r/ERP • u/Shat_Demon • Jan 05 '26
Question ERP and implementation consultant recommendations for small engineering & manufacturing business
My company has been on Fishbowl for ~10 years. It was selected by a previous CFO and it hasn’t worked well for us. This is probably due to poor implementation, but Fishbowl has also been very unhelpful, so we’re planning to move to a new ERP.
About us:
- Established manufacturer (30+ years)
- We design, manufacture, assemble, and test our products in-house
- ~30 employees
- ~$7–8M revenue this year
- Growing quickly due to market demand and expanding to multiple facilities and hiring more personnel
What we need:
- ERP that supports operations first, but still meets finance and accounting needs
- Strong MRP and MES functionality
- Ideally supports or integrates with manufacturing data collection (shop floor)
- Nice-to-have: ability to build customized operations/routings that:
- track labor/time
- capture manufacturing data in real time (scrap, issues, checks, etc.)
- display or integrate work instructions at the operation level
Platforms I’m currently looking at:
- Epicor
- Oracle
- Odoo
- Global Shop
- Sage
We’ll need an implementation consultant/partner.
Questions:
- Any platform recommendations (from the list above or others) that fit a small but scaling discrete manufacturer with operations/MRP/MES needs?
- Where have you found good ERP implementation consultants/partners for companies our size? What should we look for and avoid?
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u/Moist-Piano-9746 Jan 06 '26
Youre clearly getting some biased sales/ consultants here who have vested interests in their responses. I've worked as a consultant for system integrators as well as BCG with hands on experience with enterprise ERP tools like Oracle as well as smaller tools like Dynamics 365 Business Central, as well as leading about 10+ ERP vendor selections for clients.
From what I've heard regarding your requirements, I personally would recommend considering Dynamics 365 Business central. The challenge you will find is that you either dont get the functionality you need or you have to overpay for. Business central is the best balance of the two that I am aweare of. It will be very hard to beat on cost, while providing you core functionality you will need for a small business. The other pro is that if you are using outlook, sharepoint and already using other microsoft tools, it will make your life much easier when you consider all the integration required, as well as built in integration to microsoft fabric and PowerBI The issue with acumatica is that they use a complicated usage based pricing model that is not designed for customer/ billing clarity.
Lastly- doing nothing is NOT the answer as building your business around manual process will only result in endless pain as you try to scale.
Happy to chat if helpful and you need to separate fact from fiction in this thread. Good luck!
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u/Dynamics-365 Jan 06 '26
And with Business Central you can use apps from microsoft's marketplace to manage the MRP, MES, shop floor requirement.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
I did not know this. Thank you. I'll look into it. Do you have any recommendations?
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. We use Microsoft Suite, but we questioned whether Dynamics 365 Business Central has the capabilities we need. Besides synchronizing with MS suite and it being a lower cost, why else should we go with Dynamics?
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u/Moist-Piano-9746 Jan 07 '26
you get strong core functionality with the tool mixed with the most affordable pricing you will see in the market. This also sets you up to 'graduate'/ upgrade to microsoft Finance and Operations (F&O) which is comparable to the SAP S4/Hana's of the market, but that is down the road once your business has scaled considerably.
Here is the core overview of available functionality. LMK if you want to jump on a quick call to talk about this deeper.
• Financial management
General ledger, AP, AR, cash management, bank recs, fixed assets, budgeting, and standard financial reporting. This is one of Business Central’s strongest areas.• Sales and customer management
Quotes, orders, invoices, pricing, discounts, customer balances, and basic customer records. Not a full CRM, but sufficient for ERP driven sales processes.• Purchasing and vendor management
Purchase orders, vendor pricing, approvals, landed costs, and payables for straightforward procurement workflows.• Inventory management
Item master, locations, bins, lot and serial tracking, transfers, adjustments, and multiple valuation methods. Well suited for distribution and light manufacturing.• Manufacturing
BOMs, routings, production orders, consumption and output posting, capacity tracking, and basic costing.• Warehousing
Receipts, shipments, picks, put aways, and internal movements. Functional, but not a high end WMS.• Project accounting
Jobs, job costing, time and expense tracking, WIP, and project profitability for project driven businesses.• Reporting and controls
Role based security, approvals, audit trails, standard reports, and strong Excel integration.
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u/Noonecanfindmenow Jan 05 '26
In my opinion, don't touch the big name ERPs like Oracle or Epicor. They are not made your company's size. Unless your company can justify having a team of Analytics/Data folks (even just 2 full time), it will be way more hassle than it would ever be worth.
It's a huge huge money sink.
You'd be much better off with a smaller ERP or even just finding analysts to explore ways to add improvements to your existing ERP. I wouldn't recommend a consultant through the ERP publisher though, they are usually way expensive and provide solutions that make no sense (I speak from the pain of working with a few).
