1. Map the work that needs to stay connected
Use an illustrative order from enquiry to fulfilment. Who confirms it, reserves materials, changes quantities and marks it complete? Write down the source of each value and who may change it. If the only problem is seeing existing bookings and orders together, a dashboard may be enough. A dashboard is not automatically an ERP or an inventory system.
2. Test ready-made software against your actual rules
Ask for a walkthrough with sample data that reflects your operations. Separate what works as supplied, what needs configuration and what needs an add-on or development. Changing a minor internal habit may be more sensible than creating a new system. Record any workaround and who would perform it before deciding that the product fits.
- Can an order be changed after materials are reserved?
- How are partial completion and cancellation recorded?
- Can staff access be limited to their responsibilities?
- Can your team explain where a report's numbers came from?
3. Identify a reason to build custom
Custom ERP deserves consideration when a necessary business rule still requires repeated copying or an unacceptable workaround in the options tested. Describe that gap precisely. A distinctive approval sequence or allocation rule is a useful requirement; wanting every possible feature is not. Build and trial the smallest complete workflow before expanding to other departments.
4. Compare the full commitment
Compare quotations with the same assumptions: setup, user access, data cleanup, migration, training, hosting, support and future changes. Ask what happens when you stop using the service and how records can be exported. Verify integrations against the specific tools involved. Treat an unconfirmed connection as an open requirement, not as included functionality or an assumed saving.
5. Make the trial measurable
Agree sample records, opening balances where relevant, role permissions and expected results before migration. Reconcile the new records with their source and test corrections and recovery. During the pilot, compare duplicate entry, unexplained differences and time needed to trace an order. Decide who signs off the result and when the old process stops accepting changes.
Where O2 fits
O2 scopes custom ERP around orders, stock, customers and staff workflows. There is currently no published completed ERP deployment on this site. Payroll, HR and POS are outside O2's offer. Its Business Management Dashboard is a separate product, not a full ERP. Scope, connections, cost and timing are agreed for the specific project.