ERP Consulting: What Do ERP Consultants Do?

Marcel Graf4/17/2025

Discover the role and significance of ERP consulting in this article and dive into the world of ERP consultants.

Table of contents

What is ERP and why do we need special consultants for it?
What skills do ERP consultants need to have?
,
Theory and practice: Training and change management
must be carried out
impact on value creation
. In addition, different ERP software has specialized in different application areas. A tool that is particularly specialized in supporting e-commerce is
An ERP consultant plays a crucial role in the selection, implementation, and support of ERP systems in companies from various industries. From requirement analysis to selection and implementation of the system to training of employees and ongoing support, the ERP consultant is co-responsible for the success of the project. With their expertise, the ERP consultant can help companies optimize their business processes and promote their growth. This enables the customer to enable their day-to-day business and to be well positioned for the future.
Long Story short: Kurz und knapp zusammengefasst:

Do you want to know what ERP consultants actually do? In this article, I will give you all the important information about ERP consulting. From the tasks and responsibilities of the ERP consultant to qualifications and skills that are important for this job. You will also learn how the ERP consulting process works and the benefits of professional consulting. I will also discuss the challenges in choosing the right ERP provider and show you some success factors for successful collaboration. At the end, I will give you an insight into why it is worth becoming an ERP consultant. In summary, competent and experienced consulting plays a crucial role in the introduction or optimization of an ERP system.

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What is ERP and why do we need special consultants for it?

ERP stands for "Enterprise Resource Planning" and refers to software that supports companies in managing their business processes. You've probably heard of SAP in this context, to name the most widely used solution on the global market. There are well over 100+ ERP solutions in the German-speaking area alone. Most providers specialize in an industry, offering Sage b7many functions for manufacturing companies e.g. in metal processing or technical trade. If you want to find out which ERP systems are available in the German-speaking area, feel free to check out the list of OMR Reviews on ERP-Systeme. The ERP system often forms the heart of a company's IT processes and helps to optimize workflows, reduce costs and increase efficiency. If you're looking for more background information on ERP systems, I can highly recommend OMR's article on the question What is ERP",highly recommend. But implementing or optimizing an ERP system can also be complex and often requires specialized knowledge. This is where ERP consultants come into play: with their expert knowledge, they can support companies in choosing the right system and accompany the entire process from analysis to implementation. Professional consulting can help identify difficulties in advance and avoid problems during the process. Even after the implementation, ERP consultants can continue to provide support, for example in expanding further system functions or adapting to new business requirements. In short: Anyone who wants to successfully introduce or optimize an ERP system should not do without the help of experienced consultants.

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What skills do ERP consultants need to have?

ERP consultants usually have a background that can be described in two careers. Either they are trained computer scientists with expertise in a specific subject area, or they are experienced experts from relevant industries with a strong affinity for computer science. In any case, consultants have a passion for system-supported business processes. There are often specializations such as the Developer Consultants who master the respective programming language of the ERP software and can implement adjustments in the ERP system. The Business Consultants, on the other hand, need to bring skills to translate the client's processes into the system and to communicate this in a way that is appropriate for the recipient, so in addition to the required ERP and IT knowledge, they also need to have basic didactic skills in their personal skill toolbox. Job descriptions often differentiate between senior and junior consultants, which is regularly due to the necessary experience or skills. What all consultants have in common is a basic understanding of database systems, and so usually everyone can handle SQL queries. SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is a kind of programming language with which you can compile result lists from database tables, or change, insert, delete or move data. The absolute top skill, in addition to analytical thinking, is the flexibility to be able to adjust to constantly changing requirements, and to be able to put oneself in the customer's shoes. With additional soft skills such as confident appearance and assertiveness, you should be able to assess yourself well, as this can be important in daily work with the customer when you have to coordinate with managers and executives on a daily basis.For an entry into the profession, you should: Have basic IT knowledge

Have an affinity for system processes
Have heard of the topic "database" before Be able to create SQL queries independently
Have a good understanding of the client's processes
Possess analytical skills and assertiveness In the following sections, we will look at the different tasks of ERP consultants and have divided a classic ERP project into the individual phases for this purpose.
The beginning of every ERP project: Process analysis and provider selectionThe basis for every successful introduction of an ERP system is a thorough process analysis for comparison with the system requirements. Here, independent ERP consulting can already begin to support the customer in recording and documenting their specific requirements. It is important not only to consider the current requirements, but also to keep an eye on the future growth plans of the company. The requirements are recorded in written concepts. There is often talk of the so-called specification sheet. Although this method is outdated, it is still used in many projects today. In addition, checklists list the necessary requirements that the new ERP system must meet. The challenge here is to describe the company's core processes as precisely as possible so that the provider can recognize in the selection process whether the system is suitable for this.In practice, it could look like this: The ERP consultant conducts interviews with the various departments, the so-called process owners, of the company to capture the specific needs of each department. She finds that warehouse management and inventory control are particularly critical. So the process is recorded and documented from start to finish to work out which core functions are required in the ERP system.
The implementation project and customization of an ERP systemThe customer has selected his system. The following implementation project of an ERP system requires a careful planning and coordination. These projects can take several months to years, depending on the scope. The provider's consultants work very closely with the customer during this phase to ensure that the system is installed and configured on time. This can include

setting up workflows

,

migrating data from old systems

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, and training employees. In large projects, there are often specialized consultants for the different company areas. In every implementation project, there is usually at least one experienced senior consultant who also has the project management. Depending on the project scope, there are then other project participants, both on the provider's side and on the customer's side, who jointly implement the agreed processes. In addition, there are usually developers who belong to the project team to implement customizations of functionalities, interfaces and documents in the system. If large companies introduce a new ERP system, the group hires its own in-house consultants.