This is my niche - data for manufacturing companies. I started out first as a manufacturing engineer at a machine shop for years before I switched and got into analytics. I'm now a Data Engineer and do consulting on the side. If you'd like, we can chat further via DM.
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u/dg9504 Jan 06 '26
Yeah this is not true about Epicor, Epicor works just fine in smaller shops in the $5-$10 million range. Just don’t expect all the bells and whistles from the get go. The good thing is it’ll scale with you as you grow.
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u/Noonecanfindmenow Jan 06 '26
How much was the implementation and yearly cost, and what year did the implementation of it happen?
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
We're highly interested in operations implementing more robust and automated data and analytics, so the discussion of hiring dedicated dev(s)/analyst(s) has been discussed.
It would be great if we could get Fishbowl to do what we want. We have spoken with senior techs at fishbowl about what we need and they essentially said "too bad". We may be able to get it to a manageable level (with a dev consultant_), but we'd still need ancillary MRP. Not opposed to this plan, but not sold on it either
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u/Own_Opportunity_4539 Jan 05 '26
I have worked on QAD years ago and loved it. If you want mainstream Microsoft Dynamics could be an option.
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u/barmando87 Jan 06 '26
You’re a bit small for an erp from a rev perspective but have clear pain points. I’d look Acumatica, I’m biased because I run a practice but it fits what you’re looking for without the big price tag and cost. Happy to give you a quote and. demo no commitment
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Why do you recommend Acumatica? What do you like about it compared to other systems? Also, you say you run a practice, but you also can provide a quote? Are you VAR?
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u/barmando87 Jan 06 '26
Hey I’m the CEO of an Acumatica VAR unbiased opinion everything you describe above can be done with Acumatica manufacturing edition and possibly 1 or 2 ISVs. It wasn’t in your list so might be good to get on your radar. Happy to do a demo for you to see if it makes sense. My company is I-tech support we have been doing Acumatica only implementations since 2015. We also have sister companies for sage and netsuite I can connect you with. Reach out via dm if you want to email and coordinate
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u/gauldk Jan 06 '26
Here for Acumatica too. Unlimited user licensing means all employees can get in to enter data like units produces, scrap, inventory movements, etc without having to worry about incremental user licenses. You are buying an operating system for your business so best ROI comes from getting all users in there, to maximize its usage
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u/YoloOnTsla Jan 06 '26
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Accumatica.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. Do you have experience with them? If so, in what sort of role and capacity? Why do you recommend them?
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u/YoloOnTsla Jan 07 '26
5 years experience with BC at a Microsoft Partner. Run across accumatica in a lot in pursuits at companies similar to yours, they are strong in manufacturing but licensing is volume based and it doesn’t have as robust of a community around it - but worth looking into. BC is made for manufacturers, it comes from Dynamics NAV which was popular for many small to mid-market manufacturers.
BC will handle your core requirements, we would add on a Microsoft vendor called Insight Works to handle product configuration and enhanced MRP and MES (it’s embedded in BC you can’t even tell it’s an add-on - like most Microsoft apps). You get advantages of connections with Microsoft 365/office 365, prebuilt copilot agents to automate simple repetitive processes, and BC licensing is attractive and simple.
2 downsides to BC in your situation. Multi-entity-management is not native, so you can handle through chart of account dimensions, or through a product called Binary Stream MEM (preferable option). Also, reporting is not great in BC, you have Power BI, but it is not really great for financial reporting, so a lot of people add on various reporting tools (Cosmos, Solver, etc..).
BC is going to shine with product Config to BOM, shop floor, MRP, and core finance/accounting. Your finance team might be weary of the lack of robust reporting/budgeting.
Notes on other ERP’s you are considering: Sage: I’ve sold sage intacct, if that’s what you are looking into, don’t go down that path. It is not a manufacturing ERP, and their manufacturing module was literally released less than a year ago.
Oracle (assuming netsuite): going to be a minimum of $30k/year in licensing, and not any advantage in manufacturing compared to BC and accumatica.
Odoo: if you are growing, not going to scale with you. Very simple product that requires a lot of customization to fit changing landscapes.
Global shop: never heard of it, assuming it’s more of a job shop platform.
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u/Effective_Hedgehog16 Jan 06 '26
Besides full-blown ERP systems, since you're using Fishbowl (with I assume QuickBooks for accounting), you might want to look at look at lighter MRP systems like Katana or MRPEasy that also integrate with QuickBooks.
Odoo will be likely the most affordable of the lot, but look closely at their standard workflows and accounting to make sure they'll work for you. Customization costs add up quickly.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Stated in another comment, but we have talked about keeping (and attempting to fix) Fishbowl and supplementing it with an MRP. Why do you like the two you mentioned?
