Factors for the selection of ERP software in large manufacturing companies: The Venezuelan case

Although the market for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems in developed countries is saturated by large manufacturing companies, there are many possibilities for its implementation in Latin America. Considering that companies need elements to help them select the best software to support business processes, we propose a list of factors, which companies in Venezuela should consider when making a decision on ERP software. Later, this list is hierarchically ordered and becomes a formal tool for software selection, so that the company does not assess inappropriate or insignificant factors when choosing the application to be purchased. The study was carried out by means of surveys of Venezuelan firms that had already implemented ERP software in order to analyze their experience with this type of software. Once determined, the factors were hierarchically ordered to establish criteria for the software selection. Finally an analysis was conducted of the main selection factors determined in this study.