What to look for when evaluating any ERP system.

Who should use this checklist?

Founders, finance leaders, operations leaders, and evaluation committees that need a common framework for internal discussion.

1) Operating fit

Can teams run the real workflow from request to delivery to invoice without permanent spreadsheet workarounds?

2) Financial and control fit

Review close cycle, permissions, approvals, collections, and how operational activity becomes finance-ready.

3) Implementation fit

Is the rollout realistic by phase, owner, training capacity, and first 60-day review cadence?

4) Reporting visibility

Can leaders get one trusted view without manually rebuilding numbers across departments?

5) Ownership and governance

Who owns master data, approval rules, and process changes after go-live?

6) Expansion readiness

Can you start with a smaller scope and add modules without rebuilding the process from scratch?

How to use it in an internal workshop

Give each area a 1–5 score. Then discuss where departments disagree before the final vendor meeting.

Common evaluation mistakes

• Focusing on the number of features instead of the quality of the workflow.
• Separating pricing from implementation capacity.
• Postponing governance questions until after purchase.

FAQ

Is this checklist enough by itself?
It is a decision framework. Complete it with How to choose ERP, Case studies, and a workflow demo.