ERP VISIONS BLOG

The ERP Visions Blog is published by John Hannan LLC, your independent ERP advocate with more than two decades of hands-on experience. We bring an operations-first, vendor-neutral perspective and deep knowledge of 40+ ERP platforms to help leaders make better decisions. Here you’ll find practical guidance on software selection, implementation and change management, vendor and partner management, and turning ERP strategy into day-to-day execution. We share real-world lessons, tools, and stories from manufacturing, distribution, life sciences and technology sectors so you can avoid common pitfalls and move your ERP program from visions to reality.

Featured Posts

John Hannan leads a requirements and design session at a manufacturing company beginning their ERP journey.

Mid-Market Manufacturing ERP Software Selection Guide 2026

Software Selection

John Hannan

8 min read

How Marketing Can Help Pave the Way to Success When Navigating Longer Sales Cycles

Marketing Consulting

Kathy Hannan

3 min read

Weighing the Pros and Cons When Considering Industry-Specific ERP Software

Software Selection

John Hannan

4 min read

Manufacturing

Mid-Market Manufacturing ERP Software Selection Guide 2026

How should a mid‑market manufacturer actually choose ERP? This 2026 field guide starts on the plant floor, turning routings, WIP, quality, and costing into clear selection criteria. Then it shows how to run scripted demos with your own jobs and items, use objective fit‑gap scoring, and avoid pitfalls like bad labor reporting, UoM conversions, and fragile scheduling. The goal is simple – pick a manufacturing ERP system that holds up under real load.

Software Selection

John Hannan

8 min read

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.

Software Selection

John Hannan

3 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.

Software Selection

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.

Software Selection

John Hannan

6 min read

Manufacturing ERP Selection: There’s no “best ERP”, only the best fit for your factory

Searching “best manufacturing ERP” won’t pick your system—your requirements will. We help SMB manufacturers define needs (MTO/ETO/discrete/process), run a vendor‑neutral RFP, script apples‑to‑apples demos, score gaps and TCO, and negotiate contract guardrails. Short‑list configurable suites (Acumatica, Epicor, Infor, Microsoft, IFS, NetSuite, Sage) and the right industry ERPs (e.g., metal, apparel, food, DSD). The result: a defensible choice and a cleaner start to implementat

Software Selection

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.

Manufacturing

John Hannan

4 min read

Scientists from Mittchu Pharmaceuticals use electronic signatures compliant with 21 CFR Part 11

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

Implementation Advisory

John Hannan

5 min read

Lab workers receive RAM while the system evaluates licensing limits.

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.

Implementation Advisory

John Hannan

6 min read

ERP Selection for Make-to-Order manufacturers - What actually matters

As a make-to-order leader, you can’t buy ERP by brochure. I outline the essentials I test in every selection: a clean CPQ→ERP handshake that explodes a manufacturable variant BOM/routing, revision control and ECOs from CAD/PLM, finite capacity scheduling, long-lead pegging, real job costing, and quality/traceability. Many systems fit; the right partner with industry IP and a scripted, hands-on selection makes the difference.

Software Selection

John Hannan

4 min read

Scientists at Mizark Bio use their ERP to prioritize projects

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.

Manufacturing

John Hannan

3 min read

The Riveton Metals team reviews the MPS output and plans their day.

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.

Solution Architecture

John Hannan

6 min read

Modern manufacturing with operators and digital dashboards, illustrating an integrated ERP–MRP system coordinating materials planning and production

Transforming Manufacturing Efficiency with Integrated MRP Solutions

In today’s complex manufacturing environment, efficiency starts with how you plan materials and production. This article explores how integrating MRP into your ERP system improves production planning, optimizes inventory, and uses real-time IoT and analytics to reduce downtime and costs—plus what to look for when selecting the right MRP solution for your plant.

Manufacturing

John Hannan

3 min read