Agree what success looks like before the first demo.
Name a decision sponsor, an academic or operations owner, a finance reviewer and an IT or security reviewer. Each should bring one operational problem and one practical test with a clear result to accept. Choose the same evaluation period and student, staff and campus assumptions for every supplier.
Schools and school groups
Try an incomplete admission, a fee adjustment requiring approval and an attendance correction with appropriate parent communication. For a group, test what a campus can see versus what the trust can see. Use the school ERP guide to refine these scenarios.
Colleges and universities
Bring a representative programme and semester, a learner record change and a case where finance records do not match and must be checked. Check the boundary between ERP, academic records, examinations and learning systems using the college ERP evaluation guide.
Rate demonstrated evidence from zero to three.
- 0 — Unverified: not shown, unavailable or contradicted by evidence.
- 1 — Partial: some evidence, but a material gap or unconfirmed dependency remains.
- 2 — Meets the agreed requirement: demonstrated with the expected roles and exception handling; responsibilities are documented.
- 3 — Strong fit: meets the requirement and shows an additional, relevant benefit your committee can substantiate.
For each row, record the score, where supporting proof can be found, any unresolved issue and the reviewer responsible. Marketing statements and roadmap promises are not demonstration evidence. If a category has several requirements, use the lowest score among its must-pass requirements and explain why.
A 100-point ERP comparison worksheet.
These are suggested weights, not an industry benchmark. Adjust them before reviewing suppliers, keep the total at 100 and use the same weights for everyone.
Swipe for more columns →
| Criterion | Weight | Evidence to request | Score / 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected workflows | 20 | One fresh record through admission, student administration and fees; include a denied action and correction. | ____ |
| Security and accountability | 15 | What each role may do, actions needing extra permission, recorded activity and an agreed review of incident handling and recovery. | ____ |
| Migration and data ownership | 15 | A sample import checked against the source data, handling of rejected records, the export format and responsibilities when leaving the service. | ____ |
| Total cost and commercial clarity | 15 | A like-for-like written estimate with included scope, dependencies, renewals and exclusions. | ____ |
| Adoption and usability | 10 | A representative user completes an agreed task; training, accessibility needs and support ownership are reviewed. | ____ |
| Reporting and decision evidence | 10 | Trace a management figure to the records behind it, applied filters, when it was last updated and who corrects an error. | ____ |
| Support and continuity | 10 | Written support hours, issue urgency and who takes over if needed; responsibilities for continuing work and restoring the system. | ____ |
| Institution-specific fit | 5 | Your class/section or programme/semester example, campus decision-making and how the ERP works alongside systems you keep. | ____ |
Calculation: row points = weight × score ÷ 3. Add all row points for a result out of 100. For example, a score of 2 on a 15-weight criterion contributes 10 points. Score 0 everywhere gives 0; score 3 everywhere gives 100.
Do not interpret a close numerical result as certainty. Review the failed gates, unresolved evidence and practical adoption risks together. Use the school ERP buyer guide for more detailed selection questions.
Compare the full operating cost, not only the licence.
Use the same period, currency and tax treatment for all quotes. Separate one-time, recurring and usage-dependent charges. Enter “unconfirmed” when a supplier has not provided a cost; a blank is not zero.
Swipe for more columns →
| Cost category | Amount / basis | Included scope and open questions |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription and renewal | ____________ | Student/campus basis, minimums, term and renewal changes. |
| Setup, data transfer and training | ____________ | Records, cleaning responsibility, sessions and extra assistance. |
| Integrations and usage | ____________ | Messaging, payments, storage and third-party provider charges. |
| Internal effort and transition | ____________ | Staff time, systems run alongside the ERP, checking differences and cover while staff attend training. |
| Support and exit | ____________ | Support commitments, help exporting data, how long data is kept and costs of moving to another service. |
Review BCO's published pricing and total-cost assumptions as a starting point, then obtain a scoped proposal. Estimate potential benefits using your own baseline and explicit assumptions; this worksheet does not predict savings or return on investment.
Leave the meeting with a decision record.
Institution / supplier / evaluation date: ______________________________
Committee sponsor and reviewers: ______________________________
Three priority scenarios: _______________________________________
Weighted total / failed critical gates: _____________________________
Evidence references and unresolved issues: ______________________
Next action / accountable owner / decision date: ____________________
Decision: proceed to scoped pilot / request evidence / hold / decline
Before a pilot, record the tests that must pass, proposed scope, commercial terms and who decides whether to proceed. The implementation readiness guide covers the handoff from selection to rollout.
About this resource: this is a BharatCampus ONE-authored procurement worksheet, not an independent supplier ranking or certification. Apply the same evidence standards to BCO and every alternative. Security or contractual conclusions need your institution's appropriate reviewers.