How to choose an ERP implementation partner: 21 questions

Choose the partner on evidence, not demos: named consultants, recent go-lives on your product and industry, and a SOW that fixes data-migration scope, integrations and hypercare. Ask all 21 questions below of 3 firms and compare the written answers.

Updated 2026-09-23 · 7 sources · By the ERP Cost Guide team

The 21 questions

  1. How many go-lives on this exact product in the last 24 months?
  2. How many in our industry and revenue band? Two references we can call.
  3. Who exactly will staff our project? Names and certifications.
  4. Are you a reseller of the license or services-only?
  5. Fixed fee, capped T&M or open T&M - per phase?
  6. What is your change-order rate and approval process?
  7. Which data objects and how many years of history are in the migration scope?
  8. Who cleans the data - you or us?
  9. List every integration and the connector or middleware you will use.
  10. Who supports each integration after go-live?
  11. How many custom reports, scripts and workflows are included?
  12. What third-party apps or ISVs do you recommend, and do you earn referral fees on them?
  13. What does training include - hours, format, recordings?
  14. Who writes and runs UAT test scripts?
  15. How long is hypercare and what does support cost afterwards?
  16. How do you handle the vendor's release updates for our customizations?
  17. What is your typical timeline for our scope, and what delays projects most?
  18. What happens if the lead consultant leaves?
  19. Can we see a sample SOW and a sample project plan?
  20. How do you price post-go-live optimization?
  21. What would make you tell us this product is the wrong fit?

Where to find partners (official directories)

VendorDirectory
NetSuite

Partner directory

Business Central / D365

Find a partner

Odoo

Partner directory

Sage Intacct

Partner network

Acumatica

Partner program

Intuit Enterprise Suite

Find a ProAdvisor

SAP Business One

Partner finder

Vendor-specific guides

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Frequently asked questions

How many ERP partners should I talk to?

Three. Fewer gives you no price tension; more wastes key-user time in demos.

Sources

  1. Oracle NetSuite - Partner directory (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  2. Microsoft - Find a Dynamics 365 partner (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  3. Odoo - Partner directory, United States (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  4. Sage - Sage Intacct partner network (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  5. Acumatica - Partner program (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  6. Intuit - Find a ProAdvisor (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23
  7. SAP - Partner finder (accessed 2026-09-23) - Source date: 2026-09-23