The CFO’s ERP Evaluation Checklist

• General ledger and multi-dimensional reporting Does the system support dimensional reporting by project, department, and location without custom coding?
• Multi-entity and intercompany accounting Can it manage multiple legal entities, consolidations, and intercompany eliminations natively?
• Multi-currency support Real-time exchange rate updates and full transaction-level currency tracking, not just display formatting.
• AP / AR automation What level of workflow automation exists for approvals, matching, and exception handling?
• Month-end close timeline What is the realistic close time post-go-live for a company of your size?
• Fixed assets management Depreciation scheduling, disposals, and audit trail, all within the same system?
• Audit trail and access controls Is the audit trail immutable? Are segregation of duties and role-based access enforced natively?
• FP&A, budgeting, and forecasting Does integrated planning come standard, or is it a separate module with a separate cost?
• SOX and regulatory compliance controls How does the system document and enforce compliance controls? What does the auditor workflow look like?
• Open API architecture Can the system connect to your CRM, HRIS, and banking tools?

Evaluate these based on your industry. Not every item applies to every business.

• Manufacturing: MRP and production planning Multi-level BOM, MRP runs, capacity scheduling, and shop floor data collection. How native vs. bolted on?
• Manufacturing: quality and compliance Lot and serial traceability, non-conformance tracking, and certificate generation within the same system?
• Construction: job costing and POC billing CSI MasterFormat cost codes, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, retainage tracking, and AIA billing?
• Construction: change order management Approval workflows, commitment tracking, and impact to project financials. All connected?
• Distribution: warehouse management Pick, pack, ship, barcode and RFID, wave picking. Native WMS or requiring a separate add-on?
• Distribution: multi-channel order management EDI, ecommerce, and marketplace orders flowing into a single order management system?
• Field service: mobile workforce Dispatching, field time entry, and customer billing accessible on mobile without a separate app?
• Inventory optimization Demand forecasting, safety stock calculations, and ABC classification. Built-in or third-party?
• Project accounting Cost tracking by project, resource billing, and project-level P&L without manual workarounds?
• Subcontractor and vendor compliance Certificate of insurance tracking, lien waiver management, and vendor performance benchmarking?

• Live vs. roadmap Which AI features are in production today? Which are on the roadmap, and what is the committed delivery timeline?
• AI-native vs. AI-enhanced Is AI built into the database layer, enabling predictive insights from live transactional data, or is it a sidecar module that summarizes outputs after the fact? The distinction affects what the system can do in real time vs. what it can only report on retroactively.
• Automated reconciliation What is the documented match rate for automated bank and AP reconciliation?
• Anomaly detection Does the system flag unusual transactions in real time, or does this require a separate analytics layer?
• Natural language querying Can finance users query data without relying on IT or writing custom reports?
• Cash flow forecasting Is Machine Learning-based forecasting included in the base platform, or is it an add-on with a separate cost?
• AI data governance Where is AI-processed data stored? Can AI-driven decisions be audited and explained?
• Pricing transparency Are all AI capabilities included in your licensing tier, or will they be billed separately as usage scales?

• Implementation methodology: big bang vs. phased standup Is the partner proposing a single large go-live or a phased approach? Do they get you live on a minimum viable product first, then coach you through how to expand as your business grows? Methodology choice directly impacts risk exposure and time to value.
• Realistic go-live timeline What is the actual go-live time for companies your size and complexity? Talk about a milestone-level schedule.
• Data migration approach How is historical data validated post-migration? What is the tolerance for data gaps?
• Customization scope Heavy customizations require deep discovery before you commit. Have you and your partner mapped out exactly how each integration would work, what data moves between systems, and who owns troubleshooting when something breaks? The time spent on that mapping before go-live is far less expensive than finding the gaps after.
• All-in 5-year cost The full return on an ERP investment rarely shows up in year one. It builds as manual processes are eliminated, close cycles shorten, and operational data becomes reliable enough to drive decisions. Together we can map out total costs across five years, licensing, implementation, support, integrations, and upgrades, and then ask them to show you where the savings accumulate over that same period.
• Internal headcount required How many internal FTEs will be needed to support and administer this system post-go-live? And look at the other side of that equation too: how much time does your current team spend on manual processes that this system eliminates? How many additional hires will you not need to make as the business grows? The right ERP should reduce administrative burden, not just redistribute it.
• Upgrade policy What does the upgrade process look like? Is it included in your subscription, or billed separately?
• On-time and on-budget track record How does the partner guarantee the project goes live on time and on budget? Get the details.

• Industry experience How many implementations have they completed in your industry in the last 12 months?
• Reference calls Can they provide three reference calls with companies of similar size and complexity in your vertical?
• Gold-level certification Does the partner hold the software publisher's highest certification tier? Gold-level certification requires a verified track record of successful implementations, multiple credentialed consultants, and ongoing performance benchmarks. It also means priority escalation access to the publisher's engineering team when problems go beyond standard support.
• Dedicated support model Will you have a named account manager and a dedicated support team, or shared resources?
• ISV selection and vetting Partners with real industry expertise do more than implement software. They solution architect your entire environment, including the third-party tools that connect to your ERP. Ask whether they have hands-on experience with the specific solutions your business relies on for tax, compliance, warehouse management, or construction project tracking. The right partner has done this before in your industry and can tell you what works in production, not just what looks good in a demo.
• Hypercare post go-live First 30 to 90 days of support. Is it included, dedicated, or the same shared queue as general support?
• Staff continuity What is the project staffing model?