What an ERP engagement includes

• A process review across the functions in scope — finance, inventory, procurement, production, HR — documenting how work actually happens, including the exceptions and spreadsheets.
• A data migration plan with mapping, cleansing rules and reconciliation, so opening balances and master data are provably correct rather than approximately right.
• Integration to the systems you keep — accounting, e-commerce, CRM, logistics, BI — through documented APIs rather than brittle exports.
• A phased rollout plan, so the business keeps running while modules go live.
• Role-based training and post-go-live support with agreed response times.

Build, extend, or modernise

Three situations, three different projects:

• Custom build — when your core processes are genuinely a differentiator and no platform fits them without distorting how you work.
• Extending a platform you own — modules, reports and integrations on top of an existing ERP, which is usually the cheapest route to a large improvement.
• Legacy modernisation — moving off an ageing or unsupported system in planned stages, keeping both running until each module is proven.

We will say plainly when buying or extending beats building. Rebuilding a solved problem is a poor use of budget.

Common questions

How long does an ERP project take?
Longer than a website and shorter than the horror stories, and it depends almost entirely on data quality and how many functions are in scope. Phasing by module gets value into use early instead of waiting for a single large go-live.

What usually goes wrong?
Data. Almost always data. Migration is routinely underestimated because nobody knows how inconsistent the existing records are until someone tries to reconcile them. We front-load that work deliberately.

Can you integrate with our accounting software?
Generally yes, if it exposes an API or a supported export. We confirm the integration path during discovery rather than assuming it.

Will our team actually use it?
That depends on whether the system matches how they work and whether they were involved in defining it. We interview the people doing the work, not only the managers describing it.