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, no reseller quotas, and no conflicts of interest, backed by our 100% Unbiased Guarantee, 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 100% Unbiased Guarantee.
No vendor kickbacks removes one bias. It does not remove all of them, a firm that selects a platform and then also implements it still has a reason to steer the recommendation toward the platform it delivers. Lightbridge ERP closes that gap: for any engagement where Lightbridge runs the selection, Lightbridge will not bid on or accept that client's implementation, including NetSuite, which Lightbridge still delivers in-house.
This is a per-engagement guarantee, not an exit from the platform. Lightbridge continues implementing NetSuite generally, for clients whose selection it did not run. For platforms already delivered by vetted partners, nothing changes: Lightbridge was never the hands-on implementer there, so program management and technical leadership continue as they always have.
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. For the underlying framework, how to categorize, weight, and score criteria yourself, see the ERP selection criteria guide.
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 | Continues through delivery on partner-delivered platforms; recuses from that client's implementation under the 100% Unbiased Guarantee when the platform is one Lightbridge delivers in-house |
| 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.
No platform carries an incentive that tilts the score, backed by the 100% Unbiased Guarantee: Lightbridge recuses from bidding on or accepting a client's implementation for any platform it recommended in that engagement, so there is nothing to gain by steering the recommendation toward a platform Lightbridge itself delivers.
See how Lightbridge ERP delivers for clients whose selection it did not run, across the ERP platform practices.
ERP selection is the entry point to the full lifecycle.
Selection is where most engagements begin. For a partner-delivered platform, Lightbridge carries the program from the decision through delivery, so the requirements that won the platform are the requirements that get built. When the platform is one Lightbridge delivers in-house, like NetSuite, the 100% Unbiased Guarantee means a different firm carries that same client's implementation.
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, for clients whose selection Lightbridge did not run.
Learn more →Platform coverage
How Lightbridge ERP delivers for those clients on NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics 365, Oracle, Epicor, and the wider platform field.
Learn more →Fractional CIO placement
An ongoing, part-time IT executive who owns the platform portfolio and its vendors after selection, sourced and governed by Lightbridge.
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, no reseller quotas, and no conflicts of interest, backed by the 100% Unbiased Guarantee. 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, and backs that with the 100% Unbiased Guarantee: for any engagement where Lightbridge runs the selection, Lightbridge will not bid on or accept that client's implementation, including NetSuite, a platform it still delivers in-house. There is no implementation revenue riding on the outcome for that client, so the recommendation has nothing to gain by favoring one platform over another.
- 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?
- Not for the same client. Lightbridge ERP's 100% Unbiased Guarantee recuses the firm from bidding on or accepting that client's implementation for any platform it recommended in the engagement, including NetSuite. That recusal is per-engagement, not per-platform: Lightbridge continues implementing NetSuite generally, for clients whose selection it did not run. For platforms already delivered by vetted partners, program management and technical leadership continue unchanged, since a partner was always the hands-on implementer there.
Start your ERP selection with Lightbridge ERP.
An independent, evidence-based selection that scores every platform on fit. No vendor kickbacks, no reseller quotas, no conflicts of interest, backed by the 100% Unbiased Guarantee.