ERP selection criteria and checklist: a weighted scorecard, RFP template and demo script to copy

The ERP selection criteria that decide most choices at a 50 to 300 person manufacturer or distributor are how well each system runs your own business scenarios, five-year total cost, the implementation partner, and how openly the ERP shares its data. Weight them before the first demo, score each finalist 1 to 5 on scripted demos with your own data, and plan on 2 to 6 months to select and 3 to 12 months to implement, per ERP Research. This page gives the criteria, a weighted scorecard, RFP text, a demo script and an implementation checklist, ready to copy. Whichever ERP wins, orders and supplier dates still arrive by email. Morsa, which publishes this guide, handles that work on top of the ERP; the data-access questions below test how well a system supports that.

Morsa publishes this guide. We read the top-ranking selection guides, scorecards and RFP templates, from ERP Research, Deloitte, ERPFocus, Anchor Group, Bizowie and Cherry Bekaert, on 25 October 2026, and every number below names its source. The scorecard weights, the RFP text and the demo script are our own; copy and change them freely.

How to choose an ERP system: the process in eight steps

1. Name the problem and the owner. Write one page: why the current system has to go, what must be better in two years, and who decides. Cherry Bekaert puts executive buy-in and leadership first among its six selection steps [11].

2. Write your business scenarios. Ten to fifteen real workflows from your own business, from order to cash and from purchase to pay, each with real documents. These drive the RFP, the demos and the score.

3. List and rank requirements. Must-have, should-have, nice-to-have and won’t-have this phase. ERP Research calls this MoSCoW and says locking priorities early “stops vendors from steering your evaluation toward their strengths” [1].

4. Fix the weights. Agree the scorecard weights below before any vendor presents.

5. Build a long list and send the RFP. ERP Research suggests a long list of 6 to 10 vendors, 3 to 4 for detailed RFP evaluation and 2 finalists for scripted demos and reference checks [1].

6. Run scripted demos. Every finalist runs the same scenarios on your data. Each evaluator scores alone first.

7. Check references and price the whole thing. Speak with at least three customers of similar size and industry per vendor [1], and compare five-year cost line by line, not licence against licence. Our ERP cost guide lists every line.

8. Negotiate, then decide. Statement of work, renewal cap and data terms first; signature last.

ERP Research says the selection phase, from requirements to signed contract, typically takes 2 to 6 months [1]. Deloitte says a decision can be reached in under three months when the process is tight, and that building internal consensus can add three to four months [2].

ERP selection criteria: the eight that decide it

These are the ERP evaluation criteria in the order of weight we suggest for a 50 to 300 person manufacturer or distributor. Each has the question that tests it.

1. Your business scenarios. Does the system run your actual workflows, with your documents, without workarounds? In a survey of Deloitte leaders conducted in 2020 and published in May 2021, 85% said at least one of their clients found only marginal differences between leading ERPs [3]. When feature lists look alike, the scenarios separate the systems.

2. Functional and industry fit. Does it cover your must-haves natively: contract and customer pricing, drop ship, backorders and rebates for a distributor; bills of materials, MRP, routings and lot or serial traceability for a manufacturer? ERP Research adds production mode, MRP and capacity planning, shop-floor control, quality and costing methods for manufacturers [1].

3. Five-year total cost. Licences with renewal increases, implementation, data migration, integrations, training, the go-live dip and internal staff time. Implementation alone usually runs 1 to 3 times the yearly licence for mid-market systems, per ERP Research [9].

4. The implementation partner and plan. Who exactly will do the work, how many projects like yours they have run, and what their plan assumes your people will do.

5. Integrations and data access. Can the ERP connect to your ecommerce, EDI, shipping, CRM and banking, and can other software read and write its data through an API, a database or exports? This is also where it is decided whether other software can automate work around the ERP; see the test list below.

6. Usability and adoption. Can a customer service rep enter an order, and a buyer change a PO date, in the number of clicks you watched in the demo?

7. Vendor viability and roadmap. Financial stability, how long the product will be supported, and where the vendor is taking it. Deloitte moved product strategy and roadmap from no weight at all to 5% [2].

