ERP buyer checklist · Updated October 2026

35 Questions to Ask in an ERP Demo (2026 Checklist and Scorecard)

In an ERP demo, ask the vendor to run your own scenario on your data, not a prepared script. Then ask who will implement it, how long it will take, who supports you after go-live, what the AMC covers and what the five-year cost is. Score every vendor on the same questions so the comparison is fair.

Who it is for: This checklist is for owners, CFOs and IT heads of Indian manufacturers and traders with roughly ₹10–500 crore annual turnover who are about to sit through ERP demos.

By Payal Nambiar, Managing Director & CEO, Bsquare Solutions · Reviewed by the Bsquare implementation team · Published 11 October 2026 · Updated 11 October 2026 · 6-minute read + tool

Disclosure: Bsquare Solutions makes Pothera ERP, one of the options this guide discusses. We compare categories of ERP, not named vendors, and we say plainly where Pothera ERP is not the right fit.

Built by Bsquare Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Noida · part of The Nambiar Group · 25 years in business · 1,000+ manufacturing and trading clients.

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Bsquare’s take

“A demo that runs only on the vendor’s data shows you their best day, not yours. Send three of your real transactions in advance and ask to see them end to end. The answers to the hard questions arrive on their own.”

— Payal Nambiar, Managing Director & CEO, Bsquare Solutions

How to run an ERP demo that tells you the truth

Send your scenario in advance: Three real transactions: a sales order through production and dispatch, a job-work challan, and a month-end report you use.
Bring the right people: Owner or CFO, one key user from stores, production and accounts.
Ask the same questions to every vendor: Use the checklist below and score answers on the spot.
Meet the implementer: Ask to meet the person who would lead your implementation, not only sales.
Call a long-standing customer: Ask what support is like in year three.

The checklist: 35 questions, with a scorecard

Score each vendor’s answer: 2 = shown convincingly on your data, 1 = partly or only explained, 0 = not shown. Questions marked must-have count double. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Vendor 1

Vendor 2

Vendor 3

1. Fit to your process

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
1. Can you run our own scenario — enquiry to quotation, order, production, dispatch and invoice — on our data?must-have
2. How do you handle our BOMs, routings, scrap and rework?must-have
3. Show job-work challans, material at the job worker and returns.
4. How are approvals and user roles set up?
5. Which of our requirements need customisation rather than configuration?must-have

2. Compliance (India)

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
6. Show an e-invoice and e-way bill generated from the dispatch flow, not re-keyed.must-have
7. How do you produce ITC-04 data for job work?
8. How are GST rule changes delivered, and are they covered under AMC?must-have
9. Does payroll handle PF, ESI, PT and TDS?

3. Inventory and traceability

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
10. Show stock by godown, batch, lot or heat in real time.must-have
11. Trace a finished item back to its raw-material batch.
12. How do stores, production and accounts see the same stock figure?

4. Costing and reports

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
13. Show the cost and margin of one order including material, labour, overheads and scrap.must-have
14. Which MIS reports and dashboards come standard?
15. Can our own team create or change reports?

5. Implementation

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
16. Who exactly will implement — your team or a partner? Can we meet them?must-have
17. What is the stage-by-stage plan and timeline for a company like ours?must-have
18. How will you migrate our data from Tally, Excel or our current system?
19. What do you need from our team, and how many hours a week?
20. What signs off each stage, and what happens if a stage slips?

6. Support and AMC

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
21. Who supports us after go-live — the same team?must-have
22. What are the support channels, hours and response times by severity?must-have
23. What does the AMC cover, and how is it calculated?must-have
24. Can we speak to a customer who has been live for three years or more?must-have

7. Cost and contract

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
25. What is the five-year total cost — licence or subscription, implementation, AMC and add-ons?must-have
26. What is not included in this quote?must-have
27. What is the price for additional users and modules later?
28. Who owns our data, and how do we export it if we leave?must-have

8. Technology and deployment

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
29. Is it available on cloud and on-premise?
30. Where is cloud data hosted, how are backups taken and how fast can you restore?must-have
31. Is there a mobile app for sales, approvals or stores?
32. How does it integrate with our other systems?

9. Vendor strength

Question to ask	Vendor 1	Vendor 2	Vendor 3
33. How long have you been in business, and how many customers like us run your ERP?
34. Which customers in our industry can we visit or call?must-have
35. What happens to our system if our main consultant leaves?

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask an ERP vendor?

Ask them to run your own scenario on your data, then ask who implements, the stage-by-stage timeline, who supports you after go-live, what the AMC covers, the five-year total cost, what is not included, and for a customer reference in your industry.

What should an ERP demo include?

An end-to-end run of your own transactions — enquiry to invoice, production, job work, GST e-invoice and e-way bill, stock by location and a costing report — plus a look at the implementation plan and support model.

What are the criteria for ERP vendor selection?

Fit to your process, India compliance, inventory and costing depth, implementation model, support after go-live, five-year cost, data ownership, and the vendor’s track record with businesses like yours.

What is an ERP selection process?

Define requirements, shortlist three or four vendors, send each your scenario, run scored demos with the same questions, check references, compare five-year costs and agree a written scope before signing.

How many ERP vendors should I shortlist?

Three or four. Fewer gives you no comparison; more makes demos hard to score consistently.

How do I compare ERP vendors fairly?

Score every vendor on the same questions, weight the must-haves, compare five-year total cost for the same scope, and speak to a long-standing customer of each.

Sources and methodology

This guide compares categories of ERP, not named products. The criteria come from Bsquare’s own implementations for Indian manufacturers and traders, the questions buyers ask most often in Google India search, and the official GST and MSME rules cited below. Compliance thresholds are taken from the government sources listed; check them against the current notification before you rely on them. Reviewed by the Bsquare implementation team.

Put Pothera ERP through this checklist

Send us three of your real transactions. We will run them in Pothera ERP and answer every question on this list.