ERP vendor or integrator: what’s the difference and which to choose?
Vendor, integrator, vendor-integrator: these ERP provider models do not divide responsibilities in the same way. Definitions, comparison, use cases and questions to ask to choose the right partner for your manufacturing SME.
Who designs your ERP, who implements it, and what that means for your project
When you choose an ERP, you also choose a provider, and its model shapes the entire project that follows.
Some providers develop their own software, others implement software from a third-party vendor, and others do both. This model determines who configures your solution, who develops your specific requirements, who responds when an issue arises and who evolves the software over time.
Each model has its strengths depending on the context. This guide helps you identify the one that fits your organization, your business requirements and the relationship you expect from your provider.
In one sentence: an ERP vendor designs and develops the software, while an ERP integrator installs it, configures it and supports the company through deployment; a vendor-integrator plays both roles, which reduces the number of contacts but limits the choice to its own solution.
In this article
1. What is the difference between an ERP vendor and an ERP integrator?
An ERP vendor is the company that designs, develops and evolves the software. An ERP integrator is the provider that implements it for the customer: requirements analysis, configuration, data migration, interfaces, training and support. Depending on the provider, these two roles are held by two separate companies or by a single one.
The four ERP provider models
Not to be confused with an independent ERP consultant: this consultant (known in France as AMO, assistance à maîtrise d'ouvrage) helps you express your requirements, write the specifications and compare offers, without implementing the software. The consultant advises; the final decision rests with the company's management.
2. Vendor-integrator or independent integrator: the comparison
The difference lies mainly in how information flows. With a vendor-integrator, the person who configures your ERP works in the same company as the team that develops it. With an independent integrator, the provider acts as the link between you and an external vendor, but can offer you several software products.
The 7 comparison criteria
| Criterion | Vendor-integrator | Independent integrator |
|---|---|---|
| Software choice | Limited to its own solution | One or more solutions, depending on its partnerships |
| Contacts | A single company, from sale to support | The integrator day to day, the vendor in the background |
| Custom developments | Carried out by the team that develops the software | Carried out by the integrator around the software, with the core remaining under the vendor's control |
| Software evolution | Customer feedback goes directly to the development team | Passed on to the vendor by the integrator, which does not control the timing |
| Issue after go-live | A single party responsible for diagnosis | Diagnosis shared between integrator and vendor, depending on the source of the problem |
| Changing provider | Changing provider generally means changing software | Possible to change integrator while keeping the same software |
| Version upgrades | Prepared and carried out by the team that develops the software | Released by the vendor, then applied for the customer by the integrator |
How to read this table: the same row can be an advantage or a drawback depending on your priorities. A company that wants to compare several software products will value choice; a company with highly specific processes will value proximity to the development team.
In both cases, check the scope covered: an integrator can implement several software products, and a vendor-integrator can also integrate third-party solutions, in business intelligence or accounting for example. Ask for the list of solutions implemented and the partnerships in place.
The same applies to industry expertise and proximity: they depend on each provider, whatever its model. Ask for references in your industry and where the teams that will work with you are located.
3. When is an independent integrator the right choice?
An independent integrator makes sense when you want to compare several software products with a single contact, when you have already chosen an ERP distributed through a partner network, or when you want to keep the option of changing provider without changing software.
Four situations where an independent integrator has the edge
4. When does a vendor-integrator make the difference?
A vendor-integrator has the edge when your business requires custom developments, when you expect high responsiveness on software changes, or when you want a single party responsible from sale to support. The trade-off is that its offer is limited to its own solution.
Five situations where a vendor-integrator has the edge
Points to check with a vendor-integrator: its financial strength and track record, since both the software and the support depend on the same provider, its references in your industry, and the terms for retrieving your data at the end of the contract.
5. Proges Plus, an example of both models
Proges Plus works with both models. The company is the vendor-integrator of Synoptic ERP, which it develops and implements itself for manufacturing SMEs from its offices in Lille, Lyon and Nantes. It also acts as an integrator of third-party solutions: as a Sage Competence Center (Centre de compétence Sage), it implements this vendor's business management solutions, and it is a MyReport partner for business intelligence.
This dual position gives a concrete view of what each model brings: full control of the software with Synoptic ERP, the backing of partner vendors with Sage and MyReport. To see how a project unfolds, take a look at the Synoptic ERP deployment methodology.
6. Questions to ask your future provider
These five questions quickly reveal which model a provider follows and how it divides responsibilities. Ask them to every provider you consult, and compare the answers.
Five questions to find out who you are dealing with
FAQ: ERP vendor or integrator
What is an ERP integrator?
What is an ERP software vendor?
What is the difference between a vendor-integrator and an integrator?
Is it better to work with a vendor or an integrator for a manufacturing SME?
Can you change integrator without changing ERP?
Can an integrator develop custom features?
Why choose a vendor-integrator for your ERP?
In conclusion: choosing a provider model suited to your project
Vendor, integrator or vendor-integrator: the right choice depends on your business requirements, on whether you want to compare several software products and on the relationship you expect over time. An ERP supports a company for many years, and the provider's model deserves the same attention as the features.
Ask each provider you consult the five questions in this guide: their answers quickly show who does what, and who will be responsible for what.
Proges Plus designs and implements Synoptic ERP, a manufacturing ERP for SMEs: development, implementation and support are handled within the same company, with no intermediary.
