Before you commit to an ERP, run your own workflows through it on paper or in a prototype.
In brief
- An ERP simulation runs your real workflows through a prototype or demonstration environment before the main purchase and rollout.
- It reveals gaps, exceptions and data problems while changes are still cheap.
- Pick a few workflows: the most common, the most painful and the most unusual.
- The output is a decision with evidence, not a demo that everyone enjoyed.
Vendor demos show the standard path. Your business is made of exceptions: special pricing, split deliveries, approval rules that grew over the years. The cheapest time to meet them is before the contract.
The real issue is the gap between the demo and your day.
A demo uses clean data and typical cases. Real operations use messy data and unusual ones. A simulation brings your reality to the software, not the other way round.
What to simulate
| Workflow type | Why include it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Most common | Shows whether everyday work becomes easier | Standard order to invoice |
| Most painful | Where value is most likely | Month-end reconciliation |
| Most unusual | Where packages often fail | Special contracts, returns, split shipments |
| Cross-department | Tests ownership and handoffs | Purchase request to payment |
How to run it
1. Write down the real workflow
Step by step, with who does what, in which system or spreadsheet. Include the workarounds.
2. Choose sample cases
A handful of real, de-identified cases per workflow, including awkward ones.
3. Set up a prototype
A configured trial environment or a demonstration with your cases loaded. Keep scope small.
4. Run the cases with the people who do the work
Let users try, not just watch. Record where they hesitate, work around or ask for a change.
5. Sort what you learn
Three buckets: works as is, works with a small change in how you work, and needs customisation or a different route. The third bucket decides cost.
6. Decide with evidence
Use the results to confirm the package, narrow the customisation list, or reconsider the route.
Five mistakes we see repeatedly
- Simulating only the easy cases.
- Watching, not doing. Users must operate it.
- Using perfect data. Include real mess.
- No record of findings.
- Letting the vendor choose the scenarios.
Our experience
Our work with operational systems for enterprise clients showed how much of an implementation is decided by old data, integrations and unwritten rules. A simulation brings those to the surface early, at low risk.
We can explore running your own workflows through a prototype.
Which workflow would you most want to test first?
See your business in the system first
A simulation takes a few weeks and can prevent a costly mismatch. Start with the workflows you already have, put them in front of real users and decide on what you saw.
Talk to Balerion about running an ERP simulation with your own workflows. Email us at talk@balerion.co.th.
