How to choose an ERP for a small company: 7 questions for the vendor
Demos all look great. Seven questions that reveal what is hiding behind them, and answers that should worry you.
Every ERP demo looks good. Clean data, colorful screens, a salesperson who knows exactly where to click. The trouble usually shows up three months later, with your data, your people, and your way of working. To see past the demo, ask these seven questions.
1. Can I start with a single module?
Good answer: yes, and I can add the rest over time. Red flag: “you must take the full package.” A small company does not need everything, and paying for modules you never use is wasted money.
2. Are the fields on a record mine to define?
Every business tracks different details. Ask whether you can add fields yourself (text, date, dropdown) without paying for custom development. If the answer is “we will do it for you, for a fee, every time,” you will queue for small changes forever.
3. How do my existing data get in?
You already have customers, products, and suppliers in spreadsheets. Ask how import works: from Excel, with validation, with an error report? A solid import saves weeks. “You enter it manually” means you moved work, not reduced it. See also moving from Excel without stopping the business.
4. Who sees what?
Ask to see roles in action. Can reception skip invoices? Can a rep see only their own clients? A system without flexible roles becomes painful when the team grows. See also how we handle security and access.
5. What happens to my data?
Where it lives, who can access it, how backups work, and how you get it back if you leave. A serious vendor answers clearly and, ideally, points you to a security page (for us, security). Vague answers are a signal.
6. Does it connect to what I already use?
Billing, e-invoicing, your website, a CRM. Ask about APIs, webhooks, and ready-made integrations. A closed system forces you to move everything or copy data by hand. Our integrations page shows what we support.
7. What happens when I need something that does not exist?
This is the big one. No off-the-shelf app fits 100%. Ask whether they can build a module for your workflow on the same platform, with the same users and permissions. A flat “no” often means another app glued on the side within a year.
A bonus: how long until someone actually uses it?
Do not ask “when is it finished.” Ask “when is someone doing real work in it?” A system used in week one, even on one module, beats a perfect setup nobody touches.
How to use the list
You are not looking for perfect answers to everything. You are looking for honest ones. “We do not do that, but here is how we handle it” beats a “yes, of course” with no detail.
Want to test us with these questions?
We answer directly and set up a demo environment: 7 days free.
For a first read on what fits you, try the ERP or CRM quiz or how to choose between them. For pricing, see pricing.
