Implementation Advisory
ERP software selection and implementation challenges for growing manufacturers and distributors
Growing manufacturers and distributors often discover that ERP risk is created long before go-live. This article breaks down the most common failure points in ERP software selection and implementation and explains how leaders can pressure-test assumptions, protect scope, and build a system foundation that supports scalable operations.
John Hannan
4 min read
ERP selection for mid‑market manufacturers (200–1,000 employees): how to make a defensible shortlist and lead it to go‑live
If you run a 200–1,000‑person manufacturing company, this guide shows how to pick a defensible ERP: capture requirements, issue an RFP, score vendors with an objective fit/gap model, and run conference‑room‑pilot demos. We cover PLM/MES/QMS integration, multi‑site inventory, serial/lot traceability, PPAP/APQP, and MRP—so you can phase the rollout without disrupting production. Vendor‑neutral, practical, and built from real selections and client‑side implementations.
John Hannan
5 min read
Small Manufacturing ERP: how to choose the best fit (not “the best system”)
Searching “best ERP for small manufacturing” won’t give you the right answer—your routing, BOM, costing, scheduling, and compliance drive the fit. This guide shows a practical path: define requirements by industry process, build a focused shortlist (general‑purpose and industry‑specific), script demos against your data, and negotiate contract guardrails. We’ve used this playbook for small manufacturers to land cleaner implementations and lower total cost.
John Hannan
6 min read
ERP consultant vs ERP advisor vs SI— who should lead your selection?
Who should quarterback your ERP selection—independent advisor, consultant, or the SI? This piece explains role clarity, incentives, and risks by industry. Learn how to run scripted, evidence‑based demos, score vendors, and negotiate renewal caps, SLAs, and change‑control. We outline when to bring in an SI, how to keep them accountable, and the core artifacts that carry into implementation.
John Hannan
6 min read
ERP selection and validation in FDA‑regulated companies (CSV & 21 CFR Part 11)
Most teams treat validation after vendor choice—backwards. This guide shows how to bake CSV and 21 CFR Part 11 into ERP selection: translate URS into measurable criteria, compare vendors on audit trails, e‑signatures, and role security, and outline a pragmatic VMP with risk‑based IQ/OQ/PQ. The goal is selection that stands up in audit and in operations—no bolt‑on validation scramble later.
John Hannan
6 min read
Steel & Metal Service Center ERP Training That Actually Works
Training that moves the needle in a service center is built on the realities of coil and sheet. This playbook outlines a role‑based curriculum and hands‑on labs—actual vs theoretical weight, attribute‑driven quoting, label regeneration, intercompany and milk‑run flows, outside processing, COD, and credit/rebill—and shows how to tie that training to ERP selection and implementation so Day One runs clean.
John Hannan
4 min read
FDA ERP Validation Checklist & Templates for 21 CFR Part 11
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 and a downloadable checklist, risk traceability matrix, and test‑case template to accelerate your project. Useful for NetSuite, SAP, and D365 in regu
John Hannan
5 min read
Why Outsourcing the “Internal” ERP Project Manager Often Saves the Program
ERP projects rarely fail because the software doesn’t work—they fail because no one owns the whole picture. When multiple vendors, ISVs, and integration partners are involved, coordination gaps multiply. An outsourced internal ERP project manager acts as the owner’s representative, bridging systems, timelines, and decisions across teams. This post explores why neutrality, structure, and focus often make the difference between drift and delivery.
John Hannan
4 min read
Tracking RAM Licensing Limits - Why “Good Enough” Software Isn’t Good Enough for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Manufacturing
Radiopharmaceutical therapy manufacturers must track radioactive material (RAM) possession in real time—by nuclide, form, location, and time—to stay within NRC/Agreement State license limits. This post shows where generic ERP fails, what purpose-built RAM tracking must do (decay math, location gates, Part 37 aggregation, 10 CFR 30.51 records), and how to evaluate software and partners.
John Hannan
6 min read
ERP Selection Considerations for a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO)
Choosing ERP for a CDMO is more than features—it’s compliance and project fit. Prioritize cGMP/21 CFR Part 11 controls, ASC 606 project accounting and WBS, sponsor visibility via portals, and integrations to LIMS, MES, and 3PL. Use these points to script demos, compare vendors, and run a realistic pilot so you can select, validate, and implement with less risk and faster time to value.
John Hannan
3 min read
Identifying Business Requirements for a Life Sciences ERP Implementation
One of the most important pieces of selecting and implementing an ERP system at a life sciences company is the identification of the busines
John Hannan
2 min read
ERP and MES for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy (RPT) Manufacturing - How to Split the Work and Wire It Together Without Regret
RPT manufacturers often need both ERP and MES. This post shows how to split responsibilities—put batch truth and eBR in MES, and commercial/financial truth in ERP—then wire them with event‑based, validated integrations. Learn the boundary for labels, QA release, RAM license gates, and waste; how to avoid double entry and time‑of‑calibration drift; and what to demand in scenario‑based demos. Scale dose‑to‑door without audit risk.
John Hannan
5 min read