ERP FAQ’s
ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is an integrated ERP software system that connects finance, inventory, supply chain, manufacturing, maintenance, and sales into a single real-time platform. Modern ERP systems replace disconnected spreadsheets and legacy software with a single source of truth, so leaders can see accurate margins, stock, orders and capacity, and act faster.
When implemented well, the right ERP software improves efficiency, reduces errors, and supports scalable growth for inventory- and asset-intensive businesses. The emphasis on ERP is on the planning; it is more than a transactional system; it facilitates better planning and decision-making. ERP software solutions eliminate the need for disconnected spreadsheets.
Enterprise resource planning in manufacturing environments is particularly powerful, connecting production, inventory and maintenance in a single platform.
An ERP consultant (also referred to as an enterprise resource planning consultant) is an expert who provides advice on Enterprise Resource Planning software. Robust ERP software solutions help you manage your finance, inventory, manufacturing, supply chain, maintenance and reporting.
At Ogilvie, we are the answer to your question, “How do I select and implement an ERP system?” Our proprietary SureSelect™ program provides you with an ERP selection process that ensures you have chosen the right product and software vendor to support you long term.
Our clients are typically manufacturers, distributors or asset-intensive businesses looking for manufacturing ERP software or ERP solutions for manufacturing that fit their unique operational needs. So, if you have a manufacturing, asset-intensive, or warehouse-and-distribution business, SureSelect™ will provide the ERP selection process you have been looking for.
Whether you are looking at big brand names like SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or NetSuite, ignore generic ERP selection guides that offer no specifics; you need to understand what will fit your business. The best fit may, in fact, lie in one of the hundreds of less well-known ERP systems. We help you find the right fit.
As an experienced ERP implementation expert, we get your ERP implementation off on the right foot and help you keep on course to a successful completion. Clients of Ogilvie have experienced lower implementation risk, improved adoption, and a system that fits their requirements.
Read more about our We provide ERP software consulting at Ogilvie.ai/services
Ogilvie is a technology-agnostic firm. We are completely independent and work with all ERP systems available in the marketplace today. Whether you are considering SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle Fusion, Oracle NetSuite ERP, Epicor, or any of the hundreds available, we work with them all. As a truly independent technology advisor we can help you find the right product and the right support partner. Whether you are at the beginning of your ERP selection process or have already shortlisted vendors, we can help.
In fact, if you ask the software vendors to truthfully say who they prefer to work with, they will nominate Ogilvie. Not because we give them preference, but because of our underlying values, our proprietary methodology, the frank feedback we provide and our overall approach and ethics. We don’t play games; we don’t take hidden commissions or percentage savings from negotiations. They know when they work with Ogilvie, everything is above board. Something you cannot guarantee when working with larger firms.
If you are at the ERP software comparison or ERP evaluation stage, our technology-agnostic stance means you receive objective guidance, not a recommendation shaped by commercial relationships. You can contact us here: Ogilvie.ai/contactus
Before exploring ERP software solutions, the most important step is obtaining independent expert advice. Critical mistakes are made early, particularly when executives engage directly with software vendors, rely on prior experience, or base decisions on generic online research, marketing materials or buyer guides. These approaches can quickly lead to misalignment and increased project risk. Given their commercial interests, software vendors should not be relied upon for objective guidance. Getting independent expert advice by engaging an ERP consultant, such as Ogilvie, is the most important step in your journey.
Yes, ERP evaluation, ERP software comparison and final selection are core strengths of our advisory business. We have developed our SureSelect™ methodology to help those executives looking to replace their systems. The ERP landscape is littered with landmines, and clients find it extraordinarily valuable to have an experienced guide to help them avoid them. ERP projects have a very high failure rate, and many of these issues stem from the software selection process.
Manufacturers in particular benefit from our expertise, as identifying the right ERP solutions for manufacturing businesses requires an understanding of production, inventory and maintenance processes that generic selection frameworks rarely address. There is no sense in selecting and implementing a process manufacturing software system if you are a discrete manufacturer, and vice versa. Ogilvie’s clients have a significantly higher success rate because our mission is to reduce that failure rate to zero, one client at a time.
Yes, ERP project rescues are another of Ogilvie’s core capabilities. We are consistently asked to follow the larger firms when those projects go off the rails. Many engagements involve diagnosing why an ERP system implementation has gone off track and designing a recovery plan. This can cover scope reset, data and process clean‑up, better change management and more disciplined governance. Our mission is to reduce the failure rate of ERP implementations, and rescuing your project from a poor start is a key area of our expertise. Our record across hundreds of ERP implementations gives us the pattern recognition needed to quickly identify root causes and design realistic recovery plans.
The most common causes of ERP implementation failures include unclear scope, weak executive sponsorship, inadequate change management, poor data quality, and over-customisation. A detailed coverage can be found in our founder’s book, “The 14 Deadly Sins of ERP Implementation”. The 14 chapters include, in no specific order of importance:
- Choosing the wrong software
- Poor Budgeting
- Inadequate or Inappropriate Resourcing
- Little or No Structured Testing Scripts or Procedures
- Running the Project as a One-Man (or Department) Show
- Engaging in Other Corporate Projects
- Modifying the code too quickly
- Quality and Availability of the Software Vendor’s Consultants
- Poor Knowledge Transfer Methodology
- Poor Industry Knowledge from the Software Vendor
- Over-committed Management Giving Excessively Ambitious and Unrealistic Deadlines
- Team Members Not Being Accountable for Their Actions
- Internal Resistance to Changing Old Processes
- Lack of Momentum and Urgency
On every ERP system implementation we manage, Ogilvie acts as an independent advisor, holding both clients and vendors accountable to outcomes, timelines and quality. Software vendors appreciate having an experienced set of hands on the implementation project because we understand what it takes to succeed. Many projects die a death by a thousand cuts, and we help clients avoid the well-meaning but dangerous decisions that cause them.
Yes, we can assist with ERP data migration and cleansing. Data migration is a critical, and frequently underestimated, component of any ERP implementation and one of the leading causes of cost overruns and go-live delays.
We work with you to develop a structured data migration strategy that includes a clear plan, defined data cleansing activities, and a controlled approach to data loads and iterations. Our goal is to minimise risk and ensure a smooth transition at go-live.
While we provide guidance and expertise throughout the process, responsibility for data accuracy ultimately remains with your team, as your business holds the detailed knowledge required to validate and ensure data integrity.
Yes, it can. Inventory optimisation is one of the most cited benefits of ERP software. In practice, achieving genuine inventory optimisation and working capital reduction requires disciplined processes and organisational “will”, not just the right system.
If rebalancing your inventory requirements and lowering your working capital is something you want to achieve, a great starting point is our Inventory Healthcheck™ https://ogilvie.ai/know-your-inventory-story/ You can start your inventory optimisation journey by undertaking our short assessment. It will take a couple of minutes, but it could save you millions.