WBSRocks: Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation: Recent Episodes
Sam Gupta
WBSRocks podcast features in-depth conversations on ERP, digital transformation, manufacturing, supply chain, eCommerce, and industry 4.0. The purpose of the show is to help CFOs, COOs, CEOs, and business owners with their daily operational and financial growth challenges by taking a deep dive into business cases and processes, technology strategy and architecture, transformation initiatives, and business models. The show also offers an independent analysis of technology trends, various ERP vendors and solutions, and enterprise software mergers and acquisitions. Subscribe today to stay on top of digital transformation trends!
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Plastic extrusion manufacturers operate in an environment with unique operational requirements that distinguish them from many other manufacturing sectors. Complex production scheduling, process manufacturing workflows, specialized bills of materials, customer-specific product configurations, and highly commoditized product lines all shape ERP requirements and implementation priorities. At the same time, business models, target markets, and operational maturity vary considerably across the industry. As a result, selecting the right ERP system requires a thorough understanding of these operational nuances rather than relying solely on company size or standard feature comparisons.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top Plastic Extrusion ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QwB9od8lvk
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Many manufacturers relying on QuickBooks and spreadsheets believe their current systems are sufficient until growth begins to expose underlying operational constraints. Inventory inaccuracies increase, purchasing becomes more reactive, and disconnected field service and billing processes create inefficiencies that slow the business. Over time, these issues form an invisible barrier to scale, often before leadership identifies fragmented systems as the root cause. This session examines the operational and financial costs of remaining on disconnected tools and provides practical insights into recognizing when it is time to transition to a more integrated business platform.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/outgrowing-quickbooks-when-manufacturers-must-move-to-erp/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Morgan Browne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbrowne/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week's enterprise software developments continued to emphasize AI-driven automation, cloud partnerships, and operational intelligence across the enterprise. HUMAN Security expanded its agentic visibility capabilities for marketing and commerce teams, while Iterable introduced a new AI agent and Xactly launched a dispute management AI agent to automate finance workflows. SAP and Google Cloud announced deeper integrations, Appian unveiled new platform features alongside a partnership with Snowflake, and IBM introduced an AI-first development partner to accelerate enterprise application delivery. Additional announcements included Oracle NetSuite's SuiteCloud Agent Skills offering, the latest release of Precisely EngageOne RapidCX, Treasure AI's rebrand, and Parsec Automation's Connected Worker solution, highlighting continued investment in AI-powered productivity, workflow automation, and digital operations.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdL8bi0M_kU
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Machinery manufacturing is among the most operationally complex segments of the ERP market, with business requirements varying significantly across OEMs, component manufacturers, distributors, field service organizations, and equipment rental companies. Many organizations also operate multiple business models under a single corporate structure, adding further complexity to ERP selection. As a result, choosing the right ERP system requires more than evaluating company size or feature lists. It demands a clear understanding of the organization's unique combination of manufacturing, distribution, service, and rental processes to ensure the platform supports both current operations and long-term growth.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top Machinery Manufacturing ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP_jGo2xmME
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-machinery-manufacturing-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are under growing pressure to improve speed, accuracy, and compliance while managing increasingly complex supply chains. Yet many organizations continue to rely on fragmented systems and manual processes that create delays, increase errors, and limit operational visibility. In this webinar, we explore how integrating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) directly with ERP platforms such as Epicor ERP can automate order processing, reduce manual intervention, and improve data accuracy across the supply chain. Attendees will gain practical insights into how ERP-EDI integration accelerates order cycles, delivers greater real-time visibility, and establishes a scalable foundation for long-term digital transformation.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/unlock-o-amp-funding-modernize-ontario-automotive-operations-with-edi-and-erp-alignment/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Tanya Sweet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyasweet/
đź”—Allie Vignault: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-vignault-0b6405197/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week's enterprise software developments highlight continued momentum around AI, customer experience, enterprise integration, and cloud modernization. People.ai rebranded as Backstory, while Sage expanded Sage Intacct Advisory and introduced a new Human Capital Management solution to broaden its business application portfolio. Syntax launched a GenAI-powered migration offering for SAP customers, Braze unveiled new capabilities to enhance customer experiences, and Emfluence announced an integration with Avid. Additional announcements included HUMAN Security extending agentic visibility to marketing and commerce teams, Iterable introducing a new AI agent, Precisely releasing the latest version of EngageOne RapidCX, and SAP and Google Cloud expanding their integrations to strengthen enterprise AI and cloud capabilities.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ4gLeprFeI
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The apparel manufacturing industry represents one of the most operationally diverse segments in the ERP landscape, making software selection significantly more complex than comparing feature lists alone. Custom apparel manufacturers, fashion brands, uniform producers, sportswear companies, and private-label businesses each operate with distinct product structures, production processes, sourcing strategies, and supply chain requirements. As a result, an ERP system that is an excellent fit for one apparel manufacturer may be poorly suited for another. Understanding these operational differences is essential to selecting an ERP platform that aligns with an organization's business model, growth strategy, and long-term operational needs.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top Apparel Manufacturing ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BrAS3LTm1Q
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-apparel-manufacturing-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Many growing commerce and retail businesses reach a point where adding new applications improves speed but also creates operational complexity. Fragmented data, inconsistent inventory visibility, manual reconciliations, and reporting gaps often become barriers to scale, making platform selection as much an architectural decision as a functional one. In this webinar, we provide an independent review of DOSS, an AI-native operational platform built for direct-to-consumer and retail startups, examining its strengths in conversational reporting, agentic workflows, inventory management, demand planning, order management, and commerce integrations. We also evaluate the architectural trade-offs, including inventory reconciliation challenges and the separation of financial and operational data, giving attendees a practical framework to determine whether DOSS aligns with their growth stage, operational complexity, and long-term digital transformation strategy.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform DOSS.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/doss-erp-review-independent-in-depth/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week's enterprise software announcements highlight continued investment in AI, workflow automation, customer engagement, and business application expansion. Exclaimer introduced an integration with Workday to streamline employee communications, while HubSpot launched Answer Engine Optimization capabilities to help organizations improve AI-driven content discovery. Respondology unveiled a solution for managing social media engagement, and StackAdapt expanded its advertising platform with live event campaign workflows for sports marketers. Additional developments include Agiloft's Contract AI platform, Certinia's Spring 2026 product release, Nutrient's workflow automation platform, People.ai's rebrand to Backstory, Sage's expansion of Sage Intacct Advisory, and the introduction of a new Human Capital Management solution, reflecting the industry's continued focus on embedding AI and automation across enterprise operations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYz8BhGTCCc
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Selecting the right ERP for a food and beverage business requires a deeper evaluation than simply comparing features. In this episode, we rank the top food and beverage ERP systems for 2026 by first defining the diverse businesses that make up the food and beverage ecosystem. Our analysis spans manufacturers across the value chain, as well as distributors, processors, co-packers, and other organizations that support the industry. For each ERP solution, we discuss the business models, operational requirements, and deployment scenarios where it delivers the greatest value, helping organizations identify the system that best aligns with their unique operational and strategic needs.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top Food & Beverage ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7il16Lm7E4
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-food-beverage-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Most organizations develop workflows gradually as teams expand, business requirements change, and new systems are introduced. Along the way, undocumented processes, manual workarounds, duplicate data entry, and unclear ownership often emerge without deliberate planning. Over time, these issues create operational inefficiencies, process bottlenecks, and inconsistent data that limit visibility and decision-making. A structured process audit helps organizations understand how work is actually performed across departments, systems, and stakeholders rather than how it is assumed to operate. By identifying gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for standardization, a process audit establishes a clear baseline for continuous improvement. More importantly, it creates the foundation for successful enterprise software initiatives, including ERP, CRM, supply chain, and digital transformation programs, by ensuring that technology investments are aligned with well-defined and optimized business processes.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/how-to-audit-your-business-processes-a-practical-framework-for-operational-efficiency/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software developments highlight the continued expansion of AI, workflow automation, and ecosystem connectivity across CRM, marketing, operations, and enterprise applications. Copado introduced Agentia, a Salesforce-first 360 delivery solution designed to streamline software delivery processes, while ECI Software Solutions added new AI capabilities to its Deacom and JobBOSS² platforms to enhance manufacturing operations. InvoiceCloud unveiled an AI-powered billing experience to improve customer interactions, and Pipefy announced a collaboration with Microsoft to strengthen workflow automation and enterprise productivity. Meanwhile, Airship expanded its fleet of AI agents to support customer engagement initiatives, and Clari and Salesloft introduced new capabilities aimed at improving revenue execution. Exclaimer deepened enterprise integration through its connection with Workday, HubSpot launched a solution focused on Answer Engine Optimization to help organizations adapt to AI-driven search experiences, Respondology introduced new tools for managing and engaging with social media comments, and StackAdapt released a live events campaign workflow tailored for sports advertising markets. Together, these announcements underscore how vendors are embedding AI and automation directly into business processes while expanding platform interoperability and customer engagement capabilities.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB2KlqraVs
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Not-for-profit organizations represent one of the most diverse and operationally complex segments of the ERP market, making software selection far more nuanced than in many commercial industries. Before evaluating the top not-for-profit ERP systems in 2026, it is important to understand the broad range of organizations that comprise this sector, including community-based nonprofits, charitable organizations, foundations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, housing organizations, and investment-focused entities. Although these organizations share a common not-for-profit operating model, their requirements can differ significantly based on funding structures, program management needs, regulatory obligations, reporting requirements, and service delivery models. As a result, selecting the right ERP system requires careful consideration of each organization's mission, operational complexity, financial management needs, and long-term strategic objectives.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top non-profit ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Hox7zRRP0
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-erp-software/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
As e-commerce operations scale, managing orders, inventory, financials, and customer data across disconnected systems becomes increasingly difficult. In this webinar, we explore how integrating Shopify with Acumatica ERP helps eliminate data silos and create a more connected, efficient order-to-cash process. First, we examine the core integration architecture between the Shopify storefront and Acumatica ERP, highlighting how data flows across sales, inventory, fulfillment, and finance functions. Then, we discuss how real-time synchronization improves inventory accuracy, accelerates order processing, enhances financial visibility, and delivers a better customer experience. For growing e-commerce businesses, this session provides practical insights into building a scalable operational foundation that supports growth while reducing manual effort and operational risk.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/connecting-shopify-to-acumatica-erp-streamline-ecommerce-and-back-office-operations/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Nirav Shah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niravhshah/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software developments highlight the accelerating convergence of AI, automation, and platform consolidation across multiple technology categories. Reshift Media launched Franify to help franchise organizations modernize marketing execution, while Sprinklr expanded its customer experience capabilities through its Spring ’26 release. In the AI space, NeuBird AI raised significant funding to advance agentic AI for production operations, and Xoople secured substantial investment to build an AI-ready system of record for geospatial and Earth-scale data. Meanwhile, Advantive detailed its Advantive ONE platform strategy, and AppDirect announced plans to acquire PartnerStack to strengthen ecosystem and partner management capabilities. Amazon Web Services expanded its AI portfolio by introducing Claude Opus 4.7 to Amazon Bedrock, while BlackLine unveiled its Agentic Financial Operations model to transform finance workflows. Certinia introduced Veda, an intelligent operations engine designed to enhance business execution, and Copado launched Agentia, a Salesforce-first delivery platform aimed at streamlining software development and deployment. Collectively, these announcements demonstrate how vendors are embedding intelligent agents, operational automation, and connected data architectures into core enterprise processes to improve productivity, decision-making, and business agility.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXz-mbRHMow
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The pharmaceutical industry encompasses a wide range of business models, making ERP selection a highly strategic decision that extends well beyond feature comparisons. Before evaluating the top pharmaceutical ERP systems in 2026, it is essential to understand the diversity of the market and the unique operational, regulatory, and supply chain requirements that different organizations face. This analysis examines pharmaceutical companies of all sizes, from emerging biotech firms and specialty manufacturers to large global enterprises, each with distinct needs related to compliance, quality management, traceability, production, and commercialization. As a result, selecting the right ERP platform requires careful alignment with an organization's business model, growth trajectory, and long-term operational strategy.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top pharma ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0FOuPd2VMA
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-pharma-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Selecting a modern FP&A platform has evolved far beyond a simple budgeting or forecasting decision. Today, it represents a strategic investment that influences forecasting agility, data governance, cross-functional collaboration, and executive decision-making. As organizations outgrow spreadsheets and disconnected reporting processes, they require a more integrated and scalable planning environment capable of supporting increasingly complex business needs. Meanwhile, the CPM/EPM market continues to expand with new capabilities, deployment models, and AI-driven functionality, making platform selection more consequential than ever. As a result, finance leaders must evaluate solutions not only on their features but also on their underlying architecture, scalability, integration strategy, and alignment with the organization's long-term operating model and growth objectives.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform Abacum.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/abacum-fpa-review-independent-in-depth/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software developments reflect continued momentum around AI enablement, industry partnerships, customer experience innovation, and strategic acquisitions. ECI Software Solutions and In Time Tec announced a collaboration to expand technology capabilities for their customers, while M-Files introduced new solutions focused on tax advisory, quality management, and contract processes. Nexthink expanded its digital employee experience portfolio with a new solution for Android and iOS devices, and TrueCommerce embedded agentic AI capabilities across its platform to improve supply chain execution and automation. Meanwhile, Yobi strengthened its AI strategy through a partnership with Microsoft, and Zone & Co expanded its financial operations footprint through the acquisition of Sudozi. Additional market activity included Algolia's launch of Recommendation Analytics to enhance digital commerce insights, Caylent's acquisition of Pronetx to deepen cloud and AI expertise, Optimove's acquisition of Smartico to strengthen customer engagement capabilities, and Pipeliner CRM's rebranding as Coevera. Together, these announcements highlight how software vendors are increasingly combining AI, data intelligence, and ecosystem expansion to drive business value and competitive differentiation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4A-kDBpB1o
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The medical device industry encompasses a diverse range of business models, including consumable manufacturers, distributors, capital equipment providers, and service-focused organizations, each with distinct operational and regulatory requirements. Consequently, selecting the right ERP system involves far more than evaluating feature lists. Organizations must assess how effectively an ERP platform supports their manufacturing processes, quality management initiatives, traceability requirements, compliance obligations, and long-term growth objectives. In this video, we examine the leading medical device ERP systems in 2026 and explore how different solutions address the industry's unique operational, financial, and regulatory challenges, helping organizations identify the best fit for their specific business model and strategic goals.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top medical device ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqE_43prs0k
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-medical-device-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) can be a powerful tool for manufacturers, but its success depends on disciplined implementation and a clear understanding of its role within the broader operational landscape. In this session, we explore what APS truly is, moving beyond vendor marketing to define it in practical operational terms. We then examine how APS enhances production scheduling, capacity planning, resource utilization, and shop-floor execution by providing greater visibility into constraints and priorities. For manufacturers struggling with missed delivery commitments, recurring bottlenecks, frequent schedule changes, or constant operational firefighting, this discussion offers valuable insights into how APS can help create a more predictable, efficient, and responsive manufacturing environment.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/advanced-planning-and-scheduling-aps-finite-vs-infinite-capacity-planning-explained/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Mark Feldhamer: https://www.linkedin.com/company/logicdata
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software developments highlight how vendors are accelerating investments in AI, automation, connectivity, and operational intelligence across the enterprise technology stack. Zapier and Rillet connected general ledger processes to thousands of business applications, while ActivTrak introduced new capabilities to help organizations measure and govern AI adoption. At the same time, Celonis expanded its collaboration with Oracle to strengthen process intelligence initiatives, and C3 AI showcased enhancements to its enterprise AI development platforms. ECI Software Solutions and In Time Tec announced a strategic collaboration, M-Files introduced new solutions for tax advisory, quality management, and contract processes, and Nexthink expanded digital employee experience management with support for Android and iOS devices. Meanwhile, TrueCommerce embedded agentic AI throughout its platform to streamline supply chain operations, Yobi deepened its partnership with Microsoft to enhance AI-powered customer engagement, and Zone & Co strengthened its financial operations portfolio through the acquisition of Sudozi. Collectively, these announcements underscore the growing focus on embedding AI directly into core business workflows while improving interoperability, governance, and enterprise-wide productivity.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cCGErWYJI
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The aerospace and defense ERP market remains one of the most complex and highly regulated segments of enterprise software in 2026. However, evaluating ERP solutions in this space requires a clear understanding of the diverse business models that make up the industry. Aerospace and defense organizations range from OEMs and Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers to MRO providers, airlines, defense contractors, and specialized component manufacturers. As a result, operational processes, compliance requirements, quality standards, and supply chain dynamics can vary significantly from one organization to another. Therefore, selecting the right ERP system is less about finding a universally superior platform and more about identifying a solution that aligns with an organization's specific business model, regulatory environment, and long-term growth strategy.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top aerospace and defense ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITidrgPRG9c
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/aerospace-and-defense-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting the right ERP system begins long before software demonstrations or vendor evaluations—it starts with selecting the right advisor. While many consulting firms position themselves as independent, their implementation partnerships, reseller agreements, or vendor incentives often shape recommendations behind the scenes, leading organizations toward shoehorned solutions, vendor lock-in, and architectural decisions driven more by commercial alignment than operational fit. This webinar explains why true independence is critical during ERP readiness and selection initiatives, particularly as enterprise environments become more composable and category-specific. It explores what genuine vendor-agnostic consulting should look like in practice, including defining the target operating model before technology selection, aligning enterprise software categories without forcing everything into a monolithic ERP framework, and evaluating process maturity, data governance, and organizational readiness before narrowing vendor options. In contrast, many advisory firms rely heavily on familiarity bias, implementation convenience, or preconfigured solution stacks that quietly restrict strategic flexibility and increase long-term transformation risk.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/how-to-select-an-independent-erp-consulting-firm-the-process-explained/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software developments further demonstrate how rapidly vendors are embedding agentic AI, governed automation, and composable data architectures into core enterprise workflows. Rootstock Software strengthened its manufacturing and warehouse execution strategy through the acquisition of Ascent Solutions, while Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio to accelerate enterprise planning automation. In the go-to-market space, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to build a more agentic revenue operations stack, and Zapier partnered with Rillet to connect general ledger workflows with thousands of operational applications. Meanwhile, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open, agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Oracle launched Fusion Agentic Applications designed to place coordinated AI agents directly inside ERP workflows. Governance and enterprise trust also emerged as central themes, with Relyance AI unveiling Lyo to monitor how AI agents interact with enterprise data, while Salesforce introduced AI Foundry to operationalize research into enterprise-ready AI models. Finally, Spade raised significant funding to transform messy transaction strings into finance-grade AI data, reinforcing how semantic normalization and governed enterprise context are becoming foundational to the next generation of AI-native enterprise systems.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hekHpEgI0zM
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The automotive ERP market remains one of the most operationally complex and ecosystem-driven segments within enterprise software in 2026, making ERP selection highly dependent on business model alignment, manufacturing architecture, and supplier ecosystem participation. Automotive ERP spans organizations of all sizes, from emerging EV startups to global OEMs and multi-tier suppliers, yet the operational requirements across OEMs, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 manufacturers differ dramatically in terms of compliance, traceability, production strategies, quality management, and supply chain coordination. As a result, no single ERP platform universally fits every automotive environment. One of the most important evaluation criteria is understanding whether an organization operates in a manufacturing execution-centric model—where MES integration, plant-floor coordination, machine connectivity, and real-time production visibility dominate—or a more ERP-centric model focused on procurement orchestration, forecasting, compliance management, and financial coordination. In addition, major automotive ecosystems such as Toyota, Honda, Ford, BMW, and Tesla often impose highly specialized supplier collaboration standards, EDI frameworks, and operational protocols that shape ERP vendor alignment strategies. While these ecosystem-specific optimizations can create strong operational fit within certain automotive networks, they may also introduce challenges when organizations expand across different supplier ecosystems, making historical industry alignment and ecosystem depth critical factors during ERP evaluation.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top automotive ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k5ObVkvPMo
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/automotive-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Modernizing SAP environments requires far more than executing a software upgrade or signing a new licensing agreement. Organizations migrating to SAP S/4HANA or consolidating multiple regional ERP systems into SAP often face significant risks tied to fragmented legacy data models, inconsistent master data, and undocumented transformation logic that can undermine production cutover readiness. In this session, SNP CTO Steele Arbeeny explains how Kyano Crossway supports legacy-to-SAP conversion programs beyond traditional ETL approaches by governing the entire data conversion lifecycle. Rather than treating migration as isolated data loads, Crossway structures and manages mapping logic, transformation rules, validation workflows, and traceability controls to ensure transparency and audit confidence throughout the process. As a result, organizations gain visibility into what changed, why it changed, and whether the transformed data is fully prepared for production deployment within a governed SAP-ready architecture.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/legacy-sap-workloads-readiness-turning-legacy-data-into-sap-ready-data/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Dr. Steele G Arbeeny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steelearbeeny/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software announcements further confirm that the market is rapidly converging around agentic AI, semantic intelligence, and autonomous workflow orchestration. Blue Yonder introduced new AI agents and mobile applications aimed at strengthening supply chain execution and frontline operations, while Zendesk expanded its AI customer service strategy through the acquisition of Forethought. Actian launched an AI analyst designed to convert business glossaries into a live semantic layer, highlighting the growing importance of governed enterprise context for AI-native operations. Meanwhile, ActiveCampaign and Contentsquare announced new capabilities focused on customer engagement and digital experience intelligence. On the enterprise planning side, Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio, while Oracle continued embedding coordinated AI agents directly inside Fusion ERP workflows through its new Fusion Agentic Applications initiative. In parallel, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to strengthen its agentic go-to-market stack, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Rootstock Software acquired Ascent Solutions to deepen its manufacturing and warehouse execution capabilities.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksS15kccXPc
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Shashi Bellamkonda: linkedin.com/in/sbellamkonda/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The construction ERP market remains one of the most fragmented and industry-specific segments within enterprise software, making ERP selection particularly challenging in 2026. Before evaluating the top construction ERP systems, organizations must recognize that construction ERP extends far beyond large commercial contractors alone. The category includes a wide range of operational models, including general contractors, specialty trades, engineering and infrastructure firms, developers, public sector construction organizations, property maintenance providers, and real estate-focused businesses. These organizations vary significantly in project complexity, compliance requirements, subcontractor coordination, procurement workflows, field operations, and financial structures. As a result, construction ERP systems differ substantially in their project accounting models, job costing depth, resource scheduling capabilities, document management workflows, and field-service integration, making industry alignment and operational fit far more important than generic ERP functionality comparisons.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top construction ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu8rU9s8xaY
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-construction-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting a modern FP&A platform is no longer simply a budgeting or reporting decision—it is a strategic architecture choice that shapes how finance organizations operate, collaborate, and scale. Today’s FP&A and broader CPM/EPM platforms directly influence forecasting speed, executive visibility, scenario modeling, data governance, and cross-functional decision-making across the enterprise. As a result, finance leaders must evaluate far more than dashboards and planning features alone. They must assess the underlying data architecture, integration depth with ERP and operational systems, scalability across business units, workflow flexibility, and the platform’s alignment with the organization’s long-term operating model. In many cases, the wrong architectural decision creates fragmented planning processes, inconsistent metrics, and governance challenges that limit finance’s ability to function as a strategic business partner.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform Aleph.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/aleph-an-independent-in-depth-review/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software announcements highlight how rapidly the market is evolving toward agentic architectures, semantic intelligence, and AI-driven operational orchestration. Anthropic expanded MCP with a framework designed for full-stack agentic applications, reinforcing the industry’s push toward composable AI ecosystems. Meanwhile, Hubbl Technologies raised funding to position itself as an intelligence layer for the Salesforce agentic environment, while Salesforce continued broadening its AI footprint through Agentforce for Communications. Sage enhanced the Sage Intacct Suite with new capabilities focused on finance operations, and Sinch introduced a collection of AI agent features targeting customer engagement workflows. On the operational side, Typeface unveiled a marketing orchestration engine, while Blue Yonder announced new AI agents and mobile applications aimed at supply chain execution and workforce enablement. At the same time, Zendesk moved deeper into AI-powered customer support through its acquisition of Forethought, and Actian launched an AI analyst designed to transform business glossaries into a live semantic layer, signaling the growing importance of governed enterprise context for AI-native operations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCxtpqQ_vIw
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Distribution-centric ERP systems represent one of the most operationally diverse categories in enterprise software, making ERP evaluation far more complex than many organizations initially expect. Before reviewing the top distribution ERP systems in 2026, it is critical to understand that distribution extends well beyond traditional wholesale operations. Many distribution businesses also manage light manufacturing, assembly, kitting, fabrication, ecommerce fulfillment, or retail processes, yet their primary operational complexity revolves around inventory movement, procurement, warehousing, logistics, fulfillment, and multi-channel coordination. This category spans a broad range of industries and company sizes, including industrial supply, HVAC, automotive, medical devices, food and beverage, construction supply chains, and ecommerce-driven businesses. Consequently, ERP systems designed for distribution vary significantly in their warehouse models, inventory strategies, fulfillment capabilities, pricing structures, and supply chain workflows, making business-model alignment far more important than generic feature comparisons alone.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top distribution ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA4XdEACxZo
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-distribution-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP initiatives frequently fail because organizations confuse ERP selection with ERP readiness. Selecting an ERP system is primarily a procurement and evaluation exercise, while ERP readiness is a far more complex organizational transformation involving process alignment, governance, data discipline, and executive consensus. ERP systems do not repair broken workflows, resolve ownership conflicts, or clean inconsistent master data—they simply automate and enforce whatever structure already exists. Unfortunately, many organizations develop a false sense of confidence once software is selected, assuming the implementation partner or vendor will absorb integration complexity and operational gaps. In reality, ERP readiness is what determines long-term success. It defines the target operating model, clarifies process accountability, strengthens data governance, and aligns stakeholders before implementation risk compounds. While ERP selection feels tactical and visible, ERP readiness requires strategic intent, organizational discipline, and executive commitment to prevent adoption failures, financial overruns, and architectural misalignment.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/erp-readiness-vs-erp-selection-selecting-an-erp-will-not-make-you-ready/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software announcements reveal how aggressively vendors are repositioning around AI agents, composable integration, and industry-specific workflows. NetSuite introduced its new integration platform to simplify connectivity across enterprise ecosystems, while Oracle expanded both its process manufacturing capabilities and AI agent portfolio inside Fusion Cloud Applications. QAD and Tata Consultancy Services strengthened their manufacturing operations strategy through the Redzone partnership, reinforcing the growing importance of connected frontline execution. Meanwhile, Intuit Mailchimp rolled out new e-commerce enhancements, and Seismic and Highspot announced a major merger that could reshape the sales enablement landscape. On the AI infrastructure side, Anthropic expanded MCP with a framework for full-stack agentic applications, while emerging vendors like Hubbl Technologies positioned themselves as orchestration layers for the Salesforce agentic ecosystem. Finally, Sage, Salesforce, and Sinch continued the broader trend of embedding AI agents deeper into finance, communications, and customer engagement workflows, signaling that the enterprise software market is rapidly shifting from passive systems of record toward autonomous systems of execution.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Ktqz2rXh8
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Shashi Bellamkonda: linkedin.com/in/sbellamkonda/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Manufacturing ERP remains one of the broadest and most misunderstood categories in enterprise software. Before evaluating the top manufacturing ERP systems in 2026, organizations must first understand that manufacturing is not a single industry—it is a collection of highly specialized micro-verticals with unique operational, engineering, compliance, and supply chain requirements. Consequently, manufacturing ERP platforms differ significantly in their process models, data architectures, and industry alignment. Some systems are designed to support multiple manufacturing modes through broad and flexible capabilities, while others are purpose-built for highly specific operational environments. This makes context critically important when comparing ERP systems, especially across different company sizes, business models, and levels of manufacturing complexity.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top manufacturing ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLYsM4ExpD8
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-manufacturing-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Profit erosion in batch and process manufacturing rarely happens suddenly; it accumulates over time through material variability, yield loss, production inefficiencies, excess inventory, and disconnected systems—issues that quietly drain cash, especially in sectors like food and beverage, where small variances can have an outsized financial impact. This webinar outlines four practical levers manufacturers can use to unlock hidden cash without raising prices or reducing headcount, focusing on tighter control of raw material costs, improved real-time production visibility, and the elimination of operational bottlenecks. It also demonstrates how purpose-built ERP solutions such as ECI Deacom enable scalable, end-to-end visibility across production, inventory, and financials, allowing organizations to detect margin leakage earlier and respond proactively. By shifting from reactive to data-driven decision-making, manufacturers can improve cash flow, enhance operational efficiency, and protect profitability across batch and process environments.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/batch-and-process-manufacturing-unlock-hidden-cash-in-your-business/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—James Balestrieri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-balestrieri-56172413
đź”—Kelsey Cirks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseycirks/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent announcements across the enterprise software landscape highlight an accelerating convergence of AI, integration, and industry-specific innovation as core pillars of modern enterprise architecture. Oracle continues to expand its footprint with new capabilities across financial services, process manufacturing, and AI agents embedded within Oracle Fusion Cloud, reinforcing the shift toward intelligent, industry-aware ERP ecosystems. At the same time, Sage is advancing AI-driven enhancements in Sage X3, while NetSuite is strengthening composability through its new integration platform. Beyond core ERP, ecosystem players such as ActiveCampaign, Bombora, and Omilia are embedding intelligence into customer engagement and data workflows, while emerging innovators like Fibr AI attract funding to push experimentation at the edge. Strategic partnerships, including QAD and Tata Consultancy Services, further signal the importance of services-led transformation. Collectively, these moves reflect a broader structural trend: enterprise platforms are evolving into tightly integrated, AI-augmented ecosystems where domain specialization, real-time intelligence, and composable architectures define competitive advantage.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtcFOMAANWM
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Large enterprises approach ERP through a fundamentally different lens, where the system serves not as a tool for day-to-day execution but as a coordination layer for a complex, global ecosystem spanning multiple countries, regulatory regimes, and business models. Typically starting at $1 billion in revenue and extending well beyond $5 billion, these organizations prioritize financial consolidation, governance, and compliance at scale, often adopting best-of-breed or two-tier ERP strategies to balance centralized financial control with decentralized operational flexibility. Implementation timelines are long and capital-intensive, frequently spanning several years, as enterprises navigate acquisitions, divestitures, and evolving operating models. In this context, ERP systems must support deep multi-entity structures, localization requirements, and intercompany complexity without forcing rigid standardization across all business units. This is why evaluating ERP for large enterprises requires an architectural perspective that aligns system design with organizational scale, and why this 2026 list focuses on solutions built for global resilience—helping leaders reduce long-term implementation risk while enabling continuous transformation across the enterprise.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top large company ERP in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um_l8xeAysI
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/large-company-erp/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Enterprise software is undergoing a structural transformation as AI-native ERP platforms redefine how organizations manage financial control, operational orchestration, and decision-making by embedding intelligence directly into the transactional core rather than relying on rigid workflows and manual inputs. This webinar provides an independent, in-depth review of Everest ERP, examining its AI-first architecture, automation capabilities, and data orchestration framework while comparing it against both legacy ERP systems and emerging AI-native alternatives. The focus goes beyond surface-level features to evaluate structural dimensions such as scalability, governance, financial automation, and operational control—areas that increasingly determine long-term success. By connecting these capabilities to real-world ERP selection decisions, the session equips leaders with a clear understanding of AI-native readiness, where these platforms deliver the most strategic value, and how to avoid common pitfalls driven by outdated evaluation frameworks, ultimately enabling faster, more confident, and future-ready ERP decisions.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading AI-native platform Everest ERP.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/everest-erp-an-independent-in-depth-review/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent developments across the enterprise software landscape underscore a dual narrative of rapid AI-driven innovation alongside growing skepticism around how value is measured and delivered. Critiques such as the limited practical relevance of metrics like AWU from Salesforce highlight the disconnect that can emerge between vendor messaging and CIO priorities, even as the broader ecosystem accelerates toward agentic and automated capabilities. Companies like Incubeta and Intentsify are expanding data-driven and agentic offerings, while Klaviyo integrates with ChatGPT to embed conversational intelligence into marketing workflows. Enterprise application vendors are also advancing domain-specific innovation, with Unanet targeting GovCon growth automation, Aptean enhancing routing intelligence, and Oracle and Sage introducing AI-driven enhancements across financial services and ERP platforms such as Sage X3. Meanwhile, partnerships like Cognizant with Uniphore and acquisitions such as ActiveCampaign acquiring Feedback Intelligence reinforce a broader trend: enterprise systems are increasingly converging around AI-infused automation, but buyers must remain vigilant in distinguishing substantive capabilities from surface-level innovation narratives.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usuYQZcFrRQ
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Mid-sized businesses operate in a distinctly more complex ERP environment than startups or small companies, where growth introduces multi-entity structures, geographic expansion, and increasingly formalized processes that elevate ERP from a visibility tool to a coordination layer across the enterprise. Typically spanning $100 million to $1 billion in revenue, this segment is far from uniform—lower mid-market organizations still prioritize simplicity and cost control, while upper mid-market firms begin to mirror large enterprises with needs such as global consolidation, intercompany accounting, and stricter compliance requirements. Across this spectrum, ERP systems must support shared services models, deeper intercompany relationships, and scalable governance without sacrificing flexibility for continued growth. This is why evaluating ERP for mid-sized businesses requires an architectural lens that balances operational depth with organizational scale, and why this 2026 list focuses on solutions purpose-built for the mid-market—helping executives navigate the transition with a structured framework that minimizes implementation risk while aligning systems with evolving business complexity.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top mid-sized business ERP in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4qJLO7QtVc
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/mid-sized-business-erp/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Manufacturers continue to face persistent challenges in sales and inventory forecasting due to fragmented data spread across ERP, CRM, and operational systems, leading to inconsistent inputs and downstream consequences such as excess inventory, stockouts, cash-flow strain, and missed revenue opportunities. This webinar addresses these issues through a practical, real-world use case, demonstrating how disciplined processes and system alignment can significantly improve forecasting accuracy. It showcases how an Algorithm customer leveraged Acumatica in combination with DataSelf to unify disparate data into a single source of truth, eliminating reliance on spreadsheets and enabling scalable, system-driven forecasting. More importantly, the session illustrates how BI-powered forecasting transforms executive decision-making—from reactive variance analysis to proactive, forward-looking planning—allowing leaders to optimize inventory levels, reduce carrying costs, and improve service outcomes, positioning forecasting not merely as a reporting function but as a strategic capability grounded in clean data and tightly integrated systems.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/accurate-forecasting-in-manufacturing-a-customer-case-study-with-erp-and-bi/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Dennis Easter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedennisjeaster/
đź”—Joni Girardi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonigirardi/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent announcements across the enterprise software ecosystem highlight a clear pivot toward agentic AI, ecosystem orchestration, and embedded intelligence within core business platforms. Salesforce is advancing this shift with MuleSoft Agent Fabric, enabling automated agent discovery, while ServiceNow is doubling down through expanded partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic to operationalize AI agents in mission-critical workflows. Strategic collaborations such as Cognizant partnering with Typeface and Uniphore further reinforce the growing importance of composable AI ecosystems. Meanwhile, application-layer innovation is accelerating, with Simpro Group expanding its AI-first platform via acquisition, Klaviyo integrating with ChatGPT, and Unanet and Aptean introducing automation and routing capabilities tailored to vertical use cases. At the same time, data and demand-generation players like Intentsify and Incubeta are embedding agentic capabilities into their offerings, collectively signaling a broader transformation: enterprise platforms are rapidly evolving into interconnected, AI-native environments where intelligent agents, data, and workflows operate as a unified system rather than siloed functions.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_TyTBrq0cc
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Small businesses represent a critical transition point in the ERP journey, where the focus shifts from fragmented tools and experimentation to operational consistency, financial control, and cross-functional visibility. Typically in the $10 to $100 million revenue range, these organizations bring more process maturity and functional leadership than startups, yet still operate within meaningful constraints—particularly around budgets, customization capacity, and internal technical expertise. As a result, they tend to favor suite-centric ERP systems with tightly integrated capabilities across finance, inventory, and operations, reducing reliance on complex integrations and costly development. At this stage, ERP is about establishing repeatable, scalable processes that eliminate bottlenecks without introducing unnecessary complexity. This is why evaluating ERP for small businesses requires a balanced lens—prioritizing ease of implementation, total cost of ownership, and functional breadth over deep specialization—helping leaders avoid overengineering their stack while selecting a system that delivers immediate value and supports the next phase of growth.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top ERP systems for small businesses in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iswWCJhryy0
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/erp-systems-for-small-business/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Most ERP initiatives fail well before software selection, often when organizations reduce the decision to feature comparisons, vendor demos, and procurement-style checklists that obscure deeper architectural and operational realities. Influenced by marketing narratives, limited internal strategy experience, and heavy reliance on implementation partners, teams frequently overlook critical factors such as data readiness, integration design, migration feasibility, legal exposure, and behavioral constraints—leading to overcustomization, cost overruns, delayed go-lives, and systems that reinforce silos rather than resolve them. This webinar reframes ERP selection through the lens of ERP Readiness, positioning it as a structured discipline that aligns leadership and cross-functional teams on the true implications of ERP before downstream execution begins. By evaluating process, data, organizational, technological, legal, and behavioral readiness through a staged, decision-gated approach, organizations can follow a practical 3–6 month framework that produces actionable deliverables, reduces implementation risk, and significantly improves selection outcomes for high-stakes ERP decisions.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/erp-readiness-why-checklist-driven-approaches-fail/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent developments across the enterprise technology landscape signal a decisive shift toward real-time, AI-driven, and sovereignty-aware architectures. From Deepgram securing new funding to accelerate voice AI for real-time applications, to IBM launching cloud platforms aligned with digital sovereignty mandates, vendors are re-architecting core infrastructure to meet emerging regulatory and latency requirements. Strategic moves such as the merger of Tasq AI and BLEND to build enterprise trust layers, alongside Teradata scaling over 150 AI engagements, highlight growing enterprise demand for governed, production-grade AI. Meanwhile, innovation is accelerating across the stack—from Tredence introducing agentic commerce accelerators and Akkodis scaling AI-core platforms, to infrastructure players like ClickHouse and Artie doubling down on real-time data as a foundational layer. At the orchestration level, Salesforce and ServiceNow are embedding agent-based ecosystems through MuleSoft Agent Fabric and deeper partnerships with OpenAI, collectively reinforcing a broader industry trajectory: enterprise systems are evolving from static systems of record into dynamic, intelligent, and autonomous platforms.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YXOXZawPo
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—Ankur Jain: linkedin.com/in/advisorankur/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Startups approach ERP with fundamentally different priorities than mature organizations, emphasizing speed, simplicity, and adaptability over feature depth or global scalability. Operating with lean teams, evolving processes, and limited IT bandwidth, they require systems that support rapid growth without introducing unnecessary complexity, enabling experimentation while integrating seamlessly with an expanding tool ecosystem. In 2026, these needs remain consistent across industries, as most startups—typically under $10 million in revenue and founder-led—favor usability, quick implementation, and cost efficiency over industry-specific sophistication. This is precisely why evaluating ERP for startups demands a different lens than for larger enterprises, where scale and compliance dominate. With that context, this list of top ERP systems for startups in 2026 focuses on solutions aligned with early-stage operational realities, offering a structured way for founders and executives to avoid overbuying, minimize implementation risk, and select a system that can evolve alongside their business trajectory.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top ERP systems for startups in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8IF7fsoyPE
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/erp-systems-for-startups/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Most organizations blame their demand forecast when they encounter stockouts or excess inventory. On the surface, that explanation sounds logical. In reality, however, many so-called forecast failures are actually policy failures hidden inside planning systems. When replenishment rules, safety stock policies, and operational incentives are poorly designed, even the most sophisticated forecasting models will appear inaccurate. Conversely, when those policies are corrected, forecast performance often improves without changing the algorithm at all. This webinar reframes demand forecasting from a broader systems perspective, shifting the conversation away from chasing better statistical models and toward the operational realities that drive planning outcomes. Specifically, we examine how inaccurate actuals, fragmented master data, misaligned organizational incentives, inconsistent safety stock policies, and weak governance structures quietly introduce volatility into supply chains. By understanding these structural drivers, organizations can address the root causes of forecasting instability and build a more reliable planning environment without relying solely on increasingly complex algorithms.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/demand-forecasting-vs-reality-what-erp-buyers-must-fix-first/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Sharon Custer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inventoryoptimizationpro/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software and AI developments highlight the rapid expansion of agentic systems, data-driven commerce, and infrastructure innovation across the technology stack. ServiceNow deepened its strategic collaboration with OpenAI, reinforcing the momentum behind AI-powered workflow automation across enterprise operations. In parallel, marketing and customer engagement platforms are embedding more autonomous decisioning capabilities, with Optimove introducing an AI content decisioning agent and RainFocus launching a new system designed to orchestrate complex event marketing workflows. Commerce and product discovery ecosystems are also evolving, as Algolia partnered with Microsoft to deliver real-time product data into AI-driven shopping experiences, while Tredence introduced agentic commerce accelerators aimed at modern digital retail environments. Meanwhile, infrastructure and AI platforms continue to attract significant investment and innovation: Cast AI achieved unicorn status through Kubernetes and AI cost optimization technology, Deepgram secured new funding to advance real-time speech intelligence, and IBM launched a cloud platform aligned with digital sovereignty requirements. Complementing these moves, Tasq AI merged with BLEND to build a trust layer for enterprise AI, while Teradata reported accelerating enterprise AI adoption with more than 150 engagements in 2025—further signaling how AI agents, real-time data platforms, and infrastructure innovation are converging to reshape the enterprise software landscape.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrQAVO7nrDw
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When evaluating the Top Project Management Systems in 2026, the focus must remain strictly on best-of-breed platforms rather than lightweight project modules embedded within CRM or ERP systems. To qualify for this category, the platform must operate as a standalone application with its own data model, workflow engine, and process architecture that can function independently from any broader suite. While some vendors bundle project capabilities within larger portfolios, the core project management engine must remain architecturally separable to ensure the depth and flexibility required by dedicated project environments. Another critical dimension is scope. Some platforms concentrate primarily on internal task coordination, collaboration, and resource planning for knowledge-centric teams. Others extend into Professional Services Automation (PSA), introducing financial controls such as billing, utilization management, revenue tracking, and client-facing workflow orchestration. This distinction matters because nearly 90% of project management systems are optimized for internal initiatives, whereas organizations managing external, client-billable projects require far deeper capabilities, including milestone-based revenue recognition, contractual governance, and complex resource allocation. As a result, companies running professional services engagements often need a fundamentally different platform than those supporting a purely internal PMO.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top project management systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these project management systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each project management system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37s_LuCzWus
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-project-management-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
AI-native ERP platforms are redefining how organizations structure enterprise systems, automate workflows, and support real-time decision-making. Unlike traditional ERP vendors that typically bolt AI capabilities onto legacy architectures as an external layer, AI-native platforms embed intelligence directly within the core data model and operational workflows. This architectural shift changes how ERP systems scale, how automation is designed, and how decisions are surfaced across finance and operations. As a result, ERP evaluation criteria are evolving. Buyers now expect faster insight generation, deeper automation, and architectures that can adapt to AI-driven processes from the ground up. In this landscape, Campfire has emerged as a notable entrant positioned around an AI-first design philosophy. This webinar provides an independent, in-depth review of Campfire’s architecture, automation framework, and overall system design, while also comparing its capabilities against traditional cloud ERP systems and other emerging AI-forward platforms. The goal is to provide a clear, vendor-agnostic perspective so technology leaders can better understand where AI-native ERP platforms fit within the evolving ERP strategy landscape.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading AI-native platform Campfire.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/campfire-an-independent-in-depth-review/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise software developments highlight how AI orchestration, ecosystem partnerships, and platform specialization continue to reshape the market. Usercentrics announced plans to acquire MCP Manager, strengthening its capabilities in consent and privacy governance as regulatory pressure grows. Meanwhile, Sage expanded its AI strategy by partnering with Augusta Labs to accelerate the development of an AI Center of Excellence, while ServiceNow both enhanced its global partner program and deepened its collaboration with OpenAI—signaling continued momentum around AI-powered workflow automation. Product innovation is also advancing across industry and marketing platforms: Syntax introduced a construction toolkit designed for SAP environments; Zone & Company launched an agentic orchestration layer for finance automation; and NiCE unveiled the Cognigy Simulator as an AI performance testing environment. In the marketing technology space, Optimove released an AI content decisioning agent, RainFocus introduced new workflow capabilities for event operations, and Algolia partnered with Microsoft to enable real-time product data delivery for AI-powered shopping experiences—reinforcing how AI agents, orchestration layers, and ecosystem collaboration are rapidly becoming foundational elements across modern enterprise software platforms.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbpRZ1iq_T4
