ERP Administration Partner Guide: Evaluation Criteria & Cost Analysis

Companies with dedicated ERP administration hit 99.2% uptime. The rest? They're at 94% on a good month.

That 5% gap isn't just downtime for your clients. It's their missed closes. Their stalled processes. Their users who've given up on the system you implemented because it never works when they need it to.

Here's your problem: Your clients need skilled ERP administrators to keep their systems running. You need those same specialists to deliver implementations, provide ongoing support, and scale your practice. 

But you can't find them. You can't keep them. And when they leave, they take all the client knowledge with them.

ERP consultancy leaders tell us the same thing: "Number one trigger is we don't have the expertise. It's a particular module or something that's a trigger immediately."

You're competing against vendors, big consultancies, and your own clients for the same tiny pool of talent. And every time you lose someone, you're scrambling to backfill while trying to keep client projects on track.

You already know this hurts. 

What you might not know is there's a way to get specialized ERP talent without the recruiting nightmare, the turnover risk, or the fixed overhead that kills your margins between projects.

Let's talk about what that looks like.

ERP consultancy leaders tell us the same thing: "Number one trigger is we don't have the expertise. It's a particular module or something that's a trigger immediately."

You're competing against vendors, big consultancies, and your own clients for the same tiny pool of talent. And every time you lose someone, you're scrambling to backfill while trying to keep client projects on track.

You already know this hurts. What you might not know is there's a way to get specialized ERP talent without the recruiting nightmare, the turnover risk, or the fixed overhead that kills your margins between projects.

Let's talk about what that looks like.
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What Poor ERP Administration Costs Your Clients (And You)

When your clients' systems aren't properly administered, it doesn't just hurt them. It hurts you.

Gartner predicts that by 2027, more than 70% of recently implemented ERP initiatives will fail to fully meet their original business case goals. A quarter of those will fail catastrophically.

That's not because the software is bad. It's because no one's actually managing it after go-live.

And when your client's system fails? They're not blaming the software. They're blaming you.

Here's what happens when the systems you implement don't have proper ongoing administration:
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Client systems go down more often

Companies with dedicated ERP administration hit 99.7% uptime. The rest sit closer to 94%.

When your client's system goes down:

• Their operations stop
• Their orders can't process
• They lose revenue
• They call you to fix it—pulling your team off billable projects

Every outage becomes your problem, even if ongoing support wasn't in your original scope.
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Their teams work slower

When system performance drags, your clients' users compensate. Studies show poorly managed systems slow users down by 20-30%:

• They build workarounds around the system you implemented
• They wait for screens to load
• They manually check everything because they don't trust the data
• That's a third of their operational capacity gone

And guess who they blame for the slow system? Not their lack of administration. You.
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Their data gets messy

Without someone actively managing data integrity after go-live, problems multiply:

• Duplicate records pile up
• Accounts get mismatched
• Reconciliations take hours instead of minutes
• Their finance team spends more time fixing data than using it

When audit season hits and their books are a mess, your implementation gets questioned. Even if you delivered it clean.
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Their onboarding drags

New hires at your client companies wait days for system access. Contractors can't start work because provisioning got stuck:

• Every delay costs them productivity
• They look disorganized
• New people start their first week unable to use the system you implemented

This reflects poorly on your solution, even though it's an administration issue.
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Maintenance windows get missed

Updates pile up. Security patches wait. Then something breaks during business hours:

• Your client is scrambling
• You're getting emergency calls
• They're paying emergency rates for fixes that should have been routine maintenance

This is expensive for them and disruptive for you.
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Compliance gaps grow

Access controls drift when no one's managing them:

• Former employees keep system access
• Segregation of duties stops being enforced
• Audit findings pile up

When your client fails an audit because of ERP access control issues, your name is on that system. That's a reference you won't get.
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Process improvements never happen

Your clients bought the ERP to improve their processes. But without proper administration:

• Configuration changes sit in a queue
• Reports never get optimized
• Workflows stay broken
• The system you implemented never reaches its potential

They're not getting the ROI they expected. And you're not getting the expansion work because they're frustrated with what they have.