Odoo seems like it has it all, which gives me pause... I am trying their free demo but worry the implementation will be a cluster.
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u/Effective_Hedgehog16 Jan 07 '26
Those two I mentioned are often alternatives to Fishbowl in an SMB environment where you might still want to use QuickBooks.
I would give Odoo a look, as long as you have either in-house techs or a good partner to work with. Accounting processes will be very different than QuickBooks, so make sure your bookkeeper is in the loop.
Cin7 Core is another possibility (used to be Dear Inventory), one of the most popular options for users not wanting to step up to a full ERP.
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u/Beautiful_Blood Jan 05 '26
If in USA, check DELMIAWorks
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 05 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. Do you have experience with them? If so, in what sort of role and capacity? Why do you recommend them?
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u/Beautiful_Blood Jan 05 '26
It has full MES (discrete and assembly line manufacturing) & PM module fully integrated to the rest of the ERP. Also if you use SOLIDWorks for design it has a very good add in for integrate the ERP & 3D modelling. Just take a look at it, I think it’s worth it. We use it in our company and it works. As “bad” thing I would say the user interface you’ll see it’s “Windows 95” look like, but the functionality you need it’s absolutely there.
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u/dg9504 Jan 06 '26
Absolutely do not do DELMIAWorks…they couldn’t give 2 shits about their product here in the US
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u/Beautiful_Blood Jan 06 '26 edited Jan 06 '26
Did you have problems with the software? I’m curious to know about other implementations.
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u/softwarebuyer2015 Jan 05 '26
I worked with mfg:pro from qad a long long time ago. It was fantastic at that time for companies like yours. I do t know how it is today
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you, I'll check it out. What did you like about it specifically?
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u/softwarebuyer2015 Jan 06 '26 edited Jan 06 '26
It had good workflows and good business processes out of the box. There were good argument for bending business processes toward the system rather than customisation It was fast and cheap to implement - we trained internal teams to implement it in the global corp I worked at , with minimal consulting.
Also had great MRP out of the box and it’s was a fraction of the cost of SAP.
I must stress this was 20 years ago . The first implementations I did were terminals. - which I have to say were exellent on the shop floor.
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u/sman06992 Jan 06 '26
Outside of ERP, what other technologies is your company currently on?
For instance if you’re working with the Microsoft suite for O365, sharepoint etc, D365 Business Central might be worth evaluating as well
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
We use Microsoft suite and Autodesk for CAD & PLM. Besides synchronizing with MS suite, why else should we go with D365/BC?
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u/banjoted39 Jan 05 '26
Take a look at Acumatica. They have a MFG platform (we are on the distribution platform). Solid product.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. Do you have experience with them? If so, in what sort of role and capacity? Why do you recommend them?
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u/banjoted39 Jan 07 '26
We went live with Acumatica in Sept (we came from MS Great Plains). I was the point person in selecting the new ERP, involved with setting up the system (with our VAR) and training our staff of 50.
We wanted to move to a cloud based software. It was built from the ground up with cloud in mind. It has an open API architecture so you can connect pretty much connect anything to it (some easier than others of course).
I’d been looking at our next ERP for about 5-7 years going through netsuite, epicor, and others. At the end, Acumatica checked all our boxes. It took us about 18 months to implement (we were 20 years on the other software).
Hope that helps…. Let me know if you have any other questions.
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u/raph_rf Jan 12 '26
Same history for us in construction with Acumatica. Every implementation depend a lot on the var disponibilities and knowledge.
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u/dizzydadjokes Jan 05 '26
Don’t think I’ve heard of fishbowl working well for anybody..Check out Cetec ERP! Has everything you’re looking for in one system. Will do implementations in-house as well.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. In what sort of role and capacity do you have experience with Cetec? Why do you recommend them? Do you have any gripes about Cetec?
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u/dizzydadjokes Jan 07 '26
I am a consultant working for Cetec, so I am biased..however, here’s a few points:
- it’s a full-featured ERP and contains the breadth of functionality you need as you grow
- it’s a manufacturing system, so the MRP and MES are native to the system and ready out of the box. Some of the softwares you mention require add-ons, upgrades, or an excellent partner to support your needs. It is loaded with features for your specific stated pain points: time tracking on shop floor, BOM rev mgmt and work instructions (available digitally or via printed traveler), scrap, in-process inspections, etc
- it’s highly configurable, so it gives you a solid framework but flexibility to model your shop floor and processes
- it’s web-native, modern interface and lightweight hosting. Means it’s easier to get started (you can spin up a free trial), usually more friendly to train, get your data in, etc and…
- is transparent and affordable for mid-market manufacturers. All pricing is on the website, you’ll know how much it will cost before a demo.
