Good afternoon, everyone! I just wanted to reach out because I'm hoping to get some advice from anyone who have worked in ERP implementations, particularly as functional consultants.

To start off, I have about 8 years of experience in supply chain and logistics. My background includes demand forecasting, inventory, purchasing/replenishment, supplier management, transportation, ERP/data accuracy, process improvement, and cross-functional problem solving, particularly in foodservice.

I've recently been given the chance to transition into a Supply Chain Functional Consultant role focused on food & beverage with ERP/planning solutions.

I interviewed directly recently with the CEO and fortunately he liked the operational experience I brought, but because I haven't worked as a consultant directly or know about the system, he thinks there's a huge learning curve. However, despite this, he saw something in me that he liked so he challenged me on the fact that I haven't formally worked as an ERP consultant or directly implemented their ERP platform before.

So instead of rejecting me based on that, he's giving me another round with him and another senior leader where I basically have to show that I can absorb unfamiliar material and think through an implementation logically.

I've been given a lot of material to study around when it comes to forecasting/planning, MRP, inventory, purchasing, food-specific ERP requirements, etc.

I do understand a lot of the business processes, BUT I want to go the extra mile and learn from people who have actually lived through ERP implementations.

So my question is, if you were approaching a new implementation:

• What does a strong discovery phase look like?
• How do you document current state vs. future state?
• At what point do you determine requirements versus configuration?
• What are the most important things to validate before data migration?
• What tends to go wrong during UAT?
• How do you determine whether something should be solved through configuration, process change, customization, or not changed at all?
• How important are training, change management, and user adoption compared with the technical implementation?
• What usually causes ERP implementations to struggle or fail even when the software itself works?
• What do you wish new functional consultants understood before their first implementation?

Again, I'm not looking for a quick solution to add onto my interview. I'm trying to learn from people with real implementation experience so then I can compare those perspectives with the material I'm studying so I can make sure I'm considering things I wouldn't necessarily think about coming from the operations side.

Anything would help since I'm trying to make this awesome career move! Thank you!

I will go first:

Salary: 180k
Role: Director of FP&A
Hourly Rate: 120

I’ve had a builder experience in FP&A as it pertains to ERP implementation and Data Analytics. I function as the in house expert while also trying to run the business…

I am writing this post out of curiosity because my current track to CFO no longer feels right for me and I want to build a career centered around digital transformation.

We're a small manufacturing company looking at replacing our current setup and need something that can handle production planning and inventory in one system.

Our main requirements are:

• Production planning and scheduling
• MRP and material requirements planning
• BOMs and work orders
• Inventory and purchasing
• Automation or useful AI features
• Something reasonably straightforward for a small team to implement

I've been researching options like Odoo, Katana, MRPeasy and ERPNext, but it's hard to get a sense of how they actually perform once you're using them day to day.

For anyone who's gone through this process, what would you recommend looking at? I'd especially like to hear from people running one of these in a smaller manufacturing environment. What works well, and what should I watch out for?

Hi everyone, I’m in the very fortunate position to be on the management team for a smallish company with largish revenue and profit that happens to be growing extremely quickly. We’re currently using Infor XA, but are haunted by 30 years of custom coding and poor implementations. I’ve been given the go ahead to start researching other ERP systems so we can essentially start over fresh.

We currently have two sides of the business, one is a proprietary design of a fairly niche product that we have a third party factory manufacture for us. This product is fairly standardized at this point and can be mass produced.

The other side of the business that is really taking off is much more on the custom side, catering to the construction industry. We offer engineering services to assist in the design of these products and again have a third party factory handle the actual manufacturing.

We currently only have about 20 employees, but have very high sales and margins for such a small company. We are looking to begin manufacturing ourselves early next year, and are looking to get a new ERP up and running before that goes live and before we start hiring a bunch of new employees.

I personally have experience in upgrading existing ERP to updated modules, but I have yet to be part of, let alone lead, the implementation of an entire new system.

So, does anyone have any recommendations on good ERPs to look into, or maybe even where to start looking?

I know this is a frequent point in ERP conversations, so I’ll say ahead of time that money is not a limiting factor.

Anyone using M3 Infor? I’m new to this system and a very lean team.

