Choosing an ERP consultant is one of the most critical decisions in a digital transformation project. A well-chosen ERP solution that is poorly implemented can cost multiple times its initial price in reconfigurations, delays, and productivity losses. Conversely, a strong integration partner turns a complex project into a measurable success, embraced by teams and aligned with your strategic goals.
But how do you distinguish a good partner from a bad one? What criteria should you look at beyond commercial references? And what questions should you ask before signing?
ERP Integrator or Independent Consultant: What to Choose?
This is often the first question companies ask themselves during the selection phase. Both options have their advantages, but they do not meet the same needs.
The Independent ERP Consultant (Freelancer)
The independent consultant is an individual expert, usually highly specialized in a specific solution or functional area. They can support an already structured project, fill in competency gaps, or accelerate a specific phase.
Their strengths: great flexibility, quick availability, and a daily rate often lower than a firm. Their limitations: they cannot cover all aspects of a complete ERP project alone. In case of absence or disengagement, the continuity of the project is jeopardized.
The ERP Integrator
An integrator is a specialized company that mobilizes a multidisciplinary team of functional consultants, technical consultants, and project managers. They have a proven methodology, the capacity to manage complex projects, and a contractual commitment to results.
For a large-scale ERP project covering multiple modules, sites, or countries, the integrator provides coverage and security that the independent consultant alone cannot guarantee.
Essential Criteria for Choosing Your ERP Consultant
1. Certification and Level of Partnership with the Vendor
A serious ERP consultant or integrator is certified by the vendor of the solution they deploy. For SAP, partnership levels range from registered partner to Gold Partner. For Microsoft, the Gold Partner certification (or Solutions Partner in the new nomenclature) attests to a level of expertise and a volume of projects carried out and validated by the vendor.
These certifications are not marketing labels: they involve continuous training obligations, customer satisfaction audits, and thresholds for maintaining technical skills. They therefore constitute an objective first filter in your selection.
TVH Consulting is SAP Gold Partner and Microsoft Gold Partner, two certifications maintained for over 20 years thanks to our teams’ ongoing commitment.
2. Industry Expertise
A consultant who knows your industry understands your constraints without an expensive learning phase. They anticipate specific cases unique to your field, propose suitable configurations, and speak the same language as your operational teams.
For a food industry company, an agricultural cooperative, a chemical-pharma player, or a specialized retail chain, this industry knowledge can make the difference between a project delivered on time and a project bogged down in repeated reconfigurations.
3. Functional Coverage
Your ERP will not function alone. It must integrate with your CRM, Business Intelligence tools, Data platform, and, depending on your sector, specific systems (WMS, TMS, MES, EDI). Your partner must be able to cover all these areas, or rely on a clearly identified network of complementary partners.
At TVH Consulting, we work with a unified vision of ERP, Data, BI, CRM, and Cybersecurity. This means your SAP or Dynamics 365 ERP is deployed in coherence with your entire IT ecosystem, without any disruption or silo.
4. Strength of the Project Team
An ERP project requires diverse skills: functional consultants by business area, technical consultants, project managers, trainers, change management experts. Ensure that your partner actually has these profiles in-house, not just on paper.
Ask concrete questions: who will be the project manager? What’s the functional consultants’ experience on your scope? What’s the team’s turnover rate? Continuity of participants throughout the project’s duration is a key success factor often underestimated.
5. Deployment Methodology
A good ERP integrator relies on a structured methodology tailored to the deployed solution. For SAP, the SAP Activate methodology is the reference standard. For Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sure Step or agile approaches are commonly used.
Beyond the method’s name, what matters is your partner’s ability to adapt their approach to your project’s size and complexity, manage risks proactively, and involve you at each key decision step.
6. References and Client Cases
Request references in your industry and on projects of comparable size to yours. An integrator who deployed 50 SAP projects in the manufacturing industry poses a different level of risk than a firm executing its first project in your field.
Do not hesitate to directly contact the referenced clients for an honest feedback on the quality of support, adherence to deadlines, and responsiveness of the support.
7. Long-term Support Capability
An ERP project doesn’t end at go-live. Your ERP will evolve with your company: new features, version upgrades, scope expansion, integration of new entities. Your partner must be able to support you in the long term, with responsive support services and stable teams.
ERP Consultant for SMEs: What Specificities?
SMEs have different needs and constraints than large companies. The budget is tighter, internal resources dedicated to the project are limited, and the need for a fast return on investment is stronger.
A good ERP consultant for an SME knows how to tailor their approach to these realities. They prioritize the ERP’s standard features over costly specific developments, propose a progressive deployment scope, and ensure that the chosen solution is sized to the company’s size and ambitions.
For SMEs, SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are the two most suitable ERP solutions. They offer complete functional coverage in an accessible licensing model and within a controlled deployment timeframe.
ERP Consultant for Mid-sized & Large Companies: What Requirements?
For mid-sized and large companies, the stakes are different. Projects are longer, scopes wider, integration constraints more complex, and organizational impacts more significant.
An ERP integrator for this type of profile must have sufficiently sized teams to cover multiple simultaneous streams, proven experience on multi-site or international projects, and an ability to manage project governance over the long term.
How Much Does an ERP Project Cost with a Consultant?
The cost of an ERP project is one of the most frequent questions and one of the most difficult to answer without a prior analysis. It depends on many factors: the chosen solution, the functional scope, the number of users, the level of customization, project duration, and deployment mode (cloud or on-premise).
As an indication, a SAP Business One or Dynamics 365 Business Central project for an SME with 50 to 100 employees generally represents an investment ranging from 80,000 to 250,000 euros, depending on the scope. A SAP S/4HANA or Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations project for a mid-sized company can exceed a million euros on complex scopes.
These figures include licenses, consulting days, training, and post go-live support. They are provided as a rough guideline and must be refined during a precise project scoping.
Discover our complete guide on ERP project cost
For further comparison of available market solutions, check out our ERP comparison.
Questions to Ask Your Future ERP Partner
Before signing with an integrator, here are the questions that help distinguish serious partners from others:
- What is your certification level on the solution you propose?
- How many projects have you completed in my industry over the past three years?
- Who will be the project manager dedicated to my account, and what is their experience?
- What is your deployment methodology and how do you manage risks?
- How do you ensure project continuity if a consultant leaves?
- What is your post go-live support structure?
- Can you put me in contact with two or three clients similar to me?
Why Choose TVH Consulting as Your ERP Integration Partner?
Since 2003, TVH Consulting has been supporting French and international companies in their most ambitious ERP projects. Our position as an independent integrator, certified as SAP Gold Partner and Microsoft Gold Partner, allows us to advise you objectively on the best solution for your context, without commercial bias.
With more than 600 employees, around ten offices in France, Belgium, and Morocco, and projects conducted in over 35 countries, we have the critical size to cover complex projects while maintaining the proximity and responsiveness of a human-sized partner.
Our commitment is simple: the success of your ERP project, from defining your needs to long-term support.
Would you like to discuss with our consultants to assess your project and identify the right partner for your needs?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Ideally, both tasks are conducted in parallel. A good independent integrator, like TVH Consulting, can assist you in selecting the solution even before the project starts, by relying on an objective analysis of your needs and a factual comparison of available options.
It’s possible but costly and risky. Changing partners during a project leads to a loss of context knowledge, additional delays, and cost overruns. That’s why the initial partner choice is so crucial. Take the time to thoroughly evaluate candidates before committing.
Yes, and it’s even recommended. An experienced integrator knows the pitfalls to avoid in drafting an ERP requirements document and can help you formalize your needs in a structured and actionable way. Check our guide to write your ERP requirements document.