8. Contract terms. A written cap on renewal increases, the right to your data in a usable format, and the terms for adding or removing users.

Requirements versus criteria. Requirements say what the ERP must do; selection criteria say how you will score vendors against them [1]. The RFP section below holds the requirements; the scorecard holds the criteria.

The weighted ERP scorecard (copy into a spreadsheet)

These weights are ours, set for a 50 to 300 person manufacturer or distributor; move points toward whatever your one-page problem statement says matters most, and agree the changes before the first demo. Weights add up to 100. Score each criterion from 1 to 5, multiply by the weight, and add the results: the best possible total is 500.

Scoring scale. 5: exceeds the requirement natively. 4: meets it with minor configuration. 3: meets most of it; gaps can be closed. 2: significant gaps needing customization or workarounds. 1: cannot meet it. This is ERP Research’s scale [1].

How to score. Each evaluator scores alone. Where two evaluators differ by 2 or more points, discuss it and agree a score with the reason written down [1]. Any finalist that fails a must-have is out, whatever its total.

A worked example (hypothetical finalists). Finalist A scores 4, 3, 3, 5, 4, 3, 4 and 2 on the eight criteria: 100 + 45 + 45 + 75 + 40 + 30 + 20 + 10 = 365. Finalist B scores 3, 5, 4, 3, 3, 4, 5 and 4: 75 + 75 + 60 + 45 + 30 + 40 + 25 + 20 = 370. Five points apart out of 500 is a tie. Let the reference calls and the contract terms settle it, not the decimal.

Why these weights. Other published frameworks weight things differently, and it is worth seeing why:

Our weights sit between them: scenarios first, as Bizowie does, because Deloitte’s finding says feature lists no longer separate the leading systems; then cost and the partner, because the partner decides most of the implementation cost; then data access, because it decides what can be automated around the ERP later.

ERP comparison chart: what to compare, side by side

Use this as the ERP vendor comparison sheet for your finalists. Ask each vendor for the same evidence, in writing.

ERP RFP template: text to paste

This ERP RFP template is written for a 50 to 300 person manufacturer or distributor. Replace the brackets, delete what does not apply, and keep the response format so answers line up side by side. It also works as an ERP requirements template: section 4 is the requirements checklist.

1. About us. We are [company], a [manufacturer or distributor] of [products] with [number] employees, [number] sites and annual revenue of about [range]. We serve [customers and channels]. Today we run [current system] for [what it covers], with [spreadsheets, email and other tools] for [what they cover]. We expect [number] full users and [number] light users.

2. Why we are replacing our system, and the scope. We are replacing [current system] because [the three main reasons]. In scope: [finance, order management, purchasing, inventory and warehouse, manufacturing, quality, reporting]. Out of scope this phase: [items]. Target go-live: [month and year]. We prefer [cloud, on premises or no preference].

3. Business scenarios. Show each scenario end to end in your proposal and in the demo, using the sample documents we attach:

• A customer emails a PDF purchase order with 25 lines, using the customer’s own part numbers, one item we do not stock and one price that differs from their contract.

• A customer asks where their order is; show the answer with the ship date and tracking.

• A supplier pushes a ship date out by ten days; show what that changes in open sales orders or work orders.

• Receiving a partial shipment with a packing slip that does not match the PO, and the invoice that follows.

• [Distributors: contract pricing, a rebate claim, a drop shipment, a backorder release.]

• [Manufacturers: an engineering change on an open work order, MRP for a rush order, a lot traced from customer back to supplier.]

• Month-end close for [number] entities.

4. Requirements. For each requirement in the attached list, answer: native, configuration, third-party product (name it), customization, or not available. We have marked each requirement must-have, should-have or nice-to-have. [Attach the list by area: finance, sales and customers, pricing, purchasing, inventory and warehouse, manufacturing, quality, reporting, security and roles.]

5. Technical, integration and data access.

• List the systems you will integrate with ours: [ecommerce, EDI provider, shipping, CRM, bank, payroll, others], how each connects, and who maintains it.

