When companies evaluate ERP systems, most of the focus goes into comparing features, demos, and pricing. But here’s what many organizations realize too late:
The success of your ERP project depends more on your implementation partner than the software itself.
Even the most powerful ERP can fall short if the implementation is poorly executed.
After years working with mid-market manufacturers and distributors, I’ve seen successful rollouts—and I’ve seen projects struggle. The difference almost always comes down to the partners leading the implementation, and not the software solutions. There are other scenarios that include the lack of an executive sponsor and the lack of resources on either side, but the partner is the quarterback and key in managing the project and fielding these issues.
Start with the Right Assumption
This guide assumes you have already identified an ERP solution that fits your business.
Now the focus shifts to something just as important:
Do you have the right team to implement it?
A Quick Primer on ERP Players
To evaluate partners effectively, it helps to understand the ecosystem:
- Software Publisher: The company that develops the ERP platform. Some publishers have a direct sales team with partners and some only work through authorized partners.
- Implementation Partner: The firm responsible for selling, deploying, configuring, and supporting the system.
-
Independent Software Vendor (ISV): companies that are vetted by the publisher and partner and extend the ERP’s functionality (think Human Resources, Transportation Management, Manufacturing Execution Systems, etc.).
In many mid-market ERP ecosystems—including platforms like Sage X3—the implementation partner plays a central role in long-term success.
Why the Implementation Partner is so Critical
During the sales cycle, most ERP vendors deliver polished demos and presentations.
You’ll likely see:
- Strong product capabilities
- High-level implementation methodology, with terms like, “Waterfall, Agile, hybrids between the two”.
- Promises of support and scalability
But what often gets overlooked by business management is how the partner actually executes.
You’ll receive a Statement of Work (SOW), complete with timelines and milestones—but those documents rarely tell you:
- How experienced the team really is
- How issues are handled under pressure
- Whether the partner can keep your project on track
How to Evaluate an ERP Implementation Partner
Here are the key areas to focus on:
1. look beyond the sales team
Sales teams are polished—and they should be. They should understand pain points, impacts on your business, and present the demo based on your specific use case. But don’t forget, salespeople are paid to close business. Remember, your day-to-day experience will be with the project team, not sales.
A good start is to ask to meet:
- The Project Manager
- Key consultants assigned to your project
- Executive sponsors from the partner or publisher
Strong partners, like RKL eSolutions, will encourage this transparency early in the process.
2. assess company health & culture
Implementation success is tied to team stability, including a staffed services team. The team should be knowledgeable about your requirements and have experience with companies like yours.
Check indicators like:
- Employee reviews (Glassdoor, LinkedIn) – look for a pattern in how many employees have similar complaints.
- Tenure of consultants – establishes creditability
- Leadership visibility – are they accessible to customers if needed?
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) – this is one of the most important metrics that prospects generally gloss over, however the NPS references how happy a customer is by scoring customers after an implementation. This metric is based on if a customer would recommend your company & product to friends, family and peers. Some companies will have an internal NPS as well to gauge employee satisfaction. The scoring is between -100 and 100:
- 0 to 30: Generally considered acceptable or average.
- 30 to 70: Considered good to great.
- 70 to 100: Considered "world-class" or excellent
RKL eSolutions has an NPS of 86. We survey each customer after they go-live with Sage X3 and pride ourselves on customer satisfaction.
Unhappy employees and high turnover rates can disrupt your project midstream. Think about it, when a company has high turnover or apathetic employees- this can create a services backlog and staffing issues for your project!
3. Understand the pricing philosophy
Not all proposals are created equal.
Be cautious of:
- Aggressive upfront discounts
- Vague implementation estimates
- Very low proposals compared to what you see from other vendors
- Heavy reliance on change orders
Experienced partners will:
- Set realistic expectations early
- Clearly define the scope and document how changes impact cost and timeline
- If this is a phased deployment, partners will outline the cost per stage
Some partners will lowball the estimate and use change orders and pricing adjustments after the fact.
4. Evaluate their relationship with the erp publisher
This is often overlooked—but it matters.
Ask:
- How long have they worked with this ERP publisher?
- What is their standing with the publisher?
- Does the partner and the publisher have experience in a specific vertical, like Food & Beverage, Automotive, Hospitality, Healthcare, etc..
- Top-tier partners typically have:
- Access to product teams and senior executives from the publisher
- Influence in resolving issues
- Deeper product knowledge
For example, partners deeply embedded in ecosystems like Sage X3 often bring added value through that close alignment.
RKL eSolutions is engaged with Sage’s executive team and helps influence product development and have early access to new versions for testing.
5. Validate references (the right way)
References are important—but go beyond surface-level validation.
Make sure:
- The partner led the implementation (not just sold the software)
- If they rely on outsourced resources for support and implementation
- The reference being used matches your industry
- You ask about challenges—not just successes
A powerful question is what went wrong with the project? Simple and direct question that can shed light on what your project may look like.
A personal note, I won business because my competitor facilitated a site visit without checking if the customer was happy. They were not and suggested touching base with me and my company after which I learned their business.
The reference should be a happy customer, but with all the moving parts during an implementation, there is always something that comes up - understanding how quickly the partner resolved the issue can be invaluable.
6. clarify roles & responsibilities
ERP implementations are a shared effort.
Many partners expect your team to contribute to the project with tasks like data migration, testing / conference room pilots, and often training is based on the “train the trainer approach” where several key contacts will be trained and then they train their respective teams.
Make sure:
- Responsibilities are clearly defined
- Your internal team has the bandwidth to support the project
- You have executive sponsorship from your company and the partner.
- That a multiphase approach for implementation includes the subsequent stages as well.
- That your users are open to change
A personal note, I sold Sage X3 to a large biscotti manufacturer. The CIO’s largest concern was user adoption. My System Engineer and I coordinated a site visit to explain how a modern ERP platform could help the employees with day-to-day tasks. We did not talk about products or Sage but instead focused on how we could help the CIO with his primary issue.
7. Consider the broader ecosystem
ERP is not a standalone system.
Evaluate how the partner approaches:
- Integrations
- Add-on solutions from Certified ISV or partners that extend the functionality
- Long-term scalability
Strong partners think beyond go-live and help you build a roadmap for growth. RKL eSolutions only works with Certified Partners with excellent results. As a partner, we independently evaluate ISVs.
Real World Perspective
One of the most common challenges I’ve seen isn’t the software—it’s misalignment between expectations and execution.
Projects run into trouble when:
- Scope isn’t clearly defined
- Responsibilities are misunderstood
- The partner lacks industry experience
On the flip side, successful implementations share a common theme:
A partner who understands your business—not just the software.
Thinking About Your Next ERP Step?
Most companies will use their selected ERP system for a decade or more.
There are no guarantees—but choosing the right implementation partner significantly improves your chances of success and a long-term partnership.
If you take the time to evaluate not just the software—but the people, process, and partnership behind it—you’ll be in a much stronger position for a successful outcome.
If you’re evaluating ERP solutions or implementation partners and want a practical, no-pressure perspective, it’s worth having a conversation with a team that understands both the technology and the realities of implementation. RKL eSolutions is a premier provider for Sage with Sage Intacct and Sage X3. We are one of the largest Sage X3 partners in North America, with customers in Food & Beverage and Chemical process manufacturing, distribution and discrete manufacturers. We welcome a conversation and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
