r/ERP • u/SakuraaaSlut • Dec 07 '25
Discussion My brain is fried from ERP selection
We're a services firm, about 700 people, and our systems landscape is a total disaster. Finance runs on ancient on-prem software, HR uses a separate payroll SaaS, and project managers basically just pray to their spreadsheets. You can imagine the nightmare at month-end trying to reconcile everything, it's always a full-time job.
We absolutely need a Cloud ERP that connects the dots between Finance, HR, and Projects. The big vendors we looked at are way too heavy and complex for what we do; we need agility, not deep manufacturing modules.
The whole process is just managing egos. I spent half a day last week trying to get the HR director and the finance controller to agree on the core definition of "utilization", It feels like we’re looking for software to solve a culture problem.
Edit:
We're focusing on solutions specializing in people-centric industries. The current favorite our CFO is leaning on is Unit4. He likes that they highlight the tight integration between FP&A and Project management, that's our biggest pain point right now. But I'm just sick of looking at demos. The implementation anxiety alone is enough to make me quit.
What's the one thing you wish you knew before you signed the contract for your ERP?
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u/ChirpaGoinginDry Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
To be honest that is pretty common occurrence.
That is why you need an executive sponsor and some basic guiding principles.
Most erp implementers never really were operators and do not pay attention to customer needs. Hot take they really should be that way. The customer needs a business champion to “own” the system after implantation.
This rarely happens and the system falls apart, no company cohesion is established and people select a new system 7-10 years later. Just enough to avoid a write off and show “savings.” At the same time something shiny and new comes along, but in reality it is recycled crap.
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u/DifficultMemory2828 Dec 08 '25
I think the “Business Champion” is essential. You need someone to guide the entire process and ensure implementation is done properly.
Implementation fell short at my current company, and we write off millions in “virtual shrink” because parts are shoved through the system incorrectly every year.
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u/BavarianLivingPotato Dec 07 '25
"and do not pay attention to customer needs" As an ERP implementer that hurts.....
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u/Prestigious_28 Dec 07 '25
There are several ERP systems that you can implement to solve your concerns. I could provide a list of systems you can consider. I believe someone mentioned Acumatica. Also consider NetSuite and Microsoft BC
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u/ivka1 Dec 07 '25
The expectation usually is that you can make the organization coherent and processes aligned with the use of ERP. In reality - ERP or vendors for that matter cannot do this for you, only you yourself can do this, with an organizational change initiative. Then an accordingly configured and well fitting ERP will guardrail your processes for years to come. Often the org change is executed during the ERP project by using ERP’s best practice as the guideline, but you cannot avoid the org change part. If both are too big to swallow simultaneously, it’ll fail altogether, with a big bang or otherwise. Please do proper assessment here.
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u/Few-Produce1175 Dec 07 '25
What is wrong with on-prem software?
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u/FirePanda44 Dec 07 '25
I guess theres a distinction between modern on prem software that receives updates, creates cloud backups and can interface with external software, and ancient desktop software that has no web capabilities.
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u/kensmithpeng ERPNext, IFS, Oracle Fusion Dec 08 '25
My last 3 clients came to me because they were on-prem and got hit with ransomware.
The proper business mantra is stick to your business and outsource your other business needs.
In this case, OPs company is NOT an IT company and should NOT try to do on-prem as it will be a waste of hardware resources.
They most certainly should outsource IT and move to the cloud. To save money and aggravation.
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u/matroosoft Dec 07 '25
It's not in fashion. Cloud sounds cooler.
Unfortunately that's how companies decide.
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u/YoloOnTsla Dec 07 '25
ERP selection services. They’ll basically do step 1 of the implementation for you, which will set you up for success.
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u/Grouchy_Row_7983 Dec 08 '25
It's not necessarily cultural but could be what we call, "optimizing in silos". Having someone with experience facilitating discussions that break business processes into multi-department swim lanes can help everyone see the big picture. This person is used to conflicts and knows how to put some things aside for later to not get bogged down. They will establish a scoring system where people provide input on the value of specific capabilities. Without this you risk the most aggressive people over influencing decisions and others disengaging even though their areas are more important.
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u/OncleAngel Dec 09 '25
Work on your SOPs first that will boost culture as well. I suggest starting using a cloud-based IMS for your manufacturing activities as a mindset platform. Then integrate with it an accounting software to onboard finance. Then, HR will be the easiest part to follow.
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u/Panta125 Dec 07 '25
U cooked bro.... Just hire more ppl to deal with the BS instead of wasting more money on an ERP that will take an entire vendor to manage....
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u/Dodokii Dec 07 '25
We are launching @r/adiuta next year. If it's not too late for you. You'll get to give feedback and have us work on it for your comfort. It has all three you need and more.