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
When analyzing real-time transportation visibility platforms in 2026, it is important to view them as a highly specialized category within the broader supply chain technology landscape. These platforms are transportation-centric by design, focusing on shipment tracking, carrier connectivity, exception management, and predictive ETA intelligence to give logistics teams granular visibility into in-transit performance. Conceptually, they operate as a sub-layer of broader supply chain planning and S&OP frameworks, but their primary audience is operational—transportation and logistics leaders responsible for managing carrier networks, mitigating disruptions, and reducing costs such as detention or dwell time. However, these platforms do not always exist as purely standalone solutions. Some vendors embed real-time visibility directly within broader supply chain suites, while others integrate it into ERP ecosystems or procurement-led platforms. In some cases, the visibility layer can be deployed independently, though architectural dependencies across the vendor’s portfolio may still exist. This creates a strategic trade-off: standalone deployments can deliver faster departmental agility and focused functionality, whereas suite-level deployments can enable tighter orchestration across planning, execution, and financial reconciliation. As a result, evaluating these platforms requires understanding whether real-time visibility is the vendor’s core product or simply an embedded capability within a broader supply chain ecosystem.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top real-time transportation visibility platforms in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these real-time transportation visibility platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each real-time transportation visibility platform.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSKvzgqf1mY
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-real-time-transportation-visibility-platforms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
SAP Cloud ERP represents a fundamental shift from the SAP environments many organizations have historically operated. Rather than the highly customizable, implementation-controlled systems of the past, SAP’s cloud-first direction introduces a standardized SaaS operating model that reshapes how finance, operations, and IT teams interact with the platform. As SAP pushes deeper into AI-native capabilities, embedded analytics, and continuous release cycles, organizations are being forced to revisit long-standing assumptions around extensibility, governance, and total cost of ownership. At the same time, buyers must reconcile SAP’s opinionated best-practice frameworks with the realities of legacy processes, industry-specific requirements, and complex integration landscapes. This webinar explores what SAP Cloud ERP truly means for long-term ERP strategy—highlighting the trade-offs between flexibility and standardization, the operational implications of SaaS governance, and the new implementation patterns emerging in cloud environments—so decision makers can evaluate whether SAP’s modern cloud model aligns with their enterprise roadmap or whether alternative architectures may better support their operating model.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/sap-cloud-erp-rethinking-erp-for-the-ai-native-era/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Matthew Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mross7/
đź”—Gabe Mensching: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-mensching-9b88a22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software updates highlight how AI capabilities, ecosystem partnerships, and vertical specialization are increasingly shaping product strategy across the industry. Sage expanded its AI footprint by introducing a Copilot within the Sage Operations Suite and partnering with Augusta Labs to accelerate development through a new AI Center of Excellence. Meanwhile, customer experience and marketing platforms continue embedding intelligent automation, with Salesforce advancing Slackbot capabilities inside Slack, Treasure Data launching a marketing “Super Agent,” and Cordial introducing AI agents designed to support campaign orchestration and personalization. Product innovation is also occurring across data and commerce platforms, as Akeneo announced its Winter Release and Syntax introduced the Syntax Construction Toolkit to streamline SAP-centric construction workflows. At the ecosystem level, ServiceNow enhanced its global partner program while Usercentrics moved to acquire MCP Manager to strengthen consent and privacy governance capabilities. Finally, startup momentum continues in the digital workplace space, with Flip securing a $20 million Series A funding round—further reinforcing that AI agents, ecosystem expansion, and verticalized platforms are becoming central themes in the evolving enterprise software landscape.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07D4gVzwpyo
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Alexander Wurm: linkedin.com/in/alexander-w-374705132/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
When analyzing the Top Supply Chain Suites in 2026, it is critical to start with the broader architectural context in which these platforms operate. Supply chain suites are most commonly adopted by retail-centric organizations where demand volatility, high SKU counts, omnichannel fulfillment, and large distribution networks require tightly coordinated planning and execution. Most modern suites integrate several core components—typically network planning, supply planning, and execution—while embedding operational layers such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) directly within the broader platform. However, these suites are not architected uniformly. Manufacturing-oriented suites tend to intersect heavily with systems such as MES, CAD, procurement, and quality management to support production-centric workflows, whereas retail-focused suites emphasize fulfillment orchestration, distribution optimization, and execution density across complex logistics networks. Evaluating these platforms therefore requires careful attention to product-market fit and micro-vertical specialization. A solution designed for high-SKU retail distribution will differ significantly from one optimized for engineer-to-order aerospace manufacturing. Market positioning also varies widely, with some suites targeting mid-market organizations through bundled functionality and simplified deployment models, while others are built for global enterprises managing multi-tier supply networks and complex operational ecosystems. Ranking these platforms ultimately requires assessing product share acquisition strategy, roadmap depth, ecosystem maturity, win rate, architectural robustness, and the level of investor backing shaping their long-term trajectory.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top Supply Chain suites in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Supply Chain suites. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Supply Chain suite.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYiZSSOId_w
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-supply-chain-suites/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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AI adoption is accelerating across the enterprise, yet most initiatives struggle to move beyond experimentation, with nearly 80% of projects failing to scale or deliver measurable business value. The reasons are remarkably consistent: fragmented data, poorly defined processes, architectural misalignment, and vendor claims that often outpace organizational readiness. AI does not correct these weaknesses—it amplifies them. When underlying processes are broken, automation accelerates the problems. When data quality is poor, predictive models simply operationalize bad assumptions. As vendors promote copilots, autonomous workflows, and predictive insights, many organizations still lack the governance discipline, data consistency, and process clarity required to support these capabilities at scale. This growing gap between vendor promises and buyer readiness is why many AI pilots stall before reaching production. A successful AI strategy therefore begins with readiness. It requires aligning operating models, strengthening data governance, redesigning workflows, and clarifying decision ownership. A structured AI-readiness framework—built around data, process, architecture, people, and governance—helps executives translate AI from hype into a practical 12–24 month roadmap focused on measurable business outcomes.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/ai-readiness-2026-how-to-strategize-ai-initiatives/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software announcements reflect a clear industry-wide acceleration toward AI-embedded operations and ecosystem expansion through partnerships and acquisitions. Accenture’s acquisition of Faculty highlights the growing demand for AI-native capabilities that combine advanced data science with enterprise delivery scale. At the same time, platform vendors are rapidly embedding AI directly into operational workflows: Panaya introduced Seemore, an agentic AI layer designed to automate software change analysis, while Sage added a Copilot capability to Sage Operations Suite to bring conversational intelligence into day-to-day business processes. Industry incumbents are also extending AI deeper into vertical workflows, with SAP unveiling AI-enhanced retail innovations and AVEVA launching new AI tools aimed at engineering and design environments. Meanwhile, ecosystem consolidation and integration remain active themes, as Flexera expands through acquisitions and Syspro partners with SugarCRM to strengthen go-to-market alignment between ERP and CRM layers. Complementing these moves, vendors such as Flowfinity, Akeneo, and Cordial continue to release platform updates that integrate automation, AI agents, and workflow intelligence—further reinforcing that AI is no longer an experimental add-on but a structural layer across enterprise software ecosystems.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTg_sSh1hVQ
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
đź”—Ankur Jain: linkedin.com/in/advisorankur/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When analyzing the Top 10 S&OP systems in 2026, it is important to recognize that most S&OP capabilities are not standalone applications but components of broader supply chain planning suites. These suites are particularly common in retail-centric environments, where high SKU counts, omnichannel fulfillment, franchise networks, and volatile demand require structured, macro-level planning coordination. However, the need extends beyond retail. Construction contractors with storefront footprints, franchise-heavy operating models, or expanding eCommerce channels also depend on S&OP frameworks to align demand forecasts, inventory positioning, and supply commitments. In many implementations, S&OP functions as a planning layer within a larger ecosystem that includes demand planning, supply planning, and network optimization. Architecturally, these solutions vary widely: some vendors deliver S&OP as a tightly integrated module inside ERP or supply chain suites, while others position it within analytics-driven “connected planning” platforms that unify finance, HR, and operational planning. Because these approaches differ significantly in scope, specialization, and integration depth, organizations must evaluate them through the lens of their planning maturity, data governance discipline, and enterprise architecture to determine which model will generate the most strategic value.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top S&OP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these S&OP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each S&OP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA4gJulHt3k
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-sop-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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AI-native ERP platforms are challenging foundational assumptions about what ERP systems are, how they should be implemented, and where meaningful differentiation truly resides. Rather than centering workflows around human data entry, rigid configurations, and predefined transaction flows, platforms such as DualEntry are designed with AI as the primary operational layer, enabling systems to interpret business intent, automate accounting logic, and orchestrate processes with minimal manual intervention. This shift moves ERP from a system of record maintained by humans to a system of intelligence that actively participates in decision-making and execution. As a result, AI-first ERP platforms redefine implementation models, reduce dependency on extensive configuration and customization, and introduce a fundamentally different value proposition—one where competitive advantage comes from adaptive intelligence, continuous learning, and architectural flexibility rather than feature breadth alone.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading AI-native platform DualEntry.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/dualentry-an-independent-review-part-ii/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent announcements across the enterprise software landscape highlight an accelerating shift toward AI-native capabilities, deeper operational visibility, and composable enterprise architectures. Integrations such as Beroe’s DataHub with the Model Context Protocol and Panaya’s Seemore agentic layer reflect growing momentum around context-aware AI orchestration, while Pipefy’s AI agents and SAP’s AI-enhanced retail innovations demonstrate how vendors are embedding intelligence directly into operational workflows. Strategic acquisitions—including Accenture’s move to acquire Faculty and Flexera’s expansion through multiple purchases—underscore the race to strengthen AI-driven services and platform breadth. Meanwhile, Rockwell Automation’s expansion of its MES portfolio, Certinia’s Winter ’26 release, Flowfinity’s platform enhancements, and ECI Software Solutions’ acquisition of Amper Technologies reinforce the importance of real-time manufacturing visibility, service lifecycle integration, and process automation. Collectively, these developments signal a broader transition from static enterprise systems toward adaptive, AI-driven platforms designed to improve execution speed, operational insight, and scalability.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoX9TLCKcQY
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Field service operations play a critical role in connecting customer experience, asset reliability, and recurring revenue generation, making them a strategic function rather than a purely operational one. As service models expand to include installations, preventive and predictive maintenance, equipment rentals, and aftermarket support, the supporting systems must evolve beyond simple scheduling or work order tracking. Modern field service platforms must coordinate technician dispatch, parts availability, service contracts, asset history, and real-time performance data while enabling seamless collaboration between service, finance, and supply chain teams. This deeper operational integration allows organizations to improve first-time fix rates, maximize asset uptime, increase service profitability, and deliver more consistent, high-quality customer experiences in increasingly complex service environments.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top field service systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these field service systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each field service system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNCWWbSRXKc
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/field-service-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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AI-native ERP platforms are fundamentally redefining the architectural assumptions that have governed ERP systems for decades, shifting the focus from rigid transaction processing toward adaptive, intelligence-driven orchestration. Unlike legacy ERP systems that retrofit AI as an auxiliary feature, platforms such as Rillet are engineered with AI embedded at the core, enabling native reasoning over financial, operational, and contextual data. This architectural inversion changes how ERP systems are deployed, configured, and differentiated, allowing them to automate workflows, infer relationships, and dynamically adapt to business conditions without relying on extensive manual configuration or brittle customization layers. As a result, AI-native ERP platforms represent not just incremental innovation but a structural shift in enterprise architecture, with the potential to redefine how organizations manage processes, scale operations, and extract decision-grade intelligence from their core systems.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading AI-native platform Rillet.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/rillet-an-independent-review/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This wave of product launches, acquisitions, and platform expansions highlights how enterprise software vendors are rapidly embedding AI, data integration, and domain-specific intelligence deeper into their operational cores. Announcements such as Anaplan’s role-based AI agents, Pipefy’s expanded AI agent availability, and Beroe’s integration with the Model Context Protocol signal a shift toward agent-driven orchestration and context-aware automation across planning, procurement, and workflow execution. At the same time, acquisitions like BlackLine’s purchase of WiseLayer and ECI Software Solutions’ acquisition of Amper Technologies reflect a strategic push to strengthen financial automation and real-time manufacturing visibility. Meanwhile, platform enhancements from BillingPlatform, Certinia, Propel Software, and Avetta emphasize tighter integration across revenue lifecycle management, ESG compliance, product development, and supplier governance. Collectively, these developments illustrate a broader industry transition toward AI-native, composable enterprise architectures designed to improve decision quality, accelerate execution, and deliver measurable operational outcomes.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWDc-dx3Q0I
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems have evolved from simple maintenance tools into strategic platforms that directly influence operational resilience, financial performance, and long-term scalability. Organizations depend on EAM to maximize asset uptime, reduce unplanned downtime, and optimize maintenance costs through structured preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. As asset environments become more complex—with IoT-enabled equipment, distributed facilities, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements—the choice of an EAM system affects far more than maintenance teams. It shapes capital planning, lifecycle cost management, operational visibility, and integration with broader enterprise systems such as ERP and supply chain platforms. Selecting the right EAM solution therefore becomes a critical architectural decision, enabling organizations to extend asset lifecycles, improve operational efficiency, and build a scalable foundation for future digital transformation.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top EAM systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these EAM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each EAM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyHW5OMDLD8
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-eam-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP selection for complex equipment manufacturers requires a structurally different evaluation framework than selection for high-volume or make-to-stock businesses, yet many organizations continue to rely on generic ERP shortlists, accounting-centric systems, or horizontal platforms that lack native support for engineered-to-order processes. These environments demand deep integration across engineering, estimating, project execution, and long-cycle manufacturing—capabilities that general-purpose ERP systems often address only through costly customization. As a result, ERP initiatives frequently exceed budgets, introduce operational friction, and fail to scale with business complexity. Without alignment between ERP architecture and the engineered-to-order operating model, the system becomes a constraint rather than an enabler of operational efficiency and long-term growth.
In this episode, Sam Gupta hosts Steve Moon, Business Systems Consultant and Andy Pratico, The ERP Santa Claus, from Essential Software Solutions to discuss ERP for complex equipment manufacturers: why selection fails and how to fix it.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/erp-for-complex-equipment-manufacturers-why-selection-fails-and-how-to-fix-it/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Steve Moon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-moon-b86b7513/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This wave of enterprise software announcements underscores how AI agents, ecosystem alliances, and data infrastructure are becoming foundational to modern enterprise architecture. Vendors such as Pipefy and Aquant are expanding libraries of pre-built AI agents, while Salesforce continues to scale its Agentforce ecosystem through industry-specific releases, AWS integrations, and its acquisition of Informatica to strengthen data governance and orchestration. At the same time, platform vendors like IFS and Freshworks are enhancing their core cloud offerings to embed automation and intelligence deeper into operational workflows. Strategic collaborations—including Zendesk’s agreement with AWS and Iterable’s release of a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server—highlight the growing importance of standardized orchestration layers that allow AI agents to operate securely across distributed systems. Meanwhile, initiatives such as Sage’s AI Trust Label reflect increasing focus on governance, transparency, and responsible AI adoption as autonomous capabilities become embedded into mission-critical enterprise processes.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyTFFz7aXVA
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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eCommerce has transformed from a basic online ordering interface into a strategic digital channel that directly influences revenue growth, customer experience, and scalability. As customer expectations rise and digital journeys become more complex, selecting the right eCommerce platform now requires evaluating architectural fit, extensibility, and alignment with your long-term business model—not just front-end functionality. In this video, we examine eCommerce platforms for 2026, beginning with the critical decision factors that buyers must understand before comparing vendor lists. We focus exclusively on true best-of-breed eCommerce platforms rather than ERP add-ons or entry-level portals, and explain what it takes to support the full digital commerce lifecycle. We also explore key architectural considerations, including headless versus traditional frameworks, composable and microservices-based designs, and how AI-native capabilities are redefining personalization, automation, and operational efficiency in modern eCommerce environments.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top eCommerce platforms in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these eCommerce platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each eCommerce platform.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDmFJCOQ-MA
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-ecommerce-platforms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
For decades, ERP systems have formed the operational backbone of enterprise organizations, enabling process consolidation, reducing data silos, and enforcing financial discipline. However, these benefits came with structural tradeoffs. Implementations were lengthy. Data models became rigid. Customizations and reporting required specialized skills and significant cost. As organizations move into 2026, tolerance for these constraints is declining. Businesses must respond faster to market shifts while maintaining tighter capital discipline and delivering modern user experiences. At the same time, the ERP landscape is undergoing a structural transition. Economic pressure, evolving business models, and rapid advances in AI are forcing vendors to rethink long-standing architectural assumptions. While many traditional vendors rely on incremental modernization, agentic overlays, or acquisitions, a new class of AI-native platforms is challenging the foundations of ERP design itself. This shift raises critical questions about data structures, transactional integrity, and system flexibility—separating superficial innovation from true architectural transformation.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ provides comprensive insights into the state of ERP in 2026.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/the-state-of-erp-in-2026-ai-native-structural-shifts/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This cluster of enterprise software announcements highlights how vendors are rapidly embedding AI, expanding ecosystem integrations, and strengthening vertical depth to drive measurable operational outcomes. From Camunda’s integrations with ServiceNow to Pipefy’s launch of next-generation AI agents and Coupa’s introduction of agentic AI capabilities, the focus is shifting toward autonomous execution layers that can orchestrate workflows, enforce policies, and improve decision speed. At the same time, platform expansions such as ECI’s NET1 Commerce Suite, HighByte’s Intelligence Hub updates, and Deltek’s platform enhancements demonstrate continued investment in unified operational and data architectures to support increasingly complex digital environments. Strategic moves—including Rootstock’s acquisition of Praxis Solutions and Provus’ partnership with Kantata—underscore how vendors are closing functional gaps through targeted acquisitions and alliances rather than rebuilding entire platforms. Finally, initiatives such as Sage’s AI Trust Label and Flowfinity’s AI service expansion reflect a growing emphasis on governance, transparency, and trust as AI becomes embedded infrastructure across the enterprise stack.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzfdn7jJiVg
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Transportation management has evolved into a strategic control point for cost optimization, service reliability, and long-term supply chain resilience. As freight networks grow more fragmented and execution complexity increases, selecting a TMS is no longer about basic load planning or freight rating—it is about architectural fit, operating model alignment, and the platform’s ability to support your logistics strategy over time. In this video, we examine the top TMS systems for 2026, beginning with the critical decision factors that should shape your evaluation before reviewing any vendor list. We clarify the differences between true best-of-breed TMS platforms and ERP-embedded or broader supply-chain-suite offerings, and why those distinctions materially impact flexibility, neutrality, and scalability. We also explore the implications of choosing independent software vendors versus platforms tied to logistics service providers, including the tradeoffs between software independence, managed services integration, and network effects. Finally, we discuss how company size, operating model complexity, and industry context influence which TMS architectures are structurally aligned—or misaligned—with your organization’s future state.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top TMS systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these TMS systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each TMS system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNaOtCGwdaI
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-tms-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software announcements reflect a broad, coordinated push toward AI-native experiences layered across collaboration, operations, finance, and core business platforms. Salesforce’s latest version of Slack, Oracle’s role-based AI agents for Fusion Cloud, and SAP’s extension of its business suite all signal that hyperscalers are embedding AI directly into day-to-day workflows rather than positioning it as a standalone add-on. In parallel, Sprinklr’s new AI capabilities and Upstream Works’ enhanced agent desktop extend this trend into customer experience and contact center operations, while Kantata’s new AI platform targets the specialized needs of professional services firms. NetSuite’s “Next” roadmap reinforces Oracle’s mid-market modernization strategy, and ScienceLogic’s reimagined applications highlight how observability and IT operations are also being reshaped by AI-first design principles. Rounding out the picture, Cleo’s invoice payment and financing solution underscores growing pressure to modernize B2B financial operations, while Sage’s acquisition of Criterion signals continued consolidation in the HCM space—together illustrating a market that is rapidly standardizing on AI-driven interaction layers even as vendors compete to redefine their category boundaries.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-5FOS9QamY
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
When evaluating WMS systems for 2026, it is essential to recognize that this is a structurally best-of-breed category rather than an extension of ERP or eCommerce platforms. This analysis deliberately excludes lightweight warehouse workflows embedded in broader systems, which are primarily designed to pass transactions downstream into a true WMS and lack the functional depth, orchestration complexity, and automation readiness required by serious distribution operations. True WMS platforms represent a category in their own right, with broader suites, richer integration patterns, and materially different architectural demands. Compounding this complexity is the diversity of operational models the category must support, from 3PL-centric environments focused on billing logic, client segregation, SLAs, and rapid customer onboarding, to manufacturing- and retail-centric value chains that prioritize production staging, kitting, reverse logistics, store replenishment, and omnichannel fulfillment. These differences are further reinforced by the technical segmentation of the category into WMS, WCS, and WES layers, with some vendors offering unified suites and others remaining purely transactional without deep integration into ASRS, robotics, conveyors, or advanced warehouse technologies—distinctions that materially affect long-term system fit and scalability.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top WMS systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these WMS systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each WMS system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YHLvbCbuA
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-wms-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software developments underscore a widening gap between rapid AI-driven platform innovation and the unresolved execution risks embedded in large-scale ERP programs. On one side of the ledger, Mendix and OutSystems both advanced their agentic AI roadmaps with new releases aimed at operationalizing autonomous workflows, while ServiceNow’s unveiling of its AI Experience, Sprinklr’s new AI capabilities, and Braze’s product enhancements at Forge 2025 reinforce how aggressively vendors across ITSM, CX, and marketing automation are repositioning around AI-first interaction layers. Salesforce’s latest Slack updates and Upstream Works’ enhanced agent desktop further extend this trend into collaboration and contact center operations, signaling that AI augmentation is now table stakes across front-office and service environments. In parallel, Plex’s expanded connected worker integrations highlight how these same concepts are being pushed into manufacturing execution and workforce enablement, while Cleo’s invoice payment and financing solution reflects growing pressure to modernize B2B financial operations. Yet this innovation narrative is tempered by Daedong USA’s loss of an injunction in its ERP dispute—placing its $11.4 billion suit in jeopardy—which serves as a reminder that beneath the AI acceleration, legacy implementation failures, legal exposure, and governance breakdowns continue to create material risk for enterprises betting on large transformation programs.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Arr9GjwOBs
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—Jan Burian: linkedin.com/in/janburian/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
HCM operates under a different operational gravity, shaped by higher data sensitivity, greater regulatory exposure, and people-centric workflows that do not map cleanly to financial or supply chain logic. HR data carries a uniquely elevated risk profile, and processes such as payroll, benefits, compliance, recruiting, onboarding, training, and performance management introduce specialized data models and integration needs that demand purpose-built platforms. Adoption also follows a different maturity curve, with most organizations starting from basic payroll—often via a PEO or standalone system—and gradually layering in more strategic HR capabilities as workforce size and complexity increase. Because HCM spans multiple micro-segments and specialization layers that vary materially by industry, geography, and workforce composition, it must be evaluated as its own architectural layer, not merely as an ERP add-on, to ensure long-term system fit and operational resilience.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top HCM software in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these HCM software. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each HCM software.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVe9TBkCoG0
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-hcm-software/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software headlines highlight a market simultaneously accelerating into agentic AI while still wrestling with the structural and legal fallout of past transformation failures. On the innovation front, Genstore’s $10M seed round, Tray.ai’s launch of the Tray Agent Hub, and new agentic releases from Mendix and OutSystems underscore how aggressively vendors are repositioning around autonomous workflows and AI-first orchestration layers. ServiceNow’s unveiling of its AI Experience and Plex’s connected worker integration push the same narrative into IT service management and manufacturing operations, signaling that agentic concepts are no longer confined to experimental edges of the stack. At the same time, a parallel storyline of governance and execution risk is playing out, with Zimmer Biomet’s $172M ERP lawsuit against Deloitte, Europe’s continued delays fixing a troubled Oracle system, Daedong USA’s faltering ERP injunction, and the EU Commission’s investigation into SAP’s practices reinforcing how fragile large-scale enterprise transformations remain. Together, these developments paint a bifurcated 2026 landscape: rapid platform innovation driven by AI ambition on one side, and unresolved accountability, regulatory scrutiny, and implementation risk on the other.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3VmbEsy5uQ
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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While most modern CRMs offer basic marketing automation, those native modules are typically optimized for simple campaign execution and lead nurturing and often lack the depth, specialization, and innovation velocity of dedicated platforms. This list therefore prioritizes best-of-breed systems that function as a true operational hub for marketing teams and demonstrate meaningful ecosystem penetration across data platforms, content systems, ad-tech tools, and analytics layers. Because integration complexity in this category is generally lower than in core transactional systems, a best-of-breed strategy is structurally viable, ensuring the platforms included are tightly aligned with the real-world needs of modern marketing organizations rather than serving as secondary feature sets within sales- or service-centric suites.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top marketing automation systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these marketing automation systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each marketing automation system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88hYJ_rw3v4
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-marketing-automation-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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AI-native ERP platforms are fundamentally redefining what buyers should expect from enterprise systems, not just in how they automate work, but in how they are architected, implemented, and governed over time. In this independent, evidence-based review of DualEntry—one of the most visible AI-first ERP platforms—we move beyond vendor marketing to evaluate its data model, product design philosophy, investor alignment, market positioning, customer narratives, and community discourse, all through the lens of a real-world ERP selection project. The analysis then benchmarks DualEntry against both AI-native peers and traditional ERP platforms to surface where these systems deliver material advantages, where structural tradeoffs emerge, and what long-term risks may be accumulating beneath the innovation narrative. Designed for executives and ERP selection teams, the session provides a selection-ready framework to determine whether AI-native ERP platforms like DualEntry genuinely fit your business model, industry complexity, and growth trajectory.
In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading AI-native platform DualEntry.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/dualentry-an-ai-native-erp-platform-an-independent-in-depth-review/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/
đź”—Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/
đź”—Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This week’s enterprise software news highlights a widening gap between glossy innovation narratives and the hard operational and governance realities shaping buyer risk. On the innovation side, BlackLine’s launch of Verity for the Office of the CFO, Tray.ai’s Agent Hub, Genstore’s $10M seed round, and Blue Yonder’s new TMS features underscore the accelerating push toward AI-enabled automation and orchestration layers across finance, integration, and supply chain. Versori’s partnership with Fluent Commerce and Acumatica’s 2025 R2 update further signal growing emphasis on ecosystem connectivity and incremental platform modernization. At the same time, the darker counterpoint is impossible to ignore: Zimmer Biomet’s $172M ERP lawsuit against Deloitte, a major European city council’s continued delays in fixing a failed Oracle system, and the EU Commission’s investigation into SAP’s practices reinforce how execution risk, vendor governance, and regulatory scrutiny are now front-and-center issues for enterprise buyers. Taken together, these developments reflect a market bifurcating between rapid AI-driven experimentation and escalating consequences for large-scale ERP missteps—raising the strategic stakes for both technology selection and transformation leadership.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tFlYu6W_iw
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Blair Pleasant: linkedin.com/in/blairpleasant/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
The top retail digital transformation trends for 2026 capture a fundamental shift from incremental modernization to structural re-architecture, driven by the collision of macroeconomic headwinds and on-the-ground operational strain. Geopolitical volatility, persistent inflation, and a cooling global economy are tightening capital discipline and reshaping risk tolerance, while margin compression, rising fulfillment complexity, and escalating customer expectations are forcing retailers to reengineer how work actually gets executed across merchandising, supply chain, and customer operations. This framework is intentionally practical, not theoretical: it helps retail buyers diagnose architectural fragility and sequence modernization investments with economic reality in mind; it signals to software vendors where R&D will generate durable market pull rather than novelty-driven noise; and it gives executives a forward-looking map of which platforms, data strategies, and functional ecosystems are accumulating strategic gravity as the industry resets.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 retail digital transformation trends in 2026. He also discusses how these trends would impact business models and the specific steps executives need to take as they plan their retail transformation initiatives. Finally, he shares the advantages for these strategies and how they would help navigate current macroeconomic headwinds.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN8BupegUZ4
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-retail-digital-transformation-trends/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This cluster of announcements illustrates how enterprise software vendors are converging on monetizable AI, composable ecosystems, and domain-specific depth rather than headline platform reinvention. Product expansions such as BillingPlatform’s RevenueIQ suite, Epicor’s outcomes-based ERP AI agent, and BlackLine’s Verity for the CFO signal a shift toward AI that is tightly anchored to measurable financial and operational outcomes. At the same time, M&A and alliances—including IFS acquiring 7bridges, Salesforce’s planned acquisition of Regrello, QAD partnering with Esker, and Versori partnering with Fluent Commerce—reinforce a strategy of filling execution gaps through targeted capabilities rather than broad-suite sprawl. Underpinning much of this activity, Oracle’s deployment of GPT-5 across its database and SaaS portfolio underscores how foundational AI services are becoming embedded infrastructure, while workforce and go-to-market expansions from ActivTrak and Capacity’s acquisition of KLaunch highlight continued investment in productivity, adoption, and execution at the edges of the enterprise stack.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdCqxl1NXBI
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
When evaluating the CRM category, our analysis intentionally moves beyond CRM modules embedded within ERP systems and instead focuses on best-of-breed CRM platforms and the full spectrum of capabilities that define modern customer engagement. This includes not only core operational CRM functions such as sales force automation and pipeline management, but also upstream marketing automation, downstream customer experience and service workflows, contact center operations, events, search, and the increasing convergence with CMS and website capabilities that anchor the digital customer journey. While vendors may brand these pillars as Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, or reposition them around AI- and agentic-workflow narratives, the underlying architecture remains consistent, and strategic orientation matters: some platforms are designed for specific micro-verticals with tightly integrated suites, while others pursue broad horizontal coverage. These choices materially affect extensibility, process design, and long-term fit, particularly across B2B versus B2C use cases, where many CRM systems struggle with complex B2B sales cycles—driving continued demand for low-code and no-code customization and deeper integration across CRM, eCommerce, and CMS ecosystems.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 CRM systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBLUBdDuWQc
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Enterprise software vendors are tightening execution around AI enablement, workflow depth, and operational recovery rather than pursuing broad platform reinvention. Acquisition activity—from Sage moving to acquire Fyle, to SYSPRO acquiring DATASCOPE, Zendesk completing its acquisition of HyperArc, and Contentsquare acquiring Loris AI—signals a continued emphasis on capability-led expansion tightly aligned to core use cases. In parallel, AI product announcements from NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Zoho, and Zendesk emphasize connectors, agents, and embedded intelligence designed to improve productivity within existing workflows rather than displace them. Finally, the case of AAON underscores the operational reality behind these trends: ERP value is ultimately realized not through announcements or AI features alone, but through disciplined execution, stabilization, and long-term operational turnarounds—particularly in complex manufacturing environments where recovery often matters more than rapid transformation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdEBRue0MM
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Before reviewing the top ERP systems for 2026, it is essential to align on how ERP systems are defined in this analysis: the focus is on individual ERP products, not the vendors that own them. This distinction matters because products within the same vendor portfolio can receive materially different levels of strategic attention, R&D investment, and roadmap momentum, which directly affects long-term viability and customer outcomes. A large enterprise vendor, for example, may maintain a mid-market ERP offering while concentrating innovation on a flagship platform, increasing buyer risk if the selected product is not core to the vendor’s strategy. The list, therefore, spans organizations of different sizes and industries and groups systems into generic and prescriptive categories, each with distinct tradeoffs—prescriptive systems prioritizing faster implementations and tighter alignment to defined business models, and generic systems offering broader industry coverage and long-term flexibility. As each system is evaluated, emphasis is placed on size fit, supported business models, suite-centric versus ecosystem-driven integration approaches, and the balance between native functionality and partner-dependent capabilities.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew0twrY1b6Q
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-erp-systems/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP and adjacent platform vendors are simultaneously deepening vertical specialization, expanding AI distribution, and accelerating ecosystem-led growth. M&A activity from Advantive acquiring PINPoint, SYSPRO acquiring DATASCOPE, and Sage moving to acquire Fyle reinforces a continued focus on capability-driven expansion rather than broad horizontal reinvention. Product and platform updates from Deltek, Rootstock Software, and NetSuite emphasize AI-assisted productivity, localization, and integration flexibility as table stakes for mid-market and upper-mid-market buyers. At the same time, distribution and partnership strategies—such as Pipefy partnering with Oracle, Sage Intacct listing AI agents on AWS Marketplace, and Versori partnering with SYSPRO—signal a broader shift toward ecosystem-led AI adoption, where value is increasingly delivered through connectors, agents, and composable services rather than monolithic ERP releases.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLp0Rsgggws
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Before reviewing the top ERP vendors for 2026, it is critical to align on what “ERP vendors” actually represent in this analysis: companies, not individual ERP systems. This distinction is essential because most vendors operate multi-product portfolios that span different company sizes, industries, and deployment models, making vendor-level strategy and capital allocation far more predictive of long-term outcomes than isolated feature comparisons. Our evaluation framework, therefore, balances macro forces—such as market share, valuation signals, R&D investment patterns, and acquisition strategy—with micro forces, including product depth, functional coverage, and architectural direction across each portfolio. These dimensions are tightly interconnected; a vendor may have a flagship product that is thriving while adjacent offerings receive limited investment, creating materially different risk profiles depending on which product a buyer selects and how that product fits into the vendor’s broader strategic priorities.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP vendors in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP vendors. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP vendor.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpWhz5MbqTM
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-10-erp-vendors/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
AI commercialization and regulatory scrutiny are reshaping the market. Product announcements from SAP, Unit4, Deltek, Sage Intacct, and NetSuite highlight continued investment in cloud distribution, verticalized functionality, and embedded AI—often via hyperscaler marketplaces and agent frameworks—while transactions such as SYSPRO acquiring riteSOFT and Advantive acquiring PINPoint reinforce the ongoing push toward capability-led M&A in manufacturing and asset-centric environments. Partnerships like Pipefy with Oracle reflect the race to operationalize generative AI beyond experimentation, while the antitrust ruling involving SAP and the shareholder investigation into Lamb Weston Holdings serve as a reminder that legal, regulatory, and governance forces remain an active counterweight to rapid innovation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNRK47Sjt-U
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Jan Burian: .linkedin.com/in/janburian/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Digital transformation trends for 2026 reflect a convergence of sustained macroeconomic pressure and meaningful shifts in enterprise-level decision-making, requiring organizations to adopt a more disciplined, systems-oriented approach to technology and investment. While the external environment is expected to remain broadly consistent with 2025—marked by geopolitical volatility, tariffs, constrained supply chains, and modest economic growth—policy-driven forces around data sovereignty, regulation, and national security are increasingly reshaping cloud strategies, workload placement, and vendor risk exposure. At the same time, relatively stable interest rates reinforce a cautious capital environment where ROI, resilience, and operating efficiency take precedence over experimentation. Against this backdrop, enterprises are re-evaluating architecture, operating models, and software portfolios with a sharper focus on long-term viability, while vendors recalibrate product strategies to align with buyer demands for pragmatic value rather than speculative innovation.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 15 digital transformation trends in 2026. He also discusses these trends from multiple perspectives, including geopolitical, commercial, and behavioral. Finally, he shares what executives need to do to prepare for these trends.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVvT9ZmFam4
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/digital-transformation-trends/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
AI-native ERP systems are rapidly reshaping the enterprise software landscape by challenging long-standing assumptions about how ERPs are selected, implemented, and evolved over time. As AI becomes embedded directly into configuration, development, and daily workflows, practices once viewed as risky—such as extensive customization, rapid iteration, or even building ERP capabilities in-house—are becoming increasingly viable. Rising commercial software costs are further forcing executives to revisit the traditional buy-versus-build calculus, particularly as AI-first platforms promise faster deployments, more adaptable architectures, and experiences tailored to specific operating models. However, the category remains early, raising critical questions around governance, scalability, reliability, and long-term support. In this context, Everest ERP’s AI-first approach offers a practical lens into how AI-native architectures can accelerate time-to-value while redefining what buyers, implementers, and business leaders should expect from ERP systems over the next decade.
In this episode, Sam Gupta hosts Sandeep Chopra, co-CEO, Everest, to discuss how AI impacts ERP strategy for companies.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/your-erp-strategy-is-about-to-break-ai-is-rewriting-the-playbook/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Sandeep Chopra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeep-chopra-ca/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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A mix of product launches, acquisitions, funding rounds, and legal developments illustrates how enterprise software vendors are simultaneously accelerating innovation while navigating increasing market and regulatory complexity. Salesforce’s updates to Marketing Cloud Next and Agentforce 3, alongside new capabilities from Cordial and SAP, point to a continued push toward AI-driven engagement, automation, and cloud-native commerce experiences. Strategic acquisitions by Accenture and SYSPRO reinforce the importance of deep industry and manufacturing expertise embedded within digital transformation platforms, while Unit4’s ERPx release on Azure and Campfire’s Series A funding highlight momentum behind modern, AI-first ERP architectures. At the same time, antitrust scrutiny involving SAP and investor investigations such as the Lamb Weston case underscore the growing governance, compliance, and risk considerations shaping the enterprise technology landscape. Collectively, these developments reflect a market evolving on multiple fronts—technological, structural, and regulatory—at the same time.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj8yp0QFWSo
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Jan Burian: .linkedin.com/in/janburian/
đź”—Jon Reed: linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Public sector organizations operate under a fundamentally different set of constraints and expectations than their private-sector counterparts, making CRM selection a strategic decision rather than a purely technical one. Before reviewing our Top 10 Public Sector CRMs in 2025, it is important to align on how success is defined in this environment, where accountability, transparency, and service continuity often take precedence over revenue growth or pipeline velocity. Government agencies, municipalities, and public institutions must support complex case management, constituent engagement, regulatory compliance, and multi-year programs, frequently within rigid budget cycles and procurement frameworks. As a result, public sector CRMs must prioritize governance, data security, accessibility, and long-term adaptability, rather than simply replicating commercial sales or marketing use cases.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Public Sector CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Public Sector CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rk74lc0LbY
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
A wave of funding announcements, acquisitions, and product launches highlights how quickly AI, data, and customer engagement technologies are converging across the enterprise. Significant financings for PhysicsX, Vultr, and Vellum signal strong investor confidence in platforms that support AI-native workloads, applied intelligence, and modern infrastructure, while Capgemini’s acquisition of WNS underscores growing demand for large-scale, technology-enabled business transformation services. On the customer and marketing side, deeper integrations and feature expansions from CallMiner, Hightouch, Insight7, Jasper, Oktopost, and Salesforce reflect a shift toward real-time intelligence, personalization, and content automation embedded directly into core CRM and contact center ecosystems. Collectively, these developments suggest the market is moving beyond point solutions toward tightly integrated platforms that combine data, AI, and execution at enterprise scale.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKJ7uZQ3sRA
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Higher education institutions operate in an environment where academic mission, financial sustainability, and long-term stakeholder relationships must coexist—placing unique demands on enterprise systems. Before reviewing our Top Higher Education CRM Systems in 2025, it is essential to clarify how CRM success is defined in this context, where engagement extends far beyond traditional recruitment or advancement functions. Universities must manage complex, multi-decade relationships with prospective students, current learners, alumni, donors, faculty, research partners, and governing bodies, often across decentralized colleges and departments. As a result, higher education CRMs must emphasize lifecycle visibility, data governance, cross-functional coordination, and compliance, rather than narrowly focusing on transactional interactions or short-term conversion metrics.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Higher Education CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Higher Education CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suOIiIoZDFA
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent announcements across enterprise software, AI platforms, and services point to an accelerating convergence of intelligence, automation, and scale. Product expansions from Deltek, CallMiner, and Hightouch reflect a push to embed advanced analytics, personalization, and contextual intelligence directly into operational systems, while launches from Intellistack and Kognitos highlight growing demand for no-code and neurosymbolic approaches that reduce dependence on scarce technical talent. Strategic transactions such as IFS acquiring TheLoops and Capgemini acquiring WNS signal a broader shift toward end-to-end, AI-enabled business transformation that blends software, services, and domain expertise. At the same time, substantial funding rounds for PhysicsX, Vellum, and Vultr underscore continued investor confidence in platforms that support AI-native workloads, from applied engineering intelligence to workflow orchestration and cloud infrastructure. Collectively, these moves suggest the market is moving beyond experimentation toward integrated, production-grade AI capabilities embedded across the enterprise stack.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NufAeaJoPwI
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting the right CRM in the K-12 education sector is less about sales enablement and more about orchestrating complex, long-lived relationships across an entire educational community. Before we present our Top K-12 Education CRMs in 2025, it is important to align on what success looks like in this context—where the “customer” spans students, parents, teachers, administrators, district leadership, and external partners, each with distinct engagement cycles and data needs. K-12 organizations require platforms that can manage enrollment journeys, communications, compliance, and support interactions over many years, often under strict regulatory and budgetary constraints. As a result, CRM selection in this space prioritizes governance, data integrity, and lifecycle visibility over traditional pipeline management or revenue optimization.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 K-12 Education CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these K-12 Education CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIIesikgPko
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent product launches, acquisitions, and funding announcements underscore how rapidly enterprise software and AI platforms are evolving across both horizontal and vertical use cases. Vendors such as Orbit Analytics, Deltek, and Advantive are extending core operational solutions with deeper analytics, compliance, and decision-support capabilities, while companies like Pipefy, Aquant, Kognitos, and Intellistack are pushing AI further into everyday workflows through agents, retrieval-augmented conversations, neurosymbolic reasoning, and no-code automation. Strategic moves like IFS acquiring TheLoops highlight growing demand for AI-driven operational intelligence embedded directly into ERP ecosystems, rather than bolted on at the edges. At the same time, significant growth financings for PhysicsX and Vultr signal continued investor confidence in infrastructure and applied-AI platforms that can support increasingly compute-intensive, industry-specific use cases. Together, these developments point to a market shifting from experimental AI features toward scaled, production-ready capabilities tightly integrated with core enterprise systems.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7jW3wPtFQ
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
Innovation districts sit at the intersection of real estate, research, community building, and economic development—making them fundamentally different from most commercial enterprises. Unlike traditional organizations with a single revenue engine or operating model, innovation districts are ecosystems designed to orchestrate universities, startups, investors, public agencies, and anchor institutions within a shared physical and digital footprint. Their success depends less on transactional efficiency and more on their ability to foster collaboration, attract talent, manage long-term stakeholder relationships, and translate research and entrepreneurship into measurable economic impact. This multi-stakeholder, mission-driven structure creates unique governance, funding, and operational complexities that require purpose-built strategies rather than off-the-shelf commercial playbooks.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 CRMs for Innovation Districts in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRMs for Innovation Districts. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://youtu.be/eBYRIZZ1zJo
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Manufacturing ERP systems may appear similar on the surface, but their differences become stark once you look underneath—especially for industries where precision, engineering complexity, and compliance cannot be compromised. While many vendors promote similar modules, only specialized ERPs are architected to handle the rigorous demands of electronics, wire harness, and other engineering-intensive sectors. This webinar will unpack why industry-specific systems consistently outperform generic, one-size-fits-all ERPs, showing how they enhance traceability, strengthen real-time visibility, and seamlessly connect quoting, ordering, production, inventory, quality, and shipping into a unified operational flow. We’ll explore how features like dynamic scheduling, embedded revision and configuration control, automated quality enforcement, and real-time WIP and material visibility are purpose-built—not bolted on—to support complex manufacturing. By the end, you’ll clearly see how the right specialized ERP can improve accuracy, reduce errors, accelerate throughput, and ultimately drive profitability in high-stakes production environments.
