ERP selection, done without a vendor agenda.
Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm. We run ERP selection as a structured, evidence-based process: define requirements, map the full platform landscape, and score every credible system on fit. We accept no vendor kickbacks and no reseller quotas, so the recommendation serves you, not a software sale.
Lightbridge ERP selection carries no vendor kickbacks.
Most ERP advice comes from someone who profits when you pick a particular system. Vendor-aligned VARs and resellers earn a margin or a referral fee on the platforms they represent, so their shortlist favors their catalog. The bias is structural, not a question of intent.
Lightbridge ERP earns its fee from the customer, never from a software sale. The firm holds no referral fees, partner-tier incentives, or reseller quotas with any ERP vendor. Every platform is scored on the same scorecard against the same requirements. The recommendation is driven by fit, not by commission.
That independence is the whole point of an outside selection. A scorecard that a vendor cannot tilt is the difference between a defensible decision and an expensive one.
The Lightbridge ERP selection methodology.
ERP selection at Lightbridge ERP runs in five stages. Each stage produces evidence, so the final decision stands up to board and audit scrutiny.
Current-state assessment
A clear-eyed read of today: processes, data, integrations, and the systems already in place. The starting point for an honest requirements set.
Requirements definition
Weighted requirements built with the people who run finance and operations. Must-haves are separated from preferences, so the scorecard reflects what the business actually needs.
Platform landscape scan
The full platform landscape mapped against your requirements. The shortlist comes from the evidence, not from a fixed catalog of products a reseller is licensed to sell.
Scored evaluation
Shortlisted systems scored through scripted demonstrations, reference checks, and total cost of ownership analysis. The same scorecard for every platform.
Recommendation and roadmap
A documented recommendation with scored results, a risk assessment, and an implementation roadmap. The decision rests on evidence, not on a vendor demo.
Leadership into delivery
Lightbridge carries program management and technical leadership from the decision through implementation, so the recommendation and the delivery share one accountable owner.
Lightbridge ERP starts every selection with requirements.
A scorecard is only as good as the requirements behind it. The most common cause of a failed ERP program is a selection that skipped the requirements work and bought on the strength of a demo.
Lightbridge ERP builds the requirements set with the people who live in the systems: controllers, operations leaders, and the teams that close the books. Requirements are weighted, must-haves are separated from preferences, and every line is traceable to a business need. By the time a platform is scored, the standard it is scored against is the customer's, not the vendor's.
Independent ERP selection versus a reseller-led evaluation.
Both can run an evaluation. The difference is who the recommendation serves.
| Dimension | Vendor-aligned VAR or reseller | Lightbridge ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial alignment | Earns a margin or referral fee when you buy the platform they resell | Independent: zero referral fees, partner-tier incentives, or reseller quotas from any software vendor |
| Platform coverage | Recommends the products they are licensed to sell | Evaluates the full platform landscape, then recommends the system that fits |
| Selection basis | Demo-led, weighted toward the seller's strengths | Evidence-based: weighted requirements scored against documented platform capability |
| Who runs the evaluation | Sales engineers attached to the product | Senior finance professionals and ERP architects with no product to sell |
| After the decision | Hands you to an implementation team and moves on | Carries program management and technical leadership through delivery |
| Accountability | Aligned to the vendor relationship | Aligned to your outcome, regardless of which platform wins |
Lightbridge ERP evaluates the full platform landscape.
The shortlist is built from your requirements, so the candidate set spans the mid-market and enterprise field rather than a single product line.
Lightbridge delivers hands-on in-house for NetSuite and for EPM and FP&A. For other platforms, rigorously vetted partners execute the build under Lightbridge program management and technical leadership. Either way, the selection stays neutral: no platform carries an incentive that tilts the score.
See how Lightbridge ERP delivers on each system across the ERP platform practices.
ERP selection is the entry point to the full lifecycle.
Selection is where most engagements begin. The same firm carries the program from the decision through delivery, so the requirements that won the platform are the requirements that get built.
ERP consulting
Enterprise needs assessment, technology roadmap, and finance transformation advisory across the full ERP lifecycle.
Learn more →ERP implementation
Program management and technical leadership through the build, in-house for NetSuite and via vetted partners elsewhere.