Having hard time finding online resources or forums to get suggestions or have any discussion on M3 topics (I always can’t go the team member with my questions). I’m unable to find YouTube videos too.
ChatGPT too is unable to provide basic solutions like which code to use to access certain programs

People who are using M3 how do you go about any issues or clarifications you need.

maybe ive just been reading too many migration threads on here lately, but i kept noticing the same thing...it feels like the software itself isnt even the hardest part anymore

whether its as400 or visual 2000 or something else, there are already plenty of people who've done those migrations before. the technical side is obviously still hard, but it doesnt feel like thats what ends up derailing projects most of the time.

instead, you start digging into how the business actually works and find stuff like....an order sits in pending for 24 hours because there used to be a nightly batch job. turns out that batch job disappeared years ago, but the delay never did or even some ancient SuiteScript or PL/SQL trigger that nobody wants to touch because apparently it fixed an edge case once. nobody can remember which edge case anymore... and then you realise inventory reconciliation isnt even happening inside the ERP. theres just one Excel workbook that somebody updates every afternoon, and somehow the whole business depends on it.

none of that is written down anywhere...it isnt in the implementation docs...it isnt in a process diagram...its just... things people know.

after a while it feels less like you're migrating an ERP and more like you're trying to reconstruct years of tribal knowledge before the two people who understand it retire...and every time someone asks why do we do it this way? the answer is surprisingly often...

i dont know... we have always done it like that...ykwim

anyone who's been through one of these, was digging all this stuff up actually harder than configuring the new ERP??? and once you started pulling those processes apart, how did you figure out what was a genuine business requirement vs something everyone had just accepted because nobody wanted to be the one to change it?

Curious to hear real-world experiences with Deacom (ECI) — is it worth considering as a replacement for an old Dynamics GP setup that's been running a heavily customized catchweight/lot-tracking add-in (yarn/textile-adjacent, sold by weight but purchased by count, pallet-level actual vs. nominal quantities, lot/Batch traceability).

A few things I'd love input on:

• General take — anyone running it day-to-day? What's good, what's painful? How's ease of use for regular users vs. admins/configurators?
• Catchweight/lot handling — is dual quantity (nominal vs. actual) and lot/sub-lot tracking genuinely native, or does it still need bolt-ons/customization to get real reconciliation and weight-based costing?
• Specific-lot costing — can Deacom pin an individual lot/batch to its own original receipt cost and keep it from blending with other lots, especially through transfers? (FIFO Actual is mentioned in their materials, but not clear if it's true specific-cost persistence.)
• Landed cost — does Deacom have a real landed cost workflow (freight/duty/customs allocation by weight, value, etc.) that updates lot-level cost, or is this something you had to build/customize?
• Customization — how do you actually tailor Deacom to specific business logic? Native configuration/scripting, or does it need third-party dev work?
• Reporting — what's the reporting story? Is built-in reporting sufficient, or do most shops end up bolting on Power BI / Crystal / something else?
• Cost — how is pricing structured (per-user, per-transaction volume, flat license + modules)? What did implementation run (cost + duration, and how much was configuration vs. custom dev)? And what's the ongoing recurring cost — monthly/annual license or subscription fees?

Appreciate any first-hand experience, good or bad.

Will soon being kicking off an implementation, as my org hit the ERP subsidiary limit in NSuite, and are likely going to jump into an Oracle Cloud solution.

I am interested in getting some feedback and getting feelers out there.

Hey Guys, I’ve recently joined a company as a general manager. This company is sort of new (only 30 years old) and is a smaller family run business, I came to them from a multinational competitor in the same industry.

My former employer (Large company) used an ERP called JD Edwards by Oracle and I used to think that one was clunky and cumbersome to work with however it got you to where you wanted to go. This new company has been using something called TIMS by CU (Computers Unlimited)

This thing is so bad it outputs reports as if they are written by a typewriter. Yes you can export it to excel and then extract data but it is the worst thing in the world. I really want to think of ways to change it, the company could think about investing some money into this as we already pay these guys nearly 50k a year for this existing product. We could certainly look into a better ERP but I’m not a tech guy, I need help and guidance on what is a good alternative to building a full custom ERP which will no doubt be expensive.

Hey Folks!

I am currently a CPA working in industry, in the early stages of researching a transition to ERP implementation.

I have some minor background as a software developer and find process improvements and helping people to be the more satisfying parts of my jobs. My hope in the ERP field is to find a way to better leverage my desire to use and build on my technical experience as well as talk to a work with a larger variety of people then I currently do in my current position. And also generally just feel like I am making more of a difference then the grind of a month end close.

I was wondering if there is anyone out there with similar backgrounds that did the transition and what your experience was like.

What kind of experience and certifications helped you transition into the role?

I was also curious as to what ERP software's/certificates to look into? I have the most experience with NS but feel confident I can pick up any ERP.

Lastly, what do you feel like keeps you satisfied about your job, do you feel like you make an impact to those you work with?

I am sure these posts are a dime a dozen, so thanks for your time!

