Most ERP demos are designed to impress, not to inform. Vendors control the script, show their strongest features, and leave you with a good feeling but limited clarity on whether the system actually fits your business.
The way to change that dynamic is to walk in with your own questions. Specific, pointed questions that require the vendor to demonstrate capability rather than talk about it.
Here are 20 questions worth asking during every ERP evaluation. They cover functionality, implementation, commercial terms, and support the full picture.
This is the first question for any business with more than one legal entity. Ask the vendor to demonstrate consolidated financial statements in real time across two or three subsidiaries with different currencies. Watch how intercompany eliminations are handled. If it requires a manual step or a third-party tool, flag that. For a deeper look at what good looks like here, our guide on multi-entity financial consolidation walks through the key capabilities to expect.
Do not accept a general answer. Ask for a live walkthrough. Check whether GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, and e-invoice generation are native or require a connector. Ask how the system handles credit notes, debit notes, and reverse charge.
Approval workflows are one of the most frequently customised parts of any ERP. If the vendor needs a developer to change an approval chain, that is an ongoing cost and a bottleneck. Look for systems where workflows can be configured through the admin interface.
A good ERP has a structured period-close workflow task assignment, completion tracking, lock controls on closed periods. If the vendor does not have a close management feature, your finance team will recreate one in Excel.
For SaaS, subscription, or project-based businesses, revenue recognition rules are complex. Ask whether the system supports automated revenue schedules based on contract terms, and how it handles contract modifications and variable consideration. Our detailed guide on revenue recognition with NetSuite explains how a mature ERP should handle these scenarios under Ind AS 115.
Ask to see a live dashboard with drill-down capability. Click through from a summary P&L number to the underlying transactions. This demonstrates whether the reporting is genuinely real-time or relies on scheduled batch processing.
Security matters. Ask to see the system from the point of view of a user who should only see one cost centre or one subsidiary. Check whether field-level security is supported, not just record-level.
For companies with significant capital assets, ask how the system handles multiple depreciation methods (SLM, WDV), asset retirement, revaluation, and the integration between fixed assets and the GL.
Every business has systems outside the ERP, a CRM, an HRMS, a bank feed, an e-commerce platform. Ask whether the ERP has native connectors for the tools you use, and whether the API is REST-based with proper documentation.
You will regularly need to load data journal entries, transactions, master data updates. Ask about bulk import tools, error handling on failed imports, and whether the import/export process requires a consultant or can be done by an in-house admin.
Cloud ERP providers should offer 99.5% or higher uptime SLA. Ask how they communicate planned maintenance, how long unplanned downtime typically lasts, and whether they have had any major incidents in the last 12 months.
Ask for a written methodology document, not a verbal description. Look for defined phases, deliverables at each phase, sign-off processes, and escalation paths. A vendor or partner without a documented methodology is a risk.
Vendors sometimes present senior consultants during sales and assign junior resources to the actual project. Ask for the names and profiles of the people who will work on your account, and insist on a conversation with them before contracts are signed.
Ask for a data migration plan specific to your current system (Tally, SAP, Business Central, etc.). What tools do they use? How many dry runs do they run before cutover? How do they handle reconciliation discrepancies? Our NetSuite data migration checklist covers the key steps and best practices in detail.
This question reveals a lot about the commercial model. On a fixed-fee engagement, overruns are the partner's problem. On time-and-material, they are yours. Understand the model clearly before you sign.
The headline licensing price is only part of the cost. Ask for a three-year TCO that includes: licensing, implementation, annual support, additional users, and likely add-on modules. Compare vendors on TCO, not just licence fee. If you are still running on legacy accounting software, our post on when a business has outgrown QuickBooks or Tally can help frame the true cost of staying put.
Many ERP vendors price by named user or by module. As your business grows, costs can climb fast. Understand the pricing model before you commit, and model out what the system will cost at 2x your current scale.
Ask about: support ticket SLAs by severity, access to support (email only, phone, chat), dedicated CSM (customer success manager), and whether support is included in the licence or billed separately.
Always ask for references. Always call them. Ask specifically about the implementation experience, not just the product.
This is the most revealing question on the list. A confident, trustworthy partner will answer it honestly. They will tell you about scope creep, data quality problems, and organisational change challenges. A partner who says "our implementations don't fail" is not being straight with you.
Do not fire all 20 questions in one demo session. Prioritise based on your situation:
The goal is not to catch vendors out. It is to get honest, specific answers that help you make a better decision.
At SaasWorx, we encourage teams to ask detailed, practical questions during ERP evaluations. As an experienced ERP implementation partner, we believe a thorough evaluation leads to smoother implementations, fewer surprises, and better long-term outcomes.
