The foremost thing to understand about the ERP is that it is not a common software that can be used as any other software. As the ERP system consists of a revolution that involves every internal process, it must be preceded by a hard reevaluation of every department together with their functions, and the way they make decisions.
It is also to be understood that an ERP will not change the management functioning on its own. ERP is an important and decisive tool, but in order to obtain the desired results it is also important who will be commanding it as well as the way in which the data will be saved and how information will flow.
It is better that you assign an external consultant to evaluate a suitable ERP for your organization. The consultants are capable of evaluating the ERP system with functionality of your organizations in mind. They will also identify the effective needs of the moment. On the other hand, they focus on keeping intact the culture of the organization in order to avoid the chances of collision.
You also must take into the account the investment you are planning to make in an ERP system with its benefit equation. As the ERP is a system consists of many modules, price to be observed on the basis of total package until it is divided into several module units. The cost of implementation and even the chance of discounts when purchasing new versions are also to be taken into account.