Software Selection: Involving the User Community
One of the often-ignored factors in the field of ERP software selection is the efficacy of the user community that surrounds a given system.
In short, a vibrant user community can greatly aid in the successful utilization of a given enterprise resource planning system, and an organization implementing an ERP that is supported by a strong community has a better chance of maximizing any ERP investment.
As such, a manufacturing or distribution company looking to select an ERP system should closely assess the user communities of the systems in question.
How to Gauge an ERP User Community
The easiest way is to assess the official user group that directly supports the ERP in question.
As an ex-user-turned-consultant, I’ve been in ERP communities where the interaction is vibrant and communities where the interaction is taciturn. As someone who has experienced software selection from all sides of the software, I’ve seen just how much a vibrant and engaged community really moves the needle for adoption and optimization in both manufacturing and distribution businesses.
What a User Group Can Do for Your ERP Selection and Implementation
So, just what can a user group do to help with your ERP selection and implementation? Here are a few thoughts:
Introductory Training and Education
For users and companies in their first year of adoption, the user group can be extremely helpful in helping them quickly gain traction.
Forums for Learning and Troubleshooting
For users and organizations encountering unexpected bugs and issues, a user group forum can be a great place to help identify issues and fast-track the resolution. And for companies exploring alternative configuration options, a forum is a great place for customers to show off and share their successes, allowing other customers to pick up ideas and try them out.
Solutions for Commonly Occurring Needs
In terms of enhancing your existing system through specialized reporting or business logic, user groups routinely share solutions developed by power users for their own companies. In many cases, these solutions can serve the needs of multiple organizations. Consider it a form of highly specialized product development occurring in parallel with the vendor’s own initiatives.
Honest Opinions and Recommendations About How to Use the Software
All software comes with limitations, and these are often understood only after years of owning and using the software. Being in a community of people who have seen the software at its best and its worst can help shorten the runway for finding and fine-tuning implementation strategies.
Relationship Building
User group interaction comes with a great opportunity to build relationships across the user community. These relationships can further enhance the above benefits by tying them to individuals with whom you can confer when challenges arise.
Questions to Ask When Selecting an ERP
As such, for a company selecting a new ERP system, you should ask:
- Is this ERP system supported by a strong user community?
- Is the user group independent, or is it an extension of the vendor?
- Does the ERP community host events and are they affordable for your business?
- Does the ERP user community have a member forum?
- Does the ERP community share solutions?
- Does the community offer training specific to your ERP and its common integrations?
- What is the opinion of other customers in your industry regarding the ERP user group?
Answers to these questions can go a long way toward ensuring that your software purchase will be supported by a group that can help you maximize that investment.
Meet EstesGroup at P21WWUG CONNECT 2026
On that note, from August 16-19, 2026, EstesGroup will be attending the Prophet 21 Worldwide User Group’s Connect 2026 event. The event promises to be a great combination of learning and networking opportunities, connecting users with other users, along with the broader community of consultants and solution providers who work to serve the needs of the Prophet 21 user community.
ERP User Community FAQs
Why does the user community matter when selecting an ERP system?
A strong user community helps you get more out of the software you buy. Companies running an ERP backed by an active community tend to adopt the system faster, solve problems sooner, and maximize the return on their ERP investment. It is one of the most overlooked factors in software selection.
How do I evaluate an ERP user community before buying?
Start with the official user group behind the system. Ask whether it is independent or run by the vendor, whether it hosts events, whether it maintains a member forum, whether it shares solutions, whether it offers training, and what current customers think of it. The answers tell you a lot about the support you can expect after go-live.
What is the Prophet 21 World Wide User Group?
The Prophet 21 World Wide User Group, known as “the WUG,” is the user community supporting Epicor’s Prophet 21 distribution ERP. It serves P21 users through networking, forums, regional events, webinars, file sharing, and its annual CONNECT conference.
How can a user group help during an ERP implementation?
User groups help new companies gain traction in their first year through training and education, provide forums for troubleshooting bugs and sharing configuration ideas, distribute solutions built by power users that other companies can adopt, offer honest opinions from people who have seen the software at its best and worst, and create relationships you can lean on when challenges arise.
Is a vendor-run conference the same as an independent user group?
No. Both are valuable, but they serve different purposes. A vendor conference shows you where the product is headed and gives you access to the people building it. An independent user group gives you unfiltered opinions from customers who have seen the software at its best and its worst. When evaluating an ERP, look for both.
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