Convert promises to evidence: this is how the test game step could be summarized in an ERP project. You probably already know this, but this consists in requesting a demo from the editor-integrator, based on an operational scenario. This is a customized demonstration to ensure that the tool's functionalities are in line with one's needs. But how can we ensure that this phase takes place in the right conditions? How can this improved "proof of concept" bring real added value in the choice of an ERP software? The answer is: by learning about these good practices to make a successful test set!

A few years ago, users of professional software were forced to adapt to the tools their company offered them. Today, things have changed: the tools are designed according to the user experience, or UX, which becomes one of the essential criteria for the success of an ERP project. We're taking stock of the situation!

Adopting an ERP solution is a big change for any company. It will affect all staff, in one way or another – everyone needs different things and works in different ways. If you switch to new software without considering these differences, you'll make a rod for your own back, slowing down take-up or even paving the way for flat-out rejection. For a smoother switch-over – and to make everyone's work easier – the ERP interface should be tailored to different user categories. Let's look at two examples: consultants and management auditors.

As someone who works in a consultancy, a design or engineering company, or an architectural or software firm, projects management is an everyday concern for you. Your current software is hit and miss. You have management software, accounting software, an Excel file bursting with macros or even an aging ERP solution that brings them all together. In any case, you're starting to see cracks appearing. Perhaps it's time to invest in an integrated specialist management software for business management. Here are a few questions you should ask first.

A new ERP solution is a big change for any company. It affects in-house procedures and every member of staff. No one really likes change – and rightly so. With any change, there’s a lot to learn, a lot to get used to and inevitable stress. So, when you get a new ERP solution, you have to banish any fears your staff may have. Here are 5 tips to make sure your new software package gets a warm welcome.

IT really came of age between the 1980s and the 2000s. Companies invested in uniform, standardised and often inflexible management software backed by vendor-integrator giants. Today, however, needs have changed. Everything is new: regulations, billing methods, types of customer relations and customer demands. From now on, your ERP software must support these ongoing developments. And that means that it must be agile.

Picking a new ERP software is a bit like selling a house: you don’t want to make a mistake, so you try to make a sensible decision based on objective and costed arguments. You draw up a list of criteria “for” and “against” and you attempt to completely control the process by putting a number on every last detail. But how do you choose between lots of ostensibly similar packages? At some point, when it comes to picking an ERP solution (much like choosing a house), you just have to take the plunge.

The ERP market is in fantastic shape. In France, it pulled in almost 3 billion euros in 2016 and analysts forecast an average annual growth of 3.5% until 2020¹. With more than 2,500 stakeholders in France alone, software publishing now very much looks like a new digital El Dorado. But companies often doubt whether each new El Dorado is fact or fiction. Their main fear: the vendor will go out of business and their tool will be orphaned. So, the first thing you should do before signing a contract is to check the sustainability of an ERP publisher.