How to spot a hidden vendor kickback in your ERP quote.

By S. Roger Singh, PMP, MBA · Published 3 June 2026 · 6 min read

A six-figure ERP decision is one of the largest cheques a mid-market business writes. So it’s worth knowing an uncomfortable truth: most of the “advisors” helping you choose are paid by the platforms they recommend.

The conflict you’re not told about

A large share of ERP consultants are also resellers or implementation partners of the systems they put in front of you. That relationship pays them in ways you never see on your invoice: a referral fee when you sign, reseller margin baked into the licence price, “market development funds” for steering deals, or a fat implementation contract that only exists if you pick their preferred platform.

None of that is illegal. But it means the recommendation you’re paying for isn’t shaped by what fits your business — it’s shaped by who pays the advisor the most. You end up over-bought, locked in, and footing a bill that quietly includes someone else’s commission.

Five red flags in a quote or pitch

If a few of these are true, assume there’s a kickback in the room:

• They only ever recommend one platform. Genuine independence produces a shortlist and a scorecard, not a foregone conclusion.
• The advice is “free.” Nobody works for free. If you’re not paying for the advice directly, you’re paying for it through margin — and the incentive flips against you.
• They won’t put partner status in writing. Ask whether they’re a reseller or implementation partner of what they recommend. Hesitation is the answer.
• The licence is bought “through” them. The moment your software is resold by your advisor, their margin depends on you spending more, not less.
• They push their own implementation team before requirements exist. The build should be scoped to your needs, not pre-sold.

The three questions that expose it

You don’t need to be technical to flush this out. Ask any prospective ERP advisor — in writing — these three questions:

1. Are you a reseller, referral partner, or implementation partner of any system you might recommend to us?

2. Do you earn any commission, margin, rebate, or vendor funds if we buy a particular platform?

3. Will you state “no vendor compensation” in the engagement letter?

A genuinely independent advisor answers no, no, and yes without flinching. Anyone who dodges, “it’s complicated,” or explains why their partnership is actually good for you has just told you where their loyalty sits.

What independent actually looks like

Buyer-side ERP advisory means exactly one revenue source: you . No reseller margin, no implementation commission, no vendor rebates. The advisor gathers your requirements first, scores a shortlist of Tier 2 platforms (NetSuite, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Acumatica) against your reality, and negotiates the contract on your behalf — flagging the traps the vendor would rather you not see. When the honest answer is “don’t buy yet,” you hear it.

That’s the entire reason SRS IT Consulting operates under a zero-kickback policy: it’s the only way the advice can be worth anything. See how the independent ERP engagement works →