Transformation and ERP Advisory
Transformation and ERP advisory for mid-market retailers and manufacturers: readiness, vendor-independent selection, sequencing, and the operating-model decisions the platform will force.
What this engagement delivers
An ERP replacement is the highest risk decision a mid-market business makes. The contract value is large, the implementation runs eighteen to thirty-six months, and the platform shapes the operating model for the next decade. Most of these programs fail for reasons that have nothing to do with the software. The business was not ready to make the operating model decisions the platform required. The data was not clean. The integration design was an afterthought. The vendor and the systems integrator were never held accountable to the same outcome. This engagement addresses those risks directly: an honest readiness assessment first, a vendor-independent selection if one is needed, and governance through go-live and stabilization.
Request a readiness reviewKey deliverables
- Readiness assessment covering data, integration, operating model, and vendor relationships
- Independent vendor and systems integrator evaluation if a selection is in scope
- Sequenced modernization plan tied to business outcomes rather than platform milestones
- Implementation governance model with vendor accountability built in
- Stabilization plan and adoption readiness through the first year after go-live
Advisory framework
Transformation Decision Risk Map
A decision map that separates software fit from the operating-model, data, integration, vendor, and adoption risks that usually decide the outcome.
- 01Readiness
- 02Operating model
- 03Master data
- 04Integration risk
- 05Vendor accountability
- 06Stabilization
When to engage
Useful when the decision is expensive to reverse.
- ERP replacement is being discussed but the business is not sure whether to stabilize, extend, or replace.
- Vendor demos are underway and requirements are still too generic.
- STORIS, SAP, Dynamics, Oracle, NetSuite, or another ERP is constraining retail operations or reporting.
- The implementation partner has been selected but governance, data migration, or integration ownership is unclear.
Executive decision points
Questions the engagement should answer.
- What should be fixed before the ERP contract is signed?
- Which business processes must change and which should not be forced into vendor defaults?
- Who owns product, inventory, pricing, order, and financial data after modernization?
- What does stabilization look like in the first year after go-live?
Frequently asked questions
- When should a company start this work?
- Before the RFP. The decisions that determine whether a modernization succeeds are made before the contract is signed. Readiness, data, operating model, and integration design are all upstream of vendor selection. Engaging an independent advisor after the contract is signed is still useful, but the leverage is much smaller.
- Why do these programs fail?
- Four recurring reasons. The operating model decisions the platform required were never made. Master data and integration design were treated as implementation tasks instead of executive decisions. The systems integrator was managed as a supplier rather than as an accountable delivery partner. And change management was added in the last six weeks. The engagement is structured around preventing those four failure modes.
- Do you have a preferred ERP platform?
- No. Vendor independence is the point. Recommendations are based on operating model fit, integration complexity, and the buyer's actual constraints, not on referral fees or partner relationships.
- What is a readiness assessment?
- A structured review of whether the business is ready to absorb a platform replacement. It covers data quality, master data ownership, current integrations, operating model gaps, executive alignment, and program governance capacity. The output is a clear yes, not yet, or a set of specific preconditions with a preparation plan.
- Can you join a program already underway?
- Yes. I regularly join programs mid-implementation to stabilize delivery, reset vendor accountability, repair the integration approach, or prepare for a delayed go-live. Joining late is harder, but an independent view often surfaces decisions the program owner already suspects.
Related proof
Case studies connected to this service
Other advisory areas
Is this a fit?
Describe the situation and the decision in front of you. A short conversation is usually enough to tell.
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