• Describe your API: what it can read and write (sales orders, purchase orders, items, customers, inventory, shipments, invoices), rate limits, and any fee for API, integration or automation users.

• If on premises or hosted: can we read the database directly, and can we schedule exports?

• Describe your audit log: is every change recorded with who made it, including changes made through the API?

• Describe your sandbox or test environment and its cost.

6. Implementation. Describe your method, phases and timeline; the named team and their experience with companies like ours; what you assume our staff will do, in hours per role; how data migration and cleansing work; how testing, training and cutover run; and the support during the first 90 days after go-live.

7. Pricing. Give a five-year price, line by line: licences by user type and module for each year; implementation by phase; data migration; each integration; training; support; hosting; any fee for API or integration users; and the yearly renewal increase you will commit to in writing. State how long the prices are valid.

8. Company, support and references. Years in business, number of customers on the version you propose, product support dates, support hours and response times, and three references of our size and industry who have been live for at least a year.

9. Response format and dates. Answer in the order above, in [format], by [date], to [name and email]. Questions by [date]; answers shared with every bidder. Shortlist by [date]; scripted demos in [weeks]; decision by [date]. We will score responses on the criteria and weights in [attached scorecard].

For comparison, ERPFocus structures its template in seven parts (background, project scope, requirements, vendor qualifications, budget and pricing over 3 to 6 years, contract terms and evaluation criteria) [5], and Bizowie in six, led by business scenarios [6].

ERP demo script: show me your ugliest order

A vendor’s standard demo shows the system at its best. A scripted demo shows it doing your work. Send the script and your sample documents two weeks ahead, give every finalist the same time, and score on the spot.

1. “Show me your ugliest order.” Hand them a real customer PO: a PDF, 25 lines, the customer’s own part numbers, one discontinued item, one price that does not match the contract. Watch how it gets into the system, who types what, and what happens to the mismatches.

2. Where is my order? A customer calls about that order. Time how long it takes a rep to give the ship date and tracking.

3. A supplier slips. A key supplier moves a date by ten days. Ask the system to show every customer order or work order that slip affects.

4. Receiving that does not match. Receive a partial shipment against a PO with a wrong quantity and a price change on the invoice.

5. Your pricing. Price one order for your most complicated customer: contract price, quantity break, rebate and freight.

6. Your production or warehouse day. Manufacturers: an engineering change on an open work order and a rush order through MRP. Distributors: a pick, a backorder release and a drop shipment.

7. The month-end close. Close the month for your entities and produce the report your owner reads first.

8. Change something. Ask them to add a field, change an approval rule and build a report while you watch, and to say which of those needs a consultant.

Rules for the room: your people drive the keyboard for at least one scenario; anything shown in slides instead of the system scores 1; “that is on the roadmap” scores what exists today.

Ask your ERP: the test list, including AI readiness

Ask every finalist these questions in writing. Several decide how much of the daily work around the ERP can be automated later, by the vendor’s own AI or by any other software.

• Read and write access. Is there a documented API that can both read and write sales orders, purchase orders, items, customers, inventory and shipments? If the system runs on premises, can approved software read the database or scheduled exports?

• The cost of access. Does an API, integration or automation user need a paid licence, and are there per-call or volume charges?

• Clean part numbers. Is there one item master, with no duplicates, consistent units of measure and supplier part numbers on purchase orders? Plan the cleanup in the data migration, not after go-live.

• Customer cross-references. Where are each customer’s own part numbers stored? Customer item cross-references should live in the ERP, not in a rep’s spreadsheet or memory, because every emailed order depends on them.

• Who approves what. Are price exceptions, credit holds, PO changes and spend approvals set up as rules in the ERP with named approvers, or do they live in people’s heads?

• The audit log. Is every change recorded with who or what made it, including changes made through the API?

• Events. Can the ERP notify other systems when an order, PO or shipment changes, or must they ask it repeatedly?

• A test environment. Is there a sandbox to try integrations safely, and what does it cost?