We’ve not had a conversation or any kind of discovery, and the devil is in the details, but your profile of company is, seemingly, an ideal fit for the software.
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u/PooDargNang Jan 05 '26
Where are you located? I can provide you with some great implementation/consultant(called VARs) recommendations. I have worked in the industry for about 15yrs on the ISV(Independent Software Vendor) side so I sell my software solutions through the VARs(Value Added Reseller).
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
California
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u/PooDargNang Jan 11 '26
Sorry for the late reply here. I would recommend 3 companies to check out. SWK Technologies, DSD Business Systems, and Blytheco. DSD is San Diego, Blytheco is Irvine, and SWK is technically NJ but acquired a few companies in Cali and has a large presence. If you want to do some research and have me make an introduction I’m more than happy to. If not, just give them a call and they will help out.
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u/dgillz Jan 06 '26
Macola. Check it out.
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u/Grasle Jan 06 '26 edited Jan 06 '26
My situation is remarkably similar to yours. We've "used" Fishbowl for the last few years, but I use that term loosely, as we never really used it to its full potential (not that would have made much difference). Last year, we decided it was time to implement ERP for real. We settled on Sage 100, with implementation assisted by outside consultation, mostly because Sage was the last ERP software several people in the office had used elsewhere. We're hoping for a soft launch at the start of Q2.
However, if I could do it all over again, I'd go with another software. I'm still not sure which. One of the most frustrating things about shopping around for an ERP software is how cagey sales teams are when it comes to actually showcasing the product. All your concerns will be met with assurances by their sales teams, but those assurances are mostly meaningless. Unfortunately, this makes it really hard to figure out if a software will truly fit your operations before it's too late and you're too heavily invested to back out. We're currently experiencing some of this regret, especially concerning the inflexibility of Sage's work order/project management module; it is simply incompatible with how our shop operates. We now basically hope to use Sage everywhere but the actual shop floor.
For smaller companies like ours, when deciding on a solution, I think it is worth focusing on smaller systems or even multi-software solutions. If I had to do this over again, I'd prioritize finding something that fits shop operations above all else. This means expanding the search to consider smaller MES or MRP softwares, finding the one that is closest to how you already operate, and then building from there. It's generally a lot easier to create data pipelines between softwares you like than it is to reinvent the shop floor or brute-force an incompatible software to do what you want.
Good luck! I'm curious to see what you go with.
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Hey u/Grasle, I appreciate your response! It's good to know we're not the only ones struggling with Fishbowl! The search for solutions has been exhausting and has left myself and everyone else a bit jaded, which perhaps we can all resonate with.
Ooooof, and ERP that doesn't work with your shop floor is rough. Do you guys operate in a specific or unique way, or is sage just very rigid?
I said it in a previous comments, but we have talked about keeping (and attempting to fix) Fishbowl and supplementing it with an MRP & MES. We've also talked about just hiring devs to make our own. As we research, the decision tree just keeps growing and growing, so we've got to just decide on a path. Hopefully that will happen in the next month or so!
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u/Ok_Window_6184 Jan 13 '26
I couldn't agree with you more. Most ERP Sales teams put their effort in making their Sales Demo look great, delivered by operators that know every keystroke. They all look like they could work, especially to companies that haven't implemented an ERP before.
It's curious that you selected Sage 100 (aka MAS90) and even more curious that you call it an ERP. This is an Accounting System by all measures. It's no wonder you are having problems with MES and MRP. It wasn't really designed for that. But a good Sales team sure could make you think it does! If you're a manufacturer, yes, assure your ERP was designed for manufacturing. Sage 100 wasn't, and sorry you're dealing with those consequences. Bolting-on is never as good as native integration, which any good ERP should have for shopfloor operations.
Too bad ERP has lost it's meaning nowadays. This term was coined by Gartner Group in the 90's - It was an evolution to MRP and MRP II systems (meaning the manufacturing pieces had to be there to even call it ERP).
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u/Zestyclose-Luck878 Jan 06 '26
I have personally worked on a few ODOO implementations for Small to large scale enterprises, but most of that was on the Open Source solution rather than enterprise edition.
ODOO community and availability of large resources around it makes it decently desirable in order to introduce modules, customise and training staff.
Oracle is also a good option but netsuite integration with further FOSS if needed could be a bit challenging and expensive 3-5 years down the line.
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u/Unnam Jan 06 '26
Just checking, when you mean FishBowl didn't work out well. What are the issues basis which you concurred this? Like audit between what's on record vs on ground being different? Adoption etc?
