Investing in an ERP application is a long-term investment for the whole business. Today's buyer understands that this is an investment not only for the present, but also for the next 15 to 20 years.
Here are a few items to consider when selecting a vendor:
Vendor financial viability
Product upgrade cycles and maintenance
Out-of-box functionality of the product versus customization or personalization
Support for industry-specific business requirements
Ease of use to drive organizational buy-in and promote usage of the application