Learn more →Platform practices
How Lightbridge ERP delivers on NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics 365, Oracle, Epicor, and the wider platform field.
Learn more →When to engage Lightbridge ERP for ERP selection.
Engage Lightbridge ERP for ERP selection when the decision is high-stakes, the platforms all demo well, and you need a recommendation no vendor can tilt. Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm staffed by senior finance professionals and ERP architects, including CPAs, controllers, and former CFOs. The firm accepts no referral fees, partner-tier incentives, or reseller quotas from any software vendor. The recommendation is scored on fit and aligned with the customer, not a vendor quota.
ERP selection: frequently asked questions
- What is ERP selection?
- ERP selection is the structured process of choosing the enterprise resource planning system that best fits an organization's requirements, budget, and growth plan. It covers current-state assessment, requirements definition, a scan of the platform landscape, scored evaluation of shortlisted systems, and a documented recommendation. Lightbridge ERP runs ERP selection as an independent, vendor-neutral exercise, scoring platforms on fit rather than on which product a reseller is licensed to sell.
- What is the ERP system selection process?
- The ERP system selection process at Lightbridge ERP runs in stages: a current-state assessment of processes, data, and systems; a weighted requirements set built with the people who run finance and operations; a scan of the full platform landscape against those requirements; a scored evaluation of a shortlist through scripted demonstrations and reference checks; and a documented recommendation with total cost of ownership and an implementation roadmap. Each stage produces evidence, so the decision is defensible to a board.
- Why use an independent ERP selection consultant?
- An independent ERP selection consultant has no product to sell, so the recommendation is driven by fit rather than by a reseller margin. Lightbridge ERP accepts no vendor kickbacks, no partner-tier incentives, and no reseller quotas. Vendor-aligned VARs and resellers earn when you buy the platform they represent, which biases the shortlist toward their catalog. An independent advisor scores every credible platform on the same scorecard, then recommends the one the evidence supports.
- How does Lightbridge ERP stay vendor-neutral?
- Lightbridge ERP holds no referral arrangements, partner-tier incentives, or commission structures with any ERP vendor. The firm earns its fee from the customer, not from a software sale, so there is no financial reason to steer a recommendation. Lightbridge runs hands-on delivery in-house for NetSuite and for EPM and FP&A work. For other platforms, delivery runs through rigorously vetted partners under Lightbridge program management and technical leadership. The selection itself stays neutral across the full landscape.
- How long does ERP selection take?
- ERP selection timelines depend on the size of the organization and the number of stakeholders, but most engagements run several weeks to a few months from kickoff to recommendation. Current-state assessment and requirements definition take the most time, because a scorecard is only as good as the requirements behind it. A rushed selection that skips requirements is the most common cause of a failed ERP program, so Lightbridge ERP weights the early stages accordingly.
- Which ERP platforms does Lightbridge ERP evaluate?
- Lightbridge ERP evaluates the full mid-market and enterprise platform landscape, including NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, Epicor, Sage Intacct, Acumatica, Infor, and emerging finance-native systems. The shortlist is built from your requirements, not from a fixed catalog. See the platform practices on the platforms overview for how Lightbridge delivers on each system once a decision is made.
- What deliverables come out of an ERP selection engagement?
- An ERP selection engagement from Lightbridge ERP produces a documented requirements set, a weighted scoring model, a shortlist with scored evaluations, a total cost of ownership comparison, a risk assessment, and a final recommendation with an implementation roadmap. The deliverables are built to stand up to board and audit scrutiny, so the decision rests on evidence rather than on a vendor demonstration.
- Does the same firm that selects the ERP also implement it?
- Lightbridge ERP carries program management and technical leadership from selection through delivery, so one accountable owner stays with the program. Hands-on implementation runs in-house for NetSuite and for EPM and FP&A. For other platforms, a rigorously vetted partner executes the build under Lightbridge's program management and technical leadership. The selection recommendation is never influenced by who delivers it, because the firm accepts no incentive tied to any platform.
Start your ERP selection with Lightbridge ERP.
An independent, evidence-based selection that scores every platform on fit. No vendor kickbacks, no reseller quotas.