In this episode, Sam Gupta hosts Tanner Rogers, Director of Sales, Cetec ERP, to discuss the ultimate ERP playbook for Electronics & Wire Harness companies.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/the-ultimate-erp-playbook-for-electronics-manufacturing/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Tanner Rogers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-rogers-72347b106/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
This week’s enterprise technology updates highlight major movements across ERP support, AI automation, testing, analytics, and workflow orchestration. Rimini Street extended support for all SAP ECC 6.0 and S/4HANA releases through 2040, offering long-term stability for organizations navigating SAP’s transition timeline. Zencoder launched Zentester, an AI-powered end-to-end testing agent designed to transform vibe coding into enterprise-grade engineering, while Acorn secured $12.3 million in Series A funding to accelerate its growth. Algolia introduced its MCP Server to empower developers, and Aravo enhanced its Evaluate Engine with new features to strengthen risk and compliance workflows. Avetta rolled out upgrades to the Avetta One platform, and Orbit Analytics expanded its GL Sense solution with new capabilities. Pipefy launched AI agents tailored for HR teams, Advantive released a new version of its statistical process control solution, and Aquant detailed its retrieval-augmented conversation technology—together showcasing how AI, automation, and modernization continue reshaping every layer of the enterprise software ecosystem.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06EUjRBLHDA
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—Shashi Bellamkonda: linkedin.com/in/sbellamkonda/
đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us Fan Mail
When evaluating the top 10 large-company CRMs in 2025, it’s essential to ground the discussion in how we define this segment: organizations with more than 5,000 employees and over $1 billion in annual revenue, representing the true enterprise tier. Unlike startups, small businesses, or even mid-sized firms, large enterprises operate with global scale, complex geographic footprints, and deeply layered organizational structures that demand far more from their CRM systems. Their priorities include advanced territory and quota management, multi-layered sales and service planning, global data consolidation, and strict compliance with regulations across multiple jurisdictions. As a result, CRMs designed for this tier aren’t simply expanded versions of mid-market solutions—they are built with entirely different architectural assumptions, offering deeper configurability, stronger governance controls, more sophisticated integration frameworks, and data models engineered to support highly interconnected business units operating across regions, languages, currencies, and regulatory environments.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Large Non-Profit CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Large Non-Profit CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFtzoHQiqfg
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
The aerospace and defense industry operates in one of the most demanding environments, where compliance, traceability, and precision are non-negotiable—yet many manufacturers still rely on generic ERPs that were never built for aviation. As a result, they pour millions into customizations just to meet basic FAA, DoD, and OEM requirements, only to end up with fragile systems that struggle under the weight of cert linkage, serial and lot tracking, shelf-life controls, and calibration traceability. In this webinar, we’ll break down the “Aerospace ERP Gap,” exposing the risks and costs of forcing generic ERPs into aerospace use cases, including the all-too-common “$2M customization trap.” You’ll see how industry-built ERP platforms close this gap with out-of-the-box capabilities for MRO, manufacturing, and defense contractors—delivering compliance-ready workflows, integrated configuration management, and real-time visibility across every aircraft, tool, and certificate. Ultimately, these purpose-built solutions help organizations move from reactive and fragmented to unified and intelligent, without blowing budgets or stretching implementation timelines.
In this episode, Sam Gupta hosts Ralph Merhi, CEO, ERP.aero, to discuss the inside of the aerospace ERP gap, the $2M cost of getting it wrong.
Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/erp-aero-overview-webinar/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Ralph Merhi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphmerhi/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
This week brought a surge of AI-driven innovation across CX, martech, enterprise software, and development tooling. Treasure Data introduced five new AI suites aimed at elevating customer experiences, while Uniphore unveiled a suite of AI marketing agents and Zeta Global provided more details on its Zeta Answers platform—each reinforcing the rapid expansion of AI across customer engagement. In the enterprise and ERP ecosystem, Accenture launched its Distiller agentic AI framework, Precisely rolled out AI-driven automation for SAP ERP, and Rimini Street extended support for all SAP ECC 6.0 and S/4HANA releases through 2040, signaling major momentum in long-term ERP modernization and support. On the engineering and DevOps front, Zencoder debuted Zentester, an AI-powered end-to-end testing agent designed to turn vibe coding into enterprise-grade engineering. Meanwhile, Acorn secured $12.3 million in Series A funding to accelerate its growth, Algolia released its MCP Server to enhance developer productivity, and Aravo expanded its Evaluate Engine with new features—collectively highlighting how AI, automation, and modernization continue reshaping every layer of the enterprise technology stack.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrKYmqgnWMg
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
đź”—Jon W. Hansen: linkedin.com/in/jwhansen/
đź”—Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
When evaluating the top 10 mid-sized CRMs in 2025, it’s important to anchor the discussion in how we define the mid-sized market: organizations with roughly 100 to 5,000 employees and annual revenues from about $100 million to $1 billion. While some vendors might loosely label this range as enterprise, its operational profile aligns more closely with a true mid-sized segment—complex enough to require mature workflows, multi-layer security, and structured organizational planning, yet not burdened by the extreme global compliance, multinational consolidation, or governance demands seen in large enterprises. This tier sits squarely between the lightweight needs of startups and small businesses and the heavy global operational requirements of enterprise firms. As a result, CRM systems built for mid-sized organizations strike a deliberate balance: they offer richer data models, stronger automation, and more advanced capabilities than systems targeted at smaller businesses, without introducing the excessive overhead or architectural rigidity common in enterprise-focused platforms.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Mid-Sized Non-Profit CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Mid-Sized Non-Profit CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLnUew0p7iU
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
This week’s customer experience and marketing technology updates highlight a clear shift toward deeper intelligence, tighter collaboration, and more secure enterprise-grade platforms. CallMiner strengthened its conversational analytics footprint with the acquisition of VOCALLS, while Contentstack expanded its composable ecosystem by launching the new Data and Insights solution. Mosaicx introduced the next generation of its Engage platform, and Salesforce continued its march toward unified workflows by embedding Slack directly into CRM collaboration. In the government and regulated markets, Talkdesk achieved FedRAMP authorization for its CX Cloud Government Edition, signaling a major milestone for secure cloud CX. Meanwhile, Treasure Data rolled out five new AI suites aimed at enhancing customer experiences, Uniphore unveiled a new suite of AI marketing agents, and Zeta Global provided fresh details on its new Zeta Answers offering—collectively reflecting increased innovation and maturity across the CX and martech landscape.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85vq3s9786E
Questions for Panelists?
- đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
- đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/
- đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
- đź”—Kenneth ("kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
- đź”—Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
When evaluating the top 10 not-for-profit CRMs for small businesses in 2025, it’s essential to understand how this market is segmented, starting with organizational size and industry context. While many assume not-for-profits operate with simpler technology needs, their CRM requirements can actually be far more complex—often extending into grant management and other operational layers, especially when the ERP footprint remains intentionally lean. For this analysis, we classify small business not-for-profits as organizations with roughly 20 to 200 employees, acknowledging that complexity often matters more than headcount. In this tier, processes are typically siloed and focused on customer- and constituent-facing workflows such as marketing, donor and volunteer engagement, and basic lifecycle tracking, with fewer downstream marketing demands. Because datasets and business objects are less interconnected than in mid-market or enterprise environments, CRM systems for this segment prioritize simplicity, lowered configuration effort, and accessible pricing—while still offering the flexibility to support a wide range of not-for-profit models, including associations, education, healthcare, charities, and religious organizations.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Non-Profit Small Business CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Non-Profit Small Business CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mhAL_jsdbo
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
The enterprise tech landscape saw a wave of AI-driven advancements this week, with major vendors pushing deeper into intelligent automation and unified customer experiences. Sage introduced its AI-powered Copilot to Sage X3, while Storyblok rolled out two new integrations to strengthen content operations. Workday expanded its ecosystem with a new AI Agent Partner Network and Gateway, and AdDaptive Intelligence broadened its AI-powered advertising platform. In the CX space, CallMiner acquired VOCALLS and Mosaicx launched the next generation of its Engage platform. Contentstack unveiled a new Data and Insights solution, Salesforce embedded Slack for tighter CRM collaboration, and Talkdesk secured FedRAMP authorization for its CX Cloud Government Edition. Rounding out the announcements, Treasure Data released five new AI suites focused on customer experience, Uniphore introduced a suite of AI marketing agents, and Zeta Global shared details on its new Zeta Answers offering—collectively signaling an accelerating shift toward more intelligent, integrated, and automated digital ecosystems.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iplWl80n90YZhdGlx
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
Questions for Panelists?
- đź”—Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-krame
- đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
- đź”—Thomas Wieberneit: linkedin.com/in/thomaswieberneit/
- đź”—John Santaferraro: linkedin.com/in/johnsantaferraro/
- đź”—Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
In the not-for-profit startup CRM segment—particularly for organizations with fewer than 20 employees—the environment is lean, centralized, and heavily dependent on a single CRM administrator who shapes processes across the organization. At this early stage, scattered systems and data silos are manageable, so CRM platforms prioritize simplicity, usability, and light integrations over complex workflows or deep data structures. Budget limitations also push these organizations toward DIY deployments, choosing tools they can configure and launch with minimal outside help. But as you move into the broader not-for-profit space, operational complexity rises sharply. Website integrations for donations, event registrations, and recurring payments become essential, blurring the line between CRM and e-commerce. This is why some CRM vendors in this segment offer built-in e-commerce capabilities—bringing their pricing closer to that of standalone e-commerce platforms while meeting the needs of more sophisticated not-for-profit operations.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Non-Profit Startup CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Non-Profit Startup CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihCIyzNkfV4
Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-non-profit-crms/
Questions for Panelists?
đź”—Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
The enterprise software landscape continues its rapid AI-driven transformation, as vendors double down on automation, intelligence, and ecosystem connectivity. NT Logistics and Qued deepened their partnership to enhance logistics optimization, while Priority Software unveiled aiERP, embedding AI directly into core ERP workflows. Progress Software introduced AI-powered tools to accelerate developer productivity, and Sage rolled out AI Supply Chain Intelligence for SMBs alongside a new Copilot for Sage X3, reinforcing its mid-market dominance. On the content and marketing front, Storyblok launched two key integrations, AdDaptive Intelligence expanded its AI advertising platform, and Contentstack introduced its Data and Insights Solution. Meanwhile, Workday’s new AI Agent Partner Network and Gateway underscores a growing focus on interoperable AI ecosystems, complemented by CallMiner’s acquisition of VOCALLS, signaling continued consolidation across AI-native enterprise platforms.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Send us a text
The CRM requirements of nonprofits are uniquely mission-driven, extending well beyond conventional sales and customer engagement functions. Unlike commercial enterprises, these organizations must manage complex relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders—including donors, volunteers, members, partners, and beneficiaries—each with distinct interaction and reporting needs. Core capabilities such as donation lifecycle management, pledge tracking, campaign segmentation, and impact measurement are essential to sustaining transparency and trust. Nonprofits also rely heavily on integrations with fund accounting systems and marketing automation tools to maximize limited resources while maintaining accountability to donors and regulators. Given their dependence on public and grant funding, robust data governance and auditability are non-negotiable. A CRM that aligns with the nonprofit operational and compliance model is not just a tool for engagement—it’s the backbone for mission execution, resource optimization, and long-term sustainability.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Non-Profit CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Non-Profit CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology landscape continues to accelerate toward AI-driven transformation and vertical specialization, with a surge of strategic partnerships, product launches, and acquisitions reshaping the ecosystem. TELUS Digital’s acquisition of Gerent strengthens its Salesforce consulting depth, while AppDirect’s purchase of Broker Online Exchange marks an ambitious expansion into energy procurement—blurring the lines between technology marketplace and industry operations. Appian’s Connected Claims 2.0 redefines insurance process automation through AI, and Celonis’ partnership with Peech introduces a groundbreaking solution aimed at reducing retail perishables loss using real-time intelligence. Meanwhile, HCLTech and UiPath’s collaboration focuses on scaling agentic automation across global enterprises, underscoring how automation is evolving into an enterprise-wide capability. On the innovation front, LuminX’s $5.5 million seed funding highlights growing investor confidence in emerging AI players, and Priority Software’s launch of aiERP reflects the movement toward embedded intelligence at the ERP layer. Complementing this, Progress Software’s AI-powered developer tools and Sage’s AI Supply Chain Intelligence for SMBs show that across functions—from supply chain to software development—AI is becoming the defining force driving efficiency, adaptability, and competitive advantage.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The CRM needs of large enterprises are shaped by scale, complexity, and stringent governance demands that go far beyond what smaller organizations require. These businesses operate across multiple geographies, currencies, and regulatory environments, making territory management, multi-level forecasting, and compliance core to their CRM strategy. Unlike smaller firms that prioritize ease of use, large enterprises demand robust systems capable of managing global data consolidation, advanced security, and enterprise-grade scalability. Their CRMs must seamlessly integrate with ERP, CPQ, marketing, and analytics ecosystems while maintaining strict data sovereignty and access control standards. With decision-making dispersed across regions and divisions, AI-driven insights, predictive forecasting, and centralized reporting become essential. Ultimately, for large enterprises, a CRM is not just a sales tool—it’s a governance and intelligence engine powering global alignment, operational efficiency, and strategic execution.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Large Company CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Large Company CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software ecosystem is undergoing another wave of AI-driven transformation, with vendors and service providers racing to redefine customer intelligence and automation capabilities. Gainsight’s debut of Atlas, a suite of AI agents, and Similarweb’s launch of its own AI agent collection both signal a shift toward modular, intelligent ecosystems that automate customer insights and engagement. Complementing this, Snowplow introduced Snowplow Signals—a real-time customer intelligence infrastructure designed to power next-generation, AI-enhanced products. On the acquisition front, Invoca’s purchase of Symbl.ai strengthens its conversational analytics capabilities, while Salesforce’s planned acquisition of Informatica underscores its commitment to deepening data integration and intelligence at scale. Meanwhile, TELUS Digital’s acquisition of Gerent, a Salesforce-focused consultancy, highlights how implementation partners are becoming increasingly strategic in this evolving, AI-first landscape where intelligence infrastructure is the new competitive battleground.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The mid-market CRM buyer occupies a distinct and often underestimated space between simplicity and scale. Unlike startups that seek rapid deployment or small businesses focused on cost efficiency, mid-sized organizations require systems that can support growing operational complexity without the burden of enterprise-grade bureaucracy. Their CRM priorities revolve around robust workflow automation, stronger data security, and cross-departmental collaboration across sales, marketing, service, and operations. With multiple product lines or regional divisions, they need a platform that offers deeper analytics, moderate ERP or CPQ integration, and flexible reporting capabilities for managerial insight and planning. Yet, they’re not contending with the global consolidation, multi-currency, or data sovereignty challenges faced by large enterprises. Instead, their goal is to scale efficiently—to deploy a CRM that’s powerful enough to grow with the business but still agile enough to adapt quickly to evolving market and organizational dynamics.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Mid-Sized CRMs in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Mid-Sized CRMs. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software landscape in 2025 continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, marked by a surge of strategic acquisitions, partnerships, and AI-driven innovations. Acumatica’s acquisition by Vista Equity Partners signals a new phase of investment and potential scaling for the mid-market ERP leader. Meanwhile, alliances like Capgemini’s expanded collaboration with Mistral AI and SAP, and SAP’s new partnership with Alibaba Group, underscore the growing importance of regional and AI-native synergies. On the AI front, DataRobot’s open-source framework for agentic workflows and Deloitte’s launch of a Global Agentic Network both highlight the race to operationalize autonomous digital workforces. Product innovation also remains intense: Snyk’s AI Trust Platform, Gainsight’s Atlas, and Similarweb’s AI Agent collections illustrate how vendors are embedding intelligence across ecosystems. Complementing this trend, Invoca’s acquisition of Symbl.ai and Salesforce’s plan to acquire Informatica show how data and conversational intelligence are becoming central to customer engagement strategies. Even digital service providers like TELUS Digital are doubling down on CRM-centric growth through the acquisition of Gerent, reflecting how every layer of the enterprise stack is being redefined by AI and data infrastructure convergence.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Unlike startups prioritizing rapid deployment and simplicity, small businesses now seek consistency in customer data, light automation, and limited but meaningful integrations—often with accounting or marketing systems. Their CRM expectations include emerging needs for security, role-based access, and reporting maturity without the overhead of enterprise-grade tools. In compiling our 2025 rankings, we analyzed each vendor’s product share, roadmap alignment, and community ecosystem while factoring in win rates, investor confidence, and innovation direction. The resulting list identifies platforms purpose-built for small businesses—solutions that deliver process efficiency, automation, and integration depth without sacrificing ease of use or affordability.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 CRMs for small businesses in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems for small businesses. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology landscape in 2025 is marked by accelerating AI adoption, strategic partnerships, and expanded automation capabilities across industries. Velixo secured a Series A investment from Elephant to fuel growth in financial reporting automation, while FloQast launched auditable AI agents aimed at addressing the growing talent gap in accounting and finance. Infor and Kinaxis announced a new partnership to enhance AI-driven supply chain collaboration, and Pegasystems introduced an AI-powered solution tailored for governance agencies. Planview unveiled several upcoming product enhancements focused on strategic portfolio management, while Rimini Street rolled out new Workday-centric services to strengthen support options for enterprise clients. SAP introduced its Omnichannel Sales Transfer and Audit solution to drive transparency across sales operations, UiPath expanded its testing toolkit with advanced AI agents, and Workato acquired DeepConverse to bring conversational intelligence into its automation platform—collectively signaling that enterprise software innovation is converging around intelligent, interconnected, and highly automated ecosystems.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When assessing the Top 10 CRMs for Startups in 2025, it’s important to establish a clear definition of what constitutes a startup and how its needs differ from larger organizations. In this context, startups are typically companies with fewer than 20 employees or less than $10 million in annual revenue—businesses still shaping their go-to-market models and refining repeatable sales and marketing processes. These organizations are usually founder-led, with lean operational structures and limited departmental specialization, which means their CRM requirements prioritize simplicity, affordability, and rapid deployment over complex integrations or deep customization. Unlike mid-market or enterprise firms, startups need tools that deliver immediate visibility and momentum without requiring heavy IT involvement or long implementation cycles.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 CRMs for Startups in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems for startups. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly as vendors double down on AI, automation, and data-driven orchestration across business functions. Nintex unveiled new generative AI capabilities to enhance business automation, while Circana introduced its Liquid Supply Chain solution to drive agility and responsiveness in complex networks. CloudBolt extended its optimization capabilities to Kubernetes through the acquisition of StormForge, signaling a stronger focus on cloud efficiency. Kinaxis partnered with Databricks to accelerate AI-powered supply chain orchestration and also announced a collaboration with Infor, further expanding its ecosystem reach. Rootstock’s Spring ’25 release reimagined the modern ERP experience for manufacturers, and Tempo launched a Strategic Portfolio Management platform to strengthen business alignment. Meanwhile, Tricentis rolled out new testing innovations in its spring update, Velixo secured Series A funding from Elephant to fuel growth, and FloQast introduced auditable AI agents to help finance teams bridge the growing talent gap—illustrating how innovation is reshaping every layer of the enterprise stack.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems in 2025 remain a specialized and best-of-breed category within the enterprise software landscape, purpose-built for organizations that prioritize the maintenance, tracking, and optimization of physical assets. Unlike ERP platforms that aim to unify enterprise-wide processes, EAM systems are typically siloed—designed to function independently and often deployed at the departmental level. This independence allows maintenance, reliability, and facility teams to manage their operations with greater agility, without the need for extensive cross-functional integration. For organizations seeking rapid implementation, localized asset control, and immediate operational value, modern EAM platforms offer the ideal balance of flexibility, scalability, and focus, delivering tangible impact without the burden of complex enterprise rollouts.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 EAM Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these EAM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each EAM system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software landscape is undergoing rapid transformation as vendors double down on AI, automation, and data intelligence. ActiveCampaign’s acquisition of Hilos strengthens its conversational marketing stack by expanding WhatsApp capabilities, while HG Insights is redefining data intelligence to refine go-to-market execution. HubSpot’s planned acquisition of Dashworks signals a deeper integration of AI knowledge management, and Sitecore’s launch of the Martech industry’s first AI Innovation Lab underscores the growing urgency for marketers to accelerate their AI journeys. StackAdapt continues to advance transparency in connected TV and cross-screen analytics, whereas Accenture and Pipefy are joining forces on over 450 AI agents to scale process automation. Camunda’s introduction of agentic orchestration brings a new layer of autonomy to enterprise workflows, and Nintex’s generative AI updates further enhance intelligent automation. Meanwhile, Circana’s Liquid Supply Chain solution and CloudBolt’s acquisition of StormForge to optimize Kubernetes environments highlight a broader trend—AI and automation are now converging across marketing, operations, and infrastructure to drive unified, data-driven execution.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Before exploring the Top 10 Marketing Automation Systems in 2025, it’s essential to define what truly qualifies as a marketing automation platform and the criteria used for evaluation. This category is distinctly siloed—comprising standalone, SaaS-based systems designed to function independently, without the need for deep operational or cross-functional integration. Although some ERP and CRM platforms may offer features like campaign tracking or email management, they do not fall under this category. True marketing automation systems are purpose-built to orchestrate complex, multi-channel campaigns, automate customer journeys, and manage behavioral engagement at scale—delivering the kind of precision and personalization that integrated enterprise systems typically can’t achieve on their own.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Marketing Automation Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these marketing automation systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each marketing automation system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology landscape continues to accelerate its AI-driven transformation, with a flurry of announcements underscoring the shift toward intelligence and automation. BMC unveiled new GenAI innovations designed to unlock deeper business value from enterprise data, while Certinia rolled out its Spring 2025 release with enhanced automation capabilities. Laserfiche introduced a suite of generative AI features, and Make launched its Make AI Agents to bring real-time intelligence to no-code workflows. ActiveCampaign expanded its reach into conversational commerce by acquiring Hilos for WhatsApp integration, and HG Insights redefined data intelligence to sharpen go-to-market execution. Meanwhile, HubSpot revealed plans to acquire Dashworks to bolster its AI knowledge capabilities, and Sitecore launched the martech industry’s first AI Innovation Lab to accelerate marketers’ AI adoption. Complementing these moves, StackAdapt advanced transparency in connected TV and cross-screen analytics, while Accenture and Pipefy announced collaboration on more than 450 AI agents—signaling that enterprise AI innovation is scaling from pilots to operational impact across industries.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Field service systems have emerged as a critical and independent pillar of enterprise software, complementing ERP and CRM rather than blending into them. Their siloed design is deliberate—crafted to empower technicians and contractors operating in unpredictable environments where connectivity can falter. By truncating transactions and prioritizing speed, these platforms enable uninterrupted operations in the field, with data later synced to the enterprise backbone. This decoupled architecture ensures that essential functions—like customer interactions, service tickets, and work orders—continue smoothly without being weighed down by complex back-end models. Rather than a limitation, this separation is a strategic strength, enabling real-time, device-centric execution in even the most bandwidth-challenged scenarios.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Field Service Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these field service systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each field service system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software landscape is rapidly evolving with a wave of AI-driven innovations, strategic acquisitions, and product updates designed to enhance automation and business agility. Precisely strengthened its Automate SAP Data API with new enhancements, while SAP showcased its Joule-powered AI capabilities to deepen enterprise intelligence. SC Codeworks rolled out updates to its warehouse management system, and WaveMaker debuted a marketplace for prefabricated app building blocks to accelerate low-code development. In a major move, Braze announced its agreement to acquire OfferFit, expanding its personalization capabilities, while AVEVA and ServiceNow revealed a new partnership aimed at integrating industrial and digital workflows. BMC introduced generative AI innovations to unlock greater value from enterprise data, and Certinia detailed its Spring 2025 release with fresh product enhancements. Laserfiche unveiled new generative AI features, and Make launched Make AI Agents, bringing real-time intelligence to no-code automation—collectively underscoring how AI and automation are reshaping the next chapter of enterprise technology.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Defining plastic extrusion ERP systems requires recognizing both their specialization and breadth, as they span the diverse business models across the extrusion value chain—from resin and pellet distributors to large-scale manufacturers of finished plastic products. While the focus is on extrusion, these systems must also account for the interconnected roles of suppliers, converters, and distributors to ensure real-world workflows are fully represented. However, no single ERP vendor fits every sub-segment equally well; some platforms are built for the complexities of high-volume extrusion manufacturing, while others better serve niche distributors or specialty converters. That’s why guidance tied to each ERP option is crucial, with attention paid not only to system size but also to how well it supports extrusion-specific needs like scheduling, quality control, and regulatory compliance—factors that can ultimately determine whether an ERP investment delivers long-term value.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Plastic Extrusion ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Plastic Extrusion ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Plastic Extrusion ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology space is seeing a surge of innovation and strategic moves as vendors double down on AI, automation, and customer-centric solutions. Beroe expanded its procurement suite with the acquisition of nnamu, while Capgemini and NVIDIA, alongside Oracle and NVIDIA, announced new collaborations and integrations to accelerate AI adoption. Deloitte entered the spotlight with the release of its Zora AI Platform, and Hyland reinforced its customer focus by appointing a Chief Customer Officer. In the AI-driven automation arena, Kore.ai introduced the Kore.ai Agent Platform and Pipefy unveiled new AI agents to strengthen process automation. OneDigital launched its Impact Studio Platform to fuel digital engagement, while Precisely enhanced its Automate SAP Data API, and SAP showcased new Joule-powered AI capabilities. Rounding out the updates, SC Codeworks delivered enhancements to its warehouse management system, reflecting the broader trend of continuous improvement across supply chain and enterprise operations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The machinery manufacturing ERP landscape is uniquely complex, demanding far more than the generic capabilities many vendors claim to offer. These businesses are highly project-driven, building large, costly machines that require collaboration across mechanical, electrical, and calibration engineering disciplines—often within long development cycles and tightly interdependent workflows. While smaller ERP systems may provide advanced tools like CAD integrations or specialized workflows, they frequently lack the robust supply chain, inventory, and financial capabilities necessary to support the full business model. Beyond engineering-heavy production, machinery manufacturers often operate diverse divisions under one umbrella, from parts businesses resembling distribution and commerce operations to service arms managing rentals, long-term maintenance contracts, and advanced field service. These layers of complexity make it clear that only a handful of ERP systems—typically those designed with both depth and breadth—can effectively support the industry without extensive customization.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Machinery manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Machinery manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Machinery manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Engineered AI has achieved remarkable milestones, yet fundamental questions remain about whether it can ever reason, think, or truly understand like the human mind. Current systems, while powerful, expose the limitations of today’s technology, particularly the persistent neuroscience gap—the divide between brain research and cognitive psychology that prevents machines from replicating human-like cognition. This gap is compounded by the looming energy challenge, as the massive computational demands of AI training strain global infrastructure, in stark contrast to the human brain’s ability to operate on the energy equivalent of a 20W light bulb. These realities underscore the growing promise of neurocomputing, which seeks to emulate the brain’s structure and efficiency, offering a potential breakthrough in building systems that are not only more intelligent but also vastly more energy-efficient.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Michael Azoff, Chief Analyst, Omdia, in a live LinkedIn session to discuss LLMs: disembodied AI - it's not human-like AI as we imagine it.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software and services landscape is buzzing with fresh announcements that highlight the industry’s accelerating shift toward AI, collaboration, and customer-centric innovation. Zoho launched Projects Plus, a new collaborative platform designed to streamline teamwork, while Accenture unveiled an AI Agent Builder to help enterprises create intelligent digital assistants at scale. Acumatica rolled out details of its 2025 R1 product release, reinforcing its momentum in the cloud ERP space, and Aisera expanded its reach with the debut of a global partner program. On the procurement front, Beroe strengthened its capabilities by acquiring nnamu, while Capgemini and NVIDIA announced a new collaboration that underscores the growing role of advanced computing in enterprise solutions. Deloitte entered the fray with the release of its Zora AI platform, and Hyland signaled its commitment to customer experience with the appointment of a Chief Customer Officer. Together, these moves paint a picture of an ecosystem evolving rapidly at the intersection of AI, collaboration, and industry-specific innovation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Unlike most manufacturing segments where vendors claim one-size-fits-all solutions, apparel stands apart as an industry so unique that generalized ERP systems often fall short. Specialized ERP platforms tailored for apparel-centric processes have emerged to address challenges like fabric management, style variations, and seasonal demand—delivering far greater operational alignment than broad-based systems. This complexity deepens when you compare sub-segments within apparel itself: designer fashion brands, uniform producers, sportswear manufacturers, and luxury fashion houses all operate on fundamentally different models, each with unique supplier dynamics, compliance requirements, and return management needs. As a result, the true measure of success in apparel ERP lies in aligning not just to the industry at large, but to the specific micro-segment a business serves.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Apparel manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Apparel manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Apparel manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Ever wondered what ERP and fasteners have in common? Spoiler: it’s a lot more exciting than just bolts and spreadsheets! In this session, we’ll dive into real-world ERP implementation stories from the fasteners industry—where efficiency, precision, and supply chain visibility come together in ways that are, quite literally, riveting. And the conversation doesn’t stop there; we’ll also explore Alox’s forward-looking roadmap, where strategic innovation aligns with the nuts and bolts of growth, proving that even in a world of screws and rivets, technology can be the ultimate game-changer.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Anders Green, Founder, ALOX4, to discuss ERP implementation stories for the Fasteners industry
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology landscape continues to move at a rapid pace, with several major announcements reshaping how organizations approach digital transformation. Phenom and Deloitte unveiled details of their strategic alliance, signaling a stronger push into talent experience innovation. Progress contributed to the developer community by releasing more than 50 UI components for free, while QAD ushered in a new era of leadership with the appointment of a new CEO. SAP expanded its process transformation portfolio by adding fresh capabilities to its SAP Signavio solution, and ServiceNow bolstered its AI-driven workflow platform through the acquisition of Moveworks. Zoho introduced Projects Plus, a new collaborative platform designed to streamline teamwork, while Accenture rolled out an AI Agent Builder to empower enterprises in creating advanced intelligent assistants. Acumatica also detailed the feature set of its 2025 R1 product release, underscoring its commitment to cloud ERP innovation, and Aisera broadened its ecosystem reach with the debut of a global partner program. Together, these developments highlight the intensifying competition and innovation across ERP, AI, and enterprise software markets.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Process manufacturing stands out as one of the most intricate and fragmented domains in the ERP landscape, largely because of the wide-ranging product types and production methods that differ—even among companies that may look similar at first glance. Unlike discrete manufacturing, which focuses on standardized components and assemblies, process manufacturing is driven by formulas and recipes that demand both precision and adaptability. Industries such as food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals operate in environments where even the slightest change to an ingredient can trigger ripple effects across product quality, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. This diversity in formulations and processes makes it nearly impossible for a single ERP system to fit all needs seamlessly. To address this complexity, ERP evaluations must go beyond feature checklists, weighing factors like vendor market share, acquisitions that enhance process-specific functionality, long-term product roadmaps, and the strength of the community ecosystem. Equally important are considerations such as win rates, investor confidence, and technological vision, since only platforms that combine deep process capabilities with strategic commitment to the space can deliver sustainable value to manufacturers navigating this demanding landscape.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Process manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these process manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each process manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Designing a successful digital transformation framework requires more than just introducing new technologies—it demands seamless integration with existing business processes to avoid disruption and maximize efficiency. As organizations plan large-scale implementations, they must prioritize agility and scalability, ensuring that strategies can adapt over time while delivering lasting impact. Crucially, the transformation should empower teams by streamlining workflows, elevate customer experiences through smarter interactions, and provide clear, measurable value that justifies the investment and drives ongoing innovation.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Michael Schank, Managing Director, Process Inventory Advisors, in a live LinkedIn session as they discuss the digital transformation framework for large-scale implementation.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Recent developments across the enterprise technology landscape highlight a strong push toward AI-driven efficiency, enhanced integration, and strategic partnerships. Resulticks’ launch of Genie, an AI-powered marketing agent, promises to reduce workloads by 40% while boosting real-time audience engagement. Simpplr is expanding its platform extensibility with custom apps that enable seamless enterprise integrations, while iFabric Corp adopts BlueCherry® ERP to drive smarter supply chain and operational growth. Talkdesk’s After Hours feature improves customer and agent satisfaction by extending support beyond standard business times. Additionally, ARIS has partnered with ProcessMaker to introduce a new task mining solution, Cleo and Programmers.io announced a fresh partnership, and Crusoe unveiled new managed services. Strategic alliances also continue to shape the market, with Phenom teaming up with Deloitte, Progress releasing over 50 free UI components, and QAD announcing a new CEO to lead its next phase of growth.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting an ERP system for discrete manufacturing can be complex due to frequent overlaps with other production modes like Make-to-Order, Make-to-Stock, or Engineer-to-Order. Many manufacturers operate hybrid models—for example, a machine builder that also manages chemical adhesives—where discrete processes dominate but some process-oriented functions are necessary. This list highlights ERP solutions that excel primarily in discrete manufacturing, even if they offer limited process capabilities. Understanding the precise structure of your operations is essential to determine whether you need comprehensive process support or just enough to complement your core discrete workflows effectively.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 discrete manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these discrete manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each discrete manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Customer engagement is rapidly evolving, with CRM systems playing a pivotal role in shaping how brands connect with their audiences. Today’s CRM platforms go beyond simple contact management—they harness data and AI to deliver personalized, timely interactions that resonate on a deeper level. This shift means businesses must move from transactional exchanges to building genuine relationships, creating experiences that foster loyalty and long-term customer value.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Thomas Wieberneit, CEO, aheadCRM, in a live LinkedIn session as they discuss CRM and customer engagement trends.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software and AI landscape continues to evolve with a wave of targeted innovations and strategic alliances. Rimini Street and T-Systems North America have joined forces to offer cost-effective enterprise software support and hosting, while ServiceNow is introducing AI agents tailored for the telecom sector to enhance productivity across service lifecycles. AI continues to take center stage—Creatio’s latest 8.2.2 release brings key platform enhancements, Pipedrive now simplifies sales reporting with AI-generated insights, and Resulticks debuts Genie, an AI agent designed to slash marketing workloads by 40%. Meanwhile, GoTo is catering to automotive dealerships with a new communication platform, Persado is transforming financial services marketing through dynamic AI-driven emails, and Simpplr is boosting enterprise integration flexibility with custom app extensibility. From smarter ERP deployments like iFabric Corp’s adoption of BlueCherry®, to customer service innovation with Talkdesk’s After Hours initiative, the momentum toward industry-specific, AI-augmented, and integration-ready solutions shows no signs of slowing down.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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While often conflated with Engineer-to-Order (ETO), project manufacturing has distinct characteristics that set it apart—particularly in how engineering complexity plays out. ETO usually demands intensive front-end design and quoting, but project manufacturing may involve minimal engineering, as seen in construction or infrastructure projects. What remains essential, however, is strong support for project planning, costing, scheduling, and other contract-driven requirements. ERP systems built for high-volume discrete or process manufacturing often overlook these project-centric needs, lacking features like milestone billing, long lead-time planning, or pre-sales estimation. For project manufacturers, selecting an ERP system that aligns with these operational demands is critical to ensuring delivery precision and financial control.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 project manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these project manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each project manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Enterprise IT decisions carry enormous financial and strategic weight, and analyst firms like Gartner, Forrester, and IDC play a pivotal role in shaping them. Yet despite the influence of their research, many IT and business leaders struggle to use it effectively. Too often, organizations rely on reprints or surface-level summaries without grasping the full context or limitations. When properly interpreted, analyst insights can significantly reduce risk, streamline decisions, and steer companies away from costly mistakes. But unlocking that value requires more than just access—it demands a clear understanding of how to translate dense reports into actionable guidance that aligns with specific business needs.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Carter Lusher—an industry analyst veteran with experience on both sides of the table, as a former Gartner and Ovum analyst, in a live LinkedIn session as they discuss the consumer’s guide to IT industry analyst research and advice.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with vendors doubling down on AI innovation, strategic partnerships, and vertical-specific enhancements. Acumatica is making waves by detailing its AI-driven ERP roadmap tailored for the mid-market, while Deltek introduces benchmarking capabilities powered by its Clarity study to enrich Vantagepoint users’ insights. Meanwhile, Appian and Creatio are pushing platform updates that elevate data fabric and process automation experiences. Strategic alliances are also taking center stage—IFS and UKG are teaming up in North America, as are Rimini Street and T-Systems for enterprise support and hosting. From GoTo's targeted platform for automotive dealerships to Persado’s dynamic email tailored for financial services, and ServiceNow’s AI agents built for telecom, the message is clear: enterprise tech providers are sharpening their focus on specialization, intelligence, and integration.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The Configure-to-Order (CTO) space within manufacturing demands systems built for flexibility—balancing standardized components with the ability to configure products quickly and accurately. Unlike Engineer-to-Order (ETO), where each project starts from scratch, CTO relies on predefined options that can be assembled in various ways to meet customer needs. This configuration may occur within ERP or PLM systems, or extend outward through CPQ tools and e-commerce interfaces, depending on how a company structures its sales and fulfillment processes. Given the wide variability in product complexity and go-to-market strategies, there’s no universal approach—successful CTO execution hinges on aligning configurability with business objectives and user experience.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 configure-to-order manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these configure-to-order manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each configure-to-order manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting the right research firm is a strategic decision that hinges on aligning their domain expertise with your industry’s specific challenges and goals. These firms do more than collect data—they interpret trends, test assumptions, and translate findings into actionable insights that inform critical business decisions. To ensure a good fit, it’s essential to evaluate their methodologies, track record, and how well they tailor recommendations to your objectives. A credible research partner doesn't just report on the market—they help shape your strategy with intelligence you can act on.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Duncan Chapple, Analyst Relations Lead, Elisa Polystar, in a live LinkedIn session as they discuss how to work with the right research firms.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Customer service in eCommerce comes with unique complexities, especially when managing thousands of product-related inquiries that can make or break a sale. Given the typically lower price points, even premium brands face a dilemma: hiring seasoned agents can be cost-prohibitive, yet relying on less experienced staff may jeopardize customer satisfaction. This is where seamless integration with eCommerce platforms becomes vital—ensuring agents have the right context and tools to respond effectively. Unfortunately, many customer service solutions built for other industries lack this deep integration, leaving eCommerce teams to navigate disjointed systems and compromised service quality.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Georgias’ capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Georgias might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Georgias.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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In Engineer-to-Order (ETO) environments, early-stage collaboration with customers is critical, particularly during design and engineering. While general-purpose tools like Smartsheet or Monday.com may aid in project tracking, they typically fall short in supporting the depth and complexity of data exchange inherent in ETO workflows. Similarly, CAD and PLM platforms offer some collaborative capabilities, but their reach is often confined to engineering-specific tasks. The real challenge—and opportunity—emerges once the Bill of Materials (BOM) is finalized: ERP systems must seamlessly take over to drive production and execution. ERP platforms with built-in CAD and PLM integration simplify this transition, reducing technical friction, while those without native support often require costly middleware or custom development, increasing implementation risk.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 engineer-to-order manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these engineer-to-order manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each engineer-to-order manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Project management has come a long way from rigid, legacy systems to more adaptable, user-friendly platforms that cater to today’s fast-paced work environments. Modern solutions range widely—from balanced tools that blend structure with flexibility to sprawling, spreadsheet-like systems demanding heavy consulting to tailor workflows. In this evolving landscape, ClickUp has emerged as a versatile player, promising both ease of use and robust customization. But the key question remains: how does ClickUp stack up against its competitors in delivering the right mix of simplicity and power for diverse project needs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ClickUp’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where ClickUp might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ClickUp.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology landscape is heating up with a wave of strategic acquisitions and bold AI investments signaling a new era of innovation and consolidation. Lenovo’s move to acquire Infinidat strengthens its foothold in enterprise storage, while CDP consolidation accelerates as Rokt absorbs mParticle, tightening the data ecosystem. AI-driven capabilities are front and center, with ServiceNow advancing its agentic AI roadmap through Cuein and Oracle launching AI agents tailored for sales professionals. Meanwhile, startups like DeepSeek-R1 are shaking up the AI space by offering open-source alternatives to ChatGPT, and Atomicwork’s recent $25M+ Series A reflects growing investor confidence in AI-powered enterprise IT tools. From Render’s $80 million cloud simplification push to Vercel’s acquisition of Tremor to boost open-source React development, the market is rapidly evolving toward smarter, more integrated solutions.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Make to Stock (MTS) manufacturers may span diverse industries, but their ERP needs often align around the essentials: accurate demand forecasting, efficient inventory management, and resilient supply chain operations. With production driven by forecasts rather than confirmed orders, the stakes for planning precision are high—making tools like MRP, S&OP, and warehouse logistics critical to profitability. In our 2025 ERP analysis, we zeroed in on platforms that go beyond basic functionality, identifying those with strategic investments in MTS-specific capabilities, robust communities, and agile technology stacks. Whether you're in food and beverage, automotive, or consumer goods, the systems highlighted here are designed not just to meet today’s operational challenges, but to scale with the complex future of proactive manufacturing.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 make-to-stock manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these make-to-stock manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each make-to-stock manufacturing ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise tech space is buzzing with momentum as AI-driven innovation, strategic acquisitions, and infrastructure investments redefine the competitive landscape. From Qbiq’s $16M raise to automate architectural design to Vasco’s funding to optimize startup revenue trajectories with AI, it’s clear that intelligent automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Meanwhile, power-hungry data centers brace for demand to double in the next five years, prompting infrastructure giants like Lenovo and IBM to expand their capabilities through high-stakes acquisitions. CDP consolidation gains pace with Rokt’s mParticle deal, while ServiceNow and Vercel are sharpening their edge in AI and open source, respectively. Even the cloud world isn’t sitting still, with Render securing $80M to simplify deployment. And amidst it all, industry drama unfolds as Salesforce’s Marc Benioff openly critiques Microsoft Copilot, reminding us that even in AI, not all copilots fly smoothly.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Startups and scaleups often sprint toward innovation, laser-focused on building game-changing products—but in the rush, many forget that visibility is just as critical as viability. While founders perfect their pitch decks and chase product-market fit, they often underestimate the power of analyst firms. These aren’t just report writers—they're strategic allies offering market intelligence, competitive benchmarking, and credibility boosts that can shape investor confidence and buyer trust. Yet, too many treat analyst engagement like that unused gym membership—clearly valuable, rarely prioritized. In truth, tapping into analyst networks can be the growth lever that helps a brilliant product avoid fading into obscurity.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Chris Holscher, Holscher.one in a live LinkedIn session as they discuss Chris' research on the value analyst firms bring to the table for startups.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Make-to-Order (MTO) industries operate on the principle that production begins only after a confirmed customer order, demanding ERP systems that can gracefully handle variability, non-standard workflows, and high-precision job tracking. From custom fabrication to complex project-based builds, the ERP platforms featured in our list have been evaluated not just for baseline functionality, but for their ability to support the real-world intricacies of MTO environments—whether it's managing inventory for non-stocked items or enabling hybrid models like engineer-to-order. While the list is designed to be broadly applicable across diverse MTO scenarios, companies in niche sectors may still need a tailored evaluation. To guide those deeper assessments, we've factored in each vendor’s strategic acquisitions, roadmap direction, and community support, along with their traction and growth in MTO-heavy industries—so you’re not just choosing a system that fits today, but one that evolves with your business tomorrow.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 make-to-order manufacturing ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these make-to-order manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each make-to-order manufacturing ERP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP implementation has come a long way from the days of consultant armies and 15-to-1 service ratios—today, it’s more about smart AI-human collaboration than brute-force deployment. As Jon Reed points out in his cloud ERP article, the real transformation isn’t in the flashy go-live moment, but in the gradual, AI-assisted journey to measurable value—timelines that tend to shift depending on which vendor's pitch you're hearing. In this episode, Sam Gupta joins Jon in a live LinkedIn session to unpack that journey, exploring how modern, AI-ready ERPs subtly steer vendors, customers, and system integrators toward success—minus the traditional chaos, and without relying on ChatGPT to tell the story.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Jon Reed, Diginomica in a live LinkedIn session as they take another look at the article and rewrite the script from the AI lenses (without using ChatGPT).
