5 Questions to Ask Before Changing Your ERP Infrastructure

 Author: Liam Freeman, Infrastructure Director, Klipboard Managed Services (formerly Excenta). 

Thinking of changing the infrastructure around your ERP? Or maybe your ERP and infrastructure at the same time? If you want to get a clearer picture of the infrastructure that supports your ERP, here’s five questions to ask, whether your ERP is old or new, thick-client or web based.  

Question 1: What control and visibility do I have over my data?

Why this matters: ERP data cannot live in a silo, integrating with your other business tools is key to true flexibility and agility in your business. 

What to listen for:

• Secure, documented API’s, not proprietary connectors only allowed by the vendor
• Evidence of past integrations with third-party BI, logistics or ecommerce solutions
• Vendor collaboration: your choice of tools with their environment

The outcome: You stay free to assemble a set of systems and tools that address your business needs, working with partners you choose. 

Question 2: What control and visibility do I have over my data?

Why this matters: If the only way to get at your data and interrogate it is through the ERP app, you’re somewhat locked out from flexibility and functionality. 

What to listen for:

• Role-based admin and database level access
• Contractual guarantees of data ownership, data sovereignty, and AI training
• Read-only endpoints and reporting options that don’t compromise performance

The outcome: You retain sovereignty and flexibility. You know exactly where your data is and what is being used for. You can take that data and use it anywhere, anytime.  

Question 3: How do you protect and recover my data?

Why this matters: This might be your get-out-of-jail-free card. Backups are worthless if you can’t trust them or prove they work. Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity can mean different things to different people. 

What to listen for:

• Immutable backups stored in multiple locations securely, tamper-proof
• Documented Recovery Time / Recovery Point Objectives with real results
• Backup data verification and separation of admin controls around backup tools

The outcome: You gain resilience that’s proven.  

Question 4: Who operates security and daily management?

Why this matters: We need to understand “who” is responsible for our environment. Are they part of the same organisation or a third party? How have they responded to alerts and support requests over the past 12 months?

What to listen for:

• Just-In-Time admin access via Privileged Identity Management
• Background checks, full logging, segregation of duties, least privilege access
• Comprehensive monitoring, ISO27001 compliance, separate admin environments

The outcome: You know who will be responsible for keeping your critical business system safe, 24/7 hours a day. You understand the credibility and track record of the team providing important IT Service Management activities that can either keep you running smoothly or let incidents affect your business.  

Question 5: Can you manage my wider application stack, not just ERP?

Why this matters: Your other applications, systems and data need managing too. Siloes introduce complexity, cost risk and friction. 

What to listen for:

• Unified platform and management policy across ERP, other apps and productivity like M365
• Single common unified security approach, compliance, audit reporting and governance
• One support model across multiple workloads with a clear responsibility matrix

The outcome: This helps reduce IT estate sprawl while streamlining growth, integration, and daily operations.

The Outcome:

Your provider should not only answer the questions above clearly, but also connect you with real customers who can share their experiences firsthand. If they can’t, it might be time to rethink who is managing the foundation of your business.

About the author: Liam Freeman is the Infrastructure Director of Excenta, now a part of the Klipboard Group. Klipboard Managed Services helps organisations to migrate to, optimise, and manage Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 environments - on your own terms. Whether you want full end-to-end management or a co-managed model alongside your IT team, our Microsoft acredited team deliver a secure, high-performance cloud infrastructure that’s tailor made to fit your business.

Find out more here: Klipboard Managed Services