According to industry research, 64% of ERP projects exceed their budgets, and 61% run past their deadlines. 

Most of that overrun? It's cleanup work that wouldn't exist if systems had proper administration from the start.

Here's what the gap looks like across your client base:

You can keep hoping your clients figure out administration on their own. Or you can build it into how you deliver.
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What Real ERP Administration Actually Looks Like for Client Delivery

Most consultancies underestimate what it takes to properly support clients post-implementation. They think it's mostly troubleshooting and password resets. It's not.

Real administration is a full-time job per client, or distributed across your team for multiple clients. Here's what that work actually includes.
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System management (25% of effort)

This is the stuff that keeps your clients' systems running. Not just fixing them when they break, but preventing problems:

• Performance tuning and optimization so systems don't slow down over time
• Backup and recovery procedures, plus testing them to make sure they actually work
• Security patches and updates applied before vulnerabilities become problems
• Infrastructure monitoring and capacity planning so clients don't run out of storage mid-quarter
• System troubleshooting and incident response when something goes wrong

Client outcome: System uptime. When this is done right, your clients can work. When it's not, you're getting emergency calls.
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User management (20% of effort)

Your clients' systems are only useful if their people can access them properly:

• Access provisioning and removal for new hires and departures
• Role management and security group maintenance to keep permissions accurate
• User training and documentation so people actually know how to use what you built
• Password resets and account troubleshooting (yes, this still takes time)
• Compliance verification and access reviews for audit readiness

Client outcome: User adoption rate. If access is easy and permissions make sense, people use the system. If it's a mess, they build workarounds and blame your implementation.
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Data management (20% of effort)

Your clients' ERPs are only as good as the data in them:

• GL and subsidiary reconciliation to catch discrepancies before they multiply
• Data integrity checks and validation to prevent bad data from spreading
• Account reconciliation procedures that actually close books on time
• Data cleanup and remediation when things get messy
• Archive and retention procedures to keep systems from bloating

Client outcome: Audit readiness. Clean data means fast closes and fewer surprises during audits. Messy data means your implementation gets blamed.
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Change management (15% of effort)

Your clients' businesses evolve. Their systems need to keep up:

• Testing protocols for updates and changes before they hit production
• Release management and deployment so updates don't break workflows
• Rollback procedures and contingency planning for when something goes wrong
• Change documentation and communication so users know what's coming

Client outcome: Process improvement capability. When change management is solid, clients can actually evolve their use of the system. When it's not, they're stuck with what you delivered at go-live.
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Customization support (10% of effort)

Every ERP implementation needs ongoing customization work:

• Bug fixes and technical issue resolution
• Custom report development and optimization
• Integration troubleshooting when systems don't talk to each other properly
• Technical debt management so old customizations don't become liabilities
• Development environment maintenance for testing changes
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Reporting and analytics (5% of effort)

Your clients' leadership needs visibility into what's happening:

• Report optimization and performance tuning
• Data warehouse management
• KPI dashboard development
• Compliance reporting support
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Disaster recovery (5% of effort)

This is the stuff your clients hope they never need but can't afford to skip:

• DR testing and validation, usually quarterly or annually
• Documentation and runbooks so recovery is possible even if key people are unavailable
• Business continuity planning
• Backup verification and restoration testing
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Why "the client's IT team can handle it" doesn't work

You've probably told clients this. Or they've told you. Either way, it rarely works:

• Context switching kills productivity. Your client's IT person juggling ERP admin with network issues, help desk tickets, and everything else isn't doing any of it well. They're firefighting, not administering.
• Specialization matters. ERP administration requires deep platform knowledge. Your client's generalist IT team might be great at what they do, but ERP systems have their own logic, quirks, and best practices. They don't have time to learn your platform that deeply.
• Hidden costs pile up. When administration is part-time, things get missed. Updates wait. Data issues grow. Small problems become big ones. Then you get the emergency call to fix what should have been routine maintenance.

The real question isn't whether your clients need proper ERP administration. It's whether you can staff the specialists to deliver it.
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Why You Can't Staff ERP Projects the Old Way Anymore

Your sales team just closed three new implementations. Your existing clients need support. And you've got two specialists who might leave because a vendor just offered them $20K more.

