Consulting firms have a requirements profile that differs markedly from classic trading or manufacturing companies: project work, resource planning for consultants, often an additional trading business without its own warehouse — and still the wish for a single system instead of several isolated solutions. A real requirements specification from a consulting firm's ERP selection shows how concrete these requirements can be.
The setting: a tender run by a specialised procurement consultant
Here too, the contact came through a consultancy that structured the selection process for its client. After the opportunity to take part, a requirements specification for the ERP selection was submitted, describing in detail the requirements of the client — itself a consulting firm.
Why this project was a good fit for our portfolio
Three points were decisive here, and they come up in similar form at many consulting firms:
- New modules in resource planning and event management, tailored precisely to project-based consulting work
- Experience with Shopware projects for the consulting firm's additional trading business
- EDI integrations already in place for orders, invoices and delivery notes with partner companies
Order and merchandise management even without a warehouse
A special feature of many consulting firms with a trading business: there is no warehouse of their own, and goods are handled directly through partners. The order and merchandise management module must still work seamlessly — just without physical stock management, focusing instead on order, invoice and delivery note processes in cooperation with external partners.
What consulting firms should pay particular attention to when selecting an ERP
Consulting firms looking for an ERP system should check specifically whether resource planning for project work and an independent trading business without a warehouse can both be mapped cleanly in the same system — many standard solutions are strongly geared towards classic merchandise management with a physical warehouse and are only partly suitable here.
Frequently asked questions
Do consulting firms really need a merchandise management module?
Only if they run a trading business in addition to their classic consulting services — and then usually in a leaner form without physical warehouse management.
How important is EDI experience when choosing a provider?
Very important as soon as orders, invoices or delivery notes are to be exchanged automatically with partner companies — this considerably reduces manual sources of error.
Are you looking for an ERP system for your consulting firm, including resource planning and a trading business? Talk to us about your specific requirements.
Are you currently drawing up a requirements specification yourself? Our free requirements specification checklist (PDF) covers 7 topic areas that no tender should be without.
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