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Blending IT Service Management (ITSM) with Customer Experience (CX) might raise eyebrows—kind of like pineapple on pizza—but for some businesses, it's the perfect combo. In industries where support teams double as customer-facing heroes, separating internal service workflows from external customer engagement creates more chaos than clarity. That’s where platforms like Freshsales come into play, aiming to bridge that gap by unifying data, aligning teams, and simplifying service delivery. But as the lines blur between ITSM and CX, the real question becomes: can Freshsales truly deliver on both fronts—and how does it compare to rivals who specialize in just one side of the equation?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Freshsales’ capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Freshsales might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Freshsales.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting the right ERP system for the food and beverage (F&B) industry demands more than a surface-level comparison—it requires a deep dive into the unique operational and regulatory challenges that shape each business model within this sector. From raw ingredient sourcing to last-mile delivery, F&B companies must navigate strict traceability requirements, evolving compliance mandates, and complex transaction flows that vary widely across producers, manufacturers, and distributors. Our 2025 list of top F&B ERP systems reflects this diversity, spotlighting vendors not just for their market presence, but for their proven ability to address real-world F&B scenarios—like catch weight tracking, shelf-life optimization, and route accounting. With criteria ranging from product-market fit to innovation in sustainability and automation, each system featured here has shown a commitment to evolving alongside the intricate demands of this industry, helping businesses future-proof their operations without compromising on functional depth.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 food & beverage ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these food & beverage ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each food & beverage ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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In a world where every software platform claims to do marketing automation, the line between true orchestration and glorified batch-and-blast gets blurry fast. Enterprise marketers, in particular, need more than bolt-on features—they need a unified engine that can keep cross-channel journeys seamless, scalable, and, ideally, sanity-preserving. That’s where Marketo Engage, now under the Adobe Experience Cloud umbrella, steps in with its deep event management capabilities, brand governance tools, and robust automation muscle. But with great power comes a learning curve—and often a hefty price tag. So the real question isn’t just what Marketo can do, but how it performs in the wild compared to other heavyweight contenders in the marketing tech arena.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Marketo’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Marketo might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Marketo.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The tech landscape is rapidly evolving as major players and emerging startups alike double down on AI-driven innovation and infrastructure transformation. Qlik’s acquisition of Upsolver enhances real-time data ingestion for Apache Iceberg, while Epicor’s new Prism Vertical AI Agents are reimagining how frontline workers interact with enterprise intelligence. In parallel, Apple’s entry into a consortium focused on next-gen AI data centers highlights growing urgency around power and scalability, especially as experts predict data center energy demands will double within five years. Meanwhile, strategic moves like SAP’s quantum computing ambitions, IBM’s acquisition of AST to deepen Oracle capabilities, and startups like ThoughtSpot, Qbiq, and Vasco advancing AI-powered solutions for analytics, design, and revenue planning underscore a new era of intelligent, responsive enterprise tech.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Evaluating ERP systems through the lens of service-centric versus product-centric industries is essential, as service-based businesses face a unique set of challenges that demand greater flexibility and configurability. Unlike their product-focused counterparts that rely on standardized inventory and supply chain modules, service organizations often operate with complex, non-linear processes that require adaptable ERP frameworks, especially in areas like project billing, workforce scheduling, and contract management. This distinction has spurred the development of modular ERP architectures tailored to the diverse workflows within service verticals, from consulting and legal services to facilities management. As we explore leading ERP vendors, we’ll assess how well each system aligns with the specific needs of these businesses, paying close attention to ecosystem strength, customization capabilities, and long-term vision.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for service-centric industries in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems for service-centric industries. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system for service-centric industries.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The transformation and Phase 0 planning for SAP ECC are pivotal in setting the stage for a smooth transition to a more agile and future-ready ERP environment. This initial phase focuses on a comprehensive assessment of the existing system landscape, uncovering opportunities for business process enhancements, and crafting a clear strategic roadmap for migration or optimization. Crucial activities include evaluating data readiness, securing stakeholder alignment, and implementing robust governance frameworks to mitigate risks and ensure accountability. The challenge lies in establishing a solid foundation for Phase 0 that minimizes operational disruptions, boosts efficiency, and ultimately maximizes the return on the SAP ECC investment—key considerations for any organization embarking on this critical journey.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Sana Asher, Global Vice President, Integrity Resource Management, to discuss transformation and phase 0 planning for SAP ECC.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Despite rumors of SaaS’s decline, numerous SaaS companies boasting billion-dollar valuations continue to push innovation, particularly in Payroll and Human Capital Management (HCM). Yet, a paradox emerges as some of these firms, after initially delivering advanced HR features, have rolled back functionality, leaving users disappointed. This raises questions about Personio’s rapid rise: Is its success simply a reversion to managed services, signaling a return to the basics, or does it reflect a long-standing gap in the European market for comprehensive HR solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Personio’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Personio might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Personio.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP systems designed for product-centric industries stand out by offering deep, purpose-built capabilities in critical areas such as bill of materials management, shop floor control, warehouse operations, and vendor collaboration. Unlike service-oriented ERPs, which may offer only basic support for procurement or inventory, these platforms are engineered to manage the complexities of direct procurement and end-to-end supply chain workflows. This specialization makes them indispensable for manufacturers, distributors, and businesses dealing in physical goods, where operational precision and integration are key. The systems featured in this list were chosen specifically for their strength in supporting these intricate, product-focused environments, ensuring they deliver the functionality and scalability required to thrive in demanding industrial contexts.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP systems for product-centric industries in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems for product-centric industries. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system for product-centric industries.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The AI-driven enterprise software landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, shaped by diverging stakeholder priorities and the evolving demands of real-world applications. While analysts focused on R&D highlight the potential of cutting-edge innovations, those examining implementation underscore the need for usability and measurable ROI. This contrast mirrors broader market tensions—investors push for rapid scale and profitability, whereas customers prioritize seamless integration into established workflows. The shift from traditional transactional systems to AI- and data-first architectures introduces new harmonization challenges, yet certain vendors are gaining traction by leveraging agent-based designs that enhance automation and decision-making. Sectors like financial services and healthcare are leading adoption, drawn by clear efficiency gains, while others continue to grapple with integration complexities. Crucially, the success of AI in the enterprise hinges on thoughtful design—embedding agents that complement human roles and generate immediate, operational value.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Hyoun Park, CEO, Amalgam Insights, and discusses current market trends in the AI space.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise technology space is buzzing with bold moves and fresh innovations as major players double down on AI, unified commerce, and real-time data capabilities. Salesforce is making headlines with its planned launch of AI agents and a cloud-based POS for retailers, even as its CEO, Marc Benioff, critiques Microsoft Copilot as a “huge disaster.” Meanwhile, HubSpot’s co-founder is gaining traction with Agent.ai, an agentic AI platform that has already amassed 258,000 users in just four months. Retail tech is evolving fast, with commercetools unveiling InStore to redefine unified commerce globally and Rootstock expanding its ERP footprint with Scion for enterprise users. On the M&A front, Clearwater Analytics is acquiring Enfusion for $1.5 billion to accelerate global growth, and Qlik is enhancing real-time data processing through its acquisition of Upsolver. Athos Commerce emerges from the fusion of Searchspring and Klevu, promising smarter retail experiences, while Epicor’s new Prism vertical AI agents aim to transform frontline decision-making. Even Apple is joining the race, partnering in a consortium to develop next-gen AI data center technology, highlighting the intensifying competition to shape the future of intelligent enterprise infrastructure.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
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A major trend shaping the Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platform landscape is the significant variation in platform scope and geographic coverage. While some platforms excel in specific transportation modes—such as ocean freight or truckload—they often fall short in delivering comprehensive insights due to limited modal support or regional data constraints, including gaps in carrier partnerships or geopolitical barriers. For shippers or logistics providers with focused, regional operations, these specialized platforms can still deliver strong value. However, global organizations with complex, multi-modal supply chains require broader RTTVPs that offer unified visibility across diverse transportation networks and regions. This balance between deep specialization and holistic comprehensiveness is a key factor in determining platform rankings and suitability in today’s logistics environment.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 real-time transportation visibility platforms in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these real-time transportation visibility platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each real-time transportation visibility platform.
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BPM has undergone a notable transformation, shedding its earlier complexity to become a powerful asset in ad-hoc CRM scenarios, particularly for industries with sophisticated customer engagement needs. While traditional CRMs suffice for straightforward use cases, they often falter when faced with rigid data structures that don’t align with complex, customer-centric workflows. In these instances, more flexible CRMs become essential, offering not just a viable alternative but often the only workable solution. The convergence of project management capabilities with sales and marketing processes has further elevated the value of certain CRM platforms, creating a seamless operational flow that gives them a distinct advantage.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Creatio’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Creatio might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Creatio.
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The enterprise tech and AI landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, marked by bold investments, leadership changes, and groundbreaking innovations. Mike Ettling’s departure from Unit4 prompts reflection on AI’s transformative role in ERP, even as companies like Overhaul secure $55 million to tackle persistent supply chain challenges for giants like Dyson and Microsoft. Meanwhile, the personal use of AI is making waves—one individual’s AI-assisted job hunt while asleep led to 50 interview calls overnight, underscoring the technology’s growing influence in everyday life. Major funding rounds, such as SandboxAQ’s $300 million raise, highlight investor confidence in the next generation of AI applications. On the product front, Agentforce 2.0 introduces a vision of digital labor that promises an infinitely scalable workforce, while HubSpot’s co-founder launched Agent.ai, attracting over 258,000 users in just four months. Consolidation continues as Arctic Wolf and BlackBerry agree on the acquisition of Cylance, and Grammarly’s acquisition of Coda signals a new phase of AI-powered productivity, accompanied by a leadership shift. Amid these developments, Salesforce prepares to launch AI agents and a retail-focused POS system, even as its CEO openly criticizes Microsoft Copilot as a “huge disaster,” adding further intrigue to the unfolding AI arms race.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
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Supply chain suites distinguish themselves from traditional ERP and analytics platforms by being specifically designed to meet the intricate needs of supply chain-intensive industries. These industries depend on tightly integrated processes that span forecasting, procurement, logistics, and fulfillment, requiring systems that prioritize supply chain performance rather than treating it as an ancillary function. Supply chain suites address this by offering a unified architecture that blends network planning, execution systems like WMS and TMS, and advanced analytics. This specialized focus enables organizations to enhance agility, minimize lead times, and build resilient, responsive supply chains.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 supply chain suites in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these supply chain suites. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each supply chain suite.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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CRMs designed for the education sector, especially within public institutions and universities, must navigate a complex landscape of fragmented workflows and diverse stakeholders, from students and faculty to alumni and administrators. These organizations often require more than what traditional CRM systems can offer, particularly when managing academic programs, course operations, and dynamic communication channels. The complexity intensifies further with upstream processes like student recruitment and onboarding, which demand highly tailored workflows that generic CRMs frequently fail to accommodate. In this specialized environment, LeadSquared has positioned itself as a strong player with its education-centric CRM offerings. However, the real question lies in how well it measures up to competitors and whether it can truly meet the evolving needs of this multifaceted sector.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of LeadSquared’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where LeadSquared might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of LeadSquared.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software and services landscape is experiencing a wave of strategic acquisitions, signaling aggressive moves by major players to expand capabilities and market share. Thomson Reuters' $600 million acquisition of tax automation firm SafeSend highlights the growing demand for streamlined financial compliance solutions, while HubSpot’s purchase of Frame AI underscores the rising importance of AI-driven conversational insights in customer engagement. Meanwhile, WWT’s blockbuster $1.25 billion deal to acquire Softchoice points to broader consolidation in IT services, and SPS Commerce’s move to acquire Carbon6 Technologies reflects continued investment in retail and supply chain tech. Other notable transactions include Cass Information Systems acquiring AcuAudit from Acuitive Solutions, enhancing its audit automation offerings, and Later’s $250 million acquisition of Mavely, a social influencer app, emphasizing the value of creator economy tools in modern marketing strategies.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Supply chain business networks distinguish themselves through the varying scopes and functionalities they offer across the operational landscape. Some platforms concentrate primarily on logistics and transportation, delivering strong real-time visibility solutions, while others take a more comprehensive approach by integrating upstream and downstream partners such as vendors, suppliers, and customers into a collaborative ecosystem. Notably, certain networks that originally emphasized document exchange have transformed into powerful hubs for data-driven insights and supplier onboarding, capitalizing on their expansive user communities. The extent of integration and geographic reach further separates these platforms—some boast extensive global infrastructure and port access, whereas others focus on specific regions.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 supply chain business network platforms in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these supply chain business network platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each business network platform.
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Implementing a robust automated testing strategy for SAP S/4HANA is essential for maintaining system integrity during upgrades, integrations, and performance enhancements. Effective strategies must prioritize end-to-end testing that encompasses core business processes, custom configurations, and third-party integrations to ensure complete coverage. By automating these tests, organizations can significantly reduce deployment-related downtime, accelerate release cycles, and maintain confidence that the system consistently meets evolving business needs with reliability and efficiency.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Chris Rolls, CEO Americas, TTC Global in a live LinkedIn session and discusses S/4 automated testing strategies and case studies.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Call center and customer service workflows, particularly in heavily regulated sectors like banking, financial services, and insurance, often involve a level of complexity that standard CRM platforms struggle to accommodate. Processes such as client onboarding, approval cycles, and exception handling require dynamic, BPM-like capabilities that go beyond basic ticketing or task management. While major CRM solutions may offer customization, they frequently lack the agility and deep integration needed for real-time process orchestration and ad-hoc decision-making. This is where Pegasystems distinguishes itself, leveraging its strengths in process automation, AI-driven decisioning, and dynamic case management to manage intricate workflows with precision and adaptability. Positioned as a leader in the convergence of CRM and business process management, Pegasystems stands out for organizations seeking a platform that can handle complex service environments while maintaining compliance and operational efficiency.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Pegasystems’ capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Pegasystems might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Pegasystems.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) category occupies a distinct space within enterprise technology, serving supply chain-intensive industries like retail and manufacturing with capabilities that traditional ERP systems simply cannot match. While ERP platforms manage transactional processes, S&OP suites focus on high-level strategic planning, offering advanced tools for forecasting, demand-supply balancing, and inventory optimization. Built around core pillars such as planning, network design, and limited execution functionalities like WMS and TMS, these platforms are designed to support long-term, macro-level decision-making. Increasingly, modern S&OP solutions are expanding into “connected planning,” integrating with HR, financial planning, and retail functions to create a unified planning ecosystem. When evaluating S&OP systems, factors like market positioning, product roadmap maturity, investor backing, and industry fit become crucial, as each platform brings its own strengths depending on architecture and planning philosophy. Selecting the right solution hinges on understanding how well it aligns with your organization’s complexity and strategic goals.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 S&OP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these S&OP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each S&OP system.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The enterprise software and services landscape is experiencing a wave of strategic acquisitions, signaling aggressive moves by major players to expand capabilities and market share. Thomson Reuters' $600 million acquisition of tax automation firm SafeSend highlights the growing demand for streamlined financial compliance solutions, while HubSpot’s purchase of Frame AI underscores the rising importance of AI-driven conversational insights in customer engagement. Meanwhile, WWT’s blockbuster $1.25 billion deal to acquire Softchoice points to broader consolidation in IT services, and SPS Commerce’s move to acquire Carbon6 Technologies reflects continued investment in retail and supply chain tech. Other notable transactions include Cass Information Systems acquiring AcuAudit from Acuitive Solutions, enhancing its audit automation offerings, and Later’s $250 million acquisition of Mavely, a social influencer app, emphasizing the value of creator economy tools in modern marketing strategies.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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CRM systems generally center around four main suites—sales, marketing, customer service, and field service—often enhanced by contact center capabilities, though smaller platforms may streamline their offerings to focus primarily on marketing and lead generation. While enterprise-grade CRMs tend to offer robust, native support for complex features like CPQ and subscription management, smaller solutions often rely on third-party integrations to meet industry-specific needs. In this context, Keap stands out as a CRM designed specifically for small businesses, prioritizing simplicity, marketing automation, and affordability over extensive transactional or field service functionalities. Its position in the CRM landscape reflects a clear trade-off: it may lack the depth of enterprise tools, but excels in providing an accessible, all-in-one solution for small teams aiming to streamline customer engagement and growth.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Keap’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Keap might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Keap.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When assessing project management systems, it's essential to separate standalone, best-of-breed solutions from ERP-integrated modules, as the former are specifically engineered to handle the nuanced demands of project execution without being constrained by the limitations of generalized platforms. True project management tools offer deeper capabilities in areas like collaboration, milestone tracking, and customized reporting—features often absent or underdeveloped in ERP modules. The ideal system also varies based on industry needs; for instance, construction and consulting firms prioritize financial oversight and client billing, while software and marketing teams emphasize timelines, resource allocation, and workflow efficiency. Strategic criteria such as product-market fit, the maturity of the product roadmap, community support, and investor backing further differentiate market leaders, ensuring selected platforms not only meet current operational demands but are also positioned for sustained innovation and growth.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 project management systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these project management systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each project management system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The ERP landscape is undergoing significant transformation, marked by a shift toward vertical specialization and regional compliance as vendors move away from generic, one-size-fits-all solutions. This evolution reflects the growing demand for industry-specific functionality and adherence to localized regulatory requirements. At the same time, artificial intelligence is reshaping ERP capabilities by driving smarter automation, predictive insights, and more agile decision-making. Businesses are also moving toward modular architectures, favoring best-of-breed integrations over traditional monolithic systems to gain flexibility and scalability. As a result, ERP vendors are adopting divergent strategies—some doubling down on vertical depth, while others build expansive ecosystems to support extensibility—highlighting the increasingly fragmented and dynamic nature of the ERP market.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Vinnie Mirchandani, Founder, Deal Architect in a live LinkedIn session and discusses ERP Trends in the Age of AI.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Many companies start their customer service operations with shared inboxes due to their affordability and ease of setup—making them an ideal solution for resource-constrained startups. These email-based systems offer a unified communication channel that simplifies customer interactions and promotes internal collaboration. However, as businesses grow and customer expectations evolve, shared inboxes struggle to support omnichannel engagement and scalable service delivery. While platforms like Zendesk offer powerful features to fill this gap, they often sacrifice the simplicity that made email systems appealing in the first place. This is where Front positions itself uniquely, combining the intuitive nature of email with the advanced capabilities of a customer communication platform, enabling teams to deliver personalized, efficient support across multiple channels without losing the collaborative benefits of a shared inbox.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Front’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Front might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Front.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting an ERP system for the not-for-profit sector requires a nuanced approach due to the sector’s distinct operational and financial demands. Unlike traditional businesses, not-for-profits rely on specialized functionalities such as fund accounting, grant tracking, and compliance tools, which are essential to meet sector-specific accounting standards. The choice of ERP should be aligned with the organization's size and mission, as systems vary in scalability and feature depth. Dedicated not-for-profit editions are generally more effective than retrofitting generic platforms, which may struggle with sector-specific requirements. Moreover, critical operational concerns—like data residency, donor engagement, and public-sector-style procurement—must be addressed through a tightly integrated, suite-based solution that holistically supports both financial and mission-centric goals.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Non-Profit ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Non-Profit ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Non-Profit ERP system.
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Marketing automation and core CRM systems, though often linked, are fundamentally distinct in design and purpose. Marketing automation is tailored for upstream business processes that involve unstructured data and require seamless integration with multiple systems to drive engagement and lead generation. In contrast, core CRM systems are built to support downstream Revenue Operations with highly transactional workflows, necessitating a structured data model capable of capturing complex business hierarchies. However, even the most advanced CRMs often fall short in supporting the intricate, ad-hoc relationships found in industries like real estate or non-profits, where flexibility and nuanced relationship management are critical.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of HubSpot’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where HubSpot might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of HubSpot.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The tech and enterprise software landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, marked by a mix of bold acquisitions and cautious public market strategies. While Databricks' CEO candidly states that “it’s dumb to IPO this year,” citing market volatility and strategic timing, major players are making aggressive moves elsewhere. From Thomson Reuters’ $600M acquisition of tax automation firm SafeSend to WWT’s $1.25B blockbuster deal to acquire Softchoice, the momentum is clearly shifting toward consolidation and capability expansion. Microsoft’s Satya Nadella has also sparked debate with his prediction that AI agents could overtake traditional SaaS models by 2025, signaling a fundamental shift in how software is built and consumed. Meanwhile, companies like SPS Commerce, Cass Information Systems, and Later are strengthening their portfolios through targeted acquisitions, reflecting a broader trend of investing in specialized tools and emerging platforms. Together, these developments hint at a future shaped less by IPOs and more by ecosystem dominance and AI-powered disruption.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.
Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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This curated list stands apart by spotlighting ERP platforms that were engineered from inception as true cloud-native solutions, intentionally bypassing the limitations of retrofitted legacy systems. These modern ERPs are designed to leverage the full scope of cloud capabilities—delivering streamlined operations, cost efficiencies, and reduced maintenance overhead. While they may not rival the feature depth of long-established systems, their edge lies in agility, intuitive design, and mobile readiness, making them particularly attractive to forward-looking organizations. Our evaluation prioritizes architectural integrity over popularity, favoring vendors that have fully embraced cloud-native frameworks and are actively innovating in this space. The result is a lineup that not only reflects current market needs but also signals where ERP is headed—toward more flexible, scalable, and user-centered experiences.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 cloud-native ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these cloud-native ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each cloud-native ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Implementing ERP systems in government and non-profit sectors comes with distinct challenges, including tight budget constraints, complex regulatory requirements, and the heightened need for operational transparency. In these environments, the role of enterprise architecture becomes especially critical—it acts as a strategic framework that aligns IT investments with organizational objectives, ensuring that ERP solutions are not only compliant and cost-effective but also sustainable over the long term. By offering a clear roadmap, enterprise architecture helps mitigate implementation risks, optimize resource allocation, and drive greater efficiency, all while reinforcing accountability and public trust in mission-driven operations.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Douglas Camin, CIO, Coordinated Care Services in a live LinkedIn session and discusses ERP challenges for govt and non-profit organizations and the differences in enterprise architecture for financial services and government spaces.
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It’s fascinating how quickly the tech landscape evolves—platforms like Salesforce and Workday, once seen as trailblazing disruptors, are now being viewed as legacy systems, navigating the same kind of disruption they once caused. Innovations like object and graph databases have redefined what flexibility, connectivity, and user experience look like, giving rise to a new generation of platforms such as Notion, Attio, ClickUp, Monday.com, Airtable, and Smartsheet. These tools prioritize adaptability, intuitive design, and real-time collaboration, reshaping how businesses manage data and workflows. Within this new wave, Attio stands out as a modern CRM alternative built on a graph-first architecture, offering dynamic relationship tracking and a highly customizable interface. As companies seek lightweight, modular tools over rigid enterprise suites, the question now is not just how Attio compares to its competitors—but whether it represents the future of relationship management altogether.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Attio’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Attio might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Attio.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When evaluating the top ERP systems for the pharmaceutical industry, it’s crucial to recognize that this list focuses solely on the ERP solutions themselves—not the vendors behind them—and spans organizations of all sizes, from emerging biotech startups to large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturers. Since ERP needs vary widely across the pharma value chain, the accompanying commentary offers essential guidance on which systems best serve specific market segments. The industry encompasses a wide array of business models, including traditional pharma companies, biotech firms, cannabis producers, nutraceutical manufacturers, CROs, and R&D consultancies—each with distinct regulatory, operational, and supply chain demands. For instance, a contract research organization may require robust data integrity and clinical compliance tools, whereas a nutraceutical producer might prioritize batch traceability and rapid production scalability. These differences underscore the importance of selecting an ERP system that not only supports compliance but also aligns with a company’s core processes and growth trajectory.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 pharma ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these pharma ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each pharma ERP system.
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ERP Phase 0 is more than just a clever way to cut down on the zeroes in your total cost of ownership—it’s the strategic groundwork that can make or break your entire implementation. This critical phase is where businesses assess their needs, document current processes, and align their objectives with the capabilities of a chosen ERP system. Think of it as building a zero-solid foundation: whether it's a retailer identifying supply chain gaps or a manufacturer validating workflow compatibility, Phase 0 is where hidden inefficiencies surface and alignment begins. Skipping this step often leads to costly delays, scope creep, and mismatched expectations. But embracing it? That’s how you set your ERP project up for real, scalable success.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Jakob Bent Smed, Founder, JBS Advisory in a live LinkedIn session and discusses ERP Phase 0 stories.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Many marketing automation platforms tend to overpromise, presenting themselves as all-encompassing solutions capable of delivering seamless, customer-centric workflows across the entire CRM spectrum. In reality, these platforms are typically optimized for specific use cases, and their underlying data models reflect that specialization. B2C-focused systems often emphasize features like order management, subscriptions, and loyalty programs, whereas B2B platforms are built around complex customer hierarchies, account-based marketing, and territory-based permissions. While there is some functional overlap, the structural differences between B2B and B2C solutions are significant, particularly when it comes to integration requirements and workflow design. In this context, evaluating where Brevo fits becomes crucial—understanding whether it leans more toward B2B or B2C use cases, how well it adapts to varying business needs, and how its capabilities compare with other niche and hybrid platforms in the market.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Brevo’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Brevo might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Brevo.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When evaluating the top ERP systems for the medical device industry, it’s essential to recognize the wide range of business models that fall within this sector, from biotech startups to large-scale manufacturers of capital equipment and consumables. This ranking focuses strictly on the ERP solutions themselves—independent of the companies behind them—and considers their applicability across organizations of all sizes. Since ERP requirements differ significantly depending on a company’s scale, regulatory obligations, and operational focus, the commentary accompanying each system is critical in helping businesses determine fit. For example, a biotech firm may prioritize robust compliance and research support, while a consumables manufacturer might seek high-efficiency production and traceability. As such, a top-ranked ERP solution may not be universally ideal, but rather excels in particular areas like scalability, automation, or compliance. Choosing the right system involves aligning these strengths with your specific business needs, ensuring the ERP not only supports current operations but is also capable of adapting to future growth and industry demands.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 medical device ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these medical device ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each medical device ERP system.
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CIOs are pivotal to successful business transformation, serving as the bridge between equipment IT, product IT, and corporate IT to create a unified and agile technology ecosystem. Achieving this coherence requires more than technical oversight—it demands a strategic mindset rooted in business value. Tools like Signavio and LeanIX have become essential in this effort, enabling CIOs to map and model business processes, identify redundancies, and ensure clear ownership across the IT landscape. These platforms not only enhance visibility but also support cross-functional alignment and better resource utilization. However, the true power of Enterprise Architecture lies in its ability to drive adaptability and collaboration among stakeholders. CIOs must champion EA not just as a framework, but as a transformative force that connects technology initiatives to tangible business outcomes. Past failures highlight the dangers of poor communication and lack of executive buy-in, where even well-designed EA strategies can result in underused systems or disconnected goals. Ultimately, CIOs who align IT with dynamic business needs and foster a culture of agility are best positioned to lead through change and deliver long-term value.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Martin Mohr, CIO, RAFI Group in a live LinkedIn session and discusses business transformation from the lenses of a CIO.
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The sustainability of the open-source business model remains a subject of ongoing debate, particularly when examining its long-term viability as a product differentiator. While open-source has often served as an effective marketing and adoption strategy—evident in early trailblazers like SugarCRM—it doesn’t always guarantee lasting market dominance. SugarCRM, for instance, initially gained traction by fostering a strong community and ecosystem around its open-source version. However, despite this early success, the company eventually discontinued its community edition, raising questions about the durability of the model. Such a pivot can alienate loyal users and erode trust, especially if customers feel that transparency and flexibility—the core promises of open-source—are being compromised. Furthermore, once a product shifts away from its open-source roots, the competitive advantage it once held may diminish, particularly as the value proposition becomes more aligned with proprietary alternatives. This transition often forces companies to reevaluate how they attract and retain customers in a more crowded, less differentiated market.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SugarCRM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where SugarCRM might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of SugarCRM.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When assessing the top aerospace and defense ERP systems for 2025, it's essential to recognize that this evaluation is rooted in a defined set of criteria focused solely on the ERP solutions themselves rather than the reputation or size of the vendors behind them. The list accommodates businesses across the spectrum—from small subcontractors to large OEMs—acknowledging that ERP suitability is highly context-dependent. A system ranked at the top may excel in areas like compliance, scalability, or supply chain integration but might not align with the streamlined needs of a smaller Tier 2 supplier or a service-focused firm. The aerospace and defense industry is far from monolithic; it includes a diverse array of business models, from component manufacturing to project-based consulting, each with distinct requirements. As such, factors like industry-specific functionality, support for standards like AS9100, and project management capabilities such as WBS must be considered. The commentary accompanying each system in the ranking will delve into these nuances, helping organizations identify the ERP solution that best fits their operational profile rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 aerospace and defense ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these aerospace and defense ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each aerospace and defense ERP system.
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When evaluating the cost of a review platform, businesses must consider more than just the price—they need to assess the value it brings to their marketing and conversion strategy. A robust review system can significantly impact customer trust, ad performance, and even SEO rankings, making it a powerful asset beyond simple testimonials. The real question is whether the investment can be tied directly to measurable ROI. Platforms like Yotpo have gained popularity by offering features such as automated review collection, AI-driven sentiment analysis, and seamless integrations with eCommerce ecosystems. If a platform can drive higher conversions, reduce customer acquisition costs, and enhance brand credibility, then even a five-figure investment might be justified. However, businesses must carefully compare options and ensure that the chosen solution aligns with their overall growth and engagement strategies.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Yotpo’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Yotpo might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Yotpo.
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Given these complexities, selecting the right ERP system for the paper industry requires a solution that goes beyond generic functionalities to address sector-specific challenges. From managing raw material fluctuations and complex production scheduling to ensuring seamless integration across newly merged entities, an effective ERP must provide real-time visibility and adaptability. Additionally, regulatory compliance, sustainability tracking, and waste reduction are growing concerns that necessitate robust data analytics and reporting capabilities. Companies that invest in an ERP tailored to the paper industry gain not only operational efficiency but also a strategic advantage, enabling them to optimize production, streamline supply chains, and respond swiftly to market changes.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Fred Donatucci, CIO/IT Executive Advisor in a live LinkedIn session and discusses ERP Consolidation in the Paper Industry and their unique needs & challenges.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Given the complexities of the automotive industry, selecting the right ERP system is not just about functionality but also about long-term strategic fit. Companies must assess how well an ERP solution aligns with their operational structure, compliance needs, and growth plans. While larger enterprises may benefit from robust suite-centric solutions that offer end-to-end integration, smaller firms might prefer modular, platform-based ERPs that allow gradual scaling. Additionally, factors like vendor support, ecosystem strength, and technological innovation should not be overlooked, as they can significantly impact system usability and adaptability. Ultimately, the right ERP choice is one that not only meets current industry demands but also evolves with future advancements in automotive manufacturing, supply chain management, and regulatory compliance.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 automotive ERP systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these automotive ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each automotive ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The marketing automation landscape is split between platforms designed for B2C and those built for B2B, each with unique challenges and priorities. While B2C businesses often require high email volumes to engage customers at scale, B2B strategies typically focus on deeper relationship-building with fewer but more targeted touchpoints. Many email marketing providers emphasize the importance of more interactions, but for businesses selling low-cost products—where the cost of sending emails could exceed the revenue generated—email send limits become a critical consideration. This raises the question: how well do email marketing platforms address these nuances?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ActiveCampaign’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where ActiveCampaign might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ActiveCampaign.
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As we approach 2025, ERP systems are undergoing significant transformation, driven by the push toward modernization and cloud adoption. Vendors are offering enticing migration strategies to help businesses move away from legacy systems, promising enhanced scalability, real-time data access, and improved operational efficiency. However, organizations remain cautious, weighing these benefits against potential challenges such as data security risks, integration complexities, and the hurdles of change management. As a result, many companies are adopting a hybrid approach, strategically transitioning certain functions to the cloud while maintaining critical processes on-premise to mitigate risks and ensure business continuity.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Robert Kramer at Moor Insights & Strategy in a live LinkedIn session and discusses ERP trends for 2025 and what businesses need to know to prepare for their digital transformation journey.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting an ERP system for large enterprises—companies generating over $1 billion in revenue—is a complex and high-stakes decision shaped by their scale, operational intricacies, and global footprint. While the lower enterprise segment often faces budget constraints and slower business model evolution, the upper enterprise tier is far more dynamic, frequently undergoing structural shifts due to mergers and acquisitions. Given their presence across multiple countries, these organizations require ERP solutions with strong multi-entity support, compliance capabilities, and localization features to navigate regulatory frameworks like GDPR, e-invoicing mandates, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Unlike mid-sized businesses that may operate with a single ERP, large enterprises typically adopt a best-of-breed approach, integrating multiple specialized solutions to optimize financial and operational synergies across subsidiaries.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Large Company ERP in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Large Company ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Large Company ERP.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The intersection of marketing automation and CMS platforms raises an important question: does merging the two create a more seamless, tailored experience, or does it confine the platform to a specific industry? Some solutions, like Episerver, have positioned themselves around CMS and personalization, integrating marketing automation to enhance customer engagement. Similarly, certain open-source CMS platforms have attempted to enter this space, though their limited market share raises doubts about their influence in defining the category.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Bloomreach’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Bloomreach might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Bloomreach.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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In the crowded marketing automation space, where countless platforms offer seemingly similar capabilities, real-time customer interaction is a key differentiator—especially for B2C industries. While many solutions claim to enable real-time engagement, only a select few possess the technology to execute it effectively. As businesses refine their data-driven strategies, they encounter an array of tools designed to enhance customer targeting across multiple touchpoints.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Braze’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Braze might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Braze.
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Selecting the right ERP system for mid-sized businesses in 2025 requires a nuanced understanding of the segment, as companies generating between $100 million and $1 billion in revenue have vastly different needs depending on their scale. The lower mid-market, ranging from $100 million to $250 million, may prioritize ease of implementation and cost-effectiveness, while the upper mid-market often demands more advanced functionality and scalability. While industry-specific ERP recommendations are ideal, broader rankings—like this one—can serve as a helpful starting point for businesses without access to tailored guidance. Given that most companies in this range operate in fewer than 10 countries, their ERP choices typically balance global capabilities with practical implementation constraints. These systems offer greater maturity than small business ERPs, emphasizing advanced forecasting, supply chain optimization, and workflow automation. However, deep customization and extensive third-party integrations are usually reserved for enterprise-level deployments. By evaluating market share, vendor strategies, product roadmaps, and ecosystem engagement, this list highlights the top ERP solutions that align with the unique needs of mid-sized businesses in 2025.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Mid-Sized Business ERP in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Mid-Sized Business ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Mid-Sized Business ERP.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Quantum technology is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in computing, communication, and sensing, with AI acting as a key catalyst for its growing demand. As machine learning and large-scale computations push the limits of classical processing power, quantum systems present a promising solution for solving complex problems more efficiently. Governments, private enterprises, and research institutions worldwide are making substantial investments to accelerate both fundamental discoveries and commercial applications. Beyond technological breakthroughs, quantum innovation is also shaping the workforce of the future by fostering high-tech job opportunities and promoting inclusivity through education and training initiatives. These efforts aim to ensure broader participation in this transformative field, particularly among underrepresented communities.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Kieran N. Blanks at The Blankslate Group in a live LinkedIn session and discusses Quantum technology trends and what businesses need to know to prepare for the next technology revolution.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Marketing automation is a highly competitive space, with numerous tools designed for different industries and platforms. Within the Shopify ecosystem alone, businesses can choose from at least a dozen options, including Shopify's own built-in solutions, all offering similar core functionalities. However, the differences lie in their specialized capabilities—some platforms emphasize eCommerce-driven workflows like product recommendations and push notifications, while others cater more to content management or CPQ processes. Klaviyo, a well-known player in this space, distinguishes itself with a strong focus on data-driven personalization and deep eCommerce integrations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Klaviyo’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Klaviyo might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Klaviyo.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When assessing ERP solutions for small businesses, it’s essential to recognize that these companies have distinct operational needs and constraints. While revenue can be a useful benchmark, factors such as industry type, business model complexity, and growth trajectory play an equally crucial role in determining ERP adoption. For many product-based businesses, reaching $30 million in revenue often signals the need for a more robust system to manage inefficiencies, whereas service-based companies may continue operating with simpler tools for longer. Small businesses in this segment are beyond the startup phase but still face budget limitations, making affordability, ease of implementation, and ecosystem support key selection criteria. Given these nuances, our analysis considers not only the ERP vendors’ market presence and strategic focus on small businesses but also their technology roadmap, community engagement, and ability to support businesses with evolving operational demands.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP Systems for Small Business in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Small Business ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Small Business ERP System.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ERP systems have long struggled with visibility, making learning, adoption, and process optimization difficult for organizations. Traditional methods of visualizing business processes relied on stakeholder interviews, often leading to incomplete or biased representations. Process mining technology revolutionizes this approach by leveraging event logs and AI-driven analytics to map real process flows with accuracy and depth. Celonis, a leader in this space, offers powerful insights into inefficiencies and bottlenecks, but the question remains: does it truly deliver superior value compared to its competitors? Evaluating its effectiveness requires assessing scalability, ease of integration, and the depth of automation capabilities, all of which determine how well process mining translates into real business impact.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Celonis’ capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Celonis might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Celonis.
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Ensuring near-zero downtime for Fortune 100 companies handling millions of transactions requires a strategic approach that blends high-availability architectures, real-time failover mechanisms, and robust disaster recovery planning. Navigating the intricate ecosystem of SAP S/4HANA—where interconnected systems drive mission-critical operations—demands a deep understanding of integration patterns, middleware, and cloud optimizations. While SAP S/4HANA offers powerful in-memory computing and streamlined processes, its ability to support high-volume environments often hinges on complementary solutions like hyperscaler infrastructure, advanced caching mechanisms, and custom performance tuning. Successfully migrating ECC workloads to S/4HANA means addressing these complexities head-on, ensuring that scalability, resilience, and minimal disruption remain at the core of the transition strategy.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Steele Arbeeny, with SNP, to provide insights into SAP S/4 HANA best practices for high-volume industries.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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When selecting an ERP system, startups must balance affordability and ease of implementation. With lean teams and revenue typically under $10 million, these businesses require solutions that allow basic transaction processing without complex implementation layers. Unlike larger enterprises, startups can initially function with more isolated systems, reducing the urgency for deep integrations. However, as they grow, the ability to consolidate becomes crucial. The best ERP solutions for startups provide leaner layers of data and process models, sometimes at the expense of scalability. By prioritizing systems with strong market traction, investor backing, and a clear technology roadmap, startups can make informed choices that support both their current operations and long-term success.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP Systems for Startups in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Startup ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Startup ERP System.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Marketing automation has come a long way, evolving from basic email campaigns into sophisticated, multi-channel ecosystems that integrate SMS, ads, and websites. However, not all platforms cater equally to businesses of different sizes. Enterprise-grade solutions offer advanced workflow security and unified customer insights, while many SMB-focused tools, like MailChimp, often fall short in these areas. Without robust data traceability, smaller businesses struggle to manage diverse customer personas and communication preferences effectively. As competition intensifies, the question remains: is MailChimp keeping pace with the demands of modern marketing automation, or is it lagging behind in a rapidly advancing landscape?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of MailChimp’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where MailChimp might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of MailChimp.
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With 2025 shrouded in uncertainty, one thing remains certain: executives must craft IT budgets that strike the right balance between innovation and financial discipline. Rapid technological advancements present a double-edged sword—overspending on ineffective solutions can drain resources, while underinvestment risks falling behind the competition. To navigate this landscape, leaders must align IT spending with long-term business objectives, ensuring flexibility to adapt to emerging trends without unnecessary expenditures. Strategic planning today will determine whether companies thrive in the future or scramble to keep up with industry shifts.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Brian Jackson, with InfoTech Research to provide insights into tech trends for 2025 and what executives need to know to plan their digital transformation initiatives..
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Selecting the right construction ERP system in 2025 requires a deep understanding of a company’s unique operational needs, as no single solution fits all. While smaller firms may struggle with overly complex platforms, larger enterprises often demand robust functionalities that extend beyond core construction workflows. The integration of real estate management, field services, and subcontractor coordination adds layers of complexity, making it critical to evaluate whether an ERP natively supports these functions or relies on third-party add-ons. Additionally, businesses must consider the scale and nature of their projects—whether large-scale infrastructure development or small renovation jobs—as ERP suitability varies based on project scope. With industry-specific needs ranging from developer-focused solutions to nonprofit construction management, the right ERP choice hinges on aligning technology with business strategy.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Construction ERP Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Construction ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Construction ERP System.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Collaborative project management is experiencing rapid growth, with several vendors now exceeding $1 billion in ARR, yet challenges around security, pricing, and usability persist. While these platforms promise seamless coordination, customers often find implementation more complex and costly than expected, with steep licensing fees and unpredictable deployment expenses. Despite these hurdles, certain industries and use cases demand the flexibility and scalability that only specialized platforms like Smartsheet can provide. As businesses navigate these trade-offs, understanding the true cost and security implications of collaborative project management tools is essential for making informed investment decisions.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Smartsheet’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Smartsheet might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Smartsheet.
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The CrowdStrike incident has shed light on the hidden risks within software supply chains, prompting companies to reevaluate their security posture and the role of software bills of materials (SBOMs). While some may view this as an isolated event, the reality is that vulnerabilities within supply chains are often deeper and more complex than they initially appear—especially as AI-driven advancements introduce even greater dependencies and potential attack surfaces. Despite this growing risk, many buyers still overlook SBOMs when selecting software solutions, failing to recognize their critical importance for transparency, security, and regulatory compliance. As software ecosystems become increasingly intricate, organizations must prioritize SBOMs to mitigate risks, ensure accountability, and safeguard their digital infrastructure against evolving threats.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Matt Van Itallie, Founder and CEO of Sema to provide insights into why understanding software BOMs is critical and how that can help with risk management.
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When evaluating the top 10 distribution ERP systems in 2025, businesses must consider solutions tailored to their specific industry, operational model, and technological needs. Our rankings account for a diverse range of ERP products, recognizing that distribution-centric businesses—whether in industrial supply, FMCG, or e-commerce—require different features for optimal performance. Some ERPs focus exclusively on distribution, while others integrate manufacturing, field services, or retail functionalities, making the selection process more nuanced. Additionally, physical presence matters, as warehouse-based operations demand different capabilities than online-only distributors. Factors like fleet management, logistics, and ecosystem strength further shape ERP suitability. By analyzing key criteria such as market positioning, product roadmaps, and adaptability, our list highlights the best ERP solutions for evolving distribution needs in 2025.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Distribution ERP Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Distribution ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Distribution ERP System.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The media and entertainment industry has long resisted traditional ERP and project management software, favoring the flexibility of spreadsheets to accommodate its dynamic workflows. Standard enterprise solutions often felt too rigid, stifling the creative process rather than supporting it. This resistance made change management particularly challenging, as creative teams prioritized fluidity over structure. However, platforms like Airtable have transformed the landscape by introducing a new category of flexible, database-driven collaboration tools. By blending the simplicity of spreadsheets with the power of relational databases and automation, Airtable has unlocked a previously untapped market, proving that software can adapt to creativity rather than constrain it.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Airtable’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Airtable might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Airtable.
