Practical trade guides

An ERP evaluation checklist for import and export teams

Evaluate software with a real business case from customer request to collection. Record evidence for each step rather than relying on a presentation or feature list.

What should you verify?

1. Start with one scenario

Choose a request with a customer, product, supplier, currency and delivery date. Record its documents and the person responsible for each step before the demonstration.

2. Check document connections

Move from the request to a quotation, sales order and invoice. Trace quantities and prices to their source, and check whether you can return to the original document without retyping data.

3. Test customer records and follow-up

Add multiple contacts, a shipping address and a billing address. Record a follow-up date and compare what a sales user can see with what they can edit.

4. Separate currency and profit from sales

Try another invoice currency and partial payments. Ask how exchange rates, costs and profit are calculated: sales totals alone do not establish profitability.

5. Verify permissions and operations

Use a restricted account and a second test company. Check data isolation, change history, backup recovery and your ability to export your records.

6. Define trial acceptance criteria

Give every scenario an observable result, an owner and a review date. Separate available functions, configuration work and future development with an agreed delivery date.

Your next practical step

Use this checklist in the demonstration and record each external spreadsheet or manual step. Compare systems on the same scenario, then start with a small team before expanding.