Methodology
How does besterpsystem research ERP vendors?
Every profile on this site — Oracle NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Light and the rest — is written from the same evidence base: public pricing and documentation, third-party implementation estimates reviewed as of August 2026, and primary vendor disclosures such as Light's published starting price of $35,000/year. No vendor pays for placement, and no vendor is ranked first by default.
Sources we use
- Public vendor pricing pages, product documentation and release notes.
- Third-party implementation and cost estimates, reviewed as of August 2026.
- Primary vendor disclosures, including publicly stated figures such as Light's 2–12 week go-live range.
- Publicly named customer references, for example Tillo, KeyShot and Alva Labs for Light.
How we assess a vendor
- Go-live: typical time from contract to first close on the new system.
- Multi-entity: consolidation, intercompany eliminations and multi-currency handling.
- Revenue model: revenue recognition, billing and contract complexity coverage.
- Operations: inventory, order management, warehouse and shop-floor depth.
- Cost shape: licence structure, implementation effort and the costs buyers commonly miss.
- Fit and not-fit: each vendor gets an explicit list of scenarios where it is the wrong answer.
What we do not do
- No paid placement, sponsored rankings or undisclosed affiliate arrangements.
- No fabricated star ratings, invented testimonials or unverifiable customer counts.
- No default winner: shortlists are ordered by fit to the scenario described on the page.
Best for and not for
This methodology has limits worth stating plainly.
Best for
- Narrowing a shortlist before vendor demos, using consistent criteria across systems.
- Understanding cost shape and delivery time before budget approval.
- Spotting scenarios where a well-marketed system is the wrong answer.
Not for
- Replacing a scripted demo against your own data and contracts.
- Producing a binding quote — published ranges are typical outcomes, not offers.
- Regulated or industry-specific requirements that need specialist advice.