In the introductory part of the current paper is introduced the ERP concept from different points of view. Since the ERP started to be a widespread concept on the Romanian software market we are considering that giving a few more details makes a lot of sense. The ERP term hides beyond the acronym the whole complexity of the economic phenomenon reflected at the most basic level of an economy: the enterprise. We faced in our daily activities with a lot of information systems that where promoted by their vendors as being ERP’s. The current paper does not try to box such generous research subject within the rigors of a definition but rather tries to offer general criteria that if are taken into account offer to the producer a serious basis to state that his software solution it is indeed an ERP system. After emphasizing those criteria we presented how an ERP system could become a competitive advantage for an enterprise that chooses to implement such system. We’ve tried to do this not enumerating the features that are so much focused on within different presentations made by the vendors of such systems but emphasizing the most common failure reasons for which so often, such systems fail. In the final part of the paper, we introduce an ERP from the perspective of proposed criteria and the conclusions that emerged from implementing that system in more enterprises. Besides the above mentioned aspects, the current paper introduces the point of view of authors regarding development and implementation of ERP’s within SME’s.