How to choose SCM software for your business

Sure thing, there is no single SCM technology that fits everybody. A complex and pricey package can be a money pit for a small business as it pays for plenty of unnecessary features. By contrast, an enterprise adopting a software solution with limited capabilities will hardly reach ambitious business goals. Here are some practical tips to help you choose the right option and avoid costly mistakes.

Estimate the true total cost of ownership. Dive deeper into financial details and add up costs of support, customization, and upgrades. The final number can be impressively larger than the initial purchase price you are ready to pay. Rather than investing in a large, stand-alone SCM system, you can start with implementing a few modules addressing major problems and bottlenecks across your supply chain.

Consider your existing software and learn how you can complement it with new SMC components and adds-on. Chances are developing a custom solution tailored for your unique case will be cheaper (at least in terms of time and effort) and bring more value than ready-to-use, but hard-to-integrate software with functionality that exceeds your needs.

Domain focus is something you shouldn’t ignore. If SCM software is initially designed for a different industry, modification can be a tricky and money-consuming task.

In the event that there is no proper solution for your niche, explore portfolios of software development teams with relevant expertise. If they launched business process management projects for a company similar to yours, you can count on them solving your task quickly and for less money.