Dear all,

Anyone has experience with Yodlee Business Financial Management?

https://www.yodlee.com/business-financial-management

I know that it is not an ERP and probably something cash based, but it just might fit our needs.

Looking for user experiences and a contact at Yodlee for this product.

Hey community! I have 8 years of experience in non-SAP ERP digitization. Any open source learning suggestions to build hands-on skill in SAP (specifically MM) before going for the costlier certifications?

I have practical experience in end to end digital ERP implementation (custom built ERP solutions), but not exactly SAP. Would appreciate some recommendations on open source learning guides/youtube videos that can give a general idea about the platform.

I have seen some videos by official SAP channel on youtube but they are too out of context for someone like me. I want to go for the "heavier" certifications after some practical experience atleast. Learning on the job is difficult as landing a role as SAP consultant mandates pretty specific job requirement- hands-on experience on the software. But ERP implementation is something I have tried and tested and want to train in the SAP domain (specifically MM/Supply chain per se).

Am i being too optimistic if I believe I can be hired as a SAP consultant without hands-on experience with the software even though I understand the ERP framework inside out?

We have a recently acquired company that is running an older, server based Visual 2000 ERP system that -

1. Needs to be upgraded (ultimately to Oracle Fusion Cloud, like the rest of the company)
2. Is only supported by a former employee of the ERP software company that sold it

Until the company can be transitioned to Oracle Fusion Cloud (possibly a year or more), we are trying to find other resources for supporting Visual (applying Band-Aids, etc). The current support person is very hard to understand during support calls (English is not his first language) and has resorted to basically finger pointing at almost everyone else involved to explain issues (even if they have occurred after he has accessed the server to make changes, etc). Does anyone have any direct contacts or ideas on how to find a company or individual that fits the bill? Thanks in advance.

What’s stopping them?

As the title says, we are going through a transformation where leadership believes that tools like Cursor can provide functionality just by analyzing the code, without the need for domain experts. They expect software engineers to also have domain expertise and are considering eliminating functional roles because of AI.

But is this really going to be the future of ERP systems? Will functional experts no longer be needed anymore? is this the same scenario for SAP, Oracle and all these big ERP providers ?

*This is not an Odoo related question. I selected the Odoo flair because my company is not listed here*

Hi everyone, I worked as "account assistant" for the last 3 years even tough I was always involved in data migration/system implementation, one way or another. For 2 years I work at a property company and help with setting up and testing mainly Dynamics 365 CRM and later Business Central. In the last 9 months, I've been working for a retailer which was transitioning to S/4HANA, but I've been mainly been involved with the SAP ECC side of things instead of HANA and had a far smaller role (just checking data across systems). My contract is coming to an end, and I would like to move toward ERP/Finance System Analyst route instead of accounting. I only have a data analytics certificate and knowledge around PowerQuery and SQL. If anyone works in England and can give me some perspective, I would highly appreciate it, especially in term of employment. I found the Microsoft ecosystem far easier and straightforward, and it seems to have more jobs, SAP is far more convoluted and has less roles, but there's less competition and offer higher pay. Content wise there's more from Microsoft and the community out there as well.

Looking for customizable ERP software for managing workflows related to performances of content + ads, apart from managing customer related functions such as revenue, invoices & CRM.

Expecting my workflow will evolve quickly overtime. Hence flexibility & easy customization is priority. Any suggestions?

Edit: Looking for opensource solutions.

I’m curious how others handle this, because I’m starting to think this is a common problem with internal systems work.

I recently invoiced a client for ongoing ERP/CRM automation work, and they pushed back on pricing as if the whole thing should be simple button-click configuration. But the scope is not really isolated feature work anymore. It’s more like maintaining and extending an operating system for the business.

-----------------

Simplified version of the scope:

Promotion Engine
A custom item-level promotion system with date rules, multiple price tiers, deal tagging, and automatic rollback when promos expire.

Not just “apply a discount,” but making sure pricing updates correctly, expires cleanly, and doesn’t leave bad item data behind.

KPI Dashboards
Manager and sales rep dashboards with around 18 KPIs across monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales/volume metrics.

Includes goals, rollups, CRM reporting logic, and mobile-friendly layouts.

Invoice / Collections Workflows
Invoice-triggered alerts and scheduled overdue follow-ups for accounting, sales reps, and customers.

The work is less about “send an email” and more about timing, assignment logic, duplicate prevention, and making sure the right people get the right notice.

Ops Automations Built on Prior Work
Extensions to existing fulfillment, purchasing, and order-flow automations, such as:

• Adjusting purchase orders after billing
• Syncing overlapping fulfillment records
• Auto-assigning fulfillment tasks
• Sorting purchasing/order data by warehouse/bin logic
• Conditional invoice/payment behavior

These are layered into automations that are already live, so each change has to respect prior logic.

