ERP and planning software selection for manufacturers

This is for manufacturers and supply chain teams about to spend real money and time on a system.

• Plants outgrowing QuickBooks, spreadsheets or an old on-premise ERP.
• Teams comparing inventory planning or AI forecasting add-ons for an existing ERP.
• Owners who have sat through several demos and still cannot compare the options.
• Companies that tried a system before and do not want to repeat the experience.
• Finance and operations leads who need a decision they can defend.

Software projects for small manufacturers rarely fail because the software is bad. More often, the selection skipped a step:

• Demos run by the vendor’s script, not built around your real orders and parts.
• Requirements written as feature lists rather than the decisions the system must support.
• Data quality ignored until migration, when it is most expensive to fix.
• No clear owner inside the business for the implementation.
• Planning features bought that nobody has time to configure or use.

We run the selection with you and stay neutral throughout. The engagement typically includes:

• Process mapping of quote-to-cash and plan-to-buy, at the level needed to choose software.
• A requirements list tied to decisions and data, ranked must-have to nice-to-have.
• A longlist and shortlist of suitable systems for your size and type of manufacturing.
• Scripted demo scenarios using your own parts, orders and suppliers, with a scoring sheet.
• A data readiness check, so migration effort is known before signing.
• Support reviewing proposals and implementation plans.

We take no referral fees or commissions from software vendors. Our job is to help you choose the system that fits your plant, which sometimes means improving the one you already have instead of buying a new one.

If you are mainly unsure whether you need ERP, MRP or a planning add-on, read MRP vs ERP vs planning software. If AI forecasting is on the list, see what to check before buying AI demand forecasting software and our AI data readiness checklist.

Selection is also a chance to fix process problems that no software will solve. If purchasing approvals are unclear or bills of material are out of date, a new system will carry those problems forward. We flag such issues early, so they can be addressed before or during implementation rather than discovered after go-live, when changes are slower and more expensive.

A selection project should end with a decision you can explain to owners, lenders and the people who will use the system every day. We aim to leave you with a written summary of the requirements, how each shortlisted system performed in your scripted demos, the main risks and the data work needed before migration.

Scripted demos are the heart of the process. Instead of watching each vendor’s standard presentation, your team sees every system handle the same scenarios: a typical customer order, a bill of material change, a purchase order for a long-lead part, a stock count adjustment. Scoring the same scenarios side by side makes differences visible.

We also look past the licence to the effort of making the system work: who will own configuration, how much data clean-up is needed, what training planners and buyers will need and what the vendor or partner will do versus your own team.

For inventory planning or forecasting add-ons, the same approach applies on a smaller scale. We test whether the add-on improves the decisions you care about, using your data, before you commit.

Selection goes faster when the reasons for change are written down early. Before the call, think about:

• What is driving the change: growth, an end-of-life system, reporting gaps or something else.
• Which systems or vendors you have already spoken to.
• Who will make the final decision and who will run the system day to day.
• Any budget range or deadline already set by owners or lenders.

Do you receive commissions from software vendors?

No. We are not paid by any vendor we might recommend, and we say so in writing in the scope.

Can you also help with implementation?

Yes, on the planning side. We can support MRP and inventory planning set-up after selection, alongside the vendor or its partner.

How many systems will we compare?

Usually a shortlist of a few, so your team can run proper scripted demos without burning out.

What if the answer is to keep our current ERP?

Then we will say so, and show which settings, data or add-ons would close the gaps.

How long does selection take?

It depends on the scope and your team’s availability. We agree a timeline at the start.

• All services
• MRP implementation consultant
• Supply chain software for small manufacturers
• AI supply chain consulting
• Outgrowing Excel for inventory