This is the talent problem every ERP consultancy faces. You need specialized skills. You need them now. And the market has no interest in making this easy for you.
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The specialists you need don't exist in volume

You're not looking for general IT people. You need someone who knows NetSuite's SuiteScript, or SAP's ABAP, or Acumatica's customization framework. Someone who can configure financial modules, troubleshoot integrations, and talk to clients without making your firm look incompetent.

According to The Conference Board, 62% of Americans lack four-year degrees, but ERP specialists need both formal training and platform-specific certifications that take years to develop. 

The talent pool is tiny. Everyone's fishing in the same pond. And the big consulting firms have deeper pockets than you do.

The manufacturing sector alone reports that 75% of firms cite skills gaps as their biggest growth barrier. Your clients are living this pain. 

So are you—except you're also trying to solve it for them while dealing with it internally.
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When you find someone good, they leave

Average tenure for ERP specialists at small to mid-sized consultancies? Two to three years if you're lucky. Then they're gone.

Where do they go?

• Vendors: NetSuite, SAP, Oracle pay more and offer stock options
• Large consultancies: Deloitte, Accenture, PwC can outbid you every time
• Your competitors: Another consultancy offers remote work or a better project mix
• Direct to corporate: Your client just hired them away from you

The NetSuite market saw this clearly in 2024. Multiple firms hit with layoffs flooded the market with talent. 

Some landed quickly. Most didn't. But the good ones? They had multiple offers within weeks. The mediocre ones are still looking.

When your specialist leaves, you're not just losing a person. You're losing:

• Client relationships: They built trust. Now you're starting over.
• Institutional knowledge: How you configure solutions, where the gotchas are, which customizations work
• Project continuity: Someone else has to pick up their work mid-stream
• Revenue: Projects stall while you backfill

The cost to replace them? Studies show 50-200% of their salary in total replacement costs. 

For a $120K specialist, that's $60K-$240K including recruiting fees, onboarding time, lost productivity, and project delays.
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Training takes too long for project-based work

You can hire someone with general ERP knowledge and train them on your specific platform and methodology. But that takes 12-18 months before they're truly productive.

During that ramp period:

• They need supervision on client calls
• Their configurations need review
• They can't handle complex customizations solo
• Your senior people are spending time mentoring instead of billing

For product companies building in the ERP space, the timeline is even worse. Your developers need to understand both the ERP platform AND your product architecture. 

That's not a 90-day onboarding. That's a year before they're contributing meaningfully to your codebase.
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Project demand fluctuates but payroll doesn't

This is the killer. You need five specialists for Q4 implementations. You need two in Q1. But you're paying for five all year.

Rapid company growth creates a capacity problem where sales closes more deals than you can handle, and client projects suffer for it. 

But the opposite is just as painful—slow periods where you're bleeding money on bench time.

ERP consultancy leaders tell us: "The nice thing about contractors—you can expand them to 30 or 50. They do a lot of work for a year and then they go back to two or three. You don't have to lay off 40 people."

You can't hire and fire based on project flow. But you also can't afford to keep people on the bench between projects. So you either:

• Turn down work because you're at capacity
• Overhire and bleed money during slow periods
• Burn out your team by overloading them

None of these options are good.
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Certifications and continuous learning never stop

Your specialists need to stay current or they become useless fast:

• NetSuite: Two major releases per year, SuiteWorld attendance, ongoing certifications
• SAP: Constant platform updates, Sapphire conference, module-specific training
• Acumatica/Odoo: Regular updates, partner training requirements

Companies that invest in this (i.e., learning licenses, conference attendance, certification renewals) have better retention. But when that person leaves anyway, you just funded their next job search.

Annual investment per specialist:

• Certifications: $3K-$8K
• Conference attendance: $2K-$5K
• Training time: 40-80 hours (unbillable)
• Learning licenses: $1K-$3K

That's $10K-$20K per year per person just to keep them current. And it doesn't guarantee they stay.
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The real cost of internal hiring

Here's what it actually costs to hire and retain ERP specialists internally:

That internal number assumes everything goes smoothly. It doesn't account for:

• Projects delayed due to staffing gaps
• Revenue lost when you're at capacity
• The opportunity cost of senior people doing work that specialists should handle
• Knowledge loss during transitions

You've felt this. 

