OUR INDEPENDENT ERP CONSULTANTS DELIVER 100% CLIENT SATISFACTION
ERP projects articles, blog posts and insight help you position your project as an opportunity for continuous improvement.
See insight from Ultra's team of trusted advisors.
Industries studies show that approximately 50% to 60% of mid-market companies have outdated information systems. This means that nearly half of management teams in the mid-market are asking themselves the question “why ERP”?! Ultra talks to many manufacturing executives every year that represent the 50% to 60% that are evaluating that question. Read More
Every year we talk with hundreds of companies about their ERP systems. They all have the same issues: poor access to information, core systems that are difficult to use, and a number of disparate systems that are islands of information. They realize that eventually they are going to have to bite the bullet and replace their old ERP system with a Read More
There are hundreds of articles about avoiding the potential pitfalls of an ERP implementation. That isn’t the focus here. Instead we’ll take a look at some critical steps that a company should consider and plan for before they begin the search for an ERP system. Step #1 - Plan for Change An ERP project is not an IT project. It is not a supply Read More
At Ultra, we have been involved in many ERP Selection and ERP Implementation projects. Our experiences tell us, that while selecting a new ERP system can be a major effort for an organization, implementing that new ERP software system is often even a more challenging initiative. An ERP implementation can last between 6 to 18 months, so positioning Read More
Whether you’re a Manufacturer or Distributor, ERP Vendor or IT Consultant you’ve all heard some war stories that an ERP implementation can be a quite difficult exercise. Maybe even more difficult than say, running a marathon in the mountains, blind folded in 100-degree heat? Well, without a formal execution plan it can be just this challenging and Read More
There is a tendency for companies selecting an ERP system to think about the process in a linear fashion. The company first identifies the need for new ERP software, executes an ERP selection project and then starts the implementation process. But there are a series of implementation steps that a company must perform regardless of which ERP system Read More
For nearly 20 years we have seen many organizations wrestle with the thought of buying new ERP software. Should companies who need new business software just they “bite the bullet” and migrate to a new ERP system? Or can they wait just another year or two? The hesitation can be due to a number of factors such as affordability and budget, Read More
It’s been suggested that: "you can’t get the right answer till you ask the right question." For manufacturers embarking upon an ERP selection project, this important piece of wisdom becomes critically important. What’s the best way to make an intelligent decision about which ERP solution to select? Asking the right questions can certainly Read More
It’s no secret that manufacturers face never-ending demands from their customers, complex supply chains, increasingly competitive market conditions and other scenarios that consume available time and resources. Given this scenario, one of the most compelling questions faced by a manufacturing company is how to effectively organize to meet the Read More
As I shared in a previous post, the Ultra team is in the midst of partnering with a US-based metals component supplier. The manufacturer operates 10 facilities strategically located near their customers, serving steel service centers, automotive and truck, construction and agricultural equipment, machinery and appliance OEMs. Through the Read More
It’s quite common for the manufacturers we work to ask the following questions: We know we need a new ERP system but how long is it going to take to recoup our investment? What’s the best way to calculate the payback period? What’s our expected ROI if we implement a new ERP solution? ROI is a Hot Topic The issue of ROI as related Read More
The importance of ERP implementations and executive sponsorship can not be overstated. In today’s competitive and volatile economy, the manufacturing companies we talk to are pressured to balance ERP projects against challenging production schedules and workloads. These manufacturers find it difficult to stay within projected time and cost Read More
