An ERP evaluation checklist gives the selection team one structured list for judging each ERP system: internal readiness, functional fit, technology, vendor and partner support, and total cost, so vendors are scored on the same evidence and expensive implementation surprises surface before signature.
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Reviewed by the Spendflo procurement team
Pick your company size and the list hides the checks a smaller project can skip. Open any row to see the evidence to ask the vendor for and the red flag that should stop the evaluation.
Get the erp evaluation checklist as an Excel tracker with owners, status drop-downs and a progress score.
It is the working document a company uses to compare ERP systems on equal terms: the team lists what the business needs, tests each vendor against it, scores the results and keeps the evidence, which cuts the risk of a costly mismatch found only during implementation.
Finance usually leads, because the ERP holds the books, but operations, sales, HR and IT each own the checks for their processes. Evaluation runs from the first requirements workshop to the signed contract; implementation is a separate project that starts afterwards.
An ERP is a multi-year commitment that touches almost every team, so the checklist goes wider than a normal software buy. It covers data migration, partner quality and how the system will be upgraded, not only features and price.
Eight groups take you from internal readiness to the final decision. The first five follow the order most selection teams work in.
| Group | The question it answers | Usual owner |
|---|---|---|
| Internal readiness and requirements | Do we know why we are buying, and is the business behind it? | Executive sponsor |
| Functional fit | Does it run our finance, supply chain, sales, production and HR processes? | Finance, Operations |
| Integration and data | Will it connect to our systems, and can we move our data in? | IT |
| Technology, security and architecture | Cloud or on-premise, is it secure, and will it scale? | IT, Security |
| Vendor and implementation support | Can the vendor and partner get us live and support us? | Project lead |
| Total cost and value | What will it really cost over the term, and when does it pay back? | Finance |
| Usability and adoption | Will people use it without workarounds? | Business owner |
| Demo, references and decision | Have we seen it work on our data, and is the choice recorded? | Project lead, CFO |
Most ERP suites are built from the same five functional areas. Ask each vendor to show your own scenario in every area you use, not a prepared walkthrough.
| Module | What to test in the demo | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and accounting | Multi-entity close and consolidation, AP and AR, multi-currency, tax reporting | Finance |
| Supply chain and inventory | Purchase orders, three-way matching, multi-warehouse stock, barcode or RFID scanning | Operations |
| Sales and orders | Quote to order, order to cash, CRM link | Sales ops |
| Production | Bills of materials, shop floor control, product lifecycle | Operations |
| Human capital | Employee records, payroll, time tracking | HR |
Evaluation tells you which systems fit; selection decides which vendor and partner you sign with. Run these checks on the final two or three.
Gates remove vendors that cannot work for you before anyone spends time scoring. The weights are illustrative; set your own before the first demo.
| Area | Illustrative weight | Scored on |
|---|---|---|
| Functional fit | 3x | Scripted demo scores, 1 to 5 |
| Total cost and value | 2x | Full-term cost and payback |
| Integration and data | 2x | Connectors, API and migration plan |
| Vendor and partner | 2x | References and team quality |
| Usability and adoption | 1x | End-user task results |
| Technology and security | 1x | Architecture and controls past the gate |
Download the erp evaluation checklist so every owner can work their own rows in Excel or Google Sheets, with status and dates.
Quotes rarely compare like for like. List every cost line below for each vendor over the same term before you compare totals.
| Cost type | Lines to include | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | Licences, setup, configuration, data migration | Is implementation fixed price or an estimate? |
| Ongoing | Subscription or maintenance, user pricing, extra modules | How are user types defined and counted? |
| Hidden | Staff time, backfill, change management, upgrades | Who pays to retest customisations at upgrade? |
| Renewal | Uplift, minimum commitments, true-ups | Is the uplift capped for every renewal? |
| Exit | Data export, parallel running, archive access | What does it cost to leave in year three? |
Ask every vendor for pricing in writing for your own user count and modules. List prices and averages published online rarely match a negotiated ERP deal.
The core list stays the same; these are the checks to add or weight more heavily for common situations.
| Situation | Add or weight more |
|---|---|
| Cloud ERP | Release cadence, data residency, API limits, exit and export |
| On-premise or hybrid | Hardware, hosting staff, upgrade projects, patching |
| Manufacturing | Bills of materials, shop floor, quality and lot tracking |
| Professional services | Project accounting, time and billing, resource planning |
| Multi-country groups | Local tax, languages, consolidation and intercompany |
| Moving to NetSuite | Partner choice, SuiteApp add-ons, connectors for procurement and payroll |
A 40-person firm moving off accounting software does not need the full enterprise list. Choose the size in the filter above.
Many entities or countries, complex supply chain or production.
Every check, plus a partner selection round
One to a few entities, growing past spreadsheets and entry-level tools.
Skip the enterprise-only checks
Single entity, simple processes, small finance team.
Core gates plus a reference call
Each stage ends with a document that feeds the next, so the final decision can be traced back to the requirements.
Set objectives, map processes and rank requirements.
Screen the long list against must-have gates.
Score fit, integration, technology, support and cost.
Run scripted demos and call references of your size.
Negotiate price and terms, then sign the decision record.
Here is a completed evaluation for a mid-market distributor choosing between three cloud ERPs, with the two flagged checks and the decision. The company and figures are illustrative.
| Check | Owner | Evidence received | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core processes mapped as they run today | Project lead | Procure-to-pay and order-to-cash maps | Done |
| Purchasing, three-way match and inventory covered | Operations | Vendor A scored 5 of 5 in demo | Done |
| Data migration scope and approach agreed | IT | Vendor A plan omits open orders | Flagged |
| Implementation partner track record checked | Project lead | Two distributor projects, references called | Done |
| Renewal uplift capped for the full term | Procurement | Cap only for first renewal | Flagged |
| Each evaluator scores alone before consensus | Project lead | Nine score sheets filed | Done |
+ 25 more checks done, evidence filed
All 48 checks, the weighted scorecard and the vendor selection questions in one file, ready for up to three vendors. Free, no credit card.
FreeNo credit cardWork email only
| # | Check | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business objectives and pain points written down | Executive sponsor | Done |
| 2 | Executive sponsor and budget approved | CFO | In progress |
| 3 | Cross-functional evaluation team formed | Project lead | Flagged |
| 4 | Core processes mapped as they run today | Project lead | Done |
Write down objectives and must-have requirements, screen vendors against them, then score functional fit, integration, technology, vendor support and total cost. Finish with scripted demos on your own data and reference calls, and use the free download to keep every score and piece of evidence in one place.
It is a fixed list of criteria that every option is checked against, so evaluators compare the same things and record evidence rather than impressions. In an ERP project it also names who owns each check and what proof the vendor must supply.
Most ERP suites cover finance and accounting, supply chain and inventory, sales and orders, production, and human capital. Your evaluation should test only the modules you will use, each with your own scenarios.
A common version is plan, design, configure, migrate data, test, train and go live, then support and improve. Those steps start after the evaluation, which is why this checklist asks for a migration plan, milestones and a partner track record before you sign.
Yes. You can download this ERP evaluation checklist as an Excel template, a Google Sheet or a PDF, with the weighted scorecard and cost worksheet included.
Run the ERP purchase through one approved process
Spendflo handles the buying around your ERP: intake and approvals, contract review with the Contracts Agent, and renewal tracking. Its NetSuite integration passes approved purchases into the ERP. Spendflo has handled 15,000+ agreements.
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Google Sheets: upload the Excel file to Drive and open it with Google Sheets.
