ERP reference checks are one of the most underutilized tools in the selection process. Most evaluation teams request references, have a brief call, hear positive things, and move on. They finish the process feeling they have done their due diligence without actually learning much that would change their decision.

Done well, reference checks can surface critical information that no demo or proposal will reveal: implementation quality, ongoing support responsiveness, what the vendor actually does when something goes wrong, and whether the experience matches what was promised in the sales process.

This guide explains how to request references effectively, what questions genuinely reveal useful information, and how to interpret what you hear — including what references are carefully not saying.

Why Most ERP Reference Checks Fail

The fundamental problem with most reference checks is that vendors provide references they know will give positive reviews. The customer they connect you with has a good relationship with the vendor, is happy with the system, and has no motivation to share negative information that might reflect poorly on their own decision-making.

This does not mean vendor-provided references are useless. It means you need to ask questions that are difficult to answer positively unless the experience was genuinely good — and you need to actively search for references the vendor did not provide.

Finding Your Own References

Ask the vendor for a complete customer list, not just a curated reference list. Explain that you want to speak with customers in your industry or of similar company size — not just the vendor’s selected advocates. Most vendors will push back on this, but asking signals that you are a serious buyer who knows how the game is played.

Independently search for customers on LinkedIn, in trade association directories, or at industry conferences. A ten-minute conversation with a user you found yourself is often more candid than a thirty-minute call with a prepared reference.

How to Request References from Vendors

When you ask the vendor for references, be specific about what you need. Generic reference requests produce generic responses.

Specify that you want:

• Customers in the same industry or a closely adjacent one
• Customers of similar company size and transaction complexity
• Customers who implemented the same modules you are planning to use
• Customers who went live at least twelve months ago (not fresh implementations that have not yet encountered the harder post-go-live issues)
• At least one customer who experienced a challenging implementation (not just the smooth ones)

If the vendor says they cannot provide a reference with a challenging implementation, that tells you something. Every substantial ERP implementation encounters challenges; a vendor with no customers willing to discuss how challenges were handled has either a very small customer base or a customer relationship strategy that discourages honest conversation.

What to Ask During Reference Calls

The framing of questions matters enormously. Questions that invite a simple “yes” or “no” produce little information. Questions that require narrative answers — “tell me about a time when…” or “walk me through what happened when…” — reveal much more.

Implementation Experience Questions

These questions reveal whether the implementation was genuinely smooth or a survival story the reference has put behind them.

Question	What You Are Really Assessing
“How did your actual implementation timeline compare to what was originally scoped?”	Whether the vendor’s estimates are realistic
“What was the most difficult part of implementation, and how did the vendor respond?”	Vendor responsiveness when things go wrong
“Were there any scope changes after the contract was signed, and why?”	Whether scope creep is common
“How would you describe the quality of the implementation team assigned to your project?”	Consistency of implementation quality
“What would you do differently if you were starting the implementation today?”	Real lessons learned, not marketing talking points

Ongoing Support Questions

Implementation quality and post-go-live support quality are different things. A vendor can deliver a solid implementation and then provide mediocre ongoing support, or vice versa.

• “When you have a critical support issue, what does your typical experience look like in terms of response time and resolution?”
• “Has the vendor delivered on any commitments made during the sales process about ongoing support?”
• “How have software updates affected your customizations or configurations?”
• “Have you had any billing disputes or contract disagreements with the vendor? How were they resolved?”

Product and Fit Questions

References can tell you things about product limitations that no vendor demo will reveal.

• “Have you encountered any significant gaps between what the system was demoed to do and what it actually does in production?”
• “Are there any capabilities you expected the system to handle that required additional customization or a third-party tool?”
• “How has the vendor’s product roadmap delivery matched their promises?”

The Direct Closing Questions

End every reference call with direct questions that require a direct answer.

• “On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your overall experience with this vendor?”
• “Would you make the same decision again if you were starting over today?”
• “Is there anything I should ask the vendor that I have not already asked them?”

That last question is particularly valuable. References who have had concerns but are reluctant to volunteer negative information often respond to direct permission to share something the vendor has not addressed.

Reading Between the Lines

Not all important information is stated explicitly. There are patterns in reference calls that signal problems even when the words being used are positive.

Watch for Hedged Enthusiasm

“The system works for us.” “We have figured out how to make it work.” “It has improved since the beginning.” These statements describe acceptability, not satisfaction. Compare this to enthusiastic references who say “I would recommend this vendor to anyone in our industry without hesitation” — the difference in conviction is meaningful.

Listen for Overprepared Answers

If a reference answers your questions very smoothly, covers the same talking points you have heard in vendor demos, and consistently pivots negative topics back to positive outcomes, they may have been coached. Genuine users of enterprise software have nuanced experiences — smooth answers to difficult questions can indicate a managed reference rather than a candid one.

Pay Attention to What Is Not Said

If a reference you ask about support quality spends five minutes discussing implementation quality and never directly addresses support, they may be avoiding the topic. If a reference asked “would you do this again?” pauses noticeably before answering “yes,” notice the pause. If they say “the system itself is great” without addressing the vendor relationship, they may be distinguishing the two for a reason.

Notice the Emotional Register

ERP is a significant, often stressful investment. References who went through a genuinely good experience tend to convey relief, satisfaction, and some enthusiasm when they talk about their system. References who went through a difficult experience but eventually made it work often convey wariness, careful qualification, and relief of a different kind — the relief of having survived something hard.

How Many References to Check

Check a minimum of three to four references per finalist vendor, and speak with both the software vendor’s references and the implementation partner’s references separately if you are using a reseller model.

For high-stakes, large-scope implementations, consider expanding to six to eight references including some you have sourced independently. The incremental cost of a few additional phone calls is trivial compared to the cost of a failed ERP implementation.

Reference Checks for Implementation Partners

If you are using an implementation partner (VAR or systems integrator) rather than the software vendor directly, reference check the partner independently. The partner’s delivery quality, project management discipline, and subject matter expertise are as important as the software itself.

Ask the partner’s references:

• “Did the project team stay consistent throughout the engagement, or were key people replaced?”
• “How did the partner respond when issues were discovered that required scope changes?”
• “Did the partner help you achieve the business outcomes you expected, or did they focus primarily on technical delivery?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we trust vendor-provided references at all, given they are pre-selected? Yes, with appropriate skepticism. Even curated references can reveal meaningful information if you ask the right questions and pay attention to hedged responses, pauses, and what is not said. The goal is not to find references who say only negative things, but to ask questions that make it difficult to give a purely positive answer if the experience was mixed. Combine vendor references with independently sourced ones for a fuller picture.

How long should a reference call last? Budget thirty to forty-five minutes for a thorough reference call. Shorter calls rarely get past surface-level responses to difficult questions. Let the reference warm up with easier questions before asking the harder ones about implementation challenges and what they would do differently.

Should we involve our ERP selection team in reference calls or designate one person? Involving two people — one to lead the conversation and one to take notes and listen for nuance — produces better outcomes than either a single interviewer or a crowded call. The note-taker often catches tone and pauses that the interviewer misses while managing the conversation.

Is it appropriate to ask references for a second follow-up call if new questions arise? Yes. If your evaluation progresses to a serious finalist stage, a second brief call to address specific questions that have emerged is entirely reasonable. Most references who agreed to the initial call are willing to answer follow-up questions by email or phone. This is particularly valuable when a concern emerges from one reference that you want to probe with others.