• The vendor’s own AI. What AI features are included, what costs extra, and what do they do today? Microsoft, for example, sells Business Central’s Sales Order Agent with Copilot Credits that are priced separately [8].

Whichever ERP wins: the work it still leaves to people

The scorecard picks the system of record. It does not change where the work comes from. Here is an illustrative Tuesday at a 200-person distributor six months after a successful go-live.

• 8:00, orders. Thirty customer POs arrived overnight as PDFs, emails and phone photos. Customer service keys each into the new ERP, checking the customer’s part numbers against the cross-reference you cleaned up during migration.

• 10:30, supplier dates. Buyers work down the open PO report, email suppliers for ship dates, and update the ones that answered.

• 2:00, where is my order. Customers call and email about their orders. Each answer means the ERP, then the carrier’s site, then a reply.

That work is why the test list above asks about read and write access, clean part numbers, customer cross-references and approval rules. They decide whether software can take it on.

Morsa, the AI COO for operations at manufacturers and distributors, is an AI agent that does this daily work inside the ERP, email and phone a team already uses. It is not an ERP and does not replace the one you select. It connects through an API, a database, an export or an email trail, and reads and writes the data there. So it runs on top of whichever system wins your scorecard, and if your selection ends in a migration, it works on the old and new systems at once through the cutover.

On the same Tuesday, Morsa reads each emailed, PDF or photographed order, matches the customer’s part numbers to yours, asks the rep when it is not sure, and enters the order in the ERP; the confirmation goes to the customer once the rep approves it. It chases open POs from the buyer’s own mailbox, in the buyer’s own words, reads the replies, updates the dates in the ERP and shows which customer orders a slip hits. And it answers where-is-my-order from the ERP and the carrier’s tracking, from the rep’s mailbox, sending anything unusual to a person.

People still make the calls that need judgment: price exceptions, any order line Morsa was unsure of, and every customer date that moves. Morsa follows the approval rules you set for it, so the ones you wrote down for the ERP carry over.

At J4S, a 120-person glass plant, on-time completion of operational commitments rose from about 30% to about 75% across about 900 commitments in four weeks, after going live in two days (J4S customer story) [12]. At JRG Automotive, Morsa caught 5 of 8 production-stopping shortages early, saving $2 million.

A pilot on one live problem comes first. It is free when no implementation work is needed. Otherwise there is a minimal implementation cost, refunded if the pilot shows no value. After that, the fee is a share of the value created, agreed after the pilot. There are no per-seat licences (how pricing works).

To see it on your own orders and supplier emails, before or after your ERP decision, book a demo.

ERP implementation checklist

Copy this as the ERP implementation checklist for the project plan. Each line is a task with an owner.

Before you sign

• Statement of work by phase, with the assumptions about your staff hours written in

• Renewal cap, data export rights and user flexibility in the contract

• Named partner team, with the project manager agreed

Plan

• Executive sponsor and a full-time or near full-time internal project lead

• Backfill for the key users who will spend time on the project

• Scope locked: must-haves in phase one, the rest in later phases

• Success measures agreed: for example, order entry time, on-time shipments, days to close

Data

• Item master cleaned: duplicates merged, dead items retired, units of measure checked

• Customer item cross-references and supplier part numbers loaded

• Customers, suppliers, open sales orders, open purchase orders, inventory and opening balances mapped and test-loaded at least twice

• Approval rules and user roles written down

Build and integrate

• Configuration to the scenario list, with every customization logged and justified

• Each integration built and tested in the sandbox

• Reports your owner and managers read every week rebuilt and checked

Test

• Every business scenario run end to end with real documents

• User acceptance testing signed off by the people who will do the work

• A full mock cutover, timed

Train and cut over

• Role-based training on your scenarios, not generic modules

• Cutover plan by the hour: freeze, final data load, reconciliation, go or no-go

• Old system kept read-only for look-ups

After go-live

• Daily issue review for the first two to four weeks, then weekly

• Success measures checked against the baseline at 30, 60 and 90 days

• The manual work still done around the ERP listed by role, so you can decide what to do about it

ERP implementation timeline: what is realistic

Add 2 to 6 months of selection in front of that [1]. ERP Research advises treating “suspiciously short estimates as a warning sign” [1].

