Why I Chose ERPgo-live and How I Help Manufacturers, Distributors & Life Sciences Teams Pick and Implement the Right Software

If you’ve ever been on an ERP project, you know the truth: go-live isn’t a date on a poster—it’s the moment every decision you made becomes real for your customers, your finance team, and your shop floor.

That’s why I represent this practice with the ERPgo-live domain name. My work starts at software selection and continues through the messy middle to a clean cutover, because outcomes—not proposals—are what matter.

I’m of an industrial operations mindset with an education in engineering who moved into enterprise software early in my career. Over 25 years, I’ve helped more than 70 companies make high-consequence software decisions and lived through roughly 100 go-live days.

I’ve seen what happens when great companies choose the wrong platform or the right platform with the wrong partner. My role is to prevent that—and when I’m brought in mid-stream, to stabilize the program and restore momentum.

What I Actually Do (and Why It Works)

1. Software selection, done like an engineer

I translate business model and control requirements into fit-for-purpose criteria and evidence—not demo theater.

A typical selection includes:

• Problem framing - Value drivers, non-negotiables (GxP, revenue recognition, supply chain constraints), and the “bad outcomes” we’re avoiding.

• Scripted, day-in-the-life demos - Vendors solve your scenarios using your data.

• Weighted scoring + reference calls - A defensible recommendation with TCO, risk notes, and a 30-60-90 readiness plan.

• Contract sanity - Scope, assumptions, data migration, integrations, testing, and change control quantified before signatures.

  
  

2. Client-side program leadership for implementations

Vendors are experts in their software. They are rarely resourced to run your entire transformation.

I act as the internal project manager / solution owner for the client, keeping the vendor honest and the business aligned:

• Governance - Steering cadence, RACI, RAID log, scope gates.

• Design - Future-state processes; COA, item/attribute strategy; lot/serial/quality constructs; financial controls; data model.

• Assurance - Testing strategy (unit → SIT → UAT), cutover checklists, roles & permissions, and Day-1/Week-1 hypercare playbooks.

• Change - Business readiness, training, SOP updates, and KPI baselines so “go-live” means “go-better.”

  
  

The Ecosystems I Work In (and How I Stay Vendor-Neutral)

I maintain strong professional relationships with teams across Microsoft Dynamics 365, Epicor, Infor, Acumatica, IFS, Sage, NetSuite Alliance Partners and many more solution providers. That shortens escalation cycles and gets answers fast.

But I’m not a reseller and I don’t accept referral commissions. My job is to be the client advocate—to balance capability, cost, and risk so you land the right solution and the right partner for your business.

Who I Serve

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Common Failure Patterns I Keep Off Your Project

• Demo-driven decisions – loving the UI without validating execution against your scenarios.

• Underpowered internal PMO – the vendor runs the schedule, the scope, and the story.

• Integration optimism – “the API will handle it” with no sequence or error-handling.

• Data hand-waving – migration left to the last 60 days.

• Controls as an afterthought – roles, approvals, and auditability bolted on late.

• No test strategy – UAT becomes “click around and see.”

• Slip-and-cram – timelines slide, then everything compresses into a risky cutover.

Good governance and early clarity on data, integrations, and controls prevent most of it.

How Selection Feeds Implementation (By Design)

I build the implementation on top of the selection artifacts so we don’t lose intent:

• Requirements traceability → becomes the fit-gap and sprint backlog

• Scripted scenarios → become UAT scripts

• Partner SOW clarity → becomes change-control discipline

• Cutover strategy → shapes dry runs and Day-1 support

The result is a project that feels less like a reset and more like a continuation of good decisions.

Why “ERPgo-live”?

Because go-live is the point of accountability. It’s where architecture meets reality: inventory balances, open orders, production schedules, financial close, and customer experience.

Naming the firm ERPgo-live is a daily reminder that selection only matters if the solution stands up under load and delivers measurable business value.

When We Might Be a Fit

• You’re a manufacturer, distributor, or life sciences company evaluating ERP/ISV options—or you’re mid-implementation and want an internal advocate to bring balance and discipline.

• You value straight talk, clear artifacts, and a partner who measures success by operational outcomes and clean cutovers, not just status green.

  
  

If that’s you, I’m happy to share a sample scorecard, demo script, or cutover checklist.

If you’re staring down a selection or a go-live, I can help you de-risk it. Whether you need a few working sessions to pressure-test a path or hands-on leadership across selection and implementation, I’ll meet you where you are and focus on outcomes.

Whether you’re choosing a new ERP or trying to pull a struggling implementation out of the ditch, the right guidance makes the difference between a clean cutover and months of operational pain. My goal is always the same—translate complexity into clarity, give your team the confidence to make the right decisions, and ensure your go-live actually delivers value. If this sounds aligned with your goals, I’m happy to share the tools and frameworks I use every day.

Keywords - ERP software selection, ERP implementation leadership, manufacturing ERP, distribution ERP, life sciences ERP, Dynamics 365, NetSuite, Epicor, Infor, Acumatica, IFS, Sage, project governance, UAT strategy, cutover planning, data migration, 21 CFR Part 11, validation planning, CPQ, WMS, supply chain ERP, finance and operations ERP.