ERP proposal evaluation means comparing bids not on the headline figure but on how well each one covers your requirements, its licensing model, the implementation work included, data migration, integrations, local regulatory compliance and post-go-live support, all on the same sheet. The reliable method has three parts: weighted scoring, a scripted demo using your own data, and reference calls.
Why do three ERP proposals never look alike?
You asked three vendors to bid. One quotes an annual per-user subscription, another a perpetual licence plus implementation priced in consultant days, and the third sends a single "turnkey" figure. One never mentions data migration, one lists e-invoicing integration as "optional", and the third includes training for just two people. The proposal that looks cheapest on paper may simply be the one that covers the least work.
The root cause usually sits upstream, in how the proposals were requested. If the vendors did not all receive the same written requirements, each prices its own interpretation of the job and a fair comparison becomes impossible. If you have not yet settled what ERP should do for you or which module to start with, read our guide to ERP for small businesses first; this article picks up once the bids are on the table.
What choosing the wrong proposal costs
A poor selection comes back mid-project as extra budget and slipped deadlines, and international survey data suggests this is far from unusual:
In Panorama Consulting's The 2026 ERP Report, more than a quarter of organisations said their project went over budget and almost a quarter said it ran over schedule. The most common reason for the budget overrun was an unexpected need for additional technology.
That last finding points straight at the proposal stage: an integration, reporting tool or extra module that was never in the bid arrives after signature as a change request. More broadly, BCG's 2020 research on digital transformation found that 70% of transformation programmes fell short of their objectives. We look at where ERP projects typically go off the rails in why ERP projects fail.
In Türkiye, ERP is still a first-time decision for many firms. According to TurkStat's ICT Usage in Enterprises Survey 2025, only 28.3% of enterprises with 10 or more employees used ERP software. With no previous selection to compare against, a structured method matters all the more.
What an ERP proposal should include: eight sections
Before scoring anything, check that each proposal actually contains the sections below. A missing section is an ambiguity that tends to return later as a change request, so ask the vendor to complete it in writing.
- Scope and fit-gap response. For every requirement you sent: "standard", "configurable", "needs development" or "not supported". We explain how to build that requirement list in software requirements analysis.
- Licensing or subscription model. User types (full, limited, read-only), named or concurrent users, which modules are included and how pricing changes as headcount grows.
- Implementation services. Phases, the deliverable and fee for each, who from the vendor will do the work and how much time your own staff are expected to commit.
- Data migration. Which records (customers, suppliers, stock, bills of materials, open orders, opening balances) are moved, by whom, and with how many trial loads.
- Integrations. Whether links to your accounting package, e-commerce site, dealer portal, shop-floor systems and banks are listed as separate items.
- Local regulatory compliance. How e-invoice, e-archive invoice, e-waybill and e-ledger obligations are handled, and which service provider or add-on is needed.
- Customisation and upgrades. Whether bespoke changes survive a version upgrade, and what that costs.
- Support, contract and exit. Support channels and response times, what maintenance fees cover, who owns the data and any custom code, and in what format your data is returned when the contract ends.
Item six is specific to Türkiye and often underestimated. The Revenue Administration (GİB) makes e-invoicing and e-ledgers mandatory for broad groups of taxpayers that meet set criteria, and its 2025 Annual Report records that 219 commercial e-ledger software packages had passed its compliance tests by the end of 2025. Ask each vendor to state in writing which component their solution relies on; our e-ledger guide explains how the ledger connects to ERP data.
ERP proposal evaluation matrix: weighted scoring
Once the sections are complete, put the proposals side by side. Give each criterion a weight before you open the bids (1 low, 3 high) and score every proposal from 1 to 5; weight multiplied by score gives the total. Weights set after reading the bids tend to justify the favourite.
| Criterion | Suggested weight | Question to ask when scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement fit | 3 | How many critical requirements are standard or configurable, and how many need development? |
| Implementation approach and team | 3 | Are phase deliverables and acceptance criteria written down, and are the named people known? |
| Data migration | 2 | Which data, how many trial loads, and who owns the clean-up? |
| Integrations | 2 | Is each link a separate line item, with its method (API, file, database) specified? |
| Regulatory compliance | 2 | How does the e-invoice, e-archive, e-waybill and e-ledger flow work end to end? |
| Total cost of ownership | 3 | Are licences, implementation, maintenance, extra users and upgrades costed over several years? |
| Support and continuity | 2 | Are response times, on-site support terms and maintenance scope clear? |
| Data ownership and exit | 2 | Who owns the data and custom work, and what is handed over at exit? |
When you work out total cost of ownership, look beyond year one and set several years of licences, maintenance and further development side by side. We list what drives an ERP budget in ERP cost factors. If you are still weighing a packaged ERP against a bespoke one, our custom vs off-the-shelf software guide compares the two on total cost.
Scripted demos and reference calls: testing the proposal
The scoring sheet measures what the proposal says; a demo shows whether it actually works. Instead of a general product tour, give each vendor three or four end-to-end scenarios using your own sample data, such as "customer order to shipment and e-invoice", "purchase request to goods receipt and supplier invoice" or "bill of materials to work order and product cost". Have the same people watch every demo and score it on the same form.
Choose scenarios that reflect your sector. In manufacturing, scrap, semi-finished goods and work-order costing tend to cause the most friction; in wholesale and distribution, multi-warehouse stock, dealer price lists and returns; in project-based services, project costing and progress billing.
On reference calls, do not settle for the vendor's chosen success story. Ask to speak to a customer of similar size and sector, and find out what was hardest at go-live, how many trial loads the data migration took and how quickly support tickets were answered. For criteria that assess the vendor as a whole, see our guide to choosing a software company.
Watch for these warning signs during evaluation:
- Scope written as one-line headings such as "inventory module" or "finance module", with no answer to individual requirements.
- Data migration and training dismissed as "customer responsibility", with no support effort costed.
- No answer to whether customisations survive a version upgrade.
- Nothing on how your data is handed back when the contract ends.
The last two belong in the contract; we cover ownership, licensing and escrow options in software contracts and source code. Because staff and customer data will live in the ERP, also check the agreement the vendor signs as a data processor using our data processing agreement guide.
How Digital Bridge approaches ERP proposals
Digital Bridge works on both sides of this process. As a supplier, we do not install packaged ERP for custom ERP and enterprise resource planning projects; we start with a process analysis and then submit a written proposal setting out scope, phases and fees. With a bespoke ERP you pay no licence for modules you do not use, the source code is yours, and statutory accounting can stay in the package your finance team already knows.
On the buyer's side, our independent IT consultancy turns your requirements into testable technical specifications, helps you compare incoming proposals on one sheet, and after selection follows the contractor through interim deliveries and acceptance testing. Our recommendations are shaped by your needs, not by any particular brand. If the order of investment is still unclear, the work starts with a roadmap through digital transformation consultancy.
We treat integration as its own workstream in both roles. Links to your accounting package, online shop, dealer system or banks are designed under API integration and integrated systems; for manufacturers we map how shop-floor data reaches the ERP using the MES vs ERP distinction. Cleaning customer and product records before migration is part of the plan from day one, following the steps in our master data management guide.
Next step
If you already hold more than one ERP proposal, use the eight sections above as a checklist and ask vendors to fill any gaps in writing. Then fix your weights and complete the scoring matrix. You will find the other stages of the buying journey among our software development guides.
If you would like an independent second pair of eyes on your proposals, or want to plan a process analysis for a bespoke ERP, get in touch through our contact page and we will go through your requirements and the bids with you.