how we fixed it: → Rapid asset management for the real estate fund. → Inventory tools that support internal use for the DTC brand. → Plug-and-play lease accounting for the SaaS client. If you prove you can add modules on demand, then you win the sale effortlessly. And the only deals that close are the ones where the buyer sees their future is already handled and their biggest problems are already solved.