ERP Selection Consultant, Philippines

Philippine shortlists, from local packages to a parent's system

Philippine companies arrive at an ERP decision from very different places, and the shortlist should reflect that. I build it from your requirements, but a few starting points are common.

• Growing distributors, retailers and service firms often run QuickBooks, Xero or a local accounting package with spreadsheets for stock and branch sales. They usually weigh adding apps around what they have against adopting a suite like Zoho or Odoo.
• Manufacturers and larger distributors tend to compare Odoo, ERPNext and Dynamics 365 Business Central, focusing on inventory across warehouses and branches.
• BPO operations and subsidiaries of foreign groups may be asked to adopt the parent's platform, sometimes SAP Business One, NetSuite or a larger system, and need to know whether it can meet local requirements.

For each candidate, the first filter is practical: can it produce invoices and books your accountant accepts, through configuration or a local add-on, and is there a capable implementer to support it here? Options that fail that filter are dropped with a written reason, so the remaining comparison is worth the time. If the question is whether an ERP is needed at all, ERP evaluation is the better starting point.

Making BIR readiness part of the score

Many selections treat local compliance as something the implementer will sort out later. In the Philippines that is risky, because a computerized accounting system generally has to be registered or accepted before it replaces existing books, and the process relies on documentation the vendor and implementer must supply. The exact steps change from time to time, so I start with a checklist from your accountant or tax advisor and build it into the scoring.

For each shortlisted option, I ask for evidence rather than assurances:

• how invoice series are controlled by branch and document type, and what stops numbers being skipped or reused
• how cancelled invoices are kept and marked, with the user and reason recorded
• what audit trail exists for changes to posted transactions
• which books and reports the system produces, and whether they match the layouts your accountant needs
• what system documentation the vendor has supplied to other Philippine customers for registration
• how a future software update affects a registered system, and who handles any resulting paperwork

Each answer is scored and noted as shown, described or still open. Your company still owns the registration itself; selection simply makes sure the system you choose will not stall it.

Demo scenarios for Philippine finance and operations

I write demo scripts from your own documents, so vendors show how their product handles Philippine cases rather than a generic sample company. Depending on your business, a script might include:

• two branches issuing invoices from their own controlled series on the same day, followed by a consolidated sales report at head office
• an invoice cancelled after printing, showing how it remains on record
• a supplier payment where tax is withheld according to your accountant's guidance, with the certificate produced and the amount flowing to the relevant report
• a customer payment received net of withholding, with the certificate logged against the right invoice
• a BPO client billed in US dollars by seat or hour, with costs recorded in pesos and margin shown by client
• a stock transfer from the main warehouse to a branch on another island, received partially

Each implementer receives the material ahead of time, and your process owners rate every step. I note whether it was handled as standard, through configuration, with a local add-on or only by custom development. The same notes feed later gap analysis and acceptance tests, so nothing learned in the demos is lost.

Comparing implementer proposals and contract terms

The implementer will shape your experience as much as the platform, and Philippine proposals vary widely in what they include. I lay every proposal against the same requirement list and check for the gaps that tend to cause trouble later:

• whether support for BIR registration documentation is in scope, and who prepares what
• whether local report formats and invoice layouts are included or quoted as custom work
• how branch staff on other islands will be trained, and by whom, including sessions in Filipino where needed
• support hours, response commitments and how help reaches branches outside Metro Manila
• data migration scope from your current package, including open receivables with expected withholding

On licensing, I compare user types, edition limits, renewal terms and the billing currency, since many subscriptions are priced in US dollars while your books are in pesos. Hosting questions cover where data is stored and how the vendor supports your obligations under Philippine data privacy law, with legal interpretation left to your advisor. The contract review checks ownership of custom work, statutory change handling and how you exit with your data. My ERP RFP consulting service covers a formal tender if your parent company requires one.

Running the selection remotely with Philippine teams

The Philippine business day starts a little ahead of mine, so most of it overlaps and discovery calls, demos and scoring sessions can sit in your normal office hours. For BPO and shared service operations, night-shift leads can review recorded demos and add their scores in the shared workbook. Branch managers on other islands join by video rather than traveling to head office. Meeting in person is possible by arrangement where it clearly adds value.

The engagement runs in English. Branch or warehouse users more at ease in Filipino or a regional language get help from a colleague on your team to follow the demos and record their views, because the people who will use the system should have a say in choosing it.

I am not paid by any vendor or implementer, through commission, referral fee or license margin. That independence lets me question vague answers about registration support and recommend the option that fits, even when it is the less familiar name. Once you sign, the same independent role can carry into delivery as your ERP implementation consultant in the Philippines. See also the Philippines overview and my ERP consultant page for the Philippines.