To make the right decisions when choosing, deploying and maintaining enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, CIOs need to get answers from a variety of stakeholders. Here are some questions to get you started:

Ask your CFO:
How much funding do we have to experiment with software as a service (SaaS) or open-source ERP systems?

Ask your IT team:
Do we have the necessary bandwidth to evaluate a newer ERP system? What obstacles would we face in implementing one?

Ask your business managers:
What business needs aren’t being met by our current ERP system?

Ask your vendor(s):
How much will we save by moving to a new or upgraded system? And how long will it take to realize that return?

Ask yourself:
How can I justify installing a new ERP system after we went through the expensive and time-consuming process of implementing the existing system? 

Also see:

The Next Generation of ERP

ERP Upgrades: Five Questions to Ask

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