| An independent ERP Consultant is an individual or an | | | | should, based on the business benefits and no more |
| organization retained by the client to get ERP | | | | than 3 year payback time, should recommend client |
| implemented. He/she should be platform agnostic and | | | | budget for ERP implementation. In some cases, if the |
| must not be associated with any ERP tool maker. | | | | business is seeing tremendous growth, payback time |
| This ensures that there is no conflict of interest. He | | | | of more than 3 years may be acceptable. |
| she consultant should get paid by the client only. I | | | | 3. Evaluate and recommend: An ERP Consultant must |
| also recommend that the consultant should not | | | | help client create a clear evaluation criteria to select |
| charge based on the implementation %. The idea of | | | | the ERP tool as well as implementation partner. |
| a consultant is to provide right solution at the right | | | | Outcome of ERP evaluation will be recommendation |
| price. % gives an incentive to escalate prices. | | | | of 1 or 2 tools along with cost ($ and duration) of |
| Independent ERP Consulting includes providing clients | | | | implementation. In other words, ERP Selection phase |
| with following: | | | | should within 15-20% define the cost of |
| 1. Understand and identify Need: An independent ERP | | | | customization of the tool. The reason it is |
| Consultant will review business practices and volume | | | | recommended to select 2 tools is because it allows |
| and based on that recommend whether implementing | | | | the client to negotiate with the tool makers. |
| ERP will accrue any business benefits or not. Business | | | | 4. Recommend implementation team: An ERP |
| benefits may not always be top line or bottom line | | | | Consultant must create skill matrix for the |
| but could be enablers as well. | | | | implementation and recommend skills and capacity |
| 2. Recommend Budget: An independent consultant | | | | needed to implement the tool. |