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The challenge of implementing complex enterprise systems has persisted for years, with early solutions like BPM struggling to reach full maturity. However, the rapid evolution of AI and the increasing availability of data are reshaping this landscape. The once-elusive goal of achieving end-to-end traceability—from business capabilities to technical execution—has remained largely unfulfilled, but AI-driven automation and intelligent workflows may finally bridge the gap. As a result, enterprise software vendors are increasingly embedding adoption platforms within their architectures, recognizing that streamlined onboarding, automation, and real-time insights are essential for ensuring successful implementation. This shift signals a move toward more intuitive, AI-powered enterprise solutions that enhance usability, efficiency, and long-term adoption.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Krishna Dunthoori, CEO at Apty, to provide insights into digital adoption platform trends and their evolution.
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Selecting the right manufacturing ERP system requires more than just reviewing rankings—it demands a careful assessment of how well a system aligns with your specific operational needs and long-term business strategy. While some ERP solutions excel in single-mode manufacturing, such as make-to-stock or batch production, others cater to mixed-mode environments, providing the flexibility necessary for future growth. Additionally, comprehensive ERP suites with built-in PLM and CAD integrations can streamline implementation but may become restrictive if your manufacturing processes evolve. Market share, acquisition strategy, and technology roadmaps are crucial factors in determining a system’s longevity and adaptability. Businesses should focus on ERP solutions that not only meet current manufacturing demands but also offer scalability, ensuring a future-proof investment.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Manufacturing ERP System.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Monday.com has carved out a strong position in the adaptive project management space, leveraging intuitive UI, flexible database structures, and seamless integrations to meet the evolving needs of modern teams. Unlike traditional project management tools, which often separate transactional workflows from form-based data collection, Monday.com unifies these elements, making it a powerful solution for dynamic work environments. The platform’s emphasis on automation, cross-functional collaboration, and customizable workflows aligns with the increasing demand for streamlined demand generation and customer experience initiatives. Compared to other tools like Asana and ClickUp, Monday.com stands out with its highly visual interface, extensive marketplace integrations, and adaptability across industries. Its ability to balance user-friendly design with enterprise-grade functionality makes it a compelling choice for teams seeking efficiency without sacrificing customization.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Monday.Com’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Monday.Com might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Monday.Com.
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With free-tier offerings mask hidden costs and complex pricing structures, Pipedrive positions itself as a streamlined, value-driven alternative. Unlike HubSpot, which often surprises users with significant upcharges, or Zoho, which nudges customers toward bundled solutions, Pipedrive maintains transparent pricing with a strong focus on sales pipeline management. While many CRMs require costly external add-ons for essential features like CPQ, AI-driven workflows, and document integration, Pipedrive incorporates sales-focused automation, reporting, and integrations without excessive complexity. Its user-friendly interface, predictable cost structure, and built-in sales enablement tools make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking a scalable yet cost-effective CRM solution.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Pipedrive CRM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Pipedrive CRM might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Pipedrive CRM.
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Selecting the right WMS requires a deep understanding of both business needs and the diverse capabilities of available solutions. Some WMS platforms are purpose-built, offering specialized functionalities as standalone systems, while others operate as integrated modules within broader ERP ecosystems. This distinction is critical, as generic solutions may lack the advanced features necessary to address unique operational challenges. Businesses must assess WMS solutions beyond rankings, considering how well they align with industry-specific requirements and operational models. Shippers, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, benefit from systems tailored to conventional workflows, whereas 3PL providers require specialized capabilities such as value-added services and billing functionalities. By focusing on long-term scalability and operational fit, businesses can choose a WMS that drives efficiency and growth.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 WMS systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these WMS systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each WMS system.
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For businesses with complex sales processes, CRM platforms often require customization to meet specific needs, despite claims of high flexibility. Even market leaders like Salesforce encounter challenges in handling industry-specific demands, such as the intricate workflows of real estate. These limitations arise from the simplified data models that prioritize ease of use but lack the sophistication of ERP systems for managing complex custom workflows. Zoho CRM offers a compelling alternative by providing a highly customizable platform with an extensive suite of native tools and integrations. While its affordability and adaptability stand out, scaling with advanced customizations or integrating third-party apps can lead to increased costs, making it essential to evaluate how well Zoho CRM aligns with your industry’s unique requirements compared to other options in the market.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Zoho CRM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Zoho CRM might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Zoho CRM.
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Many SaaS vendors start by mastering a specific capability, often tailored to a particular department, before expanding their offerings to cover broader functionalities. While this strategy allows them to excel in their core area, the additional features they introduce often lack the same depth or seamless integration, potentially creating gaps in usability and performance. Zendesk, known for its strong foundation in customer support, has expanded its portfolio to include capabilities such as sales and analytics. However, its success in these areas depends on how well these new features are integrated and whether they align with market needs. Compared to other solutions, Zendesk's strength lies in its user-friendly interface and support-centric design, but its newer features may face stiff competition from platforms with a broader, more mature suite of capabilities.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Zendesk Sell’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Zendesk Sell might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Zendesk Sell.
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Are you searching for the perfect TMS solution to streamline your transportation operations? In this exploration of the top 10 TMS systems of 2025, we focus exclusively on best-of-breed platforms that stand independently of ERP, WMS, or other add-on systems. These solutions cater to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to global corporations, by offering industry-specific capabilities such as fleet management, driver compliance, scheduling, and multi-modal transportation support. By evaluating critical factors like geographic applicability, transportation modes, and unique 3PL versus shipper requirements, this guide ensures you find a solution aligned with your needs. Our analysis goes beyond rankings, delving into product share, innovation, investor support, and community ecosystem strength, providing the insights you need to select the ideal TMS for your business in 2025.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 TMS systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these TMS systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each TMS system.
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As AI drives personalization and customer traceability, enterprise CX solutions must offer robust integrations across all customer touchpoints, including sales, marketing, service, and beyond. Oracle Cloud CX has navigated a unique trajectory, initially making substantial investments in advertising and commerce solutions but later pivoting by decommissioning those products and acquiring a leading EHR platform. This strategic shift reflects Oracle’s focus on aligning its CX offerings with broader enterprise needs, emphasizing data-driven insights and industry-specific capabilities. Today, Oracle Cloud CX stands as a versatile solution, leveraging its cloud infrastructure and AI advancements to compete with other market leaders, but its success will hinge on how well it meets the evolving demands of customer experience innovation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle CX Cloud’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Oracle CX Cloud might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Oracle CX Cloud.
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The race to dominate the CRM space has seen enterprise software vendors adopting varied strategies, from launching proprietary solutions to acquiring niche players. While smaller vendors often excel in offering intuitive, specialized tools, their ability to scale and master omnichannel capabilities—particularly under evolving privacy regulations like GDPR—remains a significant hurdle. This competitive landscape underscores the importance of robust, compliant, and scalable solutions. SAP Customer Experience stands out by leveraging its enterprise-grade infrastructure, seamlessly integrating with SAP’s ecosystem, and addressing compliance challenges head-on, positioning itself as a strong contender among CRM suites.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP C/4 HANA Cloud’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where SAP C/4 HANA Cloud might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of SAP C/4 HANA Cloud.
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Selecting the right eCommerce platform requires careful consideration of diverse variables, especially when navigating between B2B and B2C needs. For B2B businesses, must-have features include account-specific tools, dynamic pricing capabilities, and seamless ERP integrations that streamline inventory control and order management. Meanwhile, B2C platforms shine in personalization, offering AI-driven product recommendations, smooth checkout experiences, and flexible payment solutions that cater to global audiences. Interestingly, some platforms bridge these models, combining robust ERP connectivity and advanced B2B tools with the user-friendly interfaces and omnichannel capabilities crucial for B2C. Our evaluation considers market relevance, innovation, and customer satisfaction, ultimately spotlighting platforms that excel across industries and set new benchmarks for e-commerce success.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 eCommerce platforms in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these eCommerce platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each eCommerce platform.
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The line between ERP and CRM systems can be difficult to define, as ERP vendors often claim to offer CRM solutions, while CRM vendors argue that ERP systems are outdated. The fundamental difference lies in their data models and database structures, with ERP systems focusing on enterprise-wide resource management and CRM systems dedicated to customer relationship management. Microsoft takes a distinctive approach by connecting all of its apps through a common data model across various categories, blending the advantages of both best-of-breed and connected applications. Additionally, there is a subtle distinction between marketing automation systems and Customer Data Platforms (CDPs). While marketing automation tools can connect multiple channels, they lack the advanced capabilities of CDPs, such as integrating diverse data sources, matching datasets based on multiple criteria, and providing precise insights to users. With these factors in mind, how does Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM stack up against other CRM suites in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of MS Dynamics 365 CRM/CE’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where MS Dynamics 365 CRM/CE might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of MS Dynamics 365 CRM/CE.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Industries such as automotive and aerospace require seamless interoperability across their value chains, given the highly interconnected nature of their supply chains. This demands not only the sharing of data at a macro level but also the ability to manage exceptions as plans evolve and adjustments are required. Global supply chain challenges add another layer of complexity, with constraints like sovereign data exchange and geopolitical factors complicating the process. These challenges make it more difficult to implement business models such as just-in-time and just-in-sequence while also complicating the management of vendor-managed inventory and joint planning and collaboration. In light of these factors, how does SupplyOn stand out compared to other supply chain suites in addressing these intricate challenges and supporting efficient, resilient supply chain operations?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SupplyOn’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where SupplyOn might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of SupplyOn.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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If you’re in the market for CRM systems or MarTech suites, identifying the top solutions is essential but can quickly become overwhelming. Many CRM products look alike in their marketing claims, yet they differ widely in functionality and fit for specific business needs. This guide zeroes in on best-of-breed CRM systems—standalone platforms with independent data models designed to support a full range of customer-facing operations. These systems excel in managing sales, marketing, and customer service workflows while also addressing industry-specific processes that set them apart in the market. Choosing the right CRM requires a clear understanding of how each system aligns with your organization’s unique goals and operational priorities, ensuring a solution that drives long-term value.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 CRM systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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In industries such as metal, chemical, and paper manufacturing, supply chain planning requires highly specialized capabilities to address the complexities of their operations. These sectors rely on advanced features like variable routings, multi-level pegging, coupled routings, and intricate changeovers to ensure efficiency and adaptability. While many supply chain solutions provide basic functionalities like available-to-promise or capable-to-promise, the critical challenge lies in mastering profitable-to-promise capabilities. OMP distinguishes itself in the market by seamlessly integrating these advanced features into its suite, making it a strong contender for handling the unique demands of these industries. This raises an important question: how does OMP compare to other supply chain suites in delivering tailored, industry-specific solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of OMP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where OMP might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of OMP.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Constraints-based supply chain planning is already a complex undertaking, and the addition of retail-specific challenges, such as matrix inventory, adds another layer of difficulty. Logility stands out in this space thanks to its patented capabilities designed specifically for handling complex product types. Compared to other supply chain suite solutions, Logility shines with its robust planning tools that effectively address both traditional supply chain constraints and the unique demands of the retail sector. Its platform focuses on optimizing inventory levels, improving forecast accuracy, and driving overall supply chain efficiency. This raises the question: how does Logility’s specialized approach stack up against other leading supply chain suites in delivering value and addressing industry-specific challenges?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Logility’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Logility might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Logility.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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If you’re exploring options for an HCM or HRIS suite, navigating the crowded market can be daunting. This guide narrows the focus to best-of-breed HCM suites—standalone systems with independent data models and operational capabilities, separate from ERP-embedded HR modules. These robust solutions are purpose-built to handle a broad spectrum of HR functions, extending well beyond payroll and financials. From recruiting and benefits management to learning management, compliance, and document exchange, these suites offer tools to streamline and enhance nearly every aspect of human resource operations. In fact, some HCM systems rival ERP or CRM platforms in complexity and scope, reflecting the critical and multifaceted role HR plays in organizational success.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 HCM software in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these HCM software. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each HCM software.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Many ERP vendors, including SAP, have incorporated S&OP capabilities into their platforms, but questions remain about how SAP IBP compares to other leading S&OP or connected planning solutions. While modern planning platforms often tout Excel-like interfaces and connectivity, ERP-integrated tools frequently fall short of delivering the same level of seamlessness and usability. Additionally, the planning capabilities offered by major ERP vendors, such as global planning layers and gating factors, are often designed with large enterprises in mind, making them less relevant or overly complex for smaller companies. This raises an important consideration: how does SAP IBP measure up against specialized supply chain suites in terms of advanced features, usability, and suitability for diverse business needs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP IBP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where SAP IBP might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of SAP IBP.
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S&OP systems have evolved dramatically in recent years, paralleling advancements seen across other enterprise software categories. Modern S&OP solutions are now cloud-native, offering far more than traditional demand forecasting capabilities. These robust, enterprise-grade platforms often include advanced features like trade promotion planning and settlements, addressing the needs of the entire value chain. A notable example is Oracle Demantra, which once stood out for its extensive library of demand forecasting algorithms but has since been integrated into the Oracle Demand Management Cloud solution. Yet, its position among other leading enterprise-grade options, such as e2open or Blue Yonder, continues to spark discussion as businesses weigh their strengths in functionality, scalability, and overall fit for diverse operational requirements.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle Demantra’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Oracle Demantra might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Oracle Demantra.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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If you’re considering ERP systems or want to discover the top ERP solutions for 2025, this guide offers valuable insights into the standout options currently shaping the market. Rather than focusing on vendor popularity or market dominance, the emphasis here is on individual ERP systems, analyzing their unique features, scalability, and suitability for various industries and business models. You might notice some familiar names missing from this list, as the approach prioritizes functionality and adaptability over sheer market presence. For businesses operating in specialized sectors, such as manufacturing or niche markets like plastic extrusion, exploring tailored lists can provide more targeted recommendations. However, even with these lists, it’s crucial to dive deeper into how well an ERP aligns with your specific business needs to ensure a successful implementation.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP Systems in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The supply chain planning market is filled with platforms that may appear similar on the surface but are often highly specialized in addressing distinct industry needs. While manufacturing planning is frequently perceived as more intricate due to its detailed production workflows and dependencies, retail planning presents its own set of complexities. Retail demands a platform that can handle massive volumes, seasonal variations, and diverse product categories with precision. Relex Solutions has gained attention for its strengths in retail planning, particularly in demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and category management. However, when compared to other solutions, their suitability ultimately depends on how well they align with an organization's specific operational challenges and strategic priorities. Understanding where Relex stands in terms of scalability, flexibility, and industry focus is essential for evaluating its competitiveness against other market options.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Relex Solutions’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Relex Solutions might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Relex Solutions.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Zoho HCM has carved out a unique position in the HCM market by offering exceptional functionality paired with an unbeatable price point, starting as low as $1 per user per month. This value proposition makes it an attractive choice, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses seeking robust capabilities without the hefty price tag of traditional enterprise solutions. However, Zoho HCM isn’t without its limitations. While its suite of apps is comprehensive, the lack of seamless integration and unified data models across its ecosystem can pose challenges for organizations seeking a more cohesive solution. That said, HCM systems often prioritize user-friendly design and practical functionality over the tight data traceability demanded by ERP systems, which may explain Zoho HCM's rising popularity.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Zoho HCM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Zoho HCM might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Zoho HCM.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The ERP industry thrives on continuous innovation and rapid evolution, making it one of the most dynamic sectors in enterprise technology. As organizations face growing complexities in managing operations, supply chains, and data, understanding the key players in the ERP landscape becomes increasingly vital. These industry leaders are not only shaping the future of business technology but also driving trends that redefine how enterprises operate. Keeping track of these changes ensures that businesses remain competitive, leveraging the best solutions to streamline processes and achieve their strategic goals. In such a fast-paced environment, staying informed is not just an advantage—it's a necessity.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP vendors in 2025. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The landscape of Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions is diverse, and while many offerings may appear similar at first glance, their capabilities can vary significantly, particularly in Workforce Management (WFM). Industries often face unique HCM challenges, with compliance and scheduling standing out as critical yet complex needs. Traditional WFM leaders, such as Dayforce, have expanded into full-fledged HCM platforms, leveraging acquisitions to enhance their offerings. Meanwhile, Infor differentiates itself by seamlessly integrating HCM into its ERP ecosystem, providing organizations with a unified and comprehensive suite that aligns workforce management with broader enterprise operations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor WFM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Infor WFM might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Infor WFM.
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Modern cloud-native HR solutions tailored for the SMB market have garnered widespread enthusiasm due to their accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. They are often positioned as superior alternatives to legacy systems, especially for smaller businesses seeking streamlined implementation with minimal investment in consulting and change management. However, their initial appeal can wane as business needs evolve. Growing organizations may face challenges with scalability, workflow security, and data integrity, exposing the limitations of these solutions. As a result, while cloud-native tools are an excellent fit for SMBs with limited resources, mid-to-large businesses must carefully evaluate their long-term suitability to ensure these solutions can support their expanding operational demands.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of BambooHR’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where BambooHR might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of BambooHR.
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The year 2025 is set to be a pivotal moment for digital transformation, with businesses, software vendors, and professionals alike navigating a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by global shifts. For organizations reimagining their enterprise architecture or investing in cutting-edge software solutions, staying ahead of market trends will be essential to drive strategic growth and innovation. Enterprise software vendors, especially product teams, must leverage these insights to craft future-proof roadmaps that align with shifting demands and technological advancements. Additionally, executives and consultants will need to stay agile, reassessing their career trajectories and adapting to changes in product strategies that influence their roles.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses top 15 digital transformation trends in 2025. He also discusses several factors that drive these trends and their implications on the enterprise software industry as well as their consumers. Finally, he shares how executives can plan their careers using these trends.
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Public sector organizations possess unique CRM requirements that differentiate them from private sector businesses. This category includes municipalities, cities, and federal agencies that manage a wide range of services and citizen interactions, necessitating specialized capabilities. A critical aspect of public sector CRMs is the management of citizen experiences, which extends beyond conventional customer service functionalities. These systems must accommodate various customer personas, oversee complex workflows, and provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of citizen interactions across multiple channels. In this video, we will explore the top 10 public sector CRMs for 2024, highlighting platforms that cater specifically to the needs of government and public service organizations.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top Public Sector CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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ADP has established itself as a leading choice for payroll solutions, even among organizations that employ other HCM platforms such as Workday, SuccessFactors, or Oracle HCM. While ADP has broadened its offerings to encompass a range of HCM capabilities through its ADP Vantage HCM solution, aiming to compete with players like Ceridian and Workday, users often report an inconsistent experience. This inconsistency can manifest in various areas, including communication challenges, process inefficiencies, and issues with data integrity. Despite these hurdles, many companies remain loyal to ADP, primarily because of its comprehensive managed services available globally, which are vital for navigating the complexities of international tax regulations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ADP Vantage HCM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where ADP Vantage HCM might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ADP Vantage HCM.
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Higher education institutions have unique CRM needs that go well beyond the requirements seen in K-12 settings. In higher ed, CRM systems must handle not only student recruitment but also complex alumni relations, faculty engagement, and a wide array of student services. Colleges and universities engage with a diverse set of stakeholders, including prospective and current students, alumni, donors, and staff, necessitating a CRM that is both versatile and scalable to support long-term engagement strategies. In this video, we’ll review the top 10 CRMs for higher education in 2024, showcasing platforms specifically designed to meet the needs of universities and colleges.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top Higher Education CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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Educational institutions, particularly K-12 schools, have distinct requirements for CRM systems that go far beyond the functions typically seen in business or even higher education. K-12 schools must engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, not only managing current students and their families but also interacting with prospective students, alumni, and faculty. This requires a CRM capable of supporting recruitment, admissions, alumni relations, and teacher engagement. Given the diversity in K-12 institutions, from small, single schools to large districts, an adaptable and customizable CRM is essential to meet these varying needs.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 K-12 Education CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM systems.
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Navigating consumer-centric industries poses a distinctive challenge as privacy laws limit access to the detailed customer information needed to predict preferences accurately. This creates a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma: consumers crave personalized experiences, but regulations restrict the data required to provide them. Despite this, brands must find innovative ways to engage. Identifying and prioritizing high-value customers becomes crucial, demanding precisely tailored journeys that meet their expectations. Achieving this balance requires a blend of creativity and accuracy to deliver meaningful experiences within privacy boundaries. In this environment, success depends on the ability to derive actionable insights while remaining compliant with regulatory standards, ensuring both customer satisfaction and adherence to privacy laws.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Cary Lawrence, CEO at Decile, to provide insights into CDP trends and why they matter for brands.
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Innovation districts have distinct operational needs that set them apart from conventional business environments. These collaborative spaces are formed through partnerships among cities, universities, and research organizations to create an ecosystem that fosters innovation. Typically funded through a combination of donor contributions and government or academic support, innovation districts bring together elements of nonprofit management, real estate development, and tech advancement, resulting in a unique and complex environment to manage. While some of their processes resemble city governance, innovation districts operate with a streamlined focus on promoting cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship. They host a diverse mix of tenants—ranging from tech startups to biotech firms and educational institutions—each with unique requirements and challenges.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 CRMs for Innovation Districts in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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When evaluating the CRM needs of larger not-for-profit organizations, it's essential to recognize that their requirements are far more complex than those of smaller entities. These large-scale organizations, often with over 1,000 employees, manage vast numbers of transactions and interactions, demanding CRM systems that are not only scalable but also capable of handling high data loads. A robust CRM for this sector must support seamless integration with other platforms, such as ERP systems, to facilitate smooth operations and data flow across departments. The intricacies of managing donors and fulfilling grant reporting requirements add to this complexity, as funders frequently have specific reporting milestones and restrictions that must be accurately tracked and met.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Large Non-Profit CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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In the ERP field, acquiring companies don’t always offer the same advantages as they do within HCM. ERP systems demand tightly integrated data models, making it difficult to seamlessly incorporate acquired products without extensive reconfiguration. In contrast, HCM systems are less constrained by this requirement, allowing acquired components to function independently within the broader system. Ceridian serves as a notable example, evolving from a WFM solution to a full-fledged HCM suite that now spans multiple countries and regions. With this context in mind, how well does Ceridian Dayforce HCM perform in terms of its capabilities, and how does it compare with other leading HCM solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Dayforce’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Dayforce might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand Dayforce's core strengths and weaknesses.
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In this video, we dive into the top 10 CRM systems for mid-sized not-for-profit organizations in 2024, tailored to meet the unique demands of this sector. Typically ranging from 100 to 1,000 employees, mid-sized not-for-profits manage numerous customer-centric touchpoints across email, websites, call centers, and field services. Unlike smaller entities that may rely on simpler CRM solutions, mid-sized organizations handle more substantial donors and complex operational frameworks, necessitating advanced CRM features like enhanced security, hierarchical workflows, and robust data management. Despite these needs, they often operate within budget and IT resource constraints, making it essential to select CRMs with pre-built functionality rather than fully customized setups.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Mid-Sized Non-Profit CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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When evaluating the CRM requirements for small not-for-profit organizations as compared to startups, it's essential to note the distinctions in resources, scale, and operational needs. Startups often operate on lean teams with virtually no budget for CRM implementation, favoring DIY solutions with minimal integrations. In contrast, small not-for-profits, with 10-20 employees and a modest budget, can invest in basic CRM systems to manage a wider scope of operational requirements. These organizations, often spanning fields like healthcare, education, charities, and religious groups, have complex CRM needs due to diverse data sources and service models.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Non-Profit Small Business CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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In 2024, the question on everyone’s mind revolves around the vast potential of AI. As we ask what AI can accomplish, a consensus emerges—pose a query about its capabilities, and you'll receive a wealth of answers limited only by imagination. Yet, an essential query remains: can technology genuinely resolve problems centered on people? Human resistance is often the first barrier when adopting new tech, underscoring the critical role of change management in guiding organizational evolution. Traditionally, challenges that evade purely technological solutions are left to change management. But a new possibility arises: could change management’s impact itself be amplified by advanced AI? This question sparks a deeper inquiry into the synergy between human-centered challenges and tech innovation, suggesting a path where AI complements rather than replaces the core human qualities of insight and adaptability, which are crucial in navigating complex organizational transformations.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Tim Morton, Founder of Prompta, to explain how AI is changing change management.
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Not-for-profit startups, often operating with fewer than 20 employees and tight budgets, face significant challenges when implementing CRM systems. Lacking the resources for customized solutions or extensive IT support, they usually take a DIY approach, relying on affordable, accessible tools. However, this often results in fragmented systems where data from donor, volunteer, and member interactions are siloed, leading to inconsistent customer experiences. These organizations need CRMs that can unify their various engagement channels—such as email, social media, and events—into a cohesive platform. The CRM tools suited for not-for-profit startups must bridge the gaps between these disconnected systems, offering visibility into customer touchpoints and improving engagement, all while staying within financial constraints.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Non-Profit Startup CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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Not-for-profit organizations face unique challenges when it comes to CRM systems, as their focus is on building and maintaining relationships with donors, volunteers, and members rather than traditional customers. In 2024, the landscape of not-for-profit CRMs has advanced, offering a range of solutions specifically tailored to meet the diverse needs of these organizations. Whether it's managing donor databases, coordinating volunteer efforts, or tracking member engagement, the top CRMs available this year are designed to support a wide variety of organizations, including associations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and charitable groups. These CRMs are not only versatile and scalable but also provide the robust features necessary to streamline operations and enhance supporter engagement, making them ideal for organizations of all sizes.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Non-Profit CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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HCM solutions are uniquely characterized by the critical importance of localization, especially when managing the complexities of various tax codes and compliance requirements. These systems have evolved beyond basic technical tools into comprehensive managed services providers, offering support that goes far beyond software. This is a key distinction between mid-market HCM solutions and enterprise-grade offerings. While enterprise systems offer greater flexibility and more intricate layers to meet diverse organizational needs, they often rely on external partners for specialized expertise and compliance management, ensuring companies remain aligned with local regulations and tax obligations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of UKG Pro’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where UKG Pro might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of UKG Pro.
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As organizations grow beyond the mid-market segment, typically surpassing 5,000 employees and approaching $1 billion in revenue, their CRM needs evolve dramatically. At this scale, a CRM system must handle more extensive workflows, complex team structures, and a higher volume of transactional processes. CRMs designed for smaller companies may fall short, either by complicating workflows or lacking essential capabilities. For large enterprises, a CRM must support a wide range of customer experience touchpoints—websites, email, SMS, and community-based interactions—while integrating field service, call centers, and service-centric workflows to ensure omnichannel visibility. Eliminating data silos and enabling seamless data collection becomes critical for strategic sales operations and territory planning. Advanced features like AI-driven tools are essential to manage large volumes of data, streamline territory management, and scale operations efficiently. Ultimately, selecting the right CRM is crucial for ensuring the organization can handle the complexity and scale of its customer-facing operations.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Large Company CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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Mid-sized companies, typically with 100 to 5,000 employees and revenue between $100 million and $1 billion, face unique challenges in their CRM needs as they grow. Unlike startups and small businesses, they require more robust, customizable CRM systems to support complex customer-facing workflows and consolidate touchpoints across various channels like call centers and marketing automation. While these systems don't generally integrate back-end operations such as accounting or supply chain management, which would require an ERP system, they are crucial for formalizing sales processes like territory planning and sales compensation. Additionally, industries that rely on channel relationships may need to manage processes like Business Development Funds (BDF) and Marketing Development Funds (MDF) through the CRM, even if full automation remains cost-prohibitive. Security also becomes a higher priority, ensuring that access to sensitive information is properly managed and that the system aligns with the company's growing sophistication.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 mid-sized CRMs in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM system.
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For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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In service-oriented industries, human capital management processes often take precedence over those centered on products, acknowledging the paramount importance of people as assets. While Oracle HCM once dominated the HCM market, the emergence of Workday posed a formidable challenge in the industry. Despite this, Oracle HCM maintains a substantial market share and continues to be a robust competitor for both Workday and SuccessFactors, especially among clients who rely on Oracle for their ERP requirements.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle Cloud HCM’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Oracle Cloud HCM might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Oracle Cloud HCM.
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In 2024, the top 10 CRMs for small businesses are set to redefine how these enterprises manage their customer relationships. These CRMs offer comprehensive features tailored specifically to the needs of small businesses, empowering them to streamline lead management, automate marketing campaigns, and enhance customer engagement. With user-friendly interfaces and customizable functionalities, these top CRMs are essential tools for small businesses looking to optimize their sales processes, improve customer satisfaction, and drive growth. Evaluated based on criteria such as affordability, scalability, integration capabilities, and customer support, these top 10 CRMs are poised to help small businesses thrive in today's competitive landscape.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 CRMs for small business in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM systems.
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The top 10 CRM solutions tailored for startups in 2024 are poised to revolutionize how emerging businesses manage their customer relationships. These CRMs offer streamlined features and intuitive interfaces designed to meet the unique needs of startups, empowering them to efficiently track leads, nurture relationships, and drive growth. Evaluated based on criteria such as user-friendliness, scalability, affordability, and integration capabilities, these top 10 CRMs are essential tools for startups looking to establish and strengthen their foothold in the market.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 CRMs for startups in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these CRM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each CRM systems.
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Sourcing, much like recruiting, was traditionally viewed as a labor of love. While other functions in procurement benefited from predictive workflows and access to various technologies, sourcing remained uniquely challenging due to the diversity of processes across companies. This diversity underscores the potency of AI in optimizing the sourcing function. If you're interested in discovering how AI can enhance your sourcing efforts, you've landed in the right spot.
In this episode, Sam Gupta engages in a LinkedIn live session with Seth Catalli, Chief Revenue Officer at Globality, providing a comprehensive exploration of recent case studies and invaluable lessons for procurement teams to glean.
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EAM systems play a vital role in helping organizations effectively manage their assets throughout their lifecycle. These systems encompass a wide range of functionalities, including asset tracking, maintenance scheduling, work order management, and inventory control. The leading EAM systems offer advanced features such as predictive maintenance analytics, IoT integration, and mobile accessibility, enabling businesses to optimize asset performance, reduce downtime, and extend asset lifespan. Evaluated based on criteria such as market share, innovation, scalability, and customer satisfaction, these top 10 EAM systems are essential tools for organizations across industries to ensure the efficient operation of their assets and facilities.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 EAM systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of EAM systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each EAM systems.
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As marketing practices continue to evolve, businesses rely on advanced automation tools to streamline their campaigns and enhance customer engagement. The leading systems in this category offer comprehensive features for email marketing, SMS marketing, omnichannel integration, and content management. These platforms empower marketers to create personalized experiences for their audience, optimize campaign performance, and drive measurable results. Evaluated based on their market share, innovation, user experience, and scalability, these top 10 marketing automation systems play a crucial role in helping businesses stay competitive in today's dynamic digital landscape.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 marketing automation systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of marketing automation systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each marketing automation systems.
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The line between HCM and ERP has often been blurred, especially with overlapping categories like ATS and payroll. Initially, ERP companies tried to integrate these functions as modules, only to realize their uniqueness required standalone software. This recognition influenced the architecture of systems like SAP S/4 HANA, which are comprehensive collections of systems designed with optimal architecture for both best-of-breed and embedded processes. Among these, SAP SuccessFactors stands out as a highly successful HCM solution, competing with industry giants like Workday and Oracle HCM. Now, where does SAP SuccessFactors currently stand in the landscape of HCM systems, and how does it fare against its competitors?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP SuccessFactors’ capabilities. We covered many grounds including where SAP Successfactors might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of SAP Successfactors.
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The field service sector has evolved significantly, integrating advanced technologies and CRM functionalities to enhance service delivery. The leading systems in this category offer robust features for scheduling, dispatching, and real-time tracking, enabling companies to optimize their field operations. These solutions also provide comprehensive tools for managing work orders, customer communications, and inventory, ensuring that field technicians are well-equipped to meet client needs efficiently. Evaluated based on their market share, technological innovation, user-friendliness, and ability to integrate with other enterprise systems, these top 10 field service management systems are essential for businesses aiming to excel in the dynamic field service landscape.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 field service management systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of field service management systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each field service management systems.
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Plastic extrusion, a critical process in manufacturing, involves companies that produce and supply a wide range of plastic products. The best ERP systems for this sector streamline operations by managing intricate formulations, tracking variable product weights, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. These systems integrate seamlessly with production workflows, providing real-time data and insights to optimize efficiency and quality. The top ERP solutions in this category are evaluated based on their product roadmap, market share, technological innovation, and ability to meet the unique demands of plastic extrusion, positioning businesses for success in an increasingly competitive market.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 plastic extrusion ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of plastic extrusion ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each plastic extrusion ERP Systems.
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Field services businesses have undergone significant evolution, incorporating elements of Industry 4.0 and CRM. This convergence may be a key factor driving Salesforce's deep engagement in this market. ServiceMax stands out as a prime example of a company that has demonstrated remarkable potential within the field service sector. Originating as an ISV within the Salesforce ecosystem, ServiceMax has transitioned through various ownerships, including GE Digital, Silver Lake, and now PTC. These transitions have played a pivotal role in shaping ServiceMax's identity and fostering a novel category that transcends traditional boundaries. This category intersects CRM, engineering, and CAD, offering a unique proposition that traditional field service models may struggle to grasp. In light of these developments, it's crucial to assess where ServiceMax currently stands in terms of its capabilities and how it stacks up against other solutions within its category.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ServiceMax’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where ServiceMax might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ServiceMax.
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Let's explore the top machinery manufacturing ERP systems for 2024. These systems are crucial for managing the complexities of machinery manufacturing, which involves producing large machines used across various industries, from cutting machinery to Industry 4.0 equipment. These substantial pieces of capital equipment require robust ERP solutions to handle diverse operations, including object manufacturing, make-to-order parts production, and specialized service workflows. The best ERP systems in this category streamline these processes, offering comprehensive tools for inventory management, production planning, and integration with advanced technologies, ensuring manufacturers can meet industry demands efficiently and effectively.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 machinery manufacturing ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of machinery manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each machinery manufacturing ERP Systems.
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The top 10 apparel manufacturing ERP category covers various industries within apparel, including designer clothes, uniforms, undergarments, and both formal and casual wear. Each category presents its own unique challenges and requirements, necessitating a deeper dive into specific processes and systems. The primary goal of this list is to serve as a valuable resource for those seeking the best ERP solutions tailored to their unique needs within the apparel manufacturing sector. By exploring these distinct categories, manufacturers can better understand which systems align with their specific operational demands.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 apparel manufacturing ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of apparel manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each apparel manufacturing ERP Systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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The implementation of the ELD mandate brought significant changes for many companies, notably impacting emerging SaaS unicorns like Motive. What sets Motive apart and fuels its popularity? Is it its role in replacing outdated TMS systems, its effectiveness as a fleet management solution, or its creation of a new compliance category? While it intersects with various enterprise software segments, Motive stands out due to its unique blend of software and hardware components. Most importantly, it provides insights into driver behaviors, a feature with considerable implications for both financial and operational procedures. The question remains: where does Motive currently stand, and what lies ahead for its trajectory?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Motive’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Motive might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Motive.
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One of the key aspects of process manufacturing is its reliance on specific formulations and recipes, which dictate the combination of ingredients needed to produce the desired product. This approach introduces unique challenges, such as managing catchweight (variable weight products), reverse Bill of Materials (BOM), and potency adjustments. These capabilities are essential for ensuring consistency, quality, and compliance in the production process. Companies excelling in process manufacturing often invest heavily in these specialized capabilities to maintain a competitive edge and meet industry standards.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 process-manufacturing ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of process manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each process manufacturing ERP Systems.
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The unique nature of discrete manufacturing necessitates specialized capabilities and approaches. Unlike process manufacturing, which is formula-driven, discrete manufacturing focuses on managing individual components and the quantity of finished units. This specificity can pose challenges, especially when integrating varied materials and components. Consequently, discrete manufacturers must consider a range of factors to optimize their operations, from precise inventory control to advanced production techniques, ensuring that each component fits seamlessly into the final product.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 discrete manufacturing ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of discrete manufacturing ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each discrete manufacturing ERP Systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
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ECC to S/4 migration is never easy. There are several considerations, including differences in architecture, licensing arrangement, and change management. But if you have been creative with your licensing arrangement in the on-prem setting, your experience might be even more shocking. The things you could do in the on-prem world might not be permitted in the new architecture. Also, just because you own your instance doesn’t mean that you have the right to do whatever you want with licensing, increasing the odds of getting audited.
In today's episode, our guest, Sana Asher, discusses the nuances of ECC to S/4 HANA migration. She touches on several concepts, such as differences in the licensing and what customers need to know to be successful with migration. Finally, Sam and her debate a story of acquisition and migration from PeopleSoft to S/4 in a complex and regulated industry such as Life Science.
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Project Manufacturing, positioned at the intersection of manufacturing, construction, and professional services, poses unique challenges. While engineer-to-order setups may exhibit some similarities, pure project manufacturing involves highly specialized processes that demand customized workflows. These business models, frequently involved in long-term contracts, place significant emphasis on estimation, quoting, and marketing automation. Industries operating within this sphere encompass sign manufacturing, architectural firms, and environmental consulting with manufacturing components. Companies undertaking intricate projects that don't require complex engineering yet stand apart from pure consulting firms are encompassed by the project manufacturing umbrella.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Project Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Project Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Project Manufacturing ERP Systems.
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Field service workflows intersect with a range of enterprise software categories, such as CRM, ERP, and TMS. These workflows display notable differences when analyzed across various industries. Residential services, for instance, require integrations that differ from those needed in non-ERP sectors like insurance or utilities. Efficient field service routing necessitates substantial capabilities in connecting business rules, often diverging from conventional ERP workflows to address the specific needs of engaging contractors and service providers within service workflows. Considering these factors, how does ServicePower position itself in terms of its capabilities?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ServicePower’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including where ServicePower might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ServicePower.
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Configure-to-order (CTO) manufacturing presents a distinctive category, with many businesses initially steering clear due to the challenges of product standardization overhead, which is particularly daunting for startups. Furthermore, the expectations diverge notably between B2B and B2C industries regarding configure-to-order processes. B2C sectors like furniture, mattresses, automotive, appliances, and tires often demand configurability, largely propelled by consumer demands. Conversely, B2B industries requiring configurability span oil and gas parts, aftermarket services, industrial distributors, equipment manufacturers, and field service firms, where needs may stem from customer requirements or internal efforts to streamline estimation and quoting processes. Initially, smaller companies might classify themselves as service or engineer-to-order focused, managing their quoting manually before transitioning to configure-to-order workflows.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Configure-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Configure-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Configure-to-Order Manufacturing ERP System.
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What is Exceptional Leadership? Is it characterized by a potent blend of vision, empathy, and resilience? Does it transcend mere management, inspiring individuals and teams to reach heights they never thought possible? Exceptional leaders foster a culture of trust and collaboration, empowering their team members to innovate, take risks, and learn from failures. They lead by example, demonstrating integrity, humility, and a relentless commitment to their organization's mission and values. Exceptional leaders are adept at navigating challenges with grace and decisiveness, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.
In today's episode, our guest, DeWayne Allen, discusses the importance of exceptional leadership for business transformation initiatives. He also explains and breaks down the foundational component of exceptional leadership and what leaders need to know to follow them for their organizations. Finally, he discusses several stories where he has been personally involved with complex transformation initiatives.
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Engineer-to-order (ETO) manufacturing firms combine elements from multiple manufacturing models such as project manufacturing and make-to-order. These companies are recognized for their complex operations, serving industries like equipment manufacturing, modular housing, and bridge construction. Differentiating genuine ETO setups from construction-focused projects can be challenging due to overlapping characteristics. Nonetheless, the key identifier of an ETO company lies in its strong emphasis on engineering expertise.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Engineer-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Engineer-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Engineer-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems.
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Vertical software was once considered a niche market within enterprise software, primarily served by VARs and ISVs with limited growth potential, while OEMs thrived on platform and ecosystem-focused business models. However, this landscape has shifted, especially with private equity firms adopting consolidation strategies during economic downturns, leading to a reevaluation of their go-to-market and marketing approaches and sometimes even overhauling their code bases entirely. This trend has affected even major proponents of platform strategies, like Salesforce, which has acquired vertical capabilities and introduced industry-specific packages. ServiceTitan stands out as one of the top vertical SaaS offerings listed on Forbes Cloud 100, potentially disrupting the ERP market dominated by companies such as Epicor and ECi. When considering Advantive, it can be challenging to determine who is disrupting whose market. But what exactly is ServiceTitan? Is it a field service application? An industry-specific CRM? A channel integration tool tailored for particular sectors, akin to ChannelAdvisor? Or is it a blend of all these functionalities? Could it even qualify as an ERP system?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ServiceTitan’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where ServiceTitan might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand ServiceTitan's core strengths and weaknesses.
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Unlike make-to-stock enterprises, make-to-stock companies typically focus on consumer needs, requiring strong supply chain planning and possibly eCommerce functionalities. These companies operate across diverse sectors, including both discrete and process manufacturing approaches. Their product ranges may include everyday essentials like food and household items, as well as consumer electronics or vehicles. The materials used can vary significantly, ranging from plastics and chemicals to steel and organic components. As long as products are produced in advance and stored for future sale, they are considered part of the make-to-stock operations.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 Make-to-Stock Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Make-to-Stock Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Make-to-Stock Manufacturing ERP Systems.
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eCommerce stack has evolved significantly with substantial overlap among different tools. Inventory is one layer that is shared by several systems, with each serving a very different perspective. When commerce refers to inventory, it only cares for counts and ignores other elements that might be relevant for other layers. However, not normalizing the front end of the inventory layer can lead to issues such as findability, impacting sales.
In today's episode, our guest, Vikram Saxena, discusses the nuances of product taxonomy and enrichment for eCommerce merchants. He also debates several concepts with Sam like API-first and headless architecture, the role of inventory reconciliation from the lenses of commerce, different inventory layers and how they each serve different perspectives. Finally, he shares several stories where they have helped companies normalize their SKUs and taxonomy and the impact they had on those companies.
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Within the expansive domain of manufacturing, make-to-order enterprises distinguish themselves with their specialized operations. Although they are often categorized alongside make-to-stock, engineer-to-order, and project manufacturing firms, make-to-order businesses operate in a unique manner. Unlike make-to-stock establishments, they fabricate products only after receiving orders, which demands tailored supply chain procedures. While they share similarities with engineer-to-order setups, make-to-order companies typically involve less customer engagement and handle less complex engineering tasks.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Make-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Make-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Make-to-Order Manufacturing ERP System.
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Only a handful of companies possess a truly robust network capable of fueling demanding AI and ML algorithms. This network is crucial not only for optimizing the supply chain but also for facilitating platform adoption. If suppliers are hesitant to embrace the platform, it can disrupt joint planning and forecasting efforts, leading to misalignment throughout the supply chain. While numerous supplier collaboration platforms exist, managing international and multi-party supply chains presents unique challenges. International supply chains necessitate comprehensive supplier collaboration alongside the intricate management of international trade finance processes.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor Nexus’ capabilities. We covered many grounds including where Infor Nexus might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Infor Nexus.
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They are distinct and require a specialized ERP strategy because of their unique product development, quality control, and production procedures. This varied sector includes manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, each requiring a customized ERP approach to match their individual business operations. Even within this market segment, diverse product categories such as Dairy and frozen food show notable differences in ERP suitability. Examining transactions and their connections with cross-functional data sets is vital for understanding these distinctions.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Food & Beverage ERP Systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of Food & Beverage ERP Systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each Food & Beverage ERP System.
