Odoo, Dynamics, or SAP: a vendor-neutral ERP selection framework
The framework we run ERP selection engagements on. Weighted requirements, TCO modeling across 5 years, and the honest conversation about staying put.
ERP selection goes wrong in a predictable way: a committee scores feature checklists, the “winner” wins on breadth rather than fit, and two years later the shortlist runner-up would have been the better call. Here is the framework we run engagements on to avoid that.
Requirements before candidates
Most selection processes start with candidates and retrofit requirements. We invert it. Two weeks of functional workshops, per business area, with the question: what has to work, what should work, what would be nice. Weighted 3/2/1. Scored against business impact, not vendor capabilities.
TCO over 5 years
Licensing is the smallest line in real ERP TCO. Implementation, data migration, change requests, training, integration, and support dwarf it. Our TCO model covers five years because three is optimistic on how long implementations take to settle.
The four candidates most shortlists end up with
- Odoo — manufacturing mid-market, cost-sensitive scaling, regional coverage, internal team that can handle maintenance.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — deep Microsoft ecosystem, strong distribution / commerce.
- NetSuite — US-focused, finance-heavy, subscription revenue, multi-entity.
- SAP Business One — manufacturing and distribution verticals, compliance-sensitive.
The fifth candidate is “stay and extend” — and it is the right answer more often than vendors like to hear.
What the output looks like
A 1-2 page memo and a scoring workbook. Not a 200-slide deck. Enough to take to a board, specific enough to act on, short enough to be read.
Our selection commitment
We recommend based on requirements. We do not take referral commissions from ERP vendors. If the right answer is Odoo, we implement it. If it is anything else, we help you run the implementation PMO regardless of whom you pick.