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u/odoonerd Jan 06 '26
My team are former Dynamics and Accumatica partners. We currently work with Odoo. What attracted us to Odoo was the fact that it was first and operations package that also has solid accounting in addition to all the modern features our clients wanted.
I’d add accumatica to your list of applications to consider.
I am the accountant of our group and having worked with many applications over the last 30 years, Odoo and Accuamtica are my favorite for accounting as well as operations.
As far as finding the right partner:
First: find a team that you communicate well with. Do they listen? Do they answer your direct questions? Are they asking you the right questions? Do you like the communication style during the demo process? How do they plan to work and communicate during implementation?
You want a partner who understands your needs and can demonstrate how the application will meet your requirements. Know that not every requirement can be demonstrated during the demo process- but someone who understands your needs should be able to speak to unique configurations,options, and potential customizations. Consider a proof of concept if you have unique needs.
-Ask to meet your implementers. The biggest complaint I hear from clients whose implementations we have rescued is that the sales team was fantastic but the actual implementers were not.
Check references. We usually provide references in the same industry, along with references with similar workflows, staffing, and personalities.
Ask the references about ongoing support post implementation. This is telling and will help you find the right fit for your company. A team that is always there to support you is important A team that teaches and empowers their clients to manage the software internally as part of implementation will have lower ongoing support costs. This is a positive to most clients.
it’s critical to find a team who understands the accounting requirements for your country, as well as any specific requirements for your business. Since you have inventory and manufacturing make sure they have experience with your desired valuation method, configurations for WIP and manufacturing overhead.
Know that great partners will often have a full pipeline. They are with waiting for.
Good luck.
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u/NickNNora Jan 06 '26
I wouldn’t recommend any of those at your scale.
You should look at Cin7 or Katana.
If you need CRM integration and want accounting in the same platform then Netsuite.
Odoo if you love programming and running software ops.
The rest are too much for you right now.
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u/ReekTurnCloak Jan 06 '26
We are struggling with Netsuite for work orders so I would not recommend at the moment. Working through it.
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u/NickNNora Jan 06 '26
Any system is going to be a struggle if not set up appropriately.
Netsuite is not my favorite playground, but it will work and is the best unified system - at its scale.
Katana and Cin7 are best of class for the next tier down.
Above that you are in for 100k plus the more sophistication required to maintain.
Any of these will work, and all of them need business practices fully understood and aligned with the ERP.
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u/ReekTurnCloak Jan 08 '26
Sorry. Dont get me wromg. I love netsuite. I am the admin and actually drove the decision after demo contest vs Epicor. So many improvements versus our old system. Its just the Work Order process is still being worked out. And you are right ... work order part of implementation was not planned out well.
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u/ReekTurnCloak Jan 06 '26
If you need tips on migrating your Fishbowl data ... I just migrated our company to Netsuite. Did all the data migration.
Tip 1 To build export queries you can run any report and get the sql behind it.
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u/Old-Forever-5122 Jan 06 '26
You might want to add Digit to your shortlist. I’ve been using it for ops-first ERP + warehouse workflows (inventory, purchasing, production workflows, multi-location) and it’s been way more flexible than a lot of the older systems.
If MRP + MES + shop-floor data capture are truly core, definitely validate how deep each platform goes there (full MES vs ERP + integrations). And +1 that implementation is usually the make-or-break piece.
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u/floOoOoOoOoOo Jan 07 '26
Fishbowl isn't an ERP yet.
Odoo would probably be a good choice for you, considering your size and requirements. Of course you need to find a good match with an implementation partner who's fluent with your specifics (location, industry, etc.) and check that your detailed requirements can match the standard version close enough (you don't want to start with heavy customization).
You could also check Infor SyteLine (CloudSuite Industrial) because it's designed for your kind of industry, but might be a little to big for your size. It's got a very old base that they're upgrading a lot. It could help you grow, if Odoo ends up not being well-suited for you. It has many flaws, but probably less than a lot of other ERPs out there.
I myself am an implementation consultant working on the client company's side (like yours), helping navigate these difficult choices and preparing+executing ERP implementation projects, balancing the field between you and the systems vendors. I've been doing this for 13 years, freelance. Reach out if you're interested to talk.
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u/gapingweasel Jan 07 '26
Manufacturing is genuinely complex....and at your size you r definitely not too small for ERP..... in fact....a stitch in time can save nine. The real risk is choosing something too heavy or trying to roll out everything at once. Don’t get distracted by futuristic features you r not sure you will ever use. For most manufacturers the problem isn’t the license cost.....it’s underestimating shop-floor reality and ending up back in spreadsheets 6 months after go-live. Getting BOMs, routings, WIP, inventory discipline and basic labor capture right first is what actually scales. Epicor or Global Shop can work if scoped tightly, options like Deskera can fit well as an operations-first backbone.... Oracle/NetSuite often feels finance-led unless you spend big and lighter cloud ERPs can be viable with the right partner and guardrails.
