How to Choose an ERP Vendor: 12 Questions That Reveal the Truth
Every ERP vendor demos well, and every vendor has a portfolio. What you cannot see in a demo is who will still be answering the phone in year three, and who disappears after handover.
These twelve questions are harder to rehearse an answer to. Use them whether you are comparing quotes for custom ERP software or a ready-made system, and note not just what the vendor says but how quickly and clearly they say it.
About the work
1. Can you give me a written scope with a fixed price before I pay anything?
A serious vendor puts scope and price on paper before taking money. If you only get a proposal deck and a verbal “around this much”, you have no baseline to hold anyone to.
2. What is explicitly not included in this quote?
Every quote excludes something. A vendor who can list the exclusions clearly has thought the project through. One who says “everything is included” will find the exclusions later, on your invoice.
3. What does an out-of-scope change cost, per day?
Requirements change on every ERP project, so this is not a trick question. You want a stated rate and a process where change requests are priced separately and clearly, before the work starts.
4. Who exactly will work on this, and what else are they working on?
Ask for names and roles. Reluctance to name the people doing the work is a warning sign, and so is a team that is split across five other projects.
5. How is migration priced, and who validates the result?
Moving years of data out of spreadsheets, registers or an old system is where many ERP projects go wrong. Ask whether migration is in the fixed price, and who signs off that the numbers match afterwards, you or the vendor.
About ownership
6. Do we receive the source code and database schema on final payment?
You should. Without the code and schema, you cannot move to another vendor or bring the work in-house. Get this in the contract, not in an email.
7. Whose name are the hosting, domain and store accounts registered in?
They should be in yours from day one. Vendors who register accounts in their own name hold your business hostage, whether they intend to or not.
8. If we leave in year two, what exactly do we take with us?
Ask for the list: code, database, documentation, credentials, third-party licences. The answer shows how seriously the vendor treats the idea of you leaving, and the best vendors are comfortable with it.
About afterwards
9. What is covered by support, and what is billable?
“Free support” means little unless it is defined. Ask what counts as a bug fix, what counts as a small change and what becomes a paid enhancement, and for how long each applies.
10. What is your response time commitment, in writing?
A named person with a committed response window beats a ticket queue. Get the window written into the agreement, and ask who the contact is.
11. Can I speak to a client you delivered to three years ago, not last month?
Recent clients are still in the honeymoon period. A client from three years ago tells you whether the software still works, whether the vendor still answers and whether support held up.
12. Have you ever had a project go wrong, and what happened?
This is the most useful question on the list. Every vendor with real volume has had a project go badly. One who claims they never have is either too new to have been tested or not being honest with you. A good answer names the cause, what the vendor changed afterwards and what they did for the client at the time.
Quick scorecard
| AreaGood answerWarning sign | ||
| Scope and price | Written, fixed, exclusions listed | Deck only, “roughly” |
| Change requests | Separate, priced, agreed first | Absorbed silently, billed later |
| Team | Named people and roles | “Our team will handle it” |
| Migration | In scope, validated with you | “Easy, we’ll sort it out” |
| Ownership | Code, schema and accounts in your name | Vendor-held accounts |
| Support | Defined, in writing, with a named contact | Vague promises |
| References | Clients from 3+ years ago | Only recent clients |
| Failures | Honest account with lessons | “We’ve never had one” |
How ORVIA answers these questions
We would rather you ask them than not. You get a written scope and fixed price within 24 hours, change requests are priced separately and clearly, and one named project manager is your direct contact. Source code, hosting, domain and analytics accounts are registered in your name and handed over on completion. We handle data migration with structured validation, and support is free for the first twelve months.
We also work across sectors, with dedicated systems for schools and colleges, hospitals, inventory and billing and pharmacies. You can review our work, case studies and security and NDA policy before speaking to us.
If you are buying from outside India, our guide on how to hire a software company in India covers company verification, IP, invoicing and timezones.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I choose an ERP vendor?
Compare vendors on written scope, fixed price, code and account ownership, migration handling, support terms and references from older clients, not on demos alone. The twelve questions above cover each of these.
What should an ERP quote include?
A written scope, a fixed price, a list of exclusions, a rate for out-of-scope changes, a migration plan, a support definition and a payment schedule tied to milestones.
Who should own the ERP source code?
You should. The contract should state that source code, database schema and documentation are assigned to you on final payment, and that hosting and domain accounts are registered in your name.
How long should ERP support be included?
It varies, but a defined period of free support covering bugs, small changes and security updates is a good sign. Ask exactly what is covered and what is billable afterwards.
What is the biggest risk when changing to a new ERP?
Data migration. Ask how it is priced, how it is tested and who confirms the numbers match before you go live.