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FP&A space has come a long way. While companies might struggle to understand the difference between an ERP and an FP&A tool, even FP&A tools differ substantially. And not all tools are likely to have the same capabilities. Some tools are designed for larger volumes of data, while others might not be as connected underneath, causing communication and integration issues. As a customer, you are likely to understand these issues only after you have signed the contract and started using them.
In today's episode, our guest, Alexander Ladd, discusses the evolution and future roadmap of FP&A technologies. He also compares several FP&A technologies in the market and their architectural differences. Finally, he shares several stories, concepts, and best practices related to FP&A and how companies can be successful with these best practices.
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Characteristically lacking inventory-focused operations, ERP systems designed for service-oriented industries require unique features and architecture. Unlike product-focused sectors, which heavily utilize inventory costing layers and MRP strategies, service-oriented industries showcase even greater operational variety. In certain instances, ERP functions might be limited to managing corporate financial ledgers, with operational tasks handled by custom software solutions. This diverse industry segment encompasses non-profit organizations and the public sector and extends to construction, real estate, mining, utilities, energy, consulting, and financial services, among others.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for service-centric industries in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of service-centric ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each service-centric ERP systems.
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While Anaplan may have coined the term "Connected Planning," many businesses still grapple with identifying the appropriate interconnected elements. Supply Chain suites opt for a unique strategy, integrating planning with network and retail-focused execution components like WMS, TMS, and OMS. ERP suites, conversely, take a different route, encompassing FP&A alongside S&OP capabilities. Despite dedicated planning platforms addressing specific planning functions, they often lack comprehensive coverage of essential aspects, leading to data silos that hinder end-to-end planning traceability unless all planning data resides in a single system. Thus, the question arises: Where do Anaplan's capabilities stand, and how do they measure up against other planning suites?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Anaplan’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Anaplan might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand Anaplan's core strengths and weaknesses.
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In contrast to service-oriented industries, product-focused sectors prioritize inventory management over human resources and employee satisfaction. This difference calls for specialized ERP systems tailored to their needs. Manufacturers, distributors, and all players in the production cycle prioritize their products as the key distinguishing factor. Service-oriented firms that offer consultancy to these product-centric entities represent the minority in this scenario.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for product-centric industries in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of product-centric ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each product-centric ERP systems.
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Supply Chain has become as much a buzzword as supply chain systems. What are supply chain systems? Are these systems designed to process transactions or enable collaboration? Should they cater to sourcing, product management, or logistics? Should they host processes such as ESG, trade promotions management, or upstream vs downstream processes?
In today's episode, our guest, Eric Linxwiler, discusses supply chain transformation stories and concepts. He distinguishes how the product management and sourcing side of the supply chain could be different from the other functions in the supply chain. Finally, Sam and Eric debate about best practices related to several concepts, such as ESG, trade promotion, and the organizational alignment needed for supply chain transformation initiatives.
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Within the domain of real-time transportation visibility platforms, there are noticeable resemblances as each emphasizes comparable capabilities. However, distinctions become evident; certain platforms specialize in specific transportation modes, while others boast multi-modal proficiency. Geographic coverage also varies, with some predominantly serving North America and others exclusively focusing on Europe. While some operate independently as standalone applications, their primary purpose is to empower supply chain control tower applications—comprehensive solutions aiming to refine the supply chain equation through carrier-centric data.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 real-time transportation visibility platforms in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of real-time transportation visibility platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each real-time transportation visibility platform.
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Similar to how a business model can't be purchased off-the-shelf, enterprise architecture is not something you can acquire ready-made, either. Numerous factors come into play when defining architecture and determining suitable locations for inventory, allocation, and collaboration. Considerations for architecture may vary depending on factors such as speed requirements or financial control specifications per transaction. In the context of S&OP systems, a significant consideration revolves around whether execution models should be linked to planning or cross-functional planning workflows. The more interconnected these systems become, the greater the traceability achieved with transactions. However, this interconnectedness also brings challenges, making the system more complex to learn and utilize, as it necessitates a depth of cross-functional knowledge. So where does O9 Solutions fit in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other supply chain suites?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of O9 Solutions’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where O9 Solutions might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of O9 Solutions.
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Critical roles within architecture are contingent on cross-functional integration. Supply chain suites limit ERP suites to financial reporting, whereas suites tailored for the retail sector necessitate coordination with WMS, TMS, and OMS to achieve advanced capabilities such as inventory management and allocation. There has been historical consideration for these functions to be inherently part of the ERP, leading to debates on whether they should be hosted elsewhere. In retail, Procurement closely aligns with merchandising and planning engines. Conversely, in manufacturing and industrial contexts, Procurement engages in more direct collaboration with production and accounting, highlighting the varied nature of suite roles.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 supply chain suites in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of supply chain suites. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each supply chain suites.
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While there might be overlap between retail and manufacturing business models, they have uniquely different processes, driving the need for distinct architecture and master data governance. While designing business processes and architecture, several decisions could have a catastrophic impact on operational efficiency and enterprise performance. While any enterprise decisions are never easy, what makes it challenging is that very little consensus exists on the role of enterprise systems, making it more art than science.
In today's episode, our guest, Jonathan Porter, discusses different architectural patterns containing several supply chain technologies. He also probes into several factors driving decisions about choosing a specific technology or business process. Finally, he shares stories of his work and why they needed a new architecture.
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Prior to the introduction of supply chain business networks, industries relied on research and survey-based methods for supply chain planning. Companies in the data business frequently encountered substantial errors, resulting in inefficiencies across the supply chain. The establishment of networks posed challenges due to variations in communication standards and the difficulty of convincing the entire industry to adopt a unified platform. Although business-to-business communication adhered to standards such as XML or EDI, they provided limited connectivity and acknowledgment without centralized repositories to facilitate industry-wide supply chains.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 supply chain business network platforms in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of supply chain business network platforms. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each supply chain business network platform.
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Technology is easy only for salespeople who have never implemented a single software. Sales and marketing hype often cloud executives’ judgment, leading to catastrophic decisions from the get-go. The biggest factor is unrealistic expectations. But that’s not all. Issues such as politics and power struggles may throw off any model or estimate. The wisest thing any seasoned ERP veteran could recommend is to increase the estimates as much as possible, as one thing consistent with technology implementations is that there will be surprises.
In today's episode, our guest, Eric Kimberling, discusses an expert witness story of an ERP implementation failure and the factors that led to it. He also shares why being realistic with expectations is the foundational step to succeed with large transformational initiatives. Finally, Sam and Eric debate how other similar transformation initiatives struggle and what executives need to know about succeeding with these initiatives.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Conducting inventory-centric operations without an S&OP system is almost unfeasible. Historically, businesses handled operations using intricate spreadsheets that consolidated data from diverse sources. Despite ERP systems asserting S&OP capabilities, their inflexible data structures for transactions impede analytical workflows. An alternative system with a more adaptable structure is essential—one that permits effortless manipulation without disrupting fundamental operations.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 S&OP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of S&OP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each S&OP system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Data is everywhere, but to be able to effectively use it, you need to understand their sources, limitations, and how you might be able to fill up gaps in your internal data with externally available datasets. The lifeblood of retail business runs on finding the right sites. But doing that is not easy because of the unavailability of the right datasets to understand consumer behavior. So, how do we identify the right datasets for retail planning?
In today's episode, our guest, Thomas Walle, discusses retail datasets and how they can be used for retail operational planning. He also describes the sources of different datasets and their limitations. Finally, he touches on different use cases and where retailers are getting the most value from the datasets currently available in the market.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Organizations engage in a multitude of projects, each with its own unique attributes—whether they are internal or external, short or long-term, billable or cost-centric. These projects also differ across industries, with specific scheduling and reporting requirements. Construction projects, for instance, exhibit significant differences from software development initiatives. While both fall within the realm of project management, they demand distinct processes and specialized capabilities from project management software. Effectively navigating this complexity requires thoughtful consideration and strategic planning.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 project management systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of project management systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each project management system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERPs have historically overlooked the requirements of IT teams. However, it's important to acknowledge that industries heavily reliant on ERPs may possess smaller IT teams. On the contrary, in other sectors, particularly those without extensive inventories, IT teams could essentially constitute the entire operations team.Just as IT industries have faced neglect, other crucial teams like security or legal ops have also been overlooked. Furthermore, the needs of field services and asset management may significantly differ for organizations focused on IT, as seen in sectors such as telecom, media, data center, or printing. So, where does ServiceNow fit in, and how does it distinguish itself from other competing technologies?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ServiceNow’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where ServiceNow might be a a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of ServiceNow.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Non-profit entities encounter unique ERP challenges that set them apart from inventory-focused businesses. Their varied structures, encompassing intricate elements like membership categories, grants, and complex workflows, differ widely across sectors. For example, educational and healthcare non-profits may require distinct processes compared to city governments. Associations and membership communities also exhibit disparities when compared to foundations and elderly care organizations.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 non-profit ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of non-profit ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each non-profit ERP system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Consulting companies generated trillions of dollars by orchestrating the movement of data and crafting ETL codes. This was essential to safeguard the operational systems from the potential impact of analytical workloads on performance. Operational systems handled transactional heavy lifting, while analytical workloads focused on study and decision science. Snowflake revolutionized this landscape by introducing technology that eliminated the need to copy data for analytical purposes. This not only resulted in instant cost savings but also empowered companies to explore real-time analytical workloads. Despite Snowflake being a top-tier technology, organizations sometimes employ it for unintended purposes, either perceiving it as unnecessarily expensive or not achieving the desired business outcomes. To understand Snowflake's place in the architecture and how it compares with other enterprise software technologies, one must delve into its positioning and evaluate its performance in relation to alternative solutions.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Snowflake’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including where Snowflake might be a fit in the enterprise architecture and where it might be overused. Finally, they analyze many data points to help understand the core strengths and weaknesses of Snowflake.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cloud ERP systems vary widely, ranging from those concealing outdated backends as cloud-based solutions to more extreme cases that utilize on-premises code bases in data centers, merely claiming a 'web link' qualifies as the cloud. To unravel this complexity, it's essential to comprehend the diverse layers and factors that constitute the cloud, considering both technical and financial aspects. In simpler terms, envision it as leasing versus owning. Yet, akin to leasing, various cloud business models exist, each differing in the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 cloud ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of cloud ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each cloud ERP system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Mom-and-pop businesses have a mindset that if they are able to manage the books, then they are good. But to build a scalable business, you need to implement the FP&A process sooner rather than later. The FP&A process can help with the forward-looking statements and planning the cash flow. It might also help identify the red flags from the perspective of an investor, whether you want to raise capital, acquire a leveraged company, or sell the company.
In today's episode, our guest, Chris Reilly, discusses how to start the FP&A process. He also describes other concepts, such as why businesses need to be on three-statement models before they can start on their FP&A journey. Finally, he discusses several other concepts, such as Leveraged buyouts, the importance of seller discretionary income, and the red flags that investors look for in an FP&A model.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While 2023 proved challenging for retailers, the positive aspect is that it didn't turn out as bleak as anticipated. The forecast for 2024 is still unclear, but there is optimism for a recovery. With restored economic confidence, retailers are ready to channel accumulated funds into postponed digital transformation trends in the retail sector. Artificial intelligence is expected to play a crucial role in shaping numerous digital transformation trends in retail during 2024.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 15 retail digital transformation trends in 2024. He also discusses how AI and macroeconomic conditions are likely to shape the major trends for 2024. Finally, he discusses how executives can take advantage of these trends to plan their digital transformation initiatives.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The assertion of a data platform serving as an ERP is not new. Many companies grapple with discerning the disparity between the two. The distinction is further muddled as data platforms become software-defined, emulating ERP functions. While data platforms traditionally reside in the architecture atop the transactional layer, their role should be confined to study, analysis, simulations, and providing recommendations. They are by no means a substitute for operational systems. So, how does Palantir measure up against other solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Palantir’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their overlap with other platforms such as ERP, supply chain suites, data integration, and ETL platforms. We also analyzed their current positioning and why they are essentially a custom development platforms for the decision science layer despite their claims of being a replacement for ERP and other transactional software.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Specialized ERP systems tailored for the pharmaceutical industry surpass generic alternatives, ensuring shorter implementation times and increased success rates. Relying on ad-hoc arrangements can lead to unforeseen challenges, making pre-baked capabilities within the system's data model crucial for preventing issues with version upgrades. Evaluating ERP systems for pharmaceutical needs requires not just technical expertise but a deeper understanding of compliance, including NDC codes, managing both serial and lot numbers, and addressing inventory based on expiring lots.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 pharma ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of pharma companies and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The medical device industry's unique challenges demand specialized ERP solutions, spanning consumable items and large CapEx equipment segments. Processes and regulations vary based on diagnostic or surgical use, complicating the ERP landscape. The sector faces increased scrutiny, making systems supporting comprehensive reporting imperative to minimize administrative overhead. Key features include electronic signatures, device history records, and validation requirements specific to medical device companies. CRM processes encounter complexities due to diverse market timelines. This overview sets the stage for a deeper exploration of ERP systems tailored to the intricate needs of the medical device industry.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 medical device ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of medical device companies and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The aerospace and defense industries grapple with unique challenges, including stringent quality and regulatory requirements, extended sales cycles, and uncertainties in supply chain planning. Tailored solutions are essential due to significant variations in manufacturing processes based on business models. Selecting an ERP system for the A&D industry requires a comprehensive understanding of business models and transactions, as generic solutions may demand significant investments and longer implementation cycles, potentially exceeding the scope of many Small and Medium-sized Businesses.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 aerospace and defense ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of aerospace and defense companies and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Selecting an ERP system for the automotive industry involves unique challenges due to its consumer-centric nature, leading to intricate and unpredictable processes. Consumer behaviors impact the entire automotive value chain, necessitating continuous innovation and modifications to products. This dynamic environment underscores the importance of collaboration and joint planning, influencing compliance and global trade processes. Understanding critical success factors is crucial, as choosing an ERP system not tailored to the industry may result in overengineering and adoption challenges.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 automotive ERPs in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of automotive companies and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
For large companies, the ERP system selection process extends beyond functional specifications, focusing on handling immense transactional capacity and cross-functional process throughput. Software-enabled process evaluation mirrors resource planning, emphasizing meticulous capacity planning for smooth operations. The pivotal decision in cross-functional process throughput involves choosing between isolated and tightly integrated processes, considering factors like human resources interactions and reconciliation overhead. Varied implementation strategies emerge, with some favoring tightly integrated methods while others opt for slightly more best-of-breed approaches. Large enterprises face challenges such as evolving desired states and extended implementation horizons, treating ERP as the corporate financial ledger while allowing subsidiaries flexibility. Navigating these complexities prompts the question: which systems prove optimal, irrespective of architecture?
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 large company ERP in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of large enterprises and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The newer technologies seem to have a claim of being easier without requiring the complexity of database programming. The reality is that newer technologies have a place, and they are suitable for those use cases. But that doesn’t make database programming nay inferior. They are both a place depending upon the need for transactional integrity. The OT and industrial space is especially unique with various types of datasets. So, how is the state of industrial data as of today?
In today's episode, our guest, Mike Bowers, discusses the state of data of industrial systems. He also discusses the evolution and differences of various technologies such as JSON and XML, SQL vs NoSQL databases, and MQTT vs traditional protocols. Finally, he shares the importance of data and that manufacturers need to adopt newer methods of collecting data from edge devices to drive real business value.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Surpassing the $100 million revenue mark presents a significant challenge, where reliance on ad-hoc planning and siloed processes can lead to financial performance issues. Companies aiming to move beyond this stage require robust process integration and global financial and operational synergies. In the mid-market, tailored system solutions become crucial, with notable diversity, especially among upper mid-market companies nearing $1 billion in revenue. Ideal systems for mid-market businesses, whether upper or lower end, must balance advanced capabilities, scalability, and alignment with specific growth trajectory needs and constraints.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for mid-sized businesses in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of mid-sized businesses and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As businesses progress beyond the startup phase, ERP adoption becomes integral, yet disjointed solutions persist, even within an ERP-inclusive architecture, often centered on financial reporting and basic transactions. Streamlining ad-hoc processes and unique data models from the earlier stage is essential to avoid financial challenges at the next inflection point, especially with the expansion of departments leading to overlapping responsibilities. The importance of batch capabilities becomes apparent, addressing increased workload from reconciling disconnected data silos and managing ad-hoc processes, prompting a closer look at process re-engineering and tightly integrated processes, particularly in inventory management. The tactical perspective of executives, guided by current priorities and immediate needs, raises the question of which ERP systems best suit smaller businesses at this transitional stage.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for small businesses in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of small businesses and how to identify the systems designed for them. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What exactly is an ERP? It's essentially a bundled suite of various offerings. However, simply combining various offerings doesn't automatically qualify a collection of software as an ERP. The determining factor is the level of embeddedness that categorizes software as an ERP. Moreover, the components included within an ERP may vary depending on the industry. While finance and accounting typically form the core requirements for an ERP, the approaches differ—some integrate HCM and FP&A, while others incorporate PLM, WMS, and TMS. So, where does Unit4 stand in terms of capabilities, and how does it stack up against other ERP systems?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Unit4’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique suite approach because of their combination of ERP, HCM, S2P, and FP&A. We also discussed the differences between service-centric and product-centric ERP and how they each differ in their process and cross-functional integration.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
In the dynamic journey of startup growth, the shift from smaller accounting systems becomes pivotal as initial revenue milestones are surpassed. As startups navigate these challenges, the manageable impact on the bottom line highlights the unique characteristics of systems tailored to the financial constraints and operational realities of this critical growth phase, making the quest to identify systems for this transitional period an essential consideration.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems for startups in 2024. He also discusses the crucial needs of startups and how to identify the systems designed for startups. Finally, he describes the pros and cons of each solution and where each of them might be a fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Autonomous AI represents a frontier in artificial intelligence, encompassing a spectrum that differs from predictive and generative capabilities. Distinguishing between these facets, predictive AI anticipates outcomes based on historical data, while generative AI creates new content or scenarios. Autonomous AI, however, takes a leap further by not only predicting but actively making decisions independently. Its potential lies in its ability to autonomously analyze complex datasets, discern patterns, and make informed decisions without constant human intervention. The nuances of autonomous AI extend to advancements like DeepMind and deeper reinforcement learning, pushing the boundaries of machine intelligence.
In today's episode, our guest, Bryan DeBois, discusses how autonomous AI differs from predictive and generative AI. He also breaks down how and why autonomous AI is especially relevant in industrial applications. Finally, he sheds light on various issues manufacturers face today, such as their unwillingness to connect their current equipment to the Internet. If you’d like to learn more about Bryan, head over to rovisys.com.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Despite the outward similarities shared among various ERP systems, the construction industry imposes distinct and specialized requirements that necessitate tailored capabilities. Construction projects involve a dynamic interplay of factors, such as project timelines, resource allocation, and compliance with specific regulations, which differ significantly from those encountered in other sectors. ERP solutions designed for the construction industry address these unique challenges by incorporating features like project management modules, job costing, and resource scheduling. The ability to integrate financial data, monitor project progress, and manage procurement processes in real time is crucial for construction companies seeking to enhance their operational efficiency and successfully navigate the complexities inherent in large-scale projects. Therefore, in the realm of ERP systems, recognizing and accommodating the specific needs of the construction industry is pivotal for ensuring optimal performance and project success.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 construction ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When considering the array of choices in TMS software, the options are abundant. TMS systems exist that cater to diverse modes and geographies alongside those tailored for specific business models. On the surface, distinguishing between them may prove challenging. If you are reviewing TMS options, you are likely to come across Shipwell, especially in the NetSuite and MS Dynamics ecosystems. So, what are Shipwell's capabilities, and how does it measure up against other supply chain suites in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Shipwell's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique capabilities with machine learning and scheduling capabilities considering demand and supply from carriers from their network. We also discussed the differences in their presence in various ecosystems, such as NetSuite and MS Dynamics ecosystems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While distribution industries may not exhibit the same level of complexity as some other sectors when viewed through the lens of ERP, they undeniably present their own distinctive set of nuances. Managing the movement and coordination of goods within a distribution network involves a series of intricacies, such as inventory control, order fulfillment, and logistics coordination. ERP systems tailored for distribution sectors address these unique challenges by providing comprehensive solutions that optimize supply chain visibility, inventory management, and order processing. The effectiveness of these ERP solutions lies in their ability to enhance operational efficiency, minimize errors, and facilitate seamless communication across the distribution network, ultimately contributing to improved customer satisfaction and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 distribution ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Are visibility platforms comparable to TMS systems? What sets apart multiple-enterprise visibility platforms from real-time visibility platforms? Is there a distinction between a TMS crafted from the standpoint of a logistics services provider and one tailored for a trucking company? How do international, multi-modal TMS systems differ from domestic TMS solutions designed specifically for trucking companies? In terms of capabilities in TMS and visibility platforms, where does Blume Global stand? How does it measure up against other Supply Chain suites currently available in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Blume Global's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their recent acquisition with WiseTech and why large private equities such as EQT had such a high valuation for them. We also discussed their strength with rail and how they compare with other larger suites in the market, such as e2open and project44.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Manufacturing stands as a sector where ERP solutions play a pivotal and transformative role. These sophisticated software systems are instrumental in streamlining intricate processes and optimizing overall operations within manufacturing environments. ERP solutions integrate and manage diverse aspects of the manufacturing process, including supply chain management, production planning, inventory control, and resource allocation. By providing a centralized platform for data management, communication, and decision-making, ERP systems enable manufacturers to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of their products. Real-time insights into various facets of the manufacturing workflow empower organizations to make informed and timely decisions, fostering agility and adaptability in an industry where precision and responsiveness are paramount.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 Manufacturing ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
In the realm of Mexican ecommerce, unique nuances shape the landscape, setting it apart from its counterparts, particularly in the United States. One striking trend is the exponential growth of the Mexican ecommerce sector, outpacing the expansion observed in the US market. This surge can be attributed to various factors, including increased internet penetration, rising smartphone usage, and a growing middle class with greater access to digital services. However, navigating the Mexican business environment comes with its challenges, notably bureaucratic hurdles that businesses must navigate to establish and operate successfully.
In today's episode, our guest, Ramiro Velasco, discusses the nuances of the Mexican market and how it differs from other markets. He also describes it from both perspectives: when Mexican companies might be trying to penetrate the US market or when US companies might be trying to penetrate the Mexican market. Finally, he describes several other cultural differences that make the Mexican market unique and one of the fastest growing. If you’d like to learn more about Ramiro, head over to goavance.com.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Similar to other categories of enterprise software, WMS (Warehouse Management System) systems possess distinctive features that cater to the unique requirements of warehouse operations. These specialized systems are designed to optimize and streamline the management of warehouse tasks, offering functionalities such as inventory tracking, order fulfillment, and efficient resource allocation. WMS systems distinguish themselves through their ability to enhance overall warehouse efficiency, reduce errors in inventory management, and provide real-time visibility into the movement of goods.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 WMS Systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is no question that ChatGPT is extremely powerful, but who knew that it could even browse the web, which made it harder for commerce brands who were already struggling with the heavier lift required to enable eCommerce? But it also offers tremendous opportunity for brands who are willing to capitalize on the AI capabilities as once AI is fully rolled out, capabilities such as search and chat might see a huge merge in functionality as the search experience is likely to be conversational in the future.
In today's episode, our guest, Michael Vax, discusses how AI will impact eCommerce. He discusses the impact on both the front end and the back end and the changes we are likely to see because of AI. Finally, he describes several examples where AI is likely to have the most impact, such as deep fake, personalization, and configurator.
If you’d like to learn more about his book, head over to commerceisdigital.com/ai-ecommerce-book.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Selecting a TMS platform is uniquely challenging. There are various platforms in the market; some might be SMB-focused with capabilities such as rate shopping and carrier integration. But as you outgrow these capabilities, you will most likely require mature capabilities such as freight matching, reconciliation, and control tower. There are also other considerations, such as whether a TMS is independent or it may be part of a supply chain consulting firm with a potential conflict of interest.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 TMS Systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What sets apart a WMS system designed for the European market from its US counterpart? Are the distinctions as pronounced as those in a TMS system due to variations in regulatory reporting and compliance? Moreover, does the pricing strategy significantly impact the total cost of ownership? Some operate on a transaction-based model, akin to consumption-based pricing, while others consider devices. This latter approach proves beneficial for companies facing seasonal fluctuations, necessitating ad-hoc WMS access for additional workers. Considering these factors, where does Snapfulfil stand in terms of capabilities, and how does it measure up against other warehouse management solutions and supply chain suites available in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SnapFulfil's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their origin as a European solution and why that matters for a WMS solution. Finally, we compared their capabilities with other supply chain solutions and how the WMS needs of DTC brands differ substantially from those of a 3PL.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The eCommerce platforms have a unique place in the enterprise software category. While some people might confuse them with having overlap with ERP systems, they have distinct places to capture orders and then send them to the backend systems to reconcile. There might also be some architectural considerations, such as which instances will use OMS vs. ERP if OMS might be bundled as part of the eCommerce platforms.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 eCommerce Platforms software in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is a massive difference between the physical ability to change and the intellectual capacity to change. Despite being counterintuitive, the intellectual capacity to change is much harder as that requires exploring ideas you might not be comfortable with. That requires exploring journeys you have never explored. And when you are undertaking such change initiatives at a massive scale where several power centers with authority might be involved, it might be nearly impossible to change. But if you followed the process of storyboarding where each step is carefully crafted and invested the right amount of time and investment, then the process might seem seamless.
In today's episode, our guest, Brent Kedzierski, discusses the importance of storyboarding for digital transformation initiatives. He also discusses several stories of large global implementation where he was able to build consensus for global rollouts and explore operational and financial synergies at the Fortune 500 scale. Finally, he discusses several concepts related to change management, such as a sense of urgency, case for change, estimating the capacity to change, and actionable steps.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Within the intricate realm of enterprise software, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems emerge as a distinctive category, notably different from ERP, eCommerce, or POS solutions. CRM systems focus on functions such as marketing automation, sales compensation planning, CPQ, and channel management. ERP systems, on the other hand, while sometimes with some overlap, primarily focus on the operational aspect of sales and marketing operations planning.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 CRM software in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What is inventory management software? Is it software that manages the inventory count across channels? Is it software that manages inventory costing and unit economics? But before we debate inventory management software, what is inventory? Is inventory the count of products across channels? Or is it the financial value of physical goods across channels? Once you understand the fundamentals of inventory, you will also understand the software that is best suited for your needs. But what is Veeqo, and where does it stand in its capabilities?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Veeqo's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their business model and their close alignment with Amazon. Finally, we covered how they compare with other supply chain solutions and why they are not an inventory management platform despite their claims.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Within the domain of enterprise software, a prevalent misunderstanding suggests that Human Capital Management (HCM) or HR software is interchangeable with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Nonetheless, it's crucial to recognize that HCM and ERP are distinct. In this podcast, we explore the realm of the top 10 HCM software in 2024, aiming to bring clarity to the distinct systems that stand out in the HCM domain.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 HCM software in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Creating a software company by integrating several systems is not a new concept. Private equity has done it time and time again. But who would have thought of creating another Infor or ECi when music has completely stopped for the private equity industry? Is the strategy successful? Maybe? Maybe not? While the strategy might be successful in the large market segment, the smaller products were created because of frustration with their larger peers. Also, the only reason mom-and-pop ERP vendors were successful is because they were willing to put in the sweat equity that none of the larger companies would. So, how can private equity companies be successful in the smaller segment by simply changing the branding and providing an integrated experience? And where does Advantive stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other ERP, WMS, and MES vendors?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Advantive capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their evolution and roots as well as their corporate strategy. Finally, we covered different products and acquisitions in their portfolio and their unique strengths.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Within the ERP community, the enduring discourse between prioritizing the macro perspective versus the micro perspective persists, with each method presenting distinctive insights for assessing enterprise systems. The macro view involves a comprehensive evaluation of the organization and its vendors, whereas the micro view delves into specific product systems and their strategic implications. In this video, we have focused on the micro view by showcasing the top 10 ERP systems of 2024.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP systems in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these systems and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Many problems, like damaged pallets, are often regarded as a standard cost of doing business without a deep understanding of their underlying causes. These issues can be symptoms of underlying process inefficiencies. However, due to limited visibility, these issues often go unaddressed. Emerging technologies, such as digital warehouse twins, now offer warehouse operators the ability to empower users without the need for extensive changes across the entire enterprise's processes and data.
In today's episode, our guest, Nilay Parikh, discusses how leveraging existing data and processes may lead to faster adoption of technology initiatives. He also discusses several use cases and stories of his digital twin technology and how he saved thousands of dollars for companies by improving operations and quality. Finally, he discusses several issues pertaining to his technology, such as data feeds, privacy, and enterprise architecture.
If you’d like to learn more about Nilay or his startup, head over to arvist.ai. You can also reach him at nilay@arvist.ai directly to learn more about their supply chain platform and the vision for the product.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Exploring the realm of ERP selection necessitates a dual approach, encompassing both macro and micro viewpoints, each carrying equivalent importance. The macro perspective involves a meticulous examination of publishers' financial health, strategic roadmaps, and overall market influence. This compilation of the top 10 ERP vendors in 2024 is rooted in this broader perspective, considering pivotal elements like market share, acquisition tactics, investment in community ecosystems, industry-specific success rates, and the technological trajectory of each vendor. Our methodology, harmonizing these diverse factors, enables us to construct a comprehensive list that mirrors the dynamic landscape of ERP providers.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 ERP vendors in 2024. He also discusses changes in ranking from 2023. Finally, he describes developments with each of these vendors and how that contributed to their changed rankings in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The TMS market is still very regional. The TMS systems that are designed for Europe might not be the best for the North American market. And vice versa. The visibility data makes it even trickier. With visibility data, even the strongest of the strongest might fall short. That's probably the reason why TMS systems sign up with rival visibility platforms. So, where does Alpega stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other TMS systems?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Alpega TMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their evolution and roots, as well as their corporate strategy. Finally, we covered their unique nuances, such as their partnerships with many overlapping real-time visibility platforms, their acquisition, and merger of driver recruitment technology with TMS, and their unique capabilities for reusable packaging management.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Expanding on the anticipated developments outlined in our 2023 projections, we are upholding a coherent narrative. While analysts continue to deliberate on the likelihood of recessions or a gentle economic deceleration in 2024, existing signals indicate that macroeconomic circumstances will endure at least until the latter half or second quarter. This sustained stability is poised to exert a significant impact on digital transformation initiatives, notably within the domain of mergers and acquisitions, with a particular focus on the ERP sector.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 15 digital transformation trends in 2024. He also discusses how AI and the macroeconomic conditions are likely to drive most of the trends. Finally, he discusses, with better momentum than 2023, why CFOs are still likely to be conservative in 2024.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP contracts tend to be anything but straightforward. With variations based on the engagement structure and parties involved, these agreements come in different shapes and sizes, influencing the ultimate result. Covering a range of elements, from the dynamics between parties to responsibilities, such as licensing, pricing, implementation, support, and maintenance, these contracts lay the groundwork for your ERP initiatives.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 most important ERP contract terms in 2023. He also discusses why the ERP subject matter and architectural expertise are critical to understanding the implications of the ERP contract terms. Finally, he discusses details about each of the terms and how each vendor and product approaches these terms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
The multi-party supply chain systems are unique. They combine the power of various technologies, including a very strong network, AI and ML, and, in some cases, blockchain. Blockchain is especially critical when data boundaries may cross over countries, which might have data sharing limitations because of geo-political issues. Also, the pharma and drug distribution channels have very different issues when it comes to supply chain traceability and threat detection. So where does One Network Enterprise stand in its capabilities, and how does it differ from other supply chain suites?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of One Network Enterprises’ capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their capabilities with blockchain and how that provides them with unique capabilities, especially in the pharma and health market focusing on developing countries. Finally, we discussed cross-border supply chain issues and why they require specialized capabilities such as OneNetwork.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP contracts are frequently complex and can take on various forms, depending on the engagement structure and the parties involved, leading to a substantial impact on the ultimate results. These agreements encompass a range of elements, including the parties' relationships and responsibilities, covering areas like licensing, pricing, implementation, support, and maintenance. They serve as the cornerstone for your ERP initiatives.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 5 types of ERP contracts in 2023. He also discusses how the responsibilities of OEMs, resellers, ISVs, and customers vary per contract type. Finally, he discusses the complex contract types, such as products sold in the ISV and master distributor arrangement, and why they might be much harder to navigate than the other contract types.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Technology has matured, but the fundamental issues are still the same. Regardless of whether SaaS is going to take over the world or not, the success rate with ERP implementation might not change unless companies embrace the critical steps required to be successful with ERP projects. The process starts with aligning various organizational functions and data siloes, which is not as simple as technology integration. They require mindset and business model changes essential to the success of ERP programs.
In today's episode, our guest, Joel Schneider, discusses why process integration requires enterprise alignment. He also discusses why companies struggle with ERP implementation even though the technology has become advanced and easier to use. Finally, he discusses several ERP implementation concepts and stories.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The wide range of ERP business processes may initially seem overwhelming, but not all of these processes are equally important, and their significance can vary significantly based on how they are integrated into the ERP system. While core ERP processes generally remain consistent across most solutions, non-core processes display noticeable diversity.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta, discusses the Top 10 Non-Core Cross-Functional ERP Business Processes in 2023. He also discusses why these processes are non-core and why the large majority of them can reside in a best-of-breed system. Finally, he discusses how these processes might differ across industries and business models and how that drives enterprise architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Understanding why ERP implementation is more challenging today requires going back to fundamentals. The traditional business models, described by frameworks such as Porter’s value chain, assumed a one-directional flow of information. But as customers’ expectations change, the newer architecture requires a bi-directional flow of information to get an immersive and seamless omnichannel experience. Also, just because ERP demos might make advanced capabilities such as ATP appear easy, they are not easy to set up and require a transformational mindset, along with changes in data and processes. Otherwise, the issues are likely to percolate up in ways you wouldn’t expect.
In today's episode, our guest, Matt Ellis, discusses why implementing mature ERP capabilities requires organizational readiness. He also discusses the evolution of systems and data and why advanced customer experience patterns require a bi-directional flow of information. Finally, he discusses several stories, including the barriers to change and their mitigation plans.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP systems primarily revolve around processes, and there is an ongoing debate about the extent to which an ERP system should encompass these processes. This is where the distinction between core and non-core processes comes into play. Core processes are typically integrated into the ERP system, while non-core processes may or may not be included. One of the most universally essential core processes in any ERP discussion is the order-to-cash process. It's worth noting that for certain industries, the order-to-cash concept might seem perplexing, especially if they don't handle traditional orders. However, regardless of whether an organization processes orders or not, the order-to-cash process remains critically important.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 core cross-functional ERP business processes in 2023. He also discusses why these processes are core and why the large majority of them need to reside inside an ERP. Finally, he discusses how these processes might differ across industries and business models and how that drives enterprise architecture.
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ERP systems have come a long way with their cloud-native capabilities. Even the legacy ERP systems are trying to be as close as possible to cloud-native systems. The WMS space has been trying to catch up with cloud-native capabilities with a very limited number of options available in the market. The process manufacturing and F&B space is even trickier, and WMS capabilities for this space require additional layers that may not be available with other WMS systems designed for grocery for discrete manufacturing. Mobe3 is one WMS system that is cloud-native and natively designed for iOS devices. So, where does Mobe3 stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other supply chain solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of mobe3 WMS’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the pros and cons of using an iOS-native WMS system. Finally, we compared them with other supply chain solutions across various layers that generally drive the selection process of these systems.
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The outcome of ERP projects is often determined even before they commence, highlighting the paramount importance of the readiness phase. This phase is critical because most challenges in ERP projects stem from misalignment. Misalignment can arise for various reasons, such as executives having unrealistic expectations about the role of ERP in their organization. At times, it can be as extreme as executives thinking they need an ERP when, in reality, a CRM solution is more suitable for their needs. The readiness phase plays a pivotal role in aligning expectations and establishing the project's direction right from the outset.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 6 components of organizational readiness For ERP Implementation in 2023. He also discusses why companies not focusing on these readiness components often struggle with ERP implementation. Finally, he discusses how these different components differ and what needs to be done to be successful with each of them.
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There is a very thin line between a multi-carrier shipping add-ons and a TMS solution, even though both might position themselves as a TMS solution. Also, among the multi-carrier shipping add-ons, there are very few that can support both capabilities for the parcel as well as for LTL. Some multi-carrier solutions might have deep freight auditing capabilities and collaborate with other WMS vendors to compete with larger vendors that might offer these capabilities as part of the suite. So, where does FreightPOP stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other supply chain solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of FreightPOP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths in the eCommerce market. Finally, we compared them with other supply chain solutions across various layers that generally drive the selection process of these systems.
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In the context of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, it is crucial to grasp the distinctions between non-core modules and core modules. Non-core modules are typically less closely integrated with the general ledger and can exist outside the ERP system, often in best-of-breed systems. Human resources management is a prime example of a non-core module due to its distinct data security layers. The HR module typically involves unique confidentiality requirements, making the use of best-of-breed systems a sensible choice.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the Top 10 Most Common Non-Core ERP Modules of 2023. He also discusses why some of these modules can remain outside of the ERP as they don’t need to be as tightly integrated with the core ERP processes. He also discusses how different industries may have different requirements for what’s core for them and what’s not.
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Most companies started the ware of acquiring parcel companies during COVID. They had to combine all modes, including TL, LTL, and parcel. Also, while not all TMS may have the same technical capabilities for cloud-native, loading and dispatch capabilities designed from the perspective of trucking companies are rare to find. So, where does 3GTMS stand in its capabilities among different supply chain solutions out there? And how does it compare with other solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of 3Gtms TMS/Pacejet capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths with execution components for the trucking industry. Finally, we covered their technology and where eCommerce-centric multi-carrier solutions might fit in their portfolio.
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Gaining insight into the ten most prevalent ERP modules assists in determining which modules should be incorporated within the ERP system and which can be implemented using best-of-breed solutions. These modules are typically closely integrated and work in concert with financial processes, each tailored to tackle specific facets of an organization's operations. Encompassing functions like financial management, inventory management, and service management, these modules collectively span a wide range of capabilities essential for the smooth operation of businesses that demand intricate process collaboration.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the Top 10 Most Common ERP Modules of 2023. He also discusses why some of these modules are more critical than clothes and how that might vary based on the industries. Finally, he discusses different architectural issues and why companies need to define their architecture to make a determination about the modules that would be critical for them.
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Among a million supply chain visibility platforms out there, how do you decide who does what? One critical difference is whether the data provider is tracking the entire supply chain or just the carrier data. The one that tracks carrier data is really the transportation visibility platform tracking just the transportation supply chain. So where does Project44 stand among supply chain solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Project44's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths with transportation visibility. Finally, we covered the sources and the strength of their datasets, including their partnerships with ELD providers as well as ERP and TMS systems.
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In 2023, the transportation industry is witnessing a transformative shift towards real-time visibility, and it's no surprise that the top 10 platforms leading this charge are making waves across the sector. These platforms are revolutionizing the way businesses manage their supply chain logistics, providing crucial insights and data-driven decision-making capabilities. Topping the list is a platform that combines advanced AI and IoT technologies to offer end-to-end visibility, enabling businesses to track shipments in real time and optimize routes, ultimately reducing costs and improving delivery times.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 real-time transportation visibility platforms of 2023. He also discusses how they differ from supply chain visibility platforms and why supply chain visibility platforms might rely on this platform to be effective with their decision-grade data. Finally, he discusses the importance of carrier onboarding and why that’s critical for the success of these platforms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Salesforce started as a CRM but then grew in many different areas. It has grown to the extent that it has become almost like a platform. But even though Salesforce might come across as you can build pretty much anything on the platform, there are limitations. Most people don’t understand how bad these limitations might fire back, especially if you plan to overcustomize the system. Planning to customize would require you to understand how each object links to each other and how deep you can go while creating these objects.
In today's episode, our guest, Hunter Austin, discusses the opportunities and limitations of the Salesforce platform. He also discusses why companies struggle with the Salesforce platform and what they need to know to be successful with it. Finally, he discusses the vertical and horizontal relationships of the Salesforce platform and why you need to understand them to be able to get the analytics you would need to be successful with the platform.
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In 2023, when you delve into the realm of supply chain suites, you'll discover a landscape filled with highly specialized solutions tailored to specific industries. These suites are not one-size-fits-all; instead, they are meticulously designed to cater to the unique challenges and requirements of particular sectors. The top 10 supply chain suites in 2023 exemplify this trend, offering industry-specific solutions that empower businesses to streamline their operations, enhance visibility, and optimize their supply chains. Among the leading supply chain suites of 2023, you'll find giants like Oracle, SAP, and Infor, which continue to dominate the field with their comprehensive offerings.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 supply chain suites of 2023. He also discusses how each of them differs and why they need to work together to really capitalize on the AI opportunities. Finally, he discussed how supply chain suites differ from ERP suites and why supply chain suites matter in certain industries more than ERP.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While several companies claim to have supply chain tower capabilities and visibility platforms, very few of them own a network. Also, companies that might own a network might not be open, requiring vendors to opt in each time with every customer. So, even if a software vendor claims to have millions of businesses in their network, they might not be meaningful unless you have access to them and their data. One such network that is completely open and perhaps the largest is E2 Open, which is also the strongest AI platform because of the amount of data they have. So where does E2 Open stand in its capabilities? Where do they fit among other supply chain technologies available?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of E2 Open capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths with the combination of network, analytics, and execution. Finally, we covered other unique layers with them, such as MDF planning and channel incentives, and why they might be penetrating the market of other traditional players, such as QAD and IQMS.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Supply chain planning and management have witnessed a significant transformation in recent times, largely attributed to the emergence of industry-wide networks. The intricate web of connections among supply chain stakeholders has proven to be a powerful force in shaping the industry's dynamics. COVID-19's disruptive impact accelerated this shift, forcing businesses to reevaluate their strategies and adapt to new challenges. In 2023, these business networks hold even greater importance, serving as the glue that brings the supply chain ecosystem closer together. These networks have become the lifeblood of the modern supply chain, fostering collaboration and information exchange. They have transcended traditional boundaries, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and customers on a global scale.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 supply chain business network platforms. He also discusses how each of these platforms differs and their importance when it comes to AI-driven and decision-grade data. Finally, he compares and contrasts several business networks and how they each differ in their focus.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While everyone would talk about the importance of understanding your customers, it’s even more critical when working with stressed and distressed businesses. Most CEOs, when they are given an assignment for fixing a distressed business, all start with evaluating their team, but then what really moves the needle is the deep understanding of the customer and crafting strategies around that. But even that is not enough, as you would need enough liquidity to ensure that you have enough time before the transformation efforts can pay off.
