The most common mistake in ERP selection is starting vendor demos before the requirements exist. When requirements are documented after demos begin, they are unconsciously shaped by what vendors showed — which is always their strengths, never their gaps. You end up selecting the best presenter, not the best fit.
This template gives you the structure to document requirements before any vendor interaction. It is built around how Singapore SMB manufacturers actually operate — not around how ERP vendors want you to think about their products.
Section 1: Company profile
Document: headcount (total, operations, admin), revenue band, number of legal entities, primary manufacturing sub-vertical (precision engineering, packaging, F&B, electronics, etc.), number of active SKUs, number of customers, number of active suppliers, number of production lines, and whether you have or anticipate multi-location operations.
This section forces vendors to scope their implementation correctly from the start. A vendor who proposes a standard SMB package for a company with 3,000 active SKUs, four entities, and two production facilities has not read your profile. Disqualify early.
Section 2: Current systems inventory
List every system currently in use: accounting software (QuickBooks, MYOB, Xero, Sage), inventory management (Excel, standalone system, legacy ERP module), production tracking (whiteboard, Excel, MES), customer management (CRM, Excel, WhatsApp), supplier management, and HR/payroll. For each system, note: how long it has been in use, which team owns it, whether it holds data that needs to migrate, and whether there are any integration requirements with the new system.
Section 3: Functional requirements by module
For each functional area below, rate your requirement as: Must Have (project fails without it), Should Have (significant pain without it), Nice to Have (would use if available), Not Required. Then document current process, desired outcome, volume, and frequency.
Finance and accounting: general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, bank reconciliation, GST filing (SG 9%), multi-currency, InvoiceNow/PEPPOL compliance, financial reporting (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), audit trail.
Inventory and warehousing: stock management, serial/batch tracking, reorder points, stocktake/cycle count, warehouse locations, goods received and issued, expiry date tracking (for F&B/pharma sub-verticals).
Production and manufacturing: work orders, bills of materials (BOM), production scheduling, routing, quality inspection, yield tracking, scrap recording, production cost tracking.
Sales and customer management: quotation/pricing, sales order management, delivery order, customer portal access, pricing tiers by customer or volume, credit limit management, sales performance reporting.
Procurement and supplier management: purchase requisition, purchase order, goods receipt, supplier evaluation, supplier portal access, three-way matching (PO/GR/invoice).
Section 4: Singapore-specific requirements
These requirements are frequently understated in generic ERP selection frameworks but are critical for Singapore manufacturers. Document each as Must Have or Not Required.
InvoiceNow compliance: can the system generate and transmit PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 e-invoices to the SG PEPPOL network? Does the vendor have a reference customer in Singapore using InvoiceNow? What is the IRAS network ID?
GST compliance: 9% standard rate, zero-rated exports, exempt supplies, import GST (IGS), reverse charge for imported services. Does the system produce the correct IRAS GST F5 return format?
CPF and payroll: if HR/payroll is in scope, does the system handle CPF contribution rates, SDL, FWL, and produce the correct IRAS IR8A file?
MOM and foreign worker tracking: if your workforce includes S Pass or Work Permit holders, does the system track levy payments and foreign worker dependency ratio?
Section 5: Integration requirements
List every external system the ERP must integrate with: e-commerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Lazada, Shopee), logistics and 3PL partners, banking (GIRO, PayNow, DBS/OCBC/UOB APIs), government portals (Corppass, IRAS, MOM), and internal tools (Excel exports, BI dashboards, existing MES).
For each integration, document: direction (one-way or bidirectional), frequency (real-time, hourly, daily), volume (number of records per sync), and which system is the source of truth. Vendors who claim "we can integrate with anything" without specifying the mechanism (REST API, SFTP, database view, middleware) are not answering the question.
Section 6: Non-functional requirements
These requirements are rarely asked but frequently decide post-go-live satisfaction. Document: maximum acceptable downtime per month (SLA requirement), data residency (Singapore-hosted required?), mobile access (iOS/Android app or browser?), offline capability (for factory floor without reliable WiFi), number of concurrent users, data retention period, and audit log requirements.
How to use this template in the selection process
Finalise the requirements document before any vendor contact. Send it to shortlisted vendors with a request for written self-scoring: Supported natively / Supported with configuration / Requires customisation / Not supported. Give vendors five business days to respond. Disqualify any vendor who refuses to self-score in writing.
Use the self-scored responses to shortlist to two or three vendors. Use demos specifically to test the highest-risk "Supported with configuration" items in a live environment. Ask to see your own use case demonstrated — not a canned demo with generic data.
If you want an independent facilitator to run this process, Start Canyon's RFP support service covers requirements documentation, vendor scoring, demo facilitation, and a written build-vs-buy recommendation. It is structured for Singapore SMB manufacturers and carries no vendor affiliation.