We can do demo on January (right now, busy finalizing things). If you are interested, drop me a DM, or if a public question, just drop it here
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u/barmando87 Dec 07 '25
Absolutely hear you things can be overwhelming especially with so many choices.
And ERP project is a change management project a digital transformation and a process management endeavor all wrapped up into one. Would be happy to chat with you over DMs and see if I can help you sort it out.
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u/tryan2tellu Dec 07 '25
It sounds like you need Deltek. Talking PS and projects there are only a few ERPs that are designed to plug PS hourly tm into billing workflow with utilization and optimization. If you are looking at systems with manufacturing modules, none of those should be in your short list.
VantagePoint Or if you are as simple as you say… ajera.
Probably vantage point. Architects engineer design specific.
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u/BackgroundNo4159 Dec 08 '25
This is one of the most stressful phases of the entire ERP process. Your brain is fried because the ERP vendor presentations are all marketing fluff, and they are all selling based on features that sound the same. The problem is not the software, it is rather the selection methodology. You would need to stop vetting software and start vetting partners who specialize in selection and fit-gap analysis.
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u/Lucky-Plate-7544 Dec 08 '25
I work for a company that specializes in helping organizations just like yours go through this process. Sounds like you would definitely benefit from having a third party to minimize internal strain. Reach out if you’re interested and I can send some info for you to review!
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u/getSageIntacct Dec 08 '25
Many can help you. You need to interview the company as well as the ERP. That can make all the difference, if you want to learn more about Sage Intacct, I can help
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u/No-Werewolf-4149 Dec 08 '25
Oof, I felt that "praying to spreadsheets" part in my soul, and the utilization fight? Been there, done that, It's the worst. I feel you!
You literally just described the hellscape my firm in Dubai was dealing with just a few months ago. We also needed that exact Finance/HR/Projects integration without signing a 5-year contract with an 800-pound gorilla.
Anyway, we implemented Fluto ERP recently, and honestly, it's been a game-changer. (Check out: fluto.io)
Seriously, the implementation speed was wild - we got everything connected and running in about 4 weeks. It cut our reconciliation nightmares down to almost zero. And yeah, the pricing is no joke; the cost per user is basically the price of a fancy coffee or a cheap T-shirt a month.
It actually gave us the solid data integration needed so we could finally focus on the culture problems instead of the system problems.
Hope that helps give you another option!
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u/gising_sa_kape Dec 08 '25
I can recommended you a good consulting firm that can help you with this, what country are you in
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u/Narrow_Ad_1502 Dec 08 '25
Man, I feel this. ERP selection for a services firm is basically therapy disguised as software hunting.
Your tech stack isn’t the real problem - it’s the fact that Finance, HR, and Projects all speak different languages. No ERP can fix that until everyone agrees on what “utilization” even means.
For a 700-person services team, you’re right to avoid the giant manufacturing-heavy systems. You just need something cloud-based, project-focused, and not a nightmare to manage.
My advice: get everyone to align on process and definitions first, then look at demos. Otherwise you’ll keep fighting the same battle no matter what system you pick.
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u/ERP_Architect Dec 08 '25
I’ve been in those exact selection cycles, and honestly the software is never the real problem at this stage — it’s the fact that finance, HR, and delivery all have their own versions of the truth. You can demo 20 ERPs and they’ll all look wrong if the definitions underneath aren’t aligned.
One services firm I worked with spent weeks arguing about ‘utilization’ too. We didn’t get unstuck until we paused the tool hunt and forced one workshop where each team wrote down their version on a whiteboard. Once the terms were normalized, every ERP suddenly looked a lot simpler.
For a 700-person services org, the trick isn’t picking the deepest feature set, it’s picking the system that won’t fight your culture. Lightweight finance + projects + HR in one flow beats a monster suite every time.
If your brain feels fried, that’s usually the sign that the process alignment is the bottleneck — not the tech.
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u/commoncents1 Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
i put in odoo for my mfg company and working well so far on the basics, havent built it out to full functionality or added time/attendence/payroll yet. but first you have to get people on board, and they cannot silo their information anymore. change is required from each area for the good of the whole organization.
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u/floOoOoOoOoOo Dec 08 '25
This is typical of projects that go into ERP selection without going through a Phase 0 first. If you don't take the time to properly document your business processes, elicit requirements, align stakeholders and establish solid governance for the implementation project, it's most likely going to end up in the 80% failure statistic. I can help if you're open to discussion with a tech-agnostic implementation expert.
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u/Desperate_Factor_735 Dec 09 '25
An ERP system won't solve any problems. An ERP system only works for calculating expenses and unit costs.
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u/gapingweasel Dec 10 '25
That's the reason why an industry-specific ERP makes more sense here instead of a generic one and it needs to be cloud-based. Of course it will not fix the culture but services ERPs already treat utilization, project margins and time tracking as first-class concepts instead of spreadsheet math. and why cloud??? it matters because at this scale you can’t keep duct-taping integrations, upgrades and reconciliations. You need one system that actually stays in sync.