In today's episode, our guest, Michael Appel, discusses the restructuring and turnaround strategies for retail businesses. He also discusses several stories where he was personally involved in turning around large retail businesses. Finally, he discusses the importance of building the right team and a deep understanding of customers for the successful turnaround of the business.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Supply chain management is a complex field that relies heavily on the seamless integration of various software components. One of the common challenges faced by supply chain professionals is the distinction between the planning and execution aspects of enterprise software. This struggle to differentiate between planning and execution can hinder organizations from optimizing their supply chain operations effectively.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses a critical aspect of supply chain management: S&OP software. For supply chain-heavy organizations, choosing the right S&OP software is paramount, as it can significantly impact their operational efficiency. So, in this discussion, we will explore the top 10 S&OP systems in 2023 to help you make informed decisions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While the ERP space has seen some independent companies, the independent term is even more important in the TMS and WMS space. This is because the large majority of the TMS platforms are owned by managed transportation and supply chain companies. The space is also interwoven, with most vendors collaborating with each other because of data sharing, even with their competitors. Also, while TMS platforms have advanced their technology, most are still running on legacy platforms. So, where does MercuryGate stand in its capabilities? And how does it compare with other supply chain solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of MercuryGate's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including how the independent TMS vendors differ from the vendors that might offer managed services. Finally, we covered their journey in how they acquired several capabilities over the period of time and became the top TMS vendor.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you're in the market for a Warehouse Management System (WMS), you're about to embark on a journey through a vast landscape of options. The world of WMS is brimming with diverse solutions, each designed from a unique perspective, offering specific layers of functionality that cater to various business needs. As you delve into your evaluation process, it's crucial to recognize that the success of your operations hinges on selecting the right WMS. With so many choices available, it can be challenging to determine which solution aligns best with your requirements.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top 10 WMS systems for 2023, helping you make an informed decision that will optimize your warehouse management and streamline your supply chain processes. He also dives deep into each system, dissecting its features, capabilities, and suitability for various industries and business sizes. Whether you're a small e-commerce startup seeking efficient order fulfillment or a large-scale distribution center managing complex inventory operations, this episode will provide valuable insights to help you navigate the labyrinth of WMS options.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The planning systems serve a critical function in architecture. They are not meant to be a replacement for an ERP. They are also not supposed to host the ERP processes inside them. The planning systems could vary per industry and sometimes could be even more complicated than an ERP. So where does Kinexis stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with other supply chain systems?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Kinaxis' capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths and how they compare with other Infor products. Finally, we covered how it compares with other supply chain solutions out there.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you're in the market for a TMS (Transportation Management System) solution, the sheer number of options available can be overwhelming. The landscape of TMS systems in 2023 is vast and diverse, making it challenging to identify the ones that truly align with your specific needs.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the world of transportation management systems and explores the top 10 TMS systems in 2023. He also discusses how narrowing down your choices and focusing on these industry-leading solutions, you can make a more informed decision about which TMS will best suit your organization's requirements and objectives. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer understanding of the solutions that can make a real impact on your global logistics operations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is always a fine line in running a business. eCommerce businesses take trademark and IP issues very lightly until they are involved in a transaction where business buyers might see them as a risk if their brand assets are not protected. eCommerce merchants take these issues lightly as they don’t understand what’s necessary to protect vs. what may be overkill. So, what does an eCommerce merchant need to know about protecting assets that matter the most during business transactions?
In today's episode, our guest, Paul Rafelson, discusses why trademarks are critical for eCommerce merchants. He also discusses why business buyers are likely to be worried about buying businesses that might not be protected by trademarks. Finally, he discusses other issues, such as protecting brand images and when IP protection might be overkill vs. when it’s absolutely necessary.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you're currently on the hunt for project management software, brace yourself for an array of choices that can easily overwhelm you. Evaluating these options is a crucial step.
In this episode, our host, Sam Gupta, discusses the top project management systems in 2023. He also discusses the differences between different architectural needs for project-centric companies and why that could drive an appropriate choice for project management software.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The WMS systems come in various shapes and sizes. While it may not be appropriate for every business model, getting a WMS pre-integrated still matters. WMS integration is extremely hard, especially for the high volume businesses. It might also be substantially expensive for mid-market companies that might not have as much IT budget. Also, does international localization matter for WMS systems the way it would for ERP systems? So where does Infor WMS differ from other solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor WMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strengths and how they compare with other Infor products. Finally, we covered how it compares with other supply chain solutions out there.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the Director/VP of IT? Also, the role has changed substantially with cloud technologies. Additionally, each industry may have different expectations from the Director/VP of IT role. So are IT directors/VPs responsible for managing the helpdesk or infrastructure? Or would their responsibility be primarily to manage business systems? So which are the KPIs they need to measure to manage their function?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for the Director/VP of IT. We discussed how the VP of IT role differs from other roles present in an IT organization and how that could drive their KPIs. We also discussed the top KPIs for the VP of IT role and what companies need to know to create the right metrics that will drive their adoption and compliance within the organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Navigating the ERP industry can be challenging. While numerous companies offer ERP-related services, not all are independent ERP consultants dedicated solely to unbiased advisory and guidance.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 types of companies that might provide some level of ERP-related assistance but are not independent ERP consultants.
He also discusses that while they all have great strengths in their respective areas, they are not necessarily fit for ERP selection or implementation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Forecasts are often wrong. But not planning in the fear of forecasts being wrong is like operating in the dark. Some companies are likely to be slightly more mature in planning, while others might not be as sophisticated. The same thing goes for the industries as well. Planning is must-have in certain industries but not so much in other industries. Regardless of how much time and money you invest in planning, not planning is not smart.
In today's episode, our guest, Lee Bartlett, discusses the strategies for building the S&OP framework. He also discusses why formalized planning is absolutely essential for most organizations, regardless of whether they are retail or distribution-centric organizations or not. He also discusses how not only the forecasts but several stories where adoption could be equally critical for the forecasts to work and to be implemented inside an organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Maintaining data integrity post ERP implementation is crucial for the sustainability of an ERP implementation. Most companies end up corrupting their data right after implementation as soon as they release it to users due to the lack of governance processes. Some issues might be so severe that they are irreparable. The issues are of special significance in the world of cloud as now companies don’t have access to databases, and because of this, they don’t have the same level of controls that they would have in the case of on-prem.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 processes requiring governance to maintain ERP implementation integrity in 2023. He also discusses why governance processes require a thorough analysis of the workflows, implementation of controls, and continuous monitoring not only during the time of implementation but also when new employees get hired. But understanding these areas will help you prioritize your governance efforts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What do you have in common in the retail and healthcare market? You would think nothing. Believe it or not, it's Workday and Tecsys. In fact, they both are installed together and tightly collaborate. In a world with plenty of Supply Chain solutions out there, Tecsys is unique. It not only has the software components such as WMS, TMS, OMS, etc., but it also has several hardware solutions integrated with it. So where does Tecsys fit in its capabilities? And how does it compare with other Supply Chain solutions out there?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Tecsys capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique capabilities in the pharma and retail space and how their capabilities compare with other supply chain solutions. Finally, we covered several unique layers of this solution, like their capabilities for footage marking, point of use in healthcare facilities, and their claimed ERP capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Data re-engineering plays a crucial role in successful ERP implementation. If not handled well, they can lead to implementation failure regardless of how good the technology or the new system may be.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP data re-engineering candidates that demand careful consideration during your implementation journey. He also discusses why if you don’t re-engineer these datasets, they might drive even more complications with the new system, especially with the cloud, as the customizations that may have been possible with on-prem may no longer be possible with the cloud.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Even the coolest DTC brands are struggling now as investors look for accountability and profitability. The cost of shipping and products has added substantial pressure for DTC brands to rethink their operations. Also, consumers' demands are harder to manage with their expectations of one or two days delivery. So what can DTC brands do to stay competitive in this market?
In today's episode, our guest, Manish Chowdhary, discusses why only acquiring customers is not enough to run sustainable DTC operations. He also discusses concepts such as GRR increase from carriers such as UPS and FedEx and their impact on the overall profitability of the DTC brands. Finally, he discusses why one or two delivery is not optional and why each brand needs to have a unique fulfillment strategy.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Choosing an ERP solution that delivers business results is challenging. The foundation of this momentous undertaking lies in a well-crafted Request for Proposal (RFP). Whether you plan to write a formal RFP or not, understanding its components can help you hit on the points that are make or break for your ERP selection and implementation.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 critical components that must take center stage in your ERP Selection RFP. He also discusses why the RFP must delve into essential functionalities, scalability, and integration with existing systems, enabling ERP vendors to present tailored solutions that align perfectly with your long-term vision.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is a clear divide in the TMS market. Some TMS systems are provided by technology companies, while others are marketplaces that combine their managed services. The marketplaces also compete as a carrier on their own platform. The question is: how much would you trust their data when they have a clear conflict of interest with their rating engine? This is very similar to carriers such as UPS or FedEx providing their software and integrating with every other vendor in the market for rate shopping. But obviously, it is in the best interest of these managed services providers to push their brokerage service and contracted rates above anyone else. So where does CH Robinson Navisphere in its capabilities? And how does it compare with other Supply Chain solutions out there?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of CH Robinson/Navisphere capabilities. We covered many grounds, including how the TMS solutions owned by managed services companies differ from those owned by technology companies. Finally, we covered why CH Robinson is so powerful with their data because of their regulatory certificates and alignment with ocean, air, and custom brokerage bodies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When contemplating an ERP project, one of the primary obstacles you'll face is establishing a structured process for selecting the right ERP solution. It is crucial to have a well-defined roadmap that can guide you through the decision-making journey.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 steps of the ERP selection process in 2023. He also explores the individual steps that constitute an effective ERP selection process. Finally, he shares valuable insights on how to navigate the selection process successfully.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
If you're considering embarking on an ERP project, one of the critical choices you'll have to make is whether to incorporate a comprehensive selection process. It's natural to have some uncertainties about the benefits you can expect from this process. However, grasping the essential deliverables is vital to guarantee the success of your ERP implementation.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top 10 ERP selection deliverables in 2023. He also explores the crucial deliverables that are necessary for making an informed decision and proceeding confidently with your ERP project.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
In discussions about ERPs, it is common for individuals to criticize the technical vendors or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and argue that their biases stem from financial arrangements or compensation. While these monetary factors can undeniably influence biases, it is important to acknowledge that biases in ERP selection can arise from various sources, each posing equal dangers.
In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the Top 10 ERP Selection Biases. He also thoroughly examines all of these biases, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential pitfalls in the ERP selection process.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
The startup, consumer, and enterprise markets are like different planets in the business galaxy. Disrupting the consumer market doesn't guarantee enterprise success. It's like rocking the party but struggling with a corporate ball. Also, the convergence of the consulting and enterprise market is not new, whether consulting companies bundle products as part of their portfolio or product companies offer consulting as part of their bundle. Transplace was one of the most cloud-native platforms, along with the managed transportation offering. The interesting part about Transplace is that it has some very large accounts, but it's also a leaner offering positioned for smaller companies. So where does Uber Freight in its capabilities? And how does it compare with other Supply Chain solutions out there?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of TransplaceTMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the differences in TMS solutions that might be managed services companies owned vs technologies. Finally, we covered why Uber Freight decided to acquire Transplace and what customers can expect from Transplace if they decide to buy them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are several techniques for conversion rate optimization. But unless you test, it’s hard to know what may perform. Also, the conversion techniques could have nuances based on the platform. What may work on Shopify may not work on BigCommerce. So which are the conversion rate techniques that are most effective on the Shopify platform?
In today's episode, our guest, Eric Even Haim, discusses conversion rate optimization stories and techniques. He also discusses the differences between the marketing and pricing strategies for a SaaS business from a Marchant business. Finally, he discusses the nuances of conversion techniques with Shopify using different platforms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Running warehouse operations for an enterprise isn't easy. Most people talk about the complexity of SAP. But when you are heavy lifting at that level, you need firepower besides layers of data objects. You get traceability because of these objects. But that also makes implementation extremely challenging. Also, when you are over $1B in revenue with warehouse and retail operations, you need to figure out how you would decouple your architecture. If you have an embedded WMS with an ERP, it might be too bloated to move at the same speed as they process their transactions. This is where SAP EWM shines.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP EWM capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique capabilities with embedded and decentralized architecture for their EWM solution, along with the difference between WM and EWM solutions. Finally, we covered several other concepts, such as how the solution evolved from a text-based bin field to having over eight layers just for the bin management functionality and a lot more for other business objects.
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You get bad results faster by automating broken processes. And warehouse is a classic example where thinking through your physical processes and aligning the physical and digital layout is important. But most digital consultants, not experts in products or retail operations, miss the intel that is critical for safety and warehouse efficiency. They might put a product at a location where it might not be safe for warehouse workers or might feel like a cart before a horse. And that’s where you need a ton of expertise managing warehouses for the respective industry for digital implementation to be effective.
In today's episode, our guest, Gary Newbury, discusses the importance of streamlining the physical process for the effective digital transformation of a warehouse. He also discusses why understanding the product type while designing a warehouse layout is critical for operational efficiency and safety. Finally, he discusses several stories where implementing digital processes without thinking through physical processes resulted in warehouse disruptions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The problem with software applications and concepts is that what TMS means to you may be very different from what TMS means to me. Each TMS solution is designed from the perspective of a very specific business model, transactions, and micro-industries. Even among the same TMS vendor, there might be several TMS applications that they might carry targeted for very specific use cases. Also, a TMS designed for international operations is very different from local truckload-centric operations. So where does Trimble stand in its capabilities?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Trimble TMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the depth of the transportation companies and why features such as dispatch scheduling might be completely different for trucking companies than for other companies needing similar supply chain capabilities. We also covered how different TMS solutions could be when we analyze the business model of freight forwards vs transportation companies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
The tech stack of eCommerce has grown so much that you require several middlewares, with the middle being different for each of them. Also, the middle keep shifting as time advances, and as a result, the architecture changes accordingly. Guided selling has been one area in which it is hard to pinpoint where it would fit in the architecture, although it plays a crucial role in providing tailored experiences for users who might not know what they are looking for. Also, let’s admit that the search experience is completely broken, with the number of product categories and options available for the consumers, making the experience confusing.
In today's episode, our guest, Lamees Butt, discusses the importance of guided search and how that provides a cutting-edge digital commerce experience. She also discusses several stories about the Zoovo platform and how that resulted in the eCommerce experience for B2B companies. Finally, she discusses the difference between several technologies, such as PIM, ERP, modern search platforms, and middleware.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Where do you draw the line whether the enterprise software companies are the information processing, communication, or industry data repository platform? Also, is the role of TMS to provide you with the best rates, manage the external supply chain, act as a control tower, or full-blown ERP for freight forwarders? Well, the reason why these platforms look so confusing is that what's TMS for a manufacturer could be very different from a TMS for a freight forwarder. So where does Descartes stand in its capabilities? And how does it compare with other Supply Chain solutions out there?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Descartes' TMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the depth of functionality for a pure-play TMS system, as well as how the ERP needs of freight forwarders are completely different. We also covered why TMS platforms are more of a data platform along with the operational capabilities to manage the external supply chain or maybe internal for 3PL companies.
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Architecture is a bureaucratic term. At least, that’s what business users might feel, as it comes across as more of an IT boilerplate. And business users are not off as most technical and IT professionals end up using too much IT and technical boilerplate with architecture that it might not make any sense to the business users. However, having good architecture is like having a plan for your journey. No plan means a lot of wandering around and taking too much time to get to a destination. So regardless of your preferences for the architecture, it’s not optional.
In today's episode, our guest, Indrit Selimi, discusses the importance of architecture in designing commerce solutions. He also discusses white architecture may be perceived as more of a technical term, but having an architecture is critical regardless of the term you use. Finally, he discusses the difference between several different commerce solutions in the market and their differences, such as headless, monolith, and suite-centric commerce solutions.
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WMS and supply chain systems come in various shapes and sizes. And there are very few systems in the market that could catch up with the speed of the cloud ERP vendors. While NetSuite and Acumatica both had native capabilities for WMS, they both relied on High Jump for advanced WMS capabilities. While High Jump succeeded in being a default choice for a WMS solution, the game has been completely changed since its acquisition by Korber. And now Korber can provide similar capabilities as Manhattan or Blue Yonder. Korber also has some unique layers, such as managing DSD and last mile, as well as transportation spend management. So where do High Jump and Korber stand in their capabilities?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Korber/HighJump capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their unique strength in the cloud native market, and how they rule the mid-market, especially in the NetSuite and Acumatica ecosystems. We also covered their other strengths, such as being comparable to larger solutions such as Blue Yonder or Manhattan in the large category space and having unique capabilities such as DSD or freight spend management.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are two types of chaos. You have a manageable chaos that can be planned easily. And then you have organized chaos that requires you to shift gears all the time as the planning variables change. If there is one function that can challenge any planning model, it would be logistics. There are so many variables, such as labor, traffic, third-party carriers, geopolitical conditions, and macroeconomic factors. As a logistics executive, you not only need to make sure that you have timely delivery, but you also need to do it in a cost-effective manner.
In today's episode, our guest, John Hantzis, discusses why connecting the dots among strategy, operations, and execution is critical for the Supply Chain function. He also discusses why communication and collaboration are key, even among the same supply chain function covering different regions, to find operational synergies. Finally, he discussed why ops is all about shifting the gears on the fly and describes concepts such as cross-docking, FTZ, reclassification of tariff codes, moving supply chain due to geopolitical issues and a lot more.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The picking function is all about KPIs. The larger the facility, the more fine-tuned your picking process needs to be. More errors during picking mean inferior customer experience and slower operations. Picking proceses might also vary based on the product type and industry. The manufacturing may have different picking processes from retail or distribution. So which are the KPIs most relevant for picking operations and pickers?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Pickers. We discussed nuances of the picking function, including the performance incentives, issues due to warehouse integration, and picking efficiencies gained by modern picking strategies. We also discussed the pros and cons of real time vs batch connection and how that might impact picking KPIs and efficiencies, as well as how politics and biases may influence the architecture, leading to issues and variances in the warehouse function.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The warehouse has been the receiver of most automation technologies. Now so much hardware is available that you can automate your entire warehouse, including picking, packing, sorting, loading, or unloading. There are also various categories of software available, ranging from WMS, TMS, WCS, S&OP, and a lot more. The software is segmented depending on the complexity of warehouse operations. So where does Logiwa stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with the other supply chain software?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Logiwa WMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strengths with eCommerce and DTC fulfillment capabilities. We also covered the architectural issues with business models where either they might be overcommitting their capabilities or overstretching themselves.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
Most people underestimate the importance of country-specific expertise when it comes to ERP systems. For them, what difference could it make as it’s just pure tech? France and Europe are especially unique when it comes to their localization requirements. But the culture plays a huge role as well. So what can companies do if they want to penetrate the French market? And why is culture such as huge issue when it comes to ERP implementation?
In today's episode, our guest, Wassim Sayerh, discusses why local expertise is critical for ERP consultants. He also discusses the specific nuances of the France market and what consultants need to know to be successful in this market. Finally, he shares several stories to illustrate the cultural differences and how they might affect the outcome of the ERP projects.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The warehouse should be renamed as the KPIhouse. That's where most KPIs live. Most warehouse operators have very slim margins, and they not only need to be efficient with the transactions to reduce the costs. But they also need to ensure timely delivery to maintain the customer experience metrics. So which are the KPIs warehouse managers should care for the most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Warehouse Managers. We discussed the role of warehouse managers and how that might affect their KPIs. We also discussed the role of AI, the introduction of robots, and the importance of user feedback to understand the critical KPIs for warehouse managers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Where do you draw the line with supply chain software? There are various flavors. Some are more transactional processing systems, while others excel at planning. Some integrate several layers, including TMS, WMS, OMS, and planning. While planning is super critical, integrating transactional systems is always harder than most people would think. One of the most critical components of the supply chain software would always be the POS layer, especially for retail organizations, which need to process millions of transactions. So where does Manhattan Associates stand in its capabilities, and how does it compare with the other supply chain software?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Manhattan Associates' capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strengths with enterprise WMS, TMS, and OMS capabilities, as well as their unique positioning of an integrated POS. We also covered the architectural issues in industries outside of retail where companies need to be careful in overusing Manhattan.
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Each industry has its own nuances. The chemicals industry is particularly very challenging because of its supply chain issues. The black swan events, such as winter storms or macroeconomic changes, can shake any model, regardless of how sophisticated it might be. But the more information you have about your operations, regardless of whether internal or external supply chain, the more prepared you are likely to be for such events. And even if you are not prepared, the data will help create the playbook and minimize the risks caused by these disruptions.
In today's episode, our guest, Beth Schlitt, discusses the supply chain issues of the chemical industry. She shares several stories of recent disruptions and what supply chain leaders need to do to plan the risks. Finally, she shares her insights into how to plan for data governance in larger organizations and why companies must invest in modern technologies such as AI and machine learning.
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The innovation projects could be perceived as risky. It might also be harder for operational and financial executives to assess the ROI of such initiatives. But done right, companies can not only improve the customer experience while converting them into digitally native culture, they could also increase the enterprise value of such companies by 2x.
In today's episode, our guest, Chris Stegner, discusses how to transform a company into a digital. He also discusses cultural issues such as politics and how they could be barriers to innovation-driven culture. Finally, he shares several stories of companies where he was able to increase the enterprise value of companies purely by transforming their customer and user experience.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The inventory manager's role is very interesting. Sometimes it might be clubbed with an operations manager. Other times it might be the responsibility of an S&OP or materials manager. But without a solid inventory manager, your customer experience is likely to be fragmented. Or they would be overstocking to eat up all your margins and cash. So what are the KPIs relevant for an inventory manager?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Inventory Managers. We discussed how the role of the inventory manager could drive their KPIs. We also discussed several inventory KPIs, such as inventory turns, ABC, excess inventory, and more.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Once positioned to reduce the overall software spend, SaaS has become one of the highest spend categories for companies. A company could use as many as 1600 apps across the software categories. The spend might even be more for software companies that are buying someone else’s software to manage their own infrastructure. Industrial companies might struggle to understand why building custom software might not be the smartest idea because of the amount of software required to manage the software infrastructure.
In today's episode, our guest, Indus Khaitan, discusses the strategies for centralizing and controlling SaaS spend. He also discusses the difference between other similar technologies such as P-card, corporate credit cards, and the technology he developed. Finally, he discusses other features, such as why it's important to control the spend before it actually occurs and blacklisting the spend categories.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most companies may not have a dedicated role for a production manager, and sometimes that might be shared with the business or operations manager. The role might also differ in various industries, where most manufacturing companies are likely to have a dedicated production manager role. The production manager might also overlap with quality managers, with their primary responsibility being managing production, managing schedule, and getting the max out from the production floor. So which KPIs are most critical for the production manager role?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for Production Managers. We discussed how the role of the production manager could drive their KPIs. We also discussed several industries where production may be relevant.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Planning and forecasting software is not meant to be an ERP. Also, the software designed for the internal supply chain might not be the best fit for tracking the external supply chain. The scope of planning and forecasting and ERP might differ in various industries. Retail is especially a unique beast. Due to the transaction volume, the OMS, WMS, TMS, and S&OP layer does the major heavy lifting for retail. So where does Blue Youder fit, and how should it be used in enterprise architecture?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Blue Yonder WMS capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their evolution, role in the enterprise architecture, and the industries that are the right fit for them. We also covered their unique capabilities, such as planograms, retail planning, and supply chain control tower capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
Some entrepreneurs might not choose to hire help just because they might make less. Also, their ego might prevent building a business with the exit strategy in mind. But the others already have their game figured out. They know when to delegate and how to decouple the business from them to ensure that the business is completely decoupled from the founders.
In today's episode, our guest, Roger Knecht, discusses the challenges entrepreneurs face with business growth. He also discusses why it’s important to build a business with an exit strategy in mind. Finally, he discusses the art of delegation and why skillsets and the ability to hire the right expertise play an important role in why certain entrepreneurs are wildly successful while others are not.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The KPIs for operations managers would differ based on their responsibilities, the size of the org, and the industry. The role of ops management could be as diverse as managing tactical roles such as logistics to strategic roles such as procurement. Weak operations management leads to weak sales and operations planning, which might, in turn, lead to operational disruptions and inferior customer experience. So which are the KPIs that are most relevant for the operations managers to ensure streamlined operations? So which are the KPIs that are critical for operations managers?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for operations managers. We discussed how the role of the operations manager could drive their KPIs. We also discussed several KPIs in various different industries, such as professional services, manufacturing, and many more.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While most people might want to put ERP into generic categories such as make-to-order vs. make-to-stock, you need a much deeper analysis to identify the right software packages. Even inside the engineer and make-to-order verticals, there could be nuances such as program management and contract compliance for the automotive verticals. Also, the companies that own the software might drive specific capabilities depending on their strategic alignment. So where does Glovia G2 stand today? And how does it differ from other automotive-centric software?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Glovia G2 ERP capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in automotive capabilities and their evolution as a company. We also covered their weaknesses with their technology and why upgrading to the latest cloud capabilities might be a challenge for them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
There will always be confusion about the role of MES vs. ERP because of so many different feature sets that are common in both systems. The role of MES is limited to the shop floor, while the ERP is responsible for the enterprise workflows. Also, the MES systems come in many different shapes and sizes, some with very deep capabilities for a specific industry, while others may be technically sound. So where does Epicor advanced MES fits?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Epicor advanced MES’ capabilities. We covered several topics, such as how Epicor advanced MES and ERP differ and their role in the enterprise architecture. Finally, we covered different feature types that Epicor is working on to advance its MES capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people understand why unit economics is critical as that drives profit margins. They might use different names for it. Some might call it cost accounting. Depending on the industry, different terms may be used. But the intent is very similar. To understand the cost to produce a product. Cost accounting is also a unique profession, as it sits at the intersection of finance and operations. You need to understand the depth of both worlds to be effective as a cost accountant. So which are the KPIs that are critical for cost accountants?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for cost accountants. We discussed the maturity of cost accounting in different organizations and how that might impact KPIs that cost accountants might track. We also discussed different challenges, such as currency fluctuations, regulatory requirements like market pricing used for regulatory reporting, and how overhead allocation might impact the cost accounting KPIs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The add-ons come in various shapes and sizes. Some of them were so well done (and tightly embedded with some of the most popular packages) that they became gold standards. The process industry is particularly unique, with each micro-vertical having its nuanced needs. And there aren't a ton of solutions out there that are particularly suited for the process industries, especially with the native experience and robust functionality like BatchMaster.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of BatchMaster ERP capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their corporate strategy, how they evolved as a solution, and where they are really strong. We also covered unique capabilities such as super jobs, safety capabilities, and the NPD and PLM capabilities that might typically reside in a PLM system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
B2B companies have very different needs for eCommerce than B2C. In some B2B verticals that might be slightly service-oriented, even the product model might not be defined. But to be successful with B2B eCommerce initiatives, having a refined product model is essential. By the way, that’s not the only challenge. The bigger challenge would be the integration of eCommerce with ERP. And while you might feel that it might be plug-and-play, it rarely is because of the ever-changing interfaces and APIs.
In today's episode, our guest, Arno Ham, discusses the importance of pre-integrated eCommerce platforms for ERP systems. He also discusses the challenges with ERP and eCommerce integration, such as the need for eCommerce to be real-time while the ERP systems require downtime for maintenance and upgrade. Finally, he discusses the industries that are fit for the configurator and B2B commerce business model.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There will always be a divide in opinions about who should lead the design of business software. ERP platforms designed by CPAs argue that CPAs design the best software. The manufacturing packages designed by shop floor owners tend to argue that they design the best manufacturing packages. The firms started by software engineers and architects might be perceived as disconnected from the needs of business users. Like it or not, software design fundamentals still matter, and most standard packages that scale follow the core software engineering and database design fundamentals. So where does BizAutomation stand?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of BizAutomation ERP capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength with their design and architecture. We also converted their weaknesses, such as their infrastructure and documentation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
How different could electrical and HVAC industries be? Shouldn’t their processes be as simple as distribution and field services? What is so complex about their eCommerce processes? Well, electrical and HVAC industries are unique as their products need to be aligned with the trade associations. If they don’t follow the same coding standards, there might be issues in integrating with the buying groups and other collaborators. They also have unique processes such as electronic signature and dispatch to delivery confirmation.
In today's episode, our guest, David Gordon, discusses the eCommerce challenges for the electrical and HVAC industry. He also discusses why these industries are lacking compared to their peers in innovating their processes and providing a cutting-edge customer experience. Finally, he discusses why these industries are unique in their ERP needs and why the vanilla system would fail for them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The debate between what's an add-on vs. what's an ERP is not new. The add-ons will never have the traceability requirements that regulated industries such as Med Device and Pharma require. But unfortunately, due to the limited technical background of auditors, they can't distinguish whether a record is traceable inside the system. Or would it require manual steps to establish the linking? Also, because of the fragile integration between QuickBooks and Sage50, there are likely to be significant data integrity issues. Most QuickBooks add-ons suffer from the same problems, but they all have a tendency to call them ERP. So where does QT9 stand?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of QT9 ERP capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength with document management and quality workflow processes, including how it compares with other life sciences-centric ERP systems such as Deacom, Blue Link, and Sage X3. We also converted the weaknesses with their data model and how it will suffer from the same traceability issue as other Quickbooks add-ons such as Katana MRP.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While ERP systems have done a wonderful job in providing the traceability of transactions in the four walls of the factory, the traceability across the industry is limited. The limitation exists because of so many factors, such as technology limitations, disparate datasets, political control, and data-sharing agreements. Technical concepts such as digital material and blockchain technologies are powerful to help provide visibility for shippers, trade finance companies, or any other stakeholders involved with the end-to-end supply chain transactions.
In today's episode, our guest, Arnoud Star Busmann, discusses the importance of Supply Chain at the industrial level. He also discusses the importance of digital material and how that helps track the expensive commodity across the supply chain. Finally, he discusses how blockchain technologies are helping track supply chains across non-traditional datasets where there might be political issues with data sharing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If there are any departments that have seen the majority of automation, they are AR and AP. Most companies, even QuickBooks, would use some form of automation to manage their AR and AP. The automation could be auto-parsing and capturing the PDF documents to manage their entire workflow. The experience around AR and AP processes has changed as well because now, even the customers expect their invoices in one place. So which KPIs do AR and AP need to use to measure their efficiency?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the Top KPIs for AR/AP. We discussed the differences between these roles and how the roles might differ per geography, size of the company, and industry. We also discussed the top KPIs that they need to be successful in their roles.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Buying software is hard, especially business software. There might be companies that might appear to be rated relatively well by the affiliate sites. But when you look under the hood, they might be completely different. Affiliate sites are not necessarily looking at the demo of the product or are experts at reviewing the ERPs. Software companies are also really smart at not posting their demos publicly, which could be even hard for customers to know if they have a real product. Or if they have an outdated product. These decisions could fire back as bad as not going live. So how does Multiview ERP compare with other mainstream ERP software?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Multiview ERP capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their capabilities for service-centric industries such as healthcare and non-profit. We also covered the issues associated with the lesser-known software packages for ERP buyers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
AI is changing the world. You have an infusion of AI at every step in the process, whether you talk about the first mile or the last mile. Whether you talk about AI being used to intelligently and automatically capture paper-based invoices or to enrich, augment, and predict incomplete data. But you can’t get results from AI if you have data silos. In fact, AI initiatives might fire back if you trained your models with the wrong data.
In today's episode, our guest, Claus Jepsen, discusses why AI and ML solutions are less effective if businesses still have data siloed. He also discusses Unit4 stories and their unique approach to the cloud. Finally, he discusses issues with the first and last mile of AI and how they each offer unique challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The hate of ERP systems is not new. Every time a new kid in the town challenges how they are making the ERP systems easier. There are some companies that have approached this in the right fashion, such as Odoo or Acumatica, by understanding how ERP systems work and why they need to have layered complexity. The others have simply eliminated the necessary details for them to have a scalable data model. These systems are great poor man's ERP solutions as you might not be able to afford the consulting dollars and change management at that stage. And that is OK when you are small. But you can't go very far with them without understanding how to model your customers, vendors, items, BOMs, and chart of accounts to get the tangible business benefits with costing, inventory, supply chain, and scheduling.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Katana Manufacturing ERP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength and weaknesses and where they fit with their target market. We also convered their capabilities on the MRP, their approach for costing and allocation, their data model, and how that drives which customers would be the right fit for them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Which spend categories should procurement control would always be debatable. Most companies may have a budget threshold where they might dictate the involvement of procurement. But this approach might not be suitable for every category. Some categories may be so strategic, even if the budget threshold may not be as high, that the business might want to take over because of the cross-functional implications or risks. These categories might also have very unique workflows and processes that require unique designs compared to the other categories.
In today's episode, our guest, Sudhir Bhojwani and Yuan Tung discusses the best practices for managing unmanaged spend. They also discuss the disconnect between procurement and business and the scope of procurement. Finally, they describe where ORO labs fit in the enterprise architecture and how it compares with other workflow automation tools, P2P, CLM, etc.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While there are several process manufacturing solutions out there, they all differ in their capabilities. Some are designed for growers and processors, while others are friendlier for distributors and DTC companies. The process manufacturing verticals have unique nuances, such as the hierarchy of serial and lot numbers. The serial numbers need to be managed at the UoM, case, and license plate levels. The pharma distribution may also have requirements such as DSD and route accounting with e-signature required for the delivery and then e-signature required at each process step for pharma compliance. So where does ECi Deacom fit, and how is it different from the other process manufacturing solutions in the market?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ECi Deacom’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their depth with pharma and process manufacturing capabilities with features such as lot and serial number traceability, DSD accounting, recipe, and nutrition label printing. We also covered some of their weaknesses, such as multi-entity accounting and rigid structure for their chart of accounts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The needs of the services industry might differ substantially, especially when you think of subscription, revenue recognition, and ASC 606 compliance capabilities. The ERP systems designed for the service industry might be very deep with grant and fund accounting, having payment terms and multi-element allocation at the line item level on the contract, and HIPAA compliance capabilities. These industries also have very unique requirements, such as the integration with best-of-breed CRM and project management software flavored with the capabilities of these industries. And that’s where Sage Intacct really shines.
In today's episode, we invited Mike O’Brien from Sage Intacct from the ERP community. We discussed the target market and its capabilities for many different industries. We also discussed their roadmap and which features and capabilities their customers can expect in the next few years.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Is the controller a lead accountant? Are they responsible for preparing financial reporting for a business unit? Are they responsible for planning, budgeting, and spending? Do they work with the CFOs to manage both strategic and tactical activities? Are they also responsible for IT projects such as ERP implementation? Are they also responsible for FP&A? Is there a difference between a controller and a comptroller? Does the role vary depending on the size of the organization and geography? But most importantly, what are the KPIs that a controller needs to serve their responsibilities?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for controllers and the VP of Finance. We discussed the differences between these roles and how the roles might differ per geography, size of the company, and industry. We also discussed the top KPIs that they need to be successful in their roles.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While ERP consultants might put all process and food verticals under one umbrella, there are massive differences among these verticals. And some of these verticals require substantially different capabilities. The food vertical that also caters to growers and processors are very different from plain vanilla food distribution. Grower accounting is unique and may require DSD accounting as well. So which customers would be the right fit for Aptean bcFood?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean bcFood’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including how the needs of growers differ from other food and beverage companies and why you would need grower accounting built as part of the package. We also discussed concepts such as catch weight, scale integration, and the compliance requirements around weight management.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
There are several strategies that you can explore while starting on your paid media journey. You can either go general or specific, depending on your target market and the audience. But the strategy that may work for B2C might not work for B2B unless it’s a consumerized B2B business. Also, once you start on the customer-driven content acquisition, you need to keep collecting data and experimenting until you have a clear working model.
In today's episode, our guest, Rishabh Jain, discusses content-driven customer acquisition and content experimentation for eCommerce brands. He also discusses how brands can formulate their strategy while starting on the journey of paid media. Finally, he discusses why it is critical to have the purchase funnel and the customer journeys right to get ROI from the paid efforts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What is a better choice? Go for a well-known horizontal solution. Or opt for a vertical solution that can provide the last mile functionality? What if you could get the best of both worlds? And that's where Aptean JustFood is super handy. Built on the Microsoft BC platform, it provides one of the best interfaces out there. And then it has all the bells and whistles that you might need for the food business, including support from Aptean. So which customers would be the right fit for Aptean JustFood?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean JustFood’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the best-of-breed capabilities of Just Food solution, which would have the best of Microsoft and Aptean while getting support from Aptean. Finally, we discussed the food-specific features and how involved food traceability could get that only solutions such as Aptean JustFood could handle.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
The retail industry is unique in its architecture. You have layers such as B2B and B2C. The B2C and FMCG industries have always had unique architecture, with their needs for the POS being the most important. The role of ERP was limited to just financial reporting. The order management layer always consisted of the OMS in a combination of WMS and TMS, with the POS forming the fabric for inventory, allocation, and fulfillment. Now with the needs of eCommerce, things are a bit challenging as the architecture needs to change. So how is Kibo changing that?
In today's episode, we invited Mark Wright from Kibo Commerce, one of the hottest vendors in the microservices-based OMS solution. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses of Kibo along with its target market. We also discussed the latest and greatest features that Kibo has been working on in the past quarter.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Marketing could be a time sucker if you don't track your numbers. But if you track too much, you might come across as too salesy that your prospects might not trust you. Marketing is all about the right balance. So how do you find that balance? And what KPIs CMOs use to track the balance?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for CMOs. We discussed the best KPIs that CMOs should be measuring. Finally, we discussed how the KPIs might differ for a CMO depending upon the industry and the stage of their company.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is typically a difference between open-source and commercial eCommerce platforms. While you might save a little bit on the licensing with open source, it might end up costing the same with payment processor integrations, etc. Also, there are several categories of eCommerce platforms in the market. A lot of them are owned by payment companies. But there are other platforms that are owned by agencies. Both of their pros and cons, but you need to decide what will be in your best interest. So where does X-Cart fit in the value chain?
In today's episode, we are going to independently review X-Cart’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including how X-cart’s unique capabilities for automotive and their integrations with several payment providers. Finally, we covered their migration to a recent version and unique customizability that might be available through other platforms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
The open-source systems could be as expensive as their commercial peers once you account for all the costs associated with deploying software. Also, not all open-source software is created equal. Some have great governance processes in their communities, while others struggle to enforce controls, causing issues during upgrades. The open source systems are also more suitable for companies that have internal development expertise or have access to developers for free, like non-profits or universities. But just because developers might be available, you might still need business consultants who can help you re-engineer your processes. So where does ERPNext fit in the ERP value chain?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ERPNext’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the differences between Odoo and ERPNext. Finally, we discussed the specific nuances of ERPNext, such as their approach to open source, the size of their community, and their unique capabilities for the service-centric verticals.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
When businesses think of upgrading their capabilities, they might feel that they need to hire an agency that can help them get off the ground. Or they might feel that internally they might be able to manage the majority of work. But the reality is that to be successful with eCommerce platform implementations, you need several resources with different skill sets. They spend years sharpening their craft, and it’s very hard to match this expertise with internal resources. So how to approach the right mix for the teams in planning the digital transformation journey?
In today's episode, our guest, Isaiah Bollinger, discusses how to approach eCommerce initiatives for brands. He also discusses how the needs of different sizes of the company may be different at each stage of their life cycle. Finally, he discusses how to build a hybrid team with the right balance of internal and external talent.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
CROs are responsible for meeting their numbers. Making sure their teams are hitting their quotas. Or they will struggle with their own. Also, they need to have control of the entire funnel, starting from the lead acquisition to signing the contract. But sometimes, the journey may start well before that. Also, the customer journey could be different per industry type. So which are the KPIs they need to master in order to meet their numbers?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for CROs. We discussed the best KPIs that CROs should be measuring. Finally, we discussed how the KPIs might differ for a CRO depending upon the industry and the stage of their company.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to the available options to design your storefront, there are a ton of them, whether you are looking for open-source or paid ones. Most open-source platforms have a trend. Making money by selling hosting, tightly coupling with payment providers, or selling premium themes or add-ons. Open-source platforms are also more suitable for communities and universities where development resources are free or not as expensive. So how does OpenCart compare with the other platforms?
In today's episode, we are going to review OpenCart’s capabilities independently. We covered many grounds, including how OpenCart has a slightly superior model in making money through books than restricting their customers with a payment provider or limiting the integration options available. Finally, we covered the overall business risks with the open source platforms, such as having duplicate pages for the SEO, the uptime of the servers, and untested plugins being promoted to the platform without quality and compliance.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
The process manufacturing space is complex, with several different PLM options. As well as manufacturing processes that require completely different capabilities. Food manufacturing requires things such as Yield measurement, while the process space might be super heavy with the versions and revisions of its formulas. There might also be other complications, such as fleet management and eCommerce.An average process manufacturer needs a lot in an ERP. So how does ProcessPro differ from other manufacturing solutions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean ProcessPro’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the differences between Ross and ProcessPro, even though both are Aptean’s products and they both are positioned for process manufacturing industries. Finally, we discussed several other nuances of process manufacturing industries, such as versions and revisions, process-based costing, and DSD accounting.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.Â
Finding the right system for the right job is more difficult than you would think. Most companies end up mixing the boundaries of the systems. While the journey of data science could be powerful, it’s hard to get meaningful insights that will be actionable and drive business outcomes with data siloes. So what do companies need to do to get results from their data science initiatives?
In today's episode, our guest, Tony Aug, discusses the first steps enterprises need to take for their data science journey. He also discusses the architectural differences between decision science systems and operational systems. Finally, he discusses the budget planning for the data science projects and how to be successful with them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Operations are all about KPIs. You need a ton of KPIs to measure efficiencies. To lead your team. To motivate them. To make sure they are moving at the optimum speed. Manufacturing or non-manufacturing ops can't operate with KPIs. Don't have good data? Most likely misleading KPIs. Don't have data at all? How would you have KPIs at all? Have a ton of data but no insights? How would your KPIs be reliable? So which are the KPIs COOs need at their fingertips to ensure their success?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for COOs. We discussed the best KPIs that COOs should be measuring. Finally, we discussed how the KPIs might differ for a COO depending on the reporting and org structure.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The smaller eCommerce platforms might claim to be cheaper than other mainstream platforms such as Shopify or BigCommerce. They might also have claims such as not charging the transaction fee. But let's face it! Most eCommerce platforms are owned or have an alliance with payment companies. That's how they make money. Running an eCommerce platform is expensive, and the fee that you pay barely covers the cost of running the platform. So is EKM Powershop really a deal, as they claim?
In today's episode, we are going to independently review EKM Powershop’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the affiliation of eCommerce merchants with payment providers. Finally, we covered the risks with the smaller eCommerce providers and why these risks may not be worth the discount you might be getting on your transactions through smaller vendors.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
The systems designed for process manufacturing differ completely from discrete manufacturing. The process manufacturing verticals are also deep into logistics and transportation management, as the regulatory bodies might need to report as part of the traceability compliance. They also have very strong QC requirements with the shop floor equipment integrated. Finally, recipe management and yield calculation are completely different from discrete verticals. So which system in the Aptean portfolio is designed for process manufacturing? If you have guessed Aptean Ross, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean Ross’ capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its unique features for the F&B industries. Finally, we discussed the nuances of process manufacturing industries and drew parallels with some of the discrete industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Running a business is hard. But changing business at each inflection point could be harder. You need changes in people, processes, and technology to enable growth at each inflection point. But the hardest change management project that any organization can ever undertake is the ERP implementation, as the ERP implementation touches every discipline possible in the entire company. And regardless of how many times you have done it, you will still get surprises. But the more implementations you have under your belt, the easier the process becomes.
In today's episode, our guest, Buddy Blattner, who discusses how CFOs can be successful with an ERP implementation. He also discusses how to plan for operational capacity during a growth inflection point, including an ERP implementation. Finally, he discusses several stories related to ERP rescues and the lessons learned from each of the stories.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most smaller companies struggle to understand the importance of a CIO. In smaller companies, it's not uncommon to have developers, a CFO, a VP of Supply Chain, or a VP of marketing playing or claiming the role of a CIO. They might also not understand the importance of enterprise architecture, IT portfolio planning, and master data governance. But a CIO is a very specialized skillset that requires experience in managing complex enterprise applications and infrastructure. It takes many years of implementation to get used to enterprise architecture patterns and learn the best practices for managing large IT departments and programs. So which are the KPIs that CIOs need at their fingertips to ensure their success?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for CIOs. We discussed the best KPIs that CIOs should be measuring. Finally, we discussed how the KPIs might differ for a CIO depending on the reporting and org structure.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The ecommerce shop owners are likely to be lured by the idea of open source. But once you start managing your store on an eCommerce platform, you might spend more time with technical issues than selling. osCommerce is one such platform that is often among the popular open-source cart options and has been installed on thousands of sites. Also, there was a time when osCommmerce was an OK option because the other options were equally outdated. But not anymore. And definitely not in 2023.
