Implementation Advisory
ERP software selection and implementation challenges for growing manufacturers and distributors
Growing manufacturers and distributors often reach a point where legacy systems and spreadsheets can no longer support scale, visibility, or decision making. This article explores common ERP software selection and implementation challenges, why many projects struggle before implementation begins, and what leadership teams should consider to reduce risk and support long-term growth.
John Hannan
3 min read
Why Hiring an Independent Software Selection Consultant is the Best First Step in an ERP Journey
Hiring an independent software selection consultant is one of the best ways to ensure success when selecting, implementing, and using an ERP solution for your business – it's worth considering as part of your overall plan for success.
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
Practical ERP Consulting, Rooted in Center City Philadelphia
From our Center City Philadelphia base, we help manufacturers, distributors/DSD, and life sciences companies pick and implement the right ERP—vendor‑neutral selection, RFPs and scripted demos, contract/SOW negotiation, client‑side PMO, upgrade‑safe integrations (EDI/SPS, DEX, WMS), testing, and clean go‑lives. Anonymized outcomes from regional projects show faster decisions, better contracts, scalable processes, and predictable launches.
John Hannan
5 min read
Our Services, Explained (Actions → Results)
Here’s what we actually do—and the results clients see. We lead ERP software selection (requirements, RFPs, scripted demos, contracts), run client‑side PMO through testing and cutover, design upgrade‑safe integrations (EDI/DEX/WMS/TMS, tax, payroll, BI), and rescue stalled projects with fit‑gap, vendor management, and clear action plans. Independent, vendor‑agnostic, and focused on actions → results.
John Hannan
6 min read
ERP Outsourcing - How to start smart with an independent advisor
Outsourcing ERP doesn’t mean handing the keys to a vendor. It means using an independent advisor to run selection, contracts, and client‑side program leadership. This guide shows what to outsource, what to keep in‑house, how to avoid sales spin, and how to negotiate renewals so you don’t get trapped later. Includes a RACI, red‑flag checklist, and a quick scoring matrix you can copy.
John Hannan
4 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
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
Why I Chose ERPgo-live and How I Help Manufacturers, Distributors & Life Sciences Teams Pick and Implement the Right Software
ERPgo-live exists because go-live is where ERP decisions become real. I help manufacturers, distributors, and life sciences teams select the right software, run honest demos, design future-state processes, lead implementations, and execute clean cutovers. With 25+ years of experience and 100 go-lives, I focus on outcomes—not slide decks—and advocate for clients from selection through stabilization.
John Hannan
4 min read
FDA ERP Validation (21 CFR Part 11): Practical Checklist & Templates
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
Implementing MPS in a live ERP for contract manufacturers (the phase-2 playbook I actually use)
For contract manufacturers, MPS is a phase-2 project that turns OEM forecasts, long-lead metals, and outside processing into one weekly, believable plan. I lead your team to evaluate native ERP MPS, wire forecast consumption, time fences, RCCP/finite constraints, subcontract ops, and long-lead pegging. If native planning won’t bend, we prove and implement a third-party engine—same cadence, measurable OTTP and stability gains.
John Hannan
6 min read
How ERP Modernizes Distribution Operations
An essential component of every business's success is the effective and seamless movement of products from producers to consumers....
John Hannan
4 min read
Unleashing the Power of Data: ERP's Role in Business Intelligence for Life Sciences
In the complex and quickly changing world of life sciences, data is a significant component, a vital piece in the scheme of things as far as Life Sciences are concerned. Evidently, the industry advances as a result of the boost it provides for research, development, and innovation. The key to advancement is the ability to efficiently harness, analyze, and derive useful insights from huge volumes of data. Now, this is where ERP comes in. The Importance of ERP to Life Science
John Hannan
4 min read
Using ERP to Improve Customer Relationships and Boost Productivity
Building strong customer relationships is the key to long-term success and sustainable growth in today's brutally competitive business world. However, to do so effectively, two powerful tools—Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programs and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programs—must be used. The Essence of CRM in Customer Relationships Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a technology-enabled strategy approach that centers on establishing and maintaining relat
Kathy Hannan
4 min read