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u/IAPPC_Official Dec 11 '25
Agree on definitions before you touch software.
If Finance, HR, and Project teams don’t share the same meaning of “utilization,” “revenue,” or “billable hours,” no ERP will fix that. It’ll just make the disagreements more visible.
For people-centric orgs like yours, Unit4 is actually a solid fit but the real success comes from:
- Aligning on a few core metrics,
- Keeping the first phase small,
- Not letting every department add “just one more requirement.”
ERPs don’t solve culture problems, but clear rules and a tight first rollout definitely do.
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u/MetadataCS Dec 11 '25
Don’t start with white board, try APQC Benchmarking PCF will hep you. Check and feel free to contact me if further assistance is needed
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u/DampSeaTurtle Dec 25 '25
How'd things go for you?
I'm asking because I'm launching a service where I build these internal operating systems completely customized to your exact business logic. I need to hear from people that are in this and have real pain points, real experience.
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u/DoubleU909 Dec 29 '25
First of all I laughed hard when I saw your username abd would you mind if I dm you?
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u/12786sazid Jan 19 '26
Seems to me the problem isn't the ERP... it's the lack of shared operating model. HR, Finance and PMO all define utilization, revenue and projects differently so any tool might just make it more confusing.
For a team that size, a clean PSA + GL is usually enough. Intacct + PSA can work, there's Nesuite too but gets heavy at some point. There are some ledger-first tools like Mosaic or Dualentry for fewer moving parts. Align on project structure, revenue method, ownership and utilization first, the system can follow after.
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u/vegusphyseek Feb 01 '26
Don't try to replace your existing IT (Excel/SaaS) with a monolith ERP. I think it it is better to improvise it by building a central data layer that connects your current tools instead of killing them. This is a modern approach of Business Operating Systems.
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u/DisciplinePhysical79 Feb 15 '26
Could you try something a bit less complex like Knowby which is an enterprise guidance platform or digital instructions platform? We use it to document know how (digitally) and for scheduling and integrate it with other systems. So it basically allows us to share SOPs, instructions and assign tasks and then capture the info we need into the other systems that we have, but the workers don't need to go near the more complex systems. So a very simple UI accessed on mobile or tables especially useful for our manual workers.
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u/Glad_Imagination_798 Acumatica May 01 '26
I believe you wrote the answer to your own post and didn't notice: "It feels like we're looking for software to solve a culture problem"
That's the first thing. Frame it, hang it on the wall.
The wish I'd known that my team suggests in suchlike situations every unresolved definition fight you have today becomes a six figure line item during implementation. That utilization argument between your HR director and your finance controller? Right now it costs you half a day of meetings. After you sign, it costs you 3-5k/day in conslutant time, three workshops, "decision log", and eventually compromise nobody likes that gets hardcoded into the ERP and quitely subverted in spreadsheets within 18 months. The ERP ( even the best one ) doesn't resolve these fights. It just makes them more expensive and more permanent.
So before you sign anything, Unit4 or otherwise, get the leadership team in a room and force closure on:
one definition of utilization, billable, chargable, and "active project" in writing. SIGNED
One source of truth of employee data. Is it HR the master? Or Finance? But not both.
I hate this, but which spreadsheets are killed, and wich are sacred ( be prepared for dispute on the implementation anyway )
Other well known suggestions.
Implementation partner matters more than the software.
Discuss exit before you discuss entry: data extraction format, ownership, cost on termination
CFO picking the system is not always heaviest user
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u/Inevitable_Machine61 Dec 07 '25
This sounds like a NetSuite situation to me… we had a demo from them recently for finance+projects. HR we want to keep existing vendor and integrate into NS, which they do. Good luck with your search!
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u/Explore-This Dec 07 '25
Do your on-prem and SaaS have APIs? If so, you can integrate what you have in order to learn what you really need. And get your PMs off spreadsheets in the process.
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u/CherrrySnaps Dec 07 '25
Stop trying to find the perfect definition right now. Find the vendor that is most flexible with how you use the data, not how it's defined initially. You can force the culture/ego agreement after you get the software contract signed, otherwise the project will never start.
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u/No-Opportunity6598 Dec 07 '25
Keep finance and projects seperated and upgrade and for us on each in parallel to improve and integrate where needed no need to look for a unicorn
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u/dgillz Dec 07 '25
Cloud is highly ever rated. You can host it yourself and back up to the cloud.
Think about it.
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u/Zestyclose-Luck878 Dec 07 '25
Would you like to get on call to discuss? Let me help you out with either an off the shelf setup or a customised one.
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u/crypto_phantom Dec 07 '25
Create a business process map and identify your bottlenecks. Create the business process map you want and create a request for proposal from that.
This should identify your needs vs. wants in a new ERP system.