All Posts
Risks to Watch in your ERP Mobilization Plan and Delivery
Project mobilization is the phase between contract signing and execution where ERP outcomes are decided. This guide breaks down the mobilization actions that reduce go-live risk across program governance, data migration, testing, cutover, hypercare, and change adoption, plus a practical checklist to keep teams aligned and accountable.
John Hannan
5 min read
Planning your next ERP move as Epicor On Premise support winds down
Epicor announced final release dates for On Premises. Epicor customers can either move to Epicor Cloud or use this moment to evaluate ERP options and choose the best fit for their operating model.
John Hannan
2 min read
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.
John Hannan
9 min read
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
Inbox Overload: How to Break Through the Noise with Integrated Marketing
Inbox overload has turned most marketing and sales emails into background noise. When attention is limited and outreach is constant, even good messages get deleted. This post explores why communications get lost and how integrated marketing, recipient research, and ABM principles help teams break through and earn real engagement.
Kathy Hannan
3 min read
Unveiling the Power of ABM: Marketing Strategies That Drive 85% Higher ROI
ABM treats each high-value account as a market of one, which is why 85% of companies see higher ROI when they do it well. This post breaks down what ABM is, which attributes to use for account scoring (industry, size, growth, tech readiness, buying structure, and more), and how to turn that into 1:1, 1:few, and 1:many plays. If you sell complex B2B solutions with long buying journeys, ABM can focus your marketing where it matters most.
Kathy Hannan
2 min read
Think of ABM as the Icing on the Cake
A baking analogy that illustrates the importance of a strong marketing foundation for a successful ABM program.
Kathy Hannan
4 min read
12 must‑have capabilities in 2026 for a CDMO ERP selection
Based on our life sciences experience supporting outsourced operators, including contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) and contract research organizations (CRO), this guide summarizes the ERP software selection requirements vendors must prove, demo, and document.
John Hannan
6 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
Industrial distribution ERP software selection: shortlist & scorecard
Industrial distribution ERP is won and lost on rebates/SPAs, pricing matrices, WMS depth, and EDI—not glossy demos. This guide shows how to build a defensible shortlist using a weighted scorecard that grades vendors on counter sales, chargebacks, landed cost & container management, inventory accuracy (RF/barcoding), and integration to TMS and EDI (850/855/856/810/846). Use our demo script, scoring model, and contract guardrails to align stakeholders fast and choose a platform
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
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
John Hannan
6 min read