An illustrative nine-month project for a 200-person distributor (our illustration, not a quote; your partner’s plan will differ):

• Month 1: plan, team, scope and success measures

• Months 2 to 3: design against the scenarios, data cleanup starts

• Months 3 to 5: configuration, integrations, first and second test data loads

• Months 6 to 7: scenario testing, user acceptance testing, mock cutover

• Month 8: training, final cutover, go-live

• Month 9: support after go-live, measures at 30 days

Budget slips are common: Panorama Consulting’s 2026 ERP Report found more than a quarter of organizations exceeded their project budgets, with additional technology needs the leading cause [4]. A phased plan with must-haves first is the usual protection.

Verdict: how to run the selection, and where to start the long list

Weight the criteria before the first demo, put the business scenarios first, make every finalist run your ugliest order on your data, and compare five-year cost line by line. Start the long list by situation. A distributor in a specialist trade will look at Prophet 21, Eclipse and Infor CloudSuite Distribution; a general wholesale distributor at Business Central, Acumatica and NetSuite; a make-to-order manufacturer at Epicor Kinetic, SyteLine and Acumatica Manufacturing Edition; a job shop at the systems in our job shop ERP guide; and a company that wants the lowest licence at Odoo. For the field with prices, see our best ERP for manufacturing picks and distribution management software guide, and budget with the ERP cost guide.

Then ask what the winner will still leave to people. If much of your customer service and purchasing time goes on email rather than in the ERP, check the data-access items on the test list, keep the ERP as the record, and add Morsa for that work while your people approve. A pilot on one live problem shows whether it pays; to start one, book a demo.

Sources

1. ERP Research, ERP selection criteria: score and evaluate vendors 2026 (last reviewed September 23, 2026): https://www.erpresearch.com/en-us/erp-selection-criteria (read 25 October 2026)

2. Deloitte, ERP selection and vendor criteria for core financials: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/services/consulting/articles/erp-selection-vendor-criteria-core-financials.html (read 25 October 2026)

3. Deloitte Insights, ERP planning and vendor selection criteria (May 14, 2021): https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/business-strategy-growth/erp-planning-and-vendor-selection-criteria.html (read 25 October 2026)

4. Panorama Consulting Group, Panorama Consulting Group releases latest study of ERP implementation outcomes (March 4, 2026): https://panorama-consulting.com/panorama-consulting-group-releases-latest-study-of-erp-implementation-outcomes-across-the-globe (read 25 October 2026)

5. ERPFocus, A complete ERP RFP template and guide (updated September 19, 2025): https://www.erpfocus.com/erp-rfp-guide-and-template (read 25 October 2026)

6. Bizowie, ERP RFP template and requirements checklist (October 21, 2026): https://bizowie.com/erp-rfp-template (read 25 October 2026)

7. Anchor Group, ERP selection criteria: 40-point scorecard and template (October 13, 2026): https://www.anchorgroup.tech/blog/erp-selection-criteria (read 25 October 2026)

8. Microsoft, Dynamics 365 Business Central pricing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/business-central/pricing (read 25 October 2026)

9. ERP Research, ERP pricing 2026: real costs across 25+ systems (updated March 2026): https://www.erpresearch.com/en-us/blog/erp-cost (read 25 October 2026)

10. ECI Software Solutions, JobBOSS²: https://www.ecisolutions.com/products/jobboss2/ (read 25 October 2026)

11. Cherry Bekaert, ERP selection process and criteria: a comprehensive guide (December 16, 2025): https://www.cbh.com/insights/articles/erp-selection-process-criteria-a-comprehensive-guide/ (read 25 October 2026)

12. Morsa, J4S customer story: https://morsa.ai/customers/j4s (read 25 October 2026)

13. init consulting AG, SAP Business One prices and costs: https://www.business-one-consultancy.com/sap-business-one/prices-and-costs.html (read 25 October 2026)