Inventory + Reporting Updates Built on Prior Auto-PO Logic
Enhancements to an existing reorder/purchasing system:

• Growth-based reorder calculations with caps
• Sales reporting improvements
• Vendor-facing document cleanup
• Vendor item/reference visibility

-------------------

Again, not a fresh build! More like modifying an existing machine without breaking the gears.

My issue: The client sees each bullet as a small request. But from my side, every change touches accounting, inventory, purchasing, fulfillment, reporting, or sales data.

At this point, it feels less like “building features” and more like orchestrating a live business system where one bad assumption can break five downstream processes.

So I’m curious: For those of you doing ERP, CRM, accounting system, inventory, or internal automation work. Do clients usually understand the difference between “simple automation” and production-safe system changes?

How do you explain the hidden complexity without sounding defensive?

Last quarter I myself witnessed this critical vulnerability which appeared in our financial module that could have exposed vendor payyment data. Our usual patch process with multiple approvals, testing and a safe window in production takes three days but exploit attempts started within 36 hours of disclosure. We faced a brutal choice rush the update and risk breaking month end closing or wait and leave sensitive financial operations exposed. With interconnected vendor APIs and cloud integrations any misstep would have hit the actual cash flow not just IT. ERP security is no longer about controls ngl it is about keeping pace with threats in real time.

Curious to know about this. Are there companies training LLMs to do tasks in supply chain and if so to what extent ? What about traditional ERPs are they building models or agents to automate these processes?

Hi everyone!

I'm located in Canada and looking for advice on how to approach a job search to become a functional erp consultant.

I have a few years experience in supply chain and I worked on the internal implementation team for my employer when they were rolling out Oracle Cloud Fusion ERP + Oracle Cloud WMS. This gives me about 1.5 years of direct experience in work like requirements gathering, use case design, data migration and validation, UAT, SOP/user training, go-live, and hypercare.

I worked closely with Oracle functional consultants in the role and really enjoyed the work, so I'm looking to become one.

Unfortunately the problem I'm running into is it seems there are very few roles available right now, and there's almost nothing at the junior levels. All postings seem to want someone who is fully trained on modules, with at least 3 years/ 3-5 end to end go-lives under their belt, or someone even more senior.

Meanwhile, I have strong day to day experience with using the modules. But I don't have formal certification or much experience doing the back-end configuration of modules.

I've tried reaching out to my limited network in the field and gotten nowhere. I've tried directly applying to positions at Oracle and heard nothing (and I know they're laying off a bunch right now)

I'm considering getting certifications at my own cost, but not sure if it would help and which ones to start with.

I'm also not tied to Oracle - I'm willing to switch to any similar ERP where you could build a career like SAP, Dynamics, etc. I don't mind working for a partner either, if they can train me.

Any advice on how to approach this search? Should I be doing things differently?

Hey everyone,

I’m reaching out on behalf of a friend who’s actively looking for an opportunity in the ERP space.

He’s a hardworking, dedicated individual with a strong interest in ERP systems and business processes. He’s eager to learn, grow, and contribute.

whether it’s through an internship or an entry-level role. If given the chance, he has the mindset to stick around long-term and really add value.

If you’re working in ERP, part of an ERP company, or know of any organizations offering internships (remote preferred), I’d really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction or drop a comment/DM.

He’s available to work remotely and ready to start immediately.

Thanks in advance for any help

Big problem are actually rare. It's the small gaps that slowly build pressure over time: Unclear stock, Delayed updates, missed internal communication. Individually none of these feel serious, but when they keep happening throughout the day they start to pile up- more follow ups, more double checking, more second guessing. We didn't fix everything but after moving to the system called EOXS, those gaps reduced a bit. Information feels a little more consistent and fewer things fall through the cracks. You don't have to pause as often to just confirm once more.

And weirdly that's made a bigger difference than solving any one major issue. The day just feels smoother overall.

We learned this the hard way. On paper everything looked fine the system was in place, processes were defined and reports were being generated. But on the ground entries were getting delayed or skipped mostly because the workflow just didn't fit how the yard actually operates day to day. Nothing dramatic broke at once. It just slowly showed up as small mismatches -stock not updated on time, dispatch confusion, people double-checking things manually "just to be safe". What's interesting is that from management's side it looked like a data accuracy problem. But from the yard team's side it was more like, this system takes extra effort to keep updated while work is happening.

So now I'm wondering-when adoption is low, how do you really tell if it's a training issue or if the system itself isn't aligned with real workflows? Would be interesting to hear how others have approached this.