You're trying to grow your consultancy or scale your product team, but talent constraints are the bottleneck. You can't hire fast enough. You can't retain long enough. And you can't afford to keep people on the bench.

There's a different model. 

One that gives you access to specialized ERP talent without the hiring nightmare, the turnover risk, or the fixed overhead that kills your margins during slow periods.
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How Offshore ERP Staffing Works (When Done Right)

You've heard the offshore horror stories. Communication breakdowns. High turnover. Resources that need constant hand-holding. People who disappear mid-project.

That's not what this is.

The right offshore model gives you access to certified ERP specialists who work as extensions of your team, minus the hiring nightmare, the turnover risk, or the overhead that kills your margins.

Here's how it works when it's done right.
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You get specialists, not generalists

This isn't about hiring cheap labor to handle low-value work. It's about accessing platform-certified experts who can deliver client projects:

• NetSuite specialists with multiple certifications and years of hands-on experience
• SAP consultants who know the modules your clients actually use
• Dynamics, Acumatica, Odoo experts with implementation track records
• Functional and technical depth so you're not limited to one type of work

One NetSuite partner hired 17 specialists over four years to scale from a four-person startup to a full-service consultancy. 

Another brought on 13 NetSuite professionals in one month including niche roles combining NetSuite expertise with accounting backgrounds that are nearly impossible to find onshore.
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They integrate with your team, not replace it

These aren't contractors working in isolation. They're embedded in your operations:

• Daily standups with your internal team
• Direct collaboration through Slack, Jira, or whatever tools you use
• Client-facing work when needed (yes, their English is that good)
• Access to your systems, workflows, and methodologies

One promotional products company hired a single NetSuite integration specialist who worked so seamlessly with their internal IT team that they saved 55% on development costs while delivering faster than their previous agency.

The difference? These specialists aren't just technically capable. They understand business context, can communicate clearly with clients, and take initiative instead of waiting for detailed instructions.
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You hire fast, not slow

Traditional hiring for ERP specialists takes months. Offshore staffing done right takes days.

Average time to endorse candidates: 72 hours.

That's from "we need someone" to "here are vetted candidates with the exact skills you need." Not "here's a resume we found online." 

Vetted, interviewed, technically assessed candidates who've been pre-screened for communication skills and platform expertise.

One software company needed NetSuite-experienced accountants—a nearly impossible combination to find. 

They hired three niche roles in one month and reduced their onboarding time because the hires came with relevant experience, not just raw potential.
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They stay, not leave

Remember the 2-3 year average tenure problem we talked about? Offshore done right flips that.

Average tenure with quality offshore partners: 3+ years.

Why? Because the economics work differently. Your specialists aren't getting constant LinkedIn messages from recruiters offering $20K more. They're not leaving for vendor jobs or big consultancies. 

They're building careers with your firm.

One consulting partner has maintained 100% retention across their offshore team for four years. That's not luck. That's what happens when people are properly managed, developed, and valued.

The knowledge continuity alone is worth the investment. 

Your specialists learn your methodologies, build relationships with your clients, and compound their value over time instead of resetting every two years.
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What Makes an Offshore ERP Partnership Actually Work

You've seen what happens when ERP consultancies try to scale internally. Now let's talk about what makes offshore partnerships successful when they're done right.
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Platform expertise that matches your delivery standards

Your clients expect the same quality whether work is done onshore or offshore. That means your offshore team needs platform expertise that matches what you'd hire locally:

• Deep hands-on experience with the specific ERP platforms you support
• Active platform certifications that are maintained, not just earned once
• Experience with companies similar to yours in size and complexity
• References you can check to understand how they've performed in similar environments

The best partnerships happen when offshore specialists can jump into client work without extensive hand-holding. They know the platform, they understand consulting delivery, and they can communicate effectively with clients.
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Clear incident response when things go wrong

