ERP Selection Consultant, Singapore

How Singapore shortlists differ by company size

The right shortlist in Singapore depends heavily on where the company sits on its growth path. I build it from your requirements, but three situations come up repeatedly.

• Smaller companies on a cloud accounting product such as Xero or QuickBooks Online often ask whether to add inventory, CRM and approval apps around it or move to a broader suite. Zoho and Odoo usually enter the comparison here.
• Growing trading, logistics and services firms with several entities tend to compare Odoo, Dynamics 365 Business Central and other mid-market systems such as NetSuite, judged on multi-company accounting and depth in their core operations.
• Regional headquarters may also have a parent-company standard to consider, such as SAP Business One or a larger platform, and the question becomes whether it fits the region.

ERPNext belongs on the list where a company wants open-source control and has the technical support to run it. I keep the shortlist small, so each candidate can be tested properly, and I write down why every other option was dropped. Companies still debating whether an ERP is the right step can begin with an ERP evaluation instead.

Reading implementer proposals, including grant-packaged scope

Singapore has an active implementer market for every major platform, and proposals often arrive in different structures: fixed packages, phased quotes, monthly bundles that combine subscription and support. Some vendors also package solutions to align with government support schemes. Grant support can be useful, but eligibility and conditions should be confirmed with the relevant agency and your finance team, and a packaged scope should still be checked against what your business needs. A grant-friendly bundle that leaves out your critical processes is not a saving.

When I compare proposals, I look for the same items in each one:

• whether InvoiceNow connectivity and access point onboarding are included or assumed to be handled by someone else
• how many entities, currencies and integrations the price assumes
• the scope of data migration from your current accounting product and any history to be brought across
• training, testing support and the effort expected from your own team
• post go-live support hours, response commitments and how change requests are charged

Each gap becomes a written clarification question. You then compare implementers on what they will actually deliver, not on how attractive the headline package looks. My ERP RFP consulting service covers a more formal tender if your procurement policy requires one.

Demo scenarios for GST, InvoiceNow and multi-currency trade

Most products sold in Singapore can show a GST invoice. What separates them is how they handle the less tidy cases, so my demo scripts focus there. Typical scenarios include:

• sending an invoice to a customer through InvoiceNow, then receiving a supplier invoice the same way and matching it to a purchase order
• issuing a credit note against a sent e-invoice and showing how the status is tracked
• billing a customer in US dollars where GST appears on the invoice, with the treatment your tax advisor confirms
• recording an imported service where your advisor says a reverse charge may apply
• posting a management fee from the Singapore entity to a subsidiary and seeing both sides recorded
• producing the figures your accountant needs for the GST return, with a drill-down to transactions

Vendors receive the scripts and sample data in advance. I note whether each step was standard, configured, handled through a connector or only possible with custom work. Requirements around InvoiceNow have been evolving, so the scripts test capability, while what applies to your company is confirmed with IRAS guidance and your advisor.

Subscription, hosting and contract questions to settle

In Singapore, almost every shortlisted option is a subscription, which shifts the risk from the purchase price to the terms. Before recommending a product, I compare how each one is licensed: named or concurrent users, limits on entities or transactions, features held back for higher editions, renewal pricing and the currency of billing.

Hosting deserves direct questions. Where will your data sit, and is a regional data center available? Who can access it, and how does the vendor support your obligations under the PDPA? For self-hosted or open-source options, who patches and backs up the system, and what does that cost each year?

The implementation contract needs the same scrutiny. I check that the statement of work lists deliverables per phase with acceptance criteria, that the access point or e-invoicing provider has a named owner and a separate cost line if applicable, that custom work belongs to you, and that you can export your data in a usable form if you change provider. These points are far easier to secure before signing. For cost drivers in more detail, see ERP cost estimation.

A remote, independent selection for Singapore teams

I run Singapore selections remotely. Your working day and mine overlap almost completely, so discovery sessions, demos and scoring meetings fit inside normal office hours, and subsidiary teams in nearby time zones can join the same calls. Recordings and a shared scoring workbook let regional colleagues contribute even when they cannot attend live. A visit can be discussed by arrangement if it adds real value.

Independence is the point of the exercise. I do not resell software, I hold no vendor relationships that reward a recommendation and I am not paid commissions or referral fees. That allows me to push implementers on vague answers and recommend a lighter option when it fits better than the better-known name.

The closing deliverable brings together why each option was kept or dropped, how each scored in the scripted sessions, what reference customers said, the cost drivers and the open contract points, in a form your board or parent company can review. After signing, I can support delivery as your ERP implementation consultant in Singapore. More context on the market is on the Singapore overview and my Singapore ERP consultant page.