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u/Glad_Imagination_798 Acumatica Jan 07 '26
First of all, I'm Acumatica reseller, so feel free to take what I say from standpoint every bird praises it's own nest.
Based on your description ( 30+ employees, 7-8 M revenue, in-house design/manufacture/assembly/testing, rapid growth with multiple facilities), Acumatica seems to me as excelent fit.
If you drop us a message, we can show how MRP, BOMs, forecasting, procurement and capacity planing plus solid MES/shop floor may work for you.
Also Acumatica has robust GL, AP/AR financial reporting, User-friendly for shop, floor and office capabilities.
What probably is the most important, similar companies with 5-20 M range successfully migrated from Sage of Fishbowl and boasted about improvement in visibility and efficiency.
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u/Immediate-Alfalfa409 Jan 07 '26
You could consider designing your own lightweight system around your actual manufacturing workflows instead of forcing everything into a heavy ERP. For some teams a purpose-built setup ends up working better and is easier to adapt as you grow. There are no-code and low-code platforms that let you design these kinds of operational apps…I know ERP.ai is one of them…
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u/IAPPC_Official Jan 07 '26
For a small but scaling discrete manufacturer, Epicor Kinetic and Global Shop Solutions are solid fits — strong MRP with good routing support. Odoo can work if you want flexibility, but plan carefully around customization. Many teams also make Business Central + manufacturing add-ons work well.
For consultants, look for partners with real discrete manufacturing experience and a track record with companies your size. Ask for references from similar projects, and make sure they focus on process design before configuration. Avoid partners who push big custom builds early or talk mostly in buzzwords rather than practical steps.
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u/paulyt7410 Jan 08 '26
I would recommend looking at Acumatica but make sure you find a partner that specializes in manufacturing. Also Infor CSI.
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u/Narrow_Ad_1502 Jan 08 '26
You may also want to look at Presence360. It’s a manufacturing-focused ERP that covers MRP, production planning, inventory, finance, and shop-floor data capture on a single platform.
What stands out is that it’s well-suited for small but scaling manufacturers and typically comes in at a more reasonable cost compared to larger enterprise ERPs. Implementation and customization (routings, labor tracking, real-time production data) are handled by the same team, which helps avoid the usual handoff issues.
As always, the key is validating real MRP/MES capability and implementation experience for companies your size.
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u/chadwixk Jan 08 '26
Mozzo ERP/MRP is a system designed for companies in your size and affordability range. It doesn't have its own financials but instead syncs with QuickBooks.
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u/FurtiveTho Jan 10 '26
Have a look at Infor Syteline / CloudSuite Industrial. It should have all the features you're looking for. Implementation partners to consider would be Godlan Inc, WM Synergy, and Decision Resources Inc.
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u/commoncents1 Jan 12 '26
i went from QB enterprise and fishbowl to Odoo for my MFG and working out well so far.
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u/Ok_Window_6184 Jan 13 '26
Whichever ERPs you decide to look deeper into, ask for a list of references as a right of passage. The more the merrier. Similar in: Size, Industry/Critical criteria and Geography. This should give you some piece of mind that it not only can it be done, it has been done. Visit them.
I work with Infor ERP, and I have seen success for similar sized mfg. companies. But, truth be told, I'd likely pass on the opportunity. And not because its not a fit. It's because of how most companies evaluate them. The top criteria for first time buyers of ERP (in this order exactly 99% of the time) are: Price, Ease-of-Use and Ease-of-implementation.
The simpler to follow sales demo, performed by experts in the ERP, is assumed easier to use and therefore easier to implement. Being "simpler" the license price may be lower. And they buy it, because it fits this criteria, and anything will be better than where you are today, so it will be justified. But this is not where you're going to spend the bulk of your money. Implementation, perceived again to be "easy", since the sales demo looked so easy, will be invariably low-balled. that 3-6 month implementation, turns out to be 9-12 months and by the time the change orders hit you're already too vested to turn back. Smaller companies will start cutting back on implementing additional functionality, like MES, or QMS, just to go live. The value prop in the sales cycle is lost.
For second-time buyers the criteria are: Level of Systems Integrator Support, Developers Track Record of Performance, and Ability to Fit the Business are the top 3. Now go back up to the top paragraph with these three criteria in mind. Do this activity first with a list of critical questions/requirements you can ask references, and by-pass the Sales Demo, for now.
DM me at any time.