Systems break. Integrations fail. Clients need help outside business hours. A solid offshore partner has structured response protocols:

• Defined response times based on severity
• Clear escalation paths when issues require senior expertise
• Communication standards that keep your team and clients informed
• Post-incident analysis that prevents the same issue twice
• Documentation that captures what was learned

This structure means you're not scrambling when something breaks. There's a system in place.
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Proactive maintenance that prevents risky band-aid solutions

The difference between reactive and proactive support is enormous. Proactive partners:

• Schedule regular maintenance windows with clear change control processes
• Monitor system performance and catch issues before users complain
• Recommend optimizations based on what they're seeing across your client base
• Conduct regular reviews to discuss what's working and what could improve

According to research on IT governance frameworks, organizations implementing structured frameworks like ITIL and COBIT see measurable improvements in service delivery and operational efficiency. 

The best offshore partners apply these same principles, not just for their own operations, but in how they support your consultancy.
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Documentation that preserves knowledge

When team members change, whether offshore or onshore, institutional knowledge shouldn't walk out the door. 

Strong documentation standards include:

• Clear system documentation and procedures for common tasks
• Change logs showing what was modified, when, and why
• Knowledge bases where your team can find answers independently
• Transition documentation that makes handoffs smooth

Good documentation means you're not dependent on any single person's memory.
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Integration that feels like one team

The goal isn't "offshore team" and "onshore team." It's one delivery team that happens to work across locations.

That requires:

• Clear roles so everyone knows who owns what
• Regular communication through whatever tools your team already uses
• Escalation procedures that work smoothly
• Collaborative planning where offshore specialists contribute ideas, not just execute tasks

When integration works well, your clients don't think about where team members are located. They just know their projects are getting done.
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Continuous improvement built into the relationship

Markets change. Client needs evolve. Your offshore partnership should too.

Effective partners provide:

• Regular business reviews to assess performance and identify opportunities
• Performance metrics that track improvement over time
• Recommendations based on trends they're seeing across their client base
• Planning aligned with your growth trajectory

The best partnerships get stronger over time because both sides are invested in improvement.
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Transparent cost structure you can plan around

Sustainable partnerships require predictable economics:

• Clear pricing models you can forecast against
• Defined scope so you know what's included
• Transparent scaling costs as you add people or capabilities
• No surprises when circumstances change

The goal is a cost structure that lets you confidently bid client projects knowing what your delivery costs will be.
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Structured implementation that sets up success

Strong offshore partners don't just place people. They have a proven process:

Phase 1: Assessment (2-4 weeks)

• Understand your delivery model, tech stack, and client requirements
• Identify the specific skills and experience you need
• Match you with candidates who fit your environment

Phase 2: Knowledge Transfer (4-8 weeks)

• Document your processes and client-specific configurations
• Shadow your team on active projects
• Start with lower-risk work to build confidence

Phase 3: Stabilization (4-12 weeks)

• Take on full project responsibility with close oversight
• Address any issues quickly
• Identify process improvements

Phase 4: Continuous Improvement (ongoing)

• Regular performance reviews
• Quarterly planning aligned with your goals
• Ongoing optimization

This phased approach ensures offshore team members are set up for success from day one, not thrown into client work before they're ready.

The right offshore partner doesn't just provide talent. 

They provide a system that lets you scale your consultancy predictably with quality that matches what you'd deliver internally, but economics that actually work for project-based businesses.
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Build the Team Your Growth Demands

You know your consultancy needs more ERP talent. You know hiring internally doesn't work because it takes too long, costs too much, and they leave anyway.

Schedule a 30-minute call to see how offshore ERP staffing actually works for consultancies like yours:

• Current state assessment: Where you're struggling to staff projects
• Gap identification: What roles and skills would make the biggest impact
• Model walkthrough: How the partnership would work for your specific situation
• Preliminary recommendations: What a phased implementation might look like

Let’s talk about whether this model makes sense for how you're trying to grow.

Your competitors are already doing this. The ones scaling fastest figured out how to access specialized ERP talent without the fixed overhead and turnover risk.

Schedule Your Call

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