Choosing an ERP in South Africa: seven questions to put in writing

An ERP ties your accounts, stock, purchasing and often your payroll together, and nearly every vendor gives its price after a conversation. These are the products on the register, across every category, that price on request.

Price on request (12): Acumatica, LabourNet, NetSuite, PaySoft, PaySpace, Personio, Sage 200 Evolution, Sage CRM, Sage Pastel Payroll, Sage X3, SAP Business One, SYSPRO.

Seven questions

• What is the price per user and per module a month, with the VAT basis stated?
• What is charged once only: implementation, data migration, training and customisation?
• Does it prepare the VAT201, and can it submit it to SARS eFiling, or only export a file?
• Which South African banks does it integrate with, and for which account types?
• Which local partner implements it, and can you speak to a South African customer in your industry?
• Where is the data hosted, and in what format can you take it with you if you leave?
• What are the support hours in South African time, and what does an urgent call cost?

A fixed scope beats a low quote

For an ERP the implementation can cost as much as the first year's subscription. A quote that is low and open ended is not cheaper than one that is higher and fixed. Ask each vendor to price the same scope: the same users, the same modules, the same two years.

What the vendors say about South Africa

Sage South Africa says VAT201 submission to SARS is available in Sage 200 Evolution from version 11. SYSPRO is a South African company founded in Johannesburg in 1978. Acumatica lists South Africa among its localisation countries. SAP sells Business One to South African businesses through local partners. Ask each to show the VAT output and the eFiling step in a live demonstration, not a slide.

See SYSPRO against SAP Business One and NetSuite against Acumatica, the guide to asking for a quote, or the whole ERP category.