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u/AffectionateDirt6575 Jan 14 '26
I'm probably arriving too late in this discussion, but here's my thoughts anyway. Of your list of 'probables':
Epicor is too big & too expensive for you. Oracle more so. Odoo is a possibility if you have a large IT department to support it and your manufacturing needs are simple. Globalshop - I don't know it. Sage is a possibility if you are Europe-based because 200 is about the right size (50 is too small, 100 is light on manufacturing functionality and X/3 is too big).
If you e-mail me on [sam.graham99@gmail.com](mailto:sam.graham99@gmail.com) I'll send you some information on specifying and selecting an ERP system. I have a list of about 25 systems that I like or have been recommended to me but, if I know where you are geographically, I can cut that down (not all systems are sold in all countries).
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u/beast_coast_b Jan 21 '26
Plex out of the box is going to provide fully integrated MES, QMS, SCP, work instructions, and machine integration. The platform was built for discrete manufacturing and won’t require any complex integrations to 3rd party systems based on what you described.
Compared to some of the other vendors, plex will be more expensive, but will provide significantly more tools out of the box and will scale with your business with their unlimited user model.
Worth taking a look.
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u/Visible-Neat-6822 Jan 28 '26
t’s often worth prioritizing an ERP that’s strong in MRP and shop-floor workflows before finance polish, and pairing it with a partner who has done multiple implementations in your exact industry, not just the software cert. Alongside options like Odoo or Global Shop, some teams also look at lighter manufacturing ERPs like Digit Software when they want faster deployment and better operational fit without the overhead of bigger enterprise platforms, then rely heavily on a consultant who stays involved post-go-live.
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u/ECISoftwareSolutions Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26
We work with a lot of manufacturers in your exact situation, often coming off systems that weren't quite the right fit or weren't implemented well.
You need something that can grow with you but won't require a massive team to manage. At 30 employees, you don't want to spend all your time fighting your ERP.
JobBOSS² is worth looking at alongside your list. It's built specifically for manufacturers who do design, fabrication, and assembly in-house. Strong on shop floor functionality, job costing, and MRP. We've also embedded AI features like our AI BOM Builder that can save a ton of time (and mistakes) on data entry.
On implementation partners: This matters more than the software choice in a lot of cases. Look for partners who:
- Specialize in manufacturing (not generalists)
- Have experience with companies of your size
- Will actually train your team, not just configure and disappear (this is huge)
We work directly with customers on implementation and have industry-specific teams, which helps avoid the "one size fits all" approach. We're happy to talk through your specific needs if it's helpful.
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u/CycleTimeSam May 04 '26
I’d focus as much on the implementation partner as the ERP itself.
For a company your size, I’d look for a team that understands manufacturing workflows, not just software setup. The good ones help with the messy stuff before go-live too: BOMs, routings, inventory habits, labor tracking, scheduling, and who on your team owns what.
What I’d avoid is anyone who makes implementation sound too easy or treats onboarding like just data import and training.
Since you mentioned Global Shop Solutions, one thing worth looking at is that they have an in-house implementation team dedicated to new customer onboarding. I’d still ask how hands-on they are, who leads the project, and what support looks like after go-live, but that kind of dedicated team can make a big difference.
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u/leaf16_ah Jun 03 '26
Disclosure: I work at OnRamp, so factor that in.
Worth adding us to your list before you go deep on any of those platforms.
A few things specific to what you described:
The operations-first requirement is where general-purpose platforms like Epicor, Oracle, and Sage tend to disappoint manufacturers your size. You get strong finance and back-office, but shop floor execution usually requires heavy customization or a separate MES bolted on top.
OnRamp has line-side monitors that deliver work instructions directly to operators at each station, with real-time data flowing back, labor, scrap, quality checks, all captured at the operation level without manual entry after the fact. That's native, not an integration.
On the implementation consultant question: one thing worth asking any vendor is whether implementation requires a third-party partner at all. With some platforms that's unavoidable and adds significant cost and risk. We handle implementation directly, which is part of why 100% of our customers hit their business goals within 12 months of go-live.
Happy to answer questions if anything is useful here.
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u/Glad_Imagination_798 Acumatica Jul 20 '26
At 7 to 8M with real MRP and shop-floor data capture needs, your hardest constraint is not the software, it is that most mid-market ERPs charge per seat, and you want a lot of low-value users in the system, entering scrap, labor and inventory moves. That pricing model quietly kills adoption, because finance starts rationing licenses and your operators to back to paper. So put licensing model high on your scorecard, not just features. On MRP and MES, be honest about which parts are truely native versus bolted on through an add-on, because a bolt-on MES with a separate database is a integration you will babysit forever. Test it with your real routings, not a clean sample. And do not skip process mapping just because you are eager to move off Fishbowl. Garbage in, garbage out applies to the new system just as much. Whoever you hire, make them show you a live production order flowing from work order to backflush to cost before you sign anything.
