ERP SELECTION INSIGHT AND BEST PRACTICES

Based on our life sciences experience supporting outsourced operators, including contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) and contract research organizations (CRO), this guide summarizes the ERP software selection requirements vendors must prove, demo, and document.

Choosing ERP in a validated environment is different. This 2026 buyer’s guide shows how to evaluate life sciences ERP through a GxP lens—Part 11 e‑signatures, audit trails, QA release, lot/expiry traceability, and LIMS/QMS/EDMS integrations. Get selection criteria, a weighted scorecard, and five scripted demos to run with your data so your shortlist is CSV‑ready before contracts.

Learn how to validate an ERP system for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and GxP without bloating scope. This guide shows a risk‑based path through IQ/OQ/PQ, the exact Part 11 controls to prove (e‑signatures, audit trails, timeouts, lockouts), and the evidence auditors expect for backup and restore. Includes concise test snippets you can copy. The checklist, a risk traceability matrix and a test-case template are free to download as a PDF.

21 CFR Part 11 must provide complete documentation of process controls, record and data integrity safeguards, accuracy assurances, and user authentication and authorization processes.

Validation is proving that a system meets the intended purpose it was designed for by confirming that the system works properly. Validating an ERP system involves testing and validating its various components, including security controls, configuration settings, processes, functions, and reports.

Recall readiness is not a single feature. It is the ability to detect an issue, contain it quickly, and prove what happened with an audit ready trail.

A CRO sells a service, not a product, so its ERP needs differ: project accounting, milestone invoicing, prepayments and deferred revenue, and time tracking.