Theory and practice: Training and change management

The introduction of an ERP system can mean a significant change for the employees of a company. The consultants are responsible for developing training plans and implementing them to ensure that the users can effectively use the new system. In addition, they support change management to promote the acceptance of the system in the workforce. Here, the ERP consultants must not only bring their technical expertise but also demonstrate tact and empathy in dealing with a variety of people. From digital natives to system disruptors, all users must be included in the processes and picked up. So a large dose of empathy is required.The big day: The Go-LiveBefore the final introduction of an ERP system, also known as real start or go-live, extensive tests

must be carried out

to ensure that everything works flawlessly and meets the business requirements. The consultants play a key role in planning and conducting these tests. All processes, especially those that have a direct

impact on value creation

, must be tested once by both sides and the approval must be documented.Together with the clients, specific test cases are coordinated, which simulate different scenarios in the company, e.g. processing orders in purchasing or order entry in sales. These test cases are then processed by the customer's employees to ensure that all functions work properly on day X. The Go-Live is always a special phase in the project, which can be very demanding on both sides.Source: AVENTUM GmbH, Project Team Meeting ⁠After the go-live is before the system expansionAfter the successful implementation of the ERP system, the work of the ERP consultant does not usually end. She is still responsible for the support and maintenance of the system. This can include fixing occurring errors, updating the system and adapting to changed business requirements. Just as a company must constantly adapt to new market requirements, so too is this demanded of the ERP system. The project methodology in system expansion then again strongly resembles the implementation process, but according to the scope of the requirements. This can become very complex, for example, during a release change, as all processes often have to be put to the test again. The larger the technology leap, the larger the project scope.Here is perhaps another example from practice: A manufacturing company from the automotive supplier industry has received new requirements from its customer. These new requirements have to be implemented in the ERP system. The ERP consulting analyzes these and makes an effort estimate for the implementation. After approval by the customer, a project plan is set up and the tasks are distributed. Once all tasks are completed, all functions are tested again with the customer. For critical processes, a test run with the end customer is also carried out. Finally, all processes are trained, documented, and imported into the production system.You want to look at tools first? - then take theseIn the desert of ERP systems, it's not always easy to choose the right software. Therefore, ERP consultants are usually a good decision. If you want to check out some tools first, start with these:In another article, we present the

7 best ERP software

and you can find all ERP systems on our category page for

. In addition, different ERP software has specialized in different application areas. A tool that is particularly specialized in supporting e-commerce is

Long Story short: In summary:

An ERP consultant plays a crucial role in the selection, implementation, and support of ERP systems in companies from various industries. From requirement analysis to selection and implementation of the system to training of employees and ongoing support, the ERP consultant is co-responsible for the success of the project. With their expertise, the ERP consultant can help companies optimize their business processes and promote their growth. This enables the customer to enable their day-to-day business and to be well positioned for the future.

Now you should have a rough overview of the tasks of an ERP consultant. If we have forgotten something, feel free to write it in the comments. We look forward to exchange about the challenging daily life of the ERP consultant.

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In einem weiteren Artikel stellen wir dir die 7 besten ERP-Softwares vor und alle ERP-Systeme findest du auf unserer Kategorieseite zu ERP-Systeme. Darüber hinaus haben sich unterschiedliche ERP-Softwares auf verschiedene Einsatzgebiete spezialisiert. Ein Tool was sich besonders auf die Unterstützung im E-Commerce spezialisiert hat ist PlentyONE

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Long Story short: Kurz und knapp zusammengefasst:

Ein*e ERP-Berater*in spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Auswahl, Einführung und Betreuung von ERP-Systemen in Unternehmen aus unterschiedlichsten Branchen. Von der Anforderungsanalyse über die Auswahl und Implementierung des Systems bis hin zur Schulung der Mitarbeiter und zur laufenden Unterstützung ist die ERP-Berater*in für den Erfolg des Projektes mitverantwortlich. Mithilfe seines Fachwissens kann die ERP-Berater*in dazu beitragen, dass Unternehmen ihre Geschäftsprozesse optimieren und ihr Wachstum fördern. Man versetzt dadurch den Kunden in die Lage sein Tagesgeschäft zu ermöglichen und für die Zukunft gut ausgestellt zu sein.

Jetzt solltest du einen groben Überblick über die Aufgaben einer ERP-Berater*in erhalten haben. Haben wir etwas vergessen, dann schreibe es gerne in die Kommentare. Wir freuen uns auf den Austausch über den herausfordernden Alltag der ERP-Berater*in.