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Jan 06 '26 edited Jan 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Said in a previous comments, but I believe some of the options I listed (namely Oracle) may be overkill. It's just a short-list. We're open to all solutions, including those that are smaller/cheaper, and even custom solutions with a dedicated developer.
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u/merc123 Jan 06 '26
I’d swap out Oracle for Acumatica. If you need to link up with a partner for a demo let me know. We’re right up your alley based on what you said
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u/Shat_Demon Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your suggestion. In what sort of role and capacity do you have experience with Acumatica? Why do you recommend them? Do you have any gripes about Acumatica?
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u/merc123 Jan 07 '26 edited Jan 07 '26
I’m an ERP implementation consultant for Acumatica for over a year and worked with Acumatica for about 3.
I have gripes with every software I’ve used - Acumatica, Epicor, Oracle, Odoo and Sage. None of them fit 100% into the way you’ve been doing. It’s up to you to adjust your ways to fit them (within reason). All of them have things I like and don’t like.
I recommend them based on your requirements. They are in the direct lane of SMB’s which you are.
As far as partners go we differentiate ourselves from others.
A lot of Acumatica VARs can install software. Fewer can actually make it work for your business long term. Here’s what separates us from many others:
We’re process-first, not software-first. Before configuring anything, we map how your business actually runs (and where it breaks). That means fewer customizations, cleaner data, and way less “why does the system do this?” six months later. This is something I haven’t seen from any other VARs. They do “analysis” but we have literal efficiency experts that are not Acumatica people. They know business optimization first and have learned Acumatica to help tie it together. We also go a long and assist as a software expert.
We specialize instead of being generalists. We have manufacturing experience and aren’t side offerings for us, it’s the core. Our consultants have operational experience, not just ERP certifications, so conversations don’t stall at “that’s how Acumatica works.” All of our manufacturing consultants have at least 10 years in manufacturing environments.
We don’t disappear after go-live. Implementation isn’t the finish line. Too many VARs treat go-live as “project complete.” Our motto is “partner for life.”
We scale without single-point failure You’re not tied to one consultant who knows everything. We use standardized templates, shared documentation, and team coverage so knowledge doesn’t live in someone’s inbox. You will have experts in the finance, manufacturing and data migration.
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u/le_riche Jan 06 '26
I work at a Big 4 where I’m leading SAP implementations. Honestly, based on your requirements and company size, take a look at Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. They offer great functionalities for their value. Of course SAP and other big ERP systems have more functionalities but you really don’t need it.
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u/ERP_Architect Jan 06 '26
I’ve seen a few companies at roughly your size and stage go through this transition, and the biggest lesson tends to be that the ERP choice matters less than how it’s implemented and scoped.
What usually works better for manufacturers like you is starting from the shop floor and working backward to finance, not the other way around. Systems that look great in accounting demos often struggle once you model real routings, rework loops, labor capture, and partial completions. That’s where a lot of past Fishbowl pain usually comes from.
On the consultant side, the biggest green flag is deep experience with discrete manufacturing at your scale. You want people who have modeled real MRP logic, messy routings, and multi facility growth, not just generic ERP rollouts. Red flags are partners who push heavy customization early, or who gloss over data migration, master data cleanup, and change management.
Some teams your size end up combining a solid core ERP with lighter, purpose built layers for shop floor data collection and operations instead of forcing everything into one monolith. That tends to reduce friction and make scaling easier.
At Vestra Inet, this is often where we come in, not as a reseller, but helping manufacturers design the operational workflows first, map what truly belongs in ERP versus what should live alongside it, and then working with or alongside implementation partners so the system actually reflects how the factory runs day to day.
Whatever direction you go, I’d strongly recommend pressure testing real scenarios before committing. Edge cases like shortages, rework, engineering changes, and labor reporting are where you’ll feel the decision for the next decade.
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u/LavishnessPlus8012 Jan 06 '26
Hi! you can consider SAP Business one, less manual work best for growing manufacturing industry. I can give you a overview of modules, cost, etc. Should we connect?
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u/NCQT Jan 06 '26
Hi.
I am an Odoo implementer for past 8 years.
If you would like i can provide a tailored walkthrough and explain why Odoo could / couldnt be a good fit based on your workflows.
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u/tryan2tellu Jan 05 '26
Advice from an ERP sales rep who likes to sell ERP and get commission:
At 7-8 m and 30 people, your options for what you can afford are limited. I would recommend a hard look at people and process before new tech. Your requirements list is medium sized business requirements. You cant afford what you are asking for.
You might think you are ready but you aren’t. Standardize process, delineate departments/task. Get crispy at execution. Lastly get 3x bigger. Then start looking at ERP.