In today's episode, we are going to review osCommerce’s capabilities independently. We covered many grounds, including why estimating the cost for open source may be harder than commercial options. We also discussed how evaluating software purely based on functional capabilities is likely to fire back. Finally, we discussed why speed, security, and SEO are perhaps the most important factors for a commerce solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
There are nuances right within the ERP system, such as most processes being driven using size, style, season, brand, and color. But then the integrations are super involved too. You have integration as thick as PLM, WMS, and a designer toolbox such as Adobe Illustrator. Then the supply chain processes are fairly unique as well, with the need for vendor collaboration, sampling, and order placement during R&D. So, which are the systems designed for the Apparel industry? If you have guessed Excenta, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean Excenta’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its unique capabilities for the apparel industry and why this industry has different needs for ERP and integrations. Finally, we covered why there are only a few solutions available in this industry unless you plan to use several add-ons on top of the horizontal ERP systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most SMBs don’t understand the importance of the packing process. They might have a very serialized pick, pack, and ship process and might pack one order at a time. As companies mature, they gain efficiencies by decoupling the process steps and optimizing them individually. Packing is one step that is often ignored. Most SMB companies might simply send the order from their eComm or ERP to print the shipping label using the order or pick list, skipping the packing step. So not only having a good packing step is necessary, but there are several technologies available that can help you optimize the packing step by doing the math for you for the ideal packaging configuration, saving freight costs and losses due to misconfigured packaging.
In today's episode, our guest, James Malley, shares his insights on the importance of the packing step of the pick, pack, ship process. He also talks about the importance of having good product dimensions and packaging data that can help to streamline the packing process. Finally, he discusses several other nuances of the packaging process and how other companies are taking advantage of advancements in packaging technologies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
CFOs need a ton of KPIs to ensure profitability. To ensure all revenue and expenses get accounted for. To maintain the debt-to-equity ratio. To get favorable terms from the bank. To maintain the price of the stock. But doing all of this might require thousands of KPIs. Also, as companies grow, CFOs might not have the bandwidth to keep track of every transaction of the business. So they require KPIs that are not only reliable but traceable in a manageable manner. So which KPIs are the most critical for CFOs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the top KPIs for CFOs. We discussed the best KPIs that CFOs should be measured in several industries, such as manufacturing and healthcare. Finally, we discussed the KPIs that are typically meaningless to measure and might be counterproductive.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Headless, composable, and microservices architecture could be confusing even for developers. But it gets more confusing when you look under the hood. With too many moving parts. And not a clear understanding of which component is supposed to do what. What is most confusing is this whole notion of the front end for the front end. Sound cryptic? It is! Why would you need that? There are many reasons. Caching, performance, ease of development, composability, and scalability. But mainly offline experience! But is offline experience important for retailers? Hell yeah, when you are going to be installing commerce front on every corner. Internet may not always be available. While this is great for developers as they have a lot more control over the process the way they like, are practitioners going to have the same control? So how does Vue Storefront help? And where does it fit in the architecture?
In today's episode, we are going to review Vue Storefront’s capabilities independently. We covered many grounds, including the importance of the front end of the front-end in composable architecture. We also discussed where Vue Storefront fits in the architecture and the importance of the API orchestration layer in connecting with various eCommerce, search, CMS, and best-of-breed eCommerce solutions. Finally, we discussed the importance of offline and lightweight JS packages that can improve the performance of eCommerce sites massively, increasing their SEO strength and, as a result having better conversion rates.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
One channel that might not be immediately apparent to be different would be the office dealer space. It has similar flavors, such as building material and auto parts distributors, for the requirements of local fleets and PODs. It also has unique integration requirements with furniture manufacturers and distributors that might be more expensive with horizontal offerings. Also, they have unified commerce requirements at a much smaller scale where they need inventory to be synched between stores and eCommerce portal, along with mobile. So which ERP system is suitable for this industry? If you have guessed DDMSPLUS, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ECi DDMSPLUS’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the nuances of the office supply space and how the needs of this space are very similar to building materials and HVAC space. Finally, we covered ECi's corporate strategy and how this product compares to other products in ECi's portfolio as well as of their competitors.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Large programs require a lot more planning and strategy than smaller ones. Due to the number of functions involved and the need for collaboration among those functions. The default answer for most companies while leading large programs would be to go to a large SI and start it. The challenge with the approach is that each SI has practiced and might not have a centralized entity that could help you identify the right products and define the architecture. And might result in conflict by pulling the architecture in their direction.
In today's episode, our guest, Vignesh Khade, who shares his insights on how to work with large system integrators while leading digital transformation programs. He also talks about where the role of architects fits in the overall process and why it is critical to design the business processes and define the architecture prior to engaging with SIs. Finally, he described the nuances of the corporate structure of SIs and how to engage with them to be successful with digital transformation programs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Rework issues could eat up all of your margins. There could be several reasons why there might be rework orders. The rework could be quality issues in the production process. Or they could be because of the issues with incoming raw materials. So what are the best practices for reducing rework in the manufacturing industry?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interviews on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Manufacturing Rework best practices. We discussed the triggers and process boundaries for manufacturing rework. Finally, we discussed the best practices to reduce it.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While there is much talk about the coolest eCommerce platforms out there, the large majority of the market share is still in the brick-and-mortar setting, especially among retailers. This makes the POS and OMS experience far more critical than eCommerce. Also, to get the eCommerce experience right, you need to have: Omnichannel experience and Unified experience. Whatever the name you may want to give, it's a necessity. In today's commerce experience. So how can Fluent Commerce help?
In today's episode, we are going to independently review Fluent Commerce’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including why the OMS is going to be a need for large retailers in their architecture, even if it might feel unnecessary. Then we discussed how it interacts with other toolsets in the architecture. Finally, we discussed why the best-of-breed approach may not be as expensive as it might appear due to the pre-baked integrations available through the commerce providers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
The small job shop market is also flooded. With unique software that could be perceived as different. From the mainstream ERP systems. The JobBOSS2 system is one example. That was created by jamming together the best of E2 Shoptech and JobBOSS. JobBOSS was known for easy to use QuickBooks-like functionality. For smaller shops, but had a much superior UX. E2 Shoptech, on the other hand, had robust features and was behind in its technology.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ECi JobBoss’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the changes in the ECi portfolio and how they might impact the ECi product. Finally, we reviewed its data model and which segment the solution fit the most.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The foundation of retail business relies on having access to good quality data. Without the right data, retailers make uninformed decisions, such as raising their prices or targeting expensive channels that are likely to fire back. The problem is much worse when they might have multiple systems, as getting true insights from this architecture is much harder. So what do retailers need to do to operate in a hybrid environment where the traditional methods of running a retail business are likely to fall short?
In today's episode, our guest, Kathy Aronson, shares her insights on centralizing data for retail companies. She talks about why data sharing is critical for retail channel partners, and the retailers need to think beyond the four walls of retail. Finally, she discusses why data could help retail brands lose their marketshare when they don’t make decisions based on data.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Rework issues could eat up all of your margins. There could be several reasons why there might be rework orders. The rework could be quality issues in the production process. Or they could be because of the issues with incoming raw materials. So what are the best practices for reducing rework in the manufacturing industry?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Manufacturing Rework best practices. We discussed the triggers and process boundaries for manufacturing rework. Finally, we discussed the best practices to reduce it.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could it be to choose a payment provider? And what could go wrong with eCommerce integrations? Well, if you don't understand how to integrate them, you could be locked out of your account. You might not be able to access your funds for the products you may have sold. But that all might be necessary if you want to protect yourself from fraud. So how would 2Checkout help?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of 2Checkout/VeriFone’s capabilities. We covered why payment providers are the hardest to work with among eCommerce technologies. Finally, we discussed how different payment processors differ and why companies will need a payment processor such as 2Checkout/Verifone despite their negative reviews and clunky technology.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP from Germany, but it is not SAP? Do you know an ERP system that has a similar look and feel as the other manufacturing software such as Infor or Aptean? Do you know an ERP system that has similar workflows built up as NextWorld? Do you know an ERP system that might not be as penetrated in North America? If you have guessed Abas ERP, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Abas ERP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its origin, architecture, and target market. Finally, we analyzed several user reviews to explore the strength and weaknesses of the solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Buying a machine is an expensive investment that most companies would think twice before thinking about replacing. Also, replacement decisions could be complex as various factors need to be considered including buy vs maintain, and the overall cost of ownership for both of these decisions including taxes. If you are thinking of replacing, machinery dealers could not only help you maintain but might be able to sell at the carrying costs on your balance sheet, if not for profit.
In today's episode, our guest, Noah Graff, shares insights about the business model of machinery dealers. He also talks about the best practices of working with a machinery dealer. Finally, he compares different machines and how a different strategy might be required for each of these cases.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could job sequencing be? Isn't it all about the order of the jobs? Yes, but there could be several rules that could be used depending on your strategy. Earlier due date, Longest Processing Time, Shortest Processing Time, First-Come, First Serve, and Least Setup Hours - to name a few. So what are the best practices when it comes to job sequencing?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Job Sequencing best practices. We discussed how the competing priorities could be problematic for the shop floor and how job sequencing rules affect the outcome for on-time delivery. Finally, we covered several stories related to job sequencing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a CMS platform that is often installed alongside commercetools and SFCC? Do you know a CMS platform that is completely headless and not part of the suite like HCL Commerce? Do you know a CMS platform that is designed for a best-of-breed composable experience? Do you know a content modeling platform in the headless world? If you have guessed Amplience, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Amplience’s capabilities. We covered why it’s so popular among other headless platforms and why most enterprise companies end up using it regardless of the choice of their eCommerce platforms. Finally, we covered why it would require changing the mindset and consulting help to come up with the data model.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP that has one of the strongest functionality for pharma? Do you know a pharma ERP that is targeted at SMB wholesale distribution customers? Do you know an ERP that might have pre-baked functionality for CSOS reporting? Do you know an ERP that has POS and eCommerce built as part of the ERP? If you have guessed Blue Link ERP, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Blue Link ERP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its superior design compared to another tier 4 systems. Finally, we covered its pharma-specific functionality and why it would be a heavier lift for pharma companies to develop this functionality on top of the vanilla ERP systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Logistics planning requires an understanding of constraints and building relationships with carriers. While your KPIs might appear OK on the surface, there might be other issues such as packages arriving damaged or the carriers sub-contracting most of their operations. Understanding the root cause of these issues requires you to simplify your KPIs. But ensure that KPIs are well communicated and understood by everyone involved. As they say, change for the sake of change is not good. Similarly, creating KPIs just for the sake of tracking is not good.
In today's episode our guest, Meagan Elkes, shares insights about the On Time Delivery performance issues. She also talks about how OTD and carrier performance is correlated and how the declining performance may be a sign of issues with the other one. Finally, we discussed concepts such as lane design, supply chain planning, and network mapping.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Consigned inventory could be a great strategy for startups trying to get space in retailers' warehouses. It could also be a great strategy for distributors and retailers to carry an inventory of unfamiliar brands without committing too much capital. But consigned inventory complicates the business processes for all parties involved. So what are the best practices when it comes to incorporating consigned inventory as part of the business model?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Consignment Inventory best practices. We discussed the differences between consignment and borrowing. And how the inventory will be treated in each vendor’s and customers’ ERP systems. Finally, we discussed the issues related to international consignment, along with several fun stories.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
If I had to describe eCommerce in three words, it would be search, recommendation, and personalization. And 90% of the eCommerce sites are extremely poor at these three things. But fear not; headless is changing that. While Algolia is used in the context of headless, you could have the same search experience even with monolith platforms. So what is Aloglia, and where does it fit in the eCommerce value chain?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Algolia’s capabilities. We covered why the best-of-breed search capabilities aren’t as threatening to the composable commerce experience. Finally, we discussed its capabilities such as AI synonyms, tweaking search results for each query, and personalized search.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP system that is from Israel but is not SAP Business One? Do you know an ERP system that has a similar look and feel to SAP Business One but is way ahead in the cloud? Do you know an ERP system that can support configurable mobile workflows right within the app without requiring developers? Do you know an ERP system that has thousands of installations in Israel but is virtually non-existent in North America? If you have guessed Priority Software, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Priority ERP’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its look and feel very similar to SAP Business One and its deep manufacturing capabilities. Finally, we covered its evolution, strategy, roadmap, and its strengths and weaknesses.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Data migration is extremely complex. It is especially more challenging when the source data may have a different structure and governance rules than the destination structure. For example, File driven datasets may allow edits of journal entries, as well as debits and credits on the same account. The downstream datasets such as GL entries are far easier than the upstream datasets such as inventory transactions, fixed assets, or projects. If not analyzed carefully, data conversion projects may take forever and might not provide meaningful insights.
In today's episode our guest, Paul Giese, shares insights about the challenges associated with NetSuite data migration. He also talks about how the limitations of QuickBooks may require reversing the transactions before data can be migrated. Finally, he discusses why the upstream datasets such as inventory, sales transactions, projects, and fixed assets could be more challenging to migrate than just the journal entries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Dimensional inventory is more than just a bunch of attributes at the product level. It affects how the items are created, planned, and tracked. Using an ERP system without the support for dimensional inventory might result in planning issues. It might also result in ad-hoc processes and increased admin effort in correlating dimensions on top of raw data. So what are the best practices when it comes to dimensional inventory?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Dimensional Inventory best practices. We discussed how dimensional or matrix inventory differs in various industries, as well as why systems not designed for dimensional inventory may lead to increased admin efforts. Finally, we discussed the impact of matrix inventory on planning, merchandizing, shop floor, warehouse, and logistics.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that is designed for WordPress users? Do you know an eCommerce platform that may require several plugins to build a complex store? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is designed for SMBs and doesn't charge based on GMV? Do you know an open-source eCommerce platform that is written in PHP but is not Magento or OroCommerce? If you guessed WooCommerce, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of WooCommerce’s capabilities. We covered how it compares with other open-source and commercial platforms. Finally, we covered the businesses that would be most benefited from WooCommerce and where they might be stretching their capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP system that is designed for manufacturing but is not from Infor or Epicor? Do you know an ERP system that may not support as many layers of BOMs that Infor or Epicor systems might be able to support? Do you know an ERP system that might struggle with diverse business models, such as a business that might do both construction and distribution? Do you know an ERP system that has a very similar look and feel to Infor? If you have guessed Aptean Made2Manage, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Aptean Made2Manage’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its similarity in look and feel with Infor. Finally, we covered its BOM structure, traceability, costing layers,and technology.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Every vendor out there would love to get on the shelves of big-box retailers. But the conversation finishes as soon as they ask for the price list. It might finish even sooner if you don’t know how to find the right buyer and understand their interests before pitching to them. So what are the best practices to get the attention of retail buyers?
In today's episode our guest, Gil Bar-Lev, shares insights about the challenges associated with getting products on retailers’ shelves. He also talks about how dropshipping works and how some people might confuse it with the wholesale model. Finally, he discusses different strategies in navigating larger procurement organizations and how to get their attention.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The lot and serial numbers strategies can help improve customer experience and traceability. But over-implementing lot and serial numbers might fire back with the increased overhead and admin efforts. In some industries, the lot numbers could be so involved that you might require multiple lot and serial numbers as part of the same product. There might also be requirements for different BOMs that may contain traceable assembly. So what are the best practices when it comes to implementing lot and serial numbers?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts to live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Lot/Serial Control best practices. We discussed the layers of the lot and serial numbers and how they might be different in different industries. Finally, we discussed the unique lot and serial number requirements of industries such as defense, pharma, and custom manufacturing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that targets very small eCommerce startups, just like Wix or GoDaddy? Do you know an eCommerce platform that had recently filed chapter 11 to restructure its debt? Do you know an eCommerce platform that may not have as high a transaction fee similar to Shopify? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is based in Austin, TX? If you guessed Volusion, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Volusion’s capabilities. We covered its strengths such as not having as high transaction fees and its alignment with smaller businesses. Finally, we discussed its financial challenges and the problems users reported while using this platform.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP system that is designed for the lumber and building materials industry? Do you know an ERP system that is integrated with most modeling software in the building materials space? Do you know an ERP system that allows entering delivery # and carrier while receiving inventory in the warehouse? Do you know an ERP system that allows picking based on sales orders? If you have guessed BisTrack, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of BisTrack’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its alignment with the building materials distributors and why this vertical has very unique needs where a vanilla ERP might struggle. Finally, we covered different integration requirements such as with the estimation software and eCommerce platforms, and how critical that is for ERP systems in this industry.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While companies understand the importance of cash, they struggle to create processes and KPIs that will help them drive cash for the company. Cash is the ultimate lifeblood of the companies. And they could have cash issues because of so many reasons. The cash issues could be because of how you are allocating your inventory to each channel. They could also be due to the inability to map the cash cycle of the business. Finally, they could be because you might be hyper-focused on revenue.
In today's episode our guest, David Safeer, shares why companies need to shift their mindset to cash-focused strategies. He also talks about cash-related topics such as variables that drive cash issues with businesses, the KPIs that mislead businesses and cause performance issues, and how sales strategies might result in cash improvement. Finally, he shared several stories where he was able to save cash for several companies through this mindset.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What comes to mind when you think of engineering change control? Well, if you are a small shop with a few changes per month (or relatively straightforward products), then you might not see as many change orders. But if you are a highly engineered shop or sell custom products, you might receive change orders even after shipping your products. Heavy on change orders? Then you must need a formalized engineering change control process. Otherwise, you might struggle a lot. So what are the best practices of engineering change control?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Inventory Replenishment best practices. We discussed the nuances of simpler replenishment strategies such as min/maxes to more advanced such as Kanban, bin, and MRP-centric replenishment strategies. Finally, we discussed the advancements in the inventory replenishment strategies such as DDMRP and how that differs from other traditional methods of inventory replenishment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that can handle all your content and data needs for you? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is really targeted at B2BÂ companies and has pre-built integrations with several industrial B2B ERP systems? Do you know an eCommerce platform that has a similar go-to-market strategy as Optimizely? If you guessed Unilog, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Unilog’s capabilities. We covered its strengths such as its unique services for content creation that are extremely friendlier for the buying groups. Finally, we discussed its pros and cons and its similarity with other B2B eCommerce platforms such as Episerver or Optimizely.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe to your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP platform that started with the investment from Unit4 as the subsidiary but ended up being on its own and calling itself an ERP? Do you know an ERP system that got its PSA capabilities from the Salesforce consulting firm Appirio, which is now part of Wipro? Do you know an ERP platform that is primarily targeted at service-centric industries? If you have guessed FinancialForce, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of FinancialForce’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its origin and alignment with Unit4 and how it shaped up the target market for FinancialForce. Finally, we covered its strengths, weaknesses, and target industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people when they start on their ERP journey feel it's more of a science, which engineers can figure out easily. But then they quickly realize that irrespective of whether the model is built on a spreadsheet or a complex computer program, it relies on the quality of inputs and the context. And that’s what makes ERP implementations so hard as it’s really more of an art than a science. And just like the way an artist gets better as they get more experience under their belt, the chances of ERP implementations would be higher as you figure out the art of ERP implementation.
In today's episode our guest, Tom Pierce, shares why ERP implementation is more of an art than science. He also talks about several issues related to ERP implementation projects such as how siloed culture impacts the outcome of ERP implementation, the disconnect between digital and physical processes, and how minor changes such as six vs twelve characters on bin number could result in more than 300 programming changes. Finally, we discussed some controversial concepts related to enterprise architecture such as single vs multiple sources of truth, the order of migration for different ERP components, and prioritization of features whether you should be first focusing on simpler concepts or edge cases that are likely to break your architecture and systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What comes to mind when you think of engineering change control? Well, if you are a small shop with a few changes per month (or relatively straightforward products), then you might not see as many change orders. But if you are a highly engineered shop or sell custom products, you might receive change orders even after shipping your products. Heavy on change orders? Then you must need a formalized engineering change control process. Otherwise, you might struggle a lot. So what are the best practices of engineering change control?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interviews on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Engineering Change Control best practices. We discussed the nuances of the engineering change control process for various industries and how form, fit, and function derives the ECM process. Finally, we covered several other concepts related to engineering change control such as revision number, reference designator, engineering change notices, and how compliance in several regulated industries might drive the engineering change control process.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that is open source but has UX as good as Shopify? Do you know an open-source eCommerce platform born out of Germany? Do you know an open-source platform that has that is built on PHP but can support headless? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is upcoming and targeted for SMBs? If you guessed Shopware, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Shopware’s capabilities. We covered its strengths such as its UX similar to Shopify, business events, and flow builder. Finally, we discussed the pros and cons of open-source software and how their model compares to other open-source software such as Magento, PrestaShop, and OroCommerce.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a Sage ERP that is designed for companies with up to 100 employees? Do you know a Sage ERP that was part of the MAS portfolio, just like MAS 500? Do you know a Sage ERP that has a contractor version, just like Sage 300? Do you know a Sage ERP that might allow multi-companies as part of its database but doesn't allow intercompany transactions? If you have guessed Sage 100, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage 100cloud’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its history, product architecture, and industry alignment. Finally, we covered its different versions such as the main version which was targeted mainly at the distribution industries, and the contractor version which was a leaner product for companies before they moved to Sage 300 CRE.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people struggle to understand the data migration challenges with ERP systems. They also struggle to understand why ERP data is harder to migrate than other technical systems such as CRM. The challenges could be even more grave if there are multiple currencies involved. As well as when you might be migrating data from incompatible or incomplete sources. So what are the best practices for data migration?Â
In today's episode our guest, Richard Ray, shares his insights into the data migration challenges of financial data. He also talks about several issues with data migration projects such as multi-currency, incomplete source data, and incompatibility of source and destination data sources. Finally, we discussed the differences between migration financial and operational data, the rationale for bringing data, and how each system has different ways of handling charts of accounts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could ERP document management be? Just get a dropbox subscription, and dump all your files into that. Well, regulated industries may have significantly complex processes. The needs could be as simple as maintaining the versions of drawings. Or as complex as driving your quality and production processes. Not having a good document management system could throw off your production and quality processes. So what are the best practices for ERP document management?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ERP Document Management best practices. We discussed the difference between document and data and how there is a very thin line between both Finally, we covered ERP document management concepts such as metadata, BOM, engineering drawings, and paperless.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a platform that is fully integrated, whether you need mobile commerce, store experience, merchandising, or personalization? Do you know a platform that has out-of-the-box processes, whether you need BOPIS, ROPIS, Curbside, or Whitelabel dropoff capabilities? Do you know an eCommerce platform that truly gets the DTC experience with the merge of physical and digital experience? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is truly unified commerce? If you guessed Kibo Commerce, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Kibo Commerce’s capabilities. We covered its strengths such as unified commerce capabilities, the omnichannel experience for retailers with a physical presence, and the integrated mobile POS experience. Finally, we compared its weaknesses such as poor documentation because of acquired products, inconsistent UX experience, and legacy programming model for some of its acquired technologies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP system that was once considered SAP from the USA? Do you know an ERP system from Oracle that has enterprise-grade capabilities for complex manufacturing organizations? Do you know an ERP system from Oracle that is still supported but may have an uncertain future? Do you know an ERP system from Oracle that has super-deep functionality for F&B and pharma-centric industries? If you have guessed Oracle JD Edwards, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle JD Edwards’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its product architecture, evolution, release deadlines – and how it compares it with other products in Oracle’s portfolio. Finally, we discussed its strengths with complex manufacturing functionality such as several layers on OEMs, lot and serial numbers, and the process manufacturing functionality.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you think of industry4.0 technologies, maybe you are thinking of them as increasing operational efficiencies. Or reducing waste. But did you know that industry4.0 technologies can drive customer experience and sales? And we are not talking about the companies that might be selling industry4.0 components to system integrators or OEMs. These are upsell and crosssell opportunities by simply gathering data from devices and overlaying that with your CRM data.
In today's episode our guest, Rob Rastovich, shares his insights into how industry4.0 technologies can drive customer experience. He also provided his insights into the industry4.0 company that he ended up selling to Amazon. Finally, we discussed the differences between machine-to-machine IOT, pub-sub model and where MQTT would be a fit in the architecture, and what is required to replicate industry4.0 workloads on cloud farms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Product traceability is extremely complex to implement. If it is mandated by the regulations, you might not have much of a choice. But to shoulder the administration overhead imposed by traceability processes. It could be so challenging that it might break your processes while inputting serial numbers during your receive operation. There is also a very thin line in deciding between lot numbers and serial numbers. Finally, the recall management might require you to have the infrastructure set up for the entire recall process.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Product Traceability and Recall Management best practices. We discussed the nuances associated with deciding between when to use the lot vs serial numbers. Finally, we covered many stories related to product traceability and recall management from several industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that was the hottest before the .com bubble? Do you know an eCommerce platform that has personalization built as part of its core before personalization was a thing? Do you know an eCommerce platform that had a market valuation of $11 billion but now has less than $100 million in revenue? Do you know an eCommerce platform that has a very tight relationship with Microsoft and is often installed with Microsoft Dynamics 365? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is really strong with multi-country workflows in regulated industries? If you guessed Intershop, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Intershop’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its unique position in the market with B2B companies and the history of how it was one of the hottest products once upon a time but then ended up being just a moderate success among ecommerce platforms. Finally, we compared its capabilities with some of the modern headless platforms such as commercetools, fabric, and VTEX.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a Sage ERP that was very similar to Acumatica with its data model and functionality? Do you know a Sage ERP that was targeted to discrete manufacturing, distribution, and project-centric manufacturing companies? Do you know a Sage ERP that was SQL-based and allowed multi-company accounting? Do you know a Sage ERP that is in maintenance mode and not going to receive any future updates? If you have guessed MAS 500, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage 500’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its product architecture, evolution, release deadlines – and how it compares it with other products in Sage’s portfolio. Finally, we discussed its strengths with field service and project management capabilities, even though it is perceived primarily as a manufacturing and distribution product.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Which country would you think would be most strategic for you for your supply chain? Which country would be the most strategic for an apparel business? Do different components such as Zippers vs textiles need to be sourced from different countries? How do different regions of India provide different textile materials such as performance fabric vs organic? How would this all help in creating a robust supply chain?
In today's episode our guest, Anantveer and Ben, shares their insights into how to create a robust supply chain for an apparel business. They also discussed the challenges with the global supply chain due to macroeconomic conditions, war, and inflation. Finally, they discussed several other concepts impacting the apparel industry such as different regions for sourcing, marketplaces, and logistics challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Fixed asset management could be extremely complex whether you are implementing it for the first time. Or calculating the depreciation schedules on an ongoing basis. Changing regulations could also add to the complexity. So what do you need to know about managing fixed assets? Do different countries or states have reporting requirements? If so, what do you need to look for in an ERP?Â
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Fixed Asset Management best practices. We discussed why fixed assets are a unique beast when it comes to ERP implementation and historical data migration. Finally, we discussed the pros and cons of using an EAM solution on top of the core ERP offering vs using full-suite as part of one solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that is designed for enterprise-grade websites? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is primarily designed for B2C experiences with the ability to build composable experiences? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is? Net-based? Do you know an eCommerce platform that can accommodate up to five rules to provide personalized experiences through deterministic identity? Do you know an eCommerce platform that has support for GraphQL? If you guessed Sitecore, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sitecore’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its unique position in the market with B2C companies and its strength in all layers of commerce, from content to experience management, to commerce. Finally, we discussed how the layers of deterministic identity work with CDP platforms, and why that is important for the personalized experience in the B2C market.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an ERP that is targeted at fortune-500 industries? Do you know an ERP that can process more than 200 million journal entries per hour? Do you know an ERP that can accommodate more than 200 countries in one database? Do you know an ERP that can be sold as individual cloud apps such as SCM or PPM? Do you know an ERP that is primarily targeted for banking, insurance, media, telecom, utility, energy, healthcare, and the public sector industries? If you have guessed Oracle Cloud ERP, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle E-Business’s capabilities. We covered many grounds including its product architecture, evolution, release deadlines – and how it compares it with competing products. Finally, we discussed unique features such as risk management, general ledger level security settings, and its leaner capabilities for manufacturing and supply chains.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The world may have come closer due to the penetration of the internet. But the eCommerce practices and consumer behavior remains very different in terms of payment methods, email open rates, and ad performance. The Europe market, in particular, is very different, with market patches that behave very differently. And brands that want to scale in the Europe market must have a comprehensive strategy, not just to grow but to sustain.
In today's episode our guest, Reinis Valters Krumins, shares his insights into the nuances of different European regions and their eCommerce practices. He also discussed differences in payment methods in North America vs Europe and the payment methods that you need to accept to support different regions in Europe. Finally, he discussed the best practices for launching new products and how email could be an effective tool given the higher open rates and success in the European regions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could managing your business bank accounts be? Just run your EFT, receive your statements, and match your transactions. Right? Well, bank account management could get extremely nuanced as well. For example, if you are not set up positive pay, your accounts could get locked down for several days. Sure, you will get your money back if you have had a fraudulent transaction. But the money might not be available for months. So what do you need to know to set manage your bank accounts?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Bank Account Management best practices. We discussed bank accounts management concepts such as the right mix of chart of accounts for each bank account, the importance of sub-ledgers, and the challenges during audits without the processes for cash hygiene. Finally, we discussed horror stories covering concepts such as the disappearing of cash and using ghost employees to reconcile bank accounts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that is open-source and targeted at SMBs? Do you know an eCommerce platform originated in France? Do you know an open-source platform that has thousands of installations? Do you know an eCommerce platform that makes money primarily from selling add-ons? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is built on PHP but not on Magento? If you guessed PrestaShop, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Prestashop’s capabilities. We discussed its unique value proposition, its strategy to make money using add-ons and themes, and the pros and cons of open-source software. Finally, we discussed its customers and target market, the transactional history workflow, and its strength in European regions such as France, Italy, and Germany.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Which ERP system has been in the market for more than 20 years? And designed from the perspective of job shops? It is the ERP that was built by shop owners who had owned a shop before. It is the ERP that gets its name from its owners' last name. It is also the ERP that would be fit for smaller shops and that ECi acquired in 2000. Which one did you guess? If you have guessed, E2 Shoptech. Then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of E2 Shoptech’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including which its superior data model compared to other smaller products targeted for job shops such as ECi M1 and ProShop. Finally, we discussed unique features that are commonly found in the products targeted for make-to-order manufacturing such as release functionality for sales orders – and discussed if these features might be necessary or might be a result of broken processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The ERP needs of make-to-order manufacturers are completely different from the make-to-stock ones. The make-to-order manufacturers need to collaborate with their customers during the design phase. And even after finalizing the design, there might be several change orders. These iterative changes make planning extremely difficult for the make-to-order manufacturers. And understanding these nuances is extremely critical to implement an ERP for make-to-order manufacturers.
In today's episode our guest, Nirav Shah, shares his insights into the process challenges of make-to-order manufacturers. He also talks about the order and product differences of make-to-order manufacturers and how that impacts the downstream ERP processes. Finally, he talks about planning and scheduling processes and the value MRP brings to make-to-order manufacturers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you ask anyone what's most important for a business, they will have a million different answers. The answers could be things such as marketing, engineering, quality, and employee experience. But if there is one thing that matters more than anything else, it's cash. Either you have it, or you don't. You can fake marketing. You can fake revenue. You can fake success. But you can't fake cash.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Cash Flow Management best practices. We discussed the differences between cash and accrual accounting and how that might impact the predictability of cash flow. Finally, we discussed the impact on cash flow because of poor inventory optimization, supply chain unpredictability, and inability to collect your AR.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a headless platform that has received millions of dollars in funding in the last two years? Do you know a headless platform that is equally strong with B2B and B2C but primarily targeted at retail-centric brands? Do you know a headless platform that has logos such as GNC, McDonald's, and BodyBuilding.com? But it's not commercetools, Spryker, or Elastic Path? So which one is it? If you have guessed fabric, then you are right.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss fabric’s capabilities. We discussed its unique value proposition, its deep capabilities with DTC and B2B companies, and its journey of multiple rounds of funding within a few months. Finally, we discussed the background of their executives and how that might influence their corporate and go-to-market strategy.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Which ERP is designed for people-centric industries in mind? It is the one that Oracle acquired. And got two major ERP brands in one go. In fact, this brand was so big that they ended up rebranding some of JD Edward's ERP assets to this one. This is also the Workday of the 80s and 90s. And the first Windows HRMS application in the era when most other systems were mainframe-based. In fact, the founder of this ERP co-founded Workday. Any guesses yet? If you guessed PeopleSoft, then yes, you are right. It's the ERP that is still supported by Oracle and is majorly used by universities and public-sector organizations.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Oracle PeopleSoft’s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including which industries would be a fit for Oracle PeopleSoft and its history being as popular as Workday in the 80s. Finally, we discussed its features such as overlap % with project scheduling, workflow capabilities, and delegate management features.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
3D should always be better than the 2D experience, especially for the furniture and home goods industry. This industry also has one of the highest return rates even if there might not be anything fundamentally wrong with the product. Sometimes it’s the perception of the measurement or fabric that might turn off some of the customers. The 3D experience allows companies not only to help their customers visualize the product. But it also helps in increasing bag size as the furniture may not appear so well without the right lamps or the art. But creating a 3D experience is very expensive. It requires planning and building quality assets. Or the 3D experience is likely to fire back because of the perception of poor quality.
In today's episode our guest, Beck Besecker, shares his insights into how brands can start on their 3D experience journey. He also shares his insights into the entire process of what is involved in creating the 3D assets and which roles are likely to be involved. Finally, he talks about several tools used in the process and how the new trends may be driving the 3D space.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How important is the general ledger to your organization? You might not care until you get a huge bill from your tax department for incorrectly coding an expense. Or you come to know that your financial position might not be as strong as you thought. The correct setup of the chart of accounts determines how much admin effort you would have with your accounting. In fact, it's the foundation of the ERP system implementation. If you lump everything under one account, you might lose the insights that you need to be able to find the root cause of financial issues. If you make it too broad, you might enter too much data during your transactions and may have adoption issues among your operations team because of the overly engineered processes.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss General Ledger best practices. We discussed the scope and boundaries of the general ledger processes and why the way your general ledger is set up might have an impact on your KPIs and operational performance. Finally, we discussed general ledger practices in different industries, the interaction of BI tools with general ledger, and the differences of general ledger processes for public vs private companies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know an eCommerce platform that is open source and built on PHP? Do you know an eCommerce platform that is very strong with B2B features with complex approval flows? Do you know an eCommerce platform that can bump up the products in the search list based on the score of product attributes? Do you know an eCommerce platform that can have a separate landing page for different users and customer types? If you have guessed Magento, then it's not right. It's OroCommerce.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss OroCommerce’s capabilities. We discussed its unique value proposition, developer-friendly nature, and its roadmap. Finally, we discussed some of the very interesting features such as its ability to rank different products in its search results and rank based on product attributes, workflows to enable B2B approval flows, and the hierarchies of its business objects.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you know a Sage product that has multiple location functionality but is not designed for multiple countries? Do you know a Sage product that has multiple versions of its products for different countries? Do you know a Sage product that is targeted for distribution, agriculture, and light manufacturing and has a SQL-server-based database? Do you know a Sage product that has rich functionality for on-prem but may not be as rich in the cloud just yet? Would it be Sage 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, or X3? Well, if you guessed it right, we are talking about Sage 200.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage 200s capabilities. We covered many grounds, including which industries would be a fit for Sage 200 and which industries might not be the best fit. Finally, we discussed its features such as allowing duplicate serial numbers, having only mins and not maxes on some screens, and costing and pricing layers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP implementation is easy. Anyone can do it. But, ironically, anyone can fail it as well. So how can ERP implementation be so easy and difficult at the same time? There are several reasons. But the core reason is how ERP systems are selected and implemented. Most companies follow a checklist approach. And this approach often results into hit or miss scenarios because creating a generalized checklist approach for ERP implementation is nearly impossible, especially for the processes that might be happening outside of the ERP system.
In today's episode our guest, Peter Joeckel, who shares his insights into the concept of shadow ERP and how that drives ERP implementation failure. He also discussed how measuring and understanding the shadow ERP processes can result in better outcomes for your ERP implementation. Finally, he shares his insights into the importance of data plumbing and the challenges associated with having multiple software systems in the architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could it be to manage the vendor side of processes? Well, sometimes, it could be more complex than your customer side of processes, especially for B2C businesses. Also, it might vary based on your industry, product type, and supply chain. You might need to make arrangements such as prepayment. The R&D side of processes could be completely different from operational processes. You might want to have complex arrangements such as pre-printed shipping labels or packaging arrangements. They all could have implications on your AP processes. Also, each industry may have its own requirements on how AP is supposed to be done. On top of it, each ERP system is likely to treat the AP processes differently. So what are the best practices for streamlining AP function?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Account Payable best practices. We discussed the scope and systems involved with the accounts payable and P2P processes. Finally, we discussed the architectural challenges and the changing role of ERP because of the introduction of the new systems.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The B2B companies have needs for eCommerce functionality such as catalog management, saving of carts, and complex product variants. But do catalog management needs vary even among B2B companies? While there are solutions that can promise catalog management, there are very few solutions that have gone as far as decoupling these three completely. This is where Elastic Path lives to its name in providing true elasticity to headless experiences. But how does it compare with other headless platforms such as commercetools and Spryker?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Elastic Path capabilities. We discussed its unique product and data model that allows it to create a fluid catalog and pricing bundles for enterprises with complex channels and product offerings. Finally, we discussed the pros and cons of their architecture and compared it with other eCommerce platforms in the market.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The number of installations for an ERP is a metric that is often used as a purchase criterion. But it can often be misleading. Misinterpreted. Misunderstood. Also, the product sold to small-to-medium-sized businesses is likely to have a higher number of installs because of the larger customer base. How about different geographies? Is that also a factor? Yes, the products sold in developing countries are also likely to have a higher number of customers due to the market being fragmented. One such product is Tally, which is considered Oxyzen for the SMB markets in India and the middle east. It used to be accounting software. But later promoted as an ERP solution. So does it really have ERP capabilities? Like the real ones? Or are they simply trying to pretend like an ERP? Also, what are the major factors for its popularity? Loyalty? Cost? Users not willing to change? Lack of options?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Tally's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including the unique processes of several international markets including India, the Middle East, South Africa, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and the US. Finally, we discussed several unique concepts of the Indian market such as tax deducted at source, tax collected at sources, and GST computation for India.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
70% of the ERP implementation time is spent on testing the functionality. In fact, some people might argue that most of them manual data entry with ERP can be automated. But it’s easier said than done. Because of the rigidness of the ERP data, even manual testing could be extremely challenging. Also, the testers who might not have as much background might not understand why it’s so hard to design test cases for ERP systems. With ERPs, you not only need to know how to write good test cases, you also need to know the ERP functionality deeply.
In today's episode our guest, Thomas Clyma, who shares his insights into the automated testing for ERP. He also shares his insights into the differences between the testing strategies in the pre-implementation phase as well as post-implementation. Finally, we discussed why automated testing for ERP is uniquely challenging than other technical systems and why it is hard for software testers to learn how to test ERP systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Account receivable functions should be as easy as sending a bunch of invoices, making a few phone calls, and collecting cash. It must be the easiest job in the world, right? Well, once you get into the nuances of billing, you will quickly realize that it can get very complex with different payment arrangements, payment schedules, and partial payment options. Each industry may have its own requirements on how AR is supposed to be done. Each ERP system is likely to treat the AR processes differently. So what are the best practices for streamlining AR function?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Account Receivable best practices. We discussed the process boundaries along with different processes that need to be supported by the AR function for different industries. Finally, they shared several stories related to the AR processes and lessons learned from them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Shopify is the name that is now synonymous with eCommerce. Shopify is so easy that you can get up and running within hours and start selling. You also probably don't need the coding background to start selling on Shopify. Then you have thousands of apps that are pre-integrated. But as you add more apps, the cost increases. Also, you might be limited with your options unless you use Shopify Plus, which is relatively expensive. So would Shopify be the right fit for any businesses? Or are there businesses that might not be a fit for Shopify?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Shopify capabilities. We discussed their journey and the overarching corporate strategy to understand their product roadmap. Finally, we discussed their different tiers and how to evaluate Shopify as a platform for your next eCommerce project.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people underestimate the role of products or services in defining your processes' structure. This is also probably the reason why most industries would have comparable operations. And as a result, they would be using a similar ERP system. For example, the needs of FMCG distributors are likely to be different from industrial distributors. While most distributors might have similar processes, their processes might vary based on the industry served. This is also perhaps the reason why selecting an ERP system is so hard. So, where does Macola fit based on its data model and product architecture?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ECi Macola's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its unique capabilities and where it’s likely to be the strongest fit. Finally, we discussed how ECi is trying to rearchitect to align it with other products in its portfolio and why its design has always been biased towards FMCG distributors.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
COVID has taught us that Supply Chain issues can shake the whole economy. And everyone is attacking Supply Chain issues from their perspective. And sometimes it’s very hard to understand how these solutions will collectively solve the overarching issues within Supply Chain. One of the most critical perspectives that are often missed when we talk about production scheduling is of the buyer who is responsible for procuring materials and ensuring that the shop floor has the materials timely. But managing the procurement process while optimizing the inventory is easier said than done.
In today's episode, our guest, Richard Lebovitz, who shares his insights into procurement prioritization and its impact on scheduling and inventory. He also compares and contrasts various systems such as S&OP, IBP, P2P, and vendor collaboration software and where procurement-focused systems such as LeanDNA fit in the architecture. Finally, he discusses how the underlying data and business and the configuration of the business and information model may have an impact on your procurement and production processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you cut any materials on your shop floor, you might have nesting software to reduce waste. But the admin efforts increased by a standalone nesting software might eliminate the benefits of reducing waste. Also, if you have multiple software on your shop floors, such as MES, QMS, EAM, nesting, SPC, etc., it might be harder to create the roles and responsibilities of different systems with a clear source of authority. This is especially harder due to the amount of back and forth churn involved for each job order with these integration flows. So what are the best practices for incorporating nesting processes and software into your shop floor?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Nesting best practices. We discussed what the nesting process is and which industries are likely to use it as part of their production process. Finally, we discussed the pros and cons of integration architecture around the nesting process and the place for nesting software in the integration architecture.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
BigCommerce is the name you will hear in the B2B space. But does BigCommerce have the same options as some of the other sophisticated platforms such as Magento, with a security layer to enable procurement flows, quoting functionality, and catalog release process? Even for the omnichannel experience, you might need an external POS. But one thing it does offer is a very strong variant layer, which might be helpful for brands that might offer customizable options for each style. These variants might also be helpful for industrial brands that might have dimensional inventory. BigCommerce also has headless options to work with other best-of-breed options, such as using it with WordPress. So which companies would appreciate BigCommerce and which one would not?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss BigCommerce capabilities. We discussed their capabilities in the B2B market and if they are comparable with other B2B platforms in the market. Finally, we discussed their unique capabilities for the B2C market and why these capabilities would be critical for those segments.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When an ERP system uses a specific buzzword or something that customers might relate to, it's typically the marketing hype. And not really the strength of the product. For example, several cloud products might include a "cloud" word, even if they might be legacy products. Just to prey on uninformed customers! But there is one system that really lives to its name called Infor Visual. That has similar visual capabilities and organization that is rare to find in smaller software packages. Also, most of the smaller packages targeted for job shops typically exploit the broken processes of the customers. Infor Visual is surprisingly an exception there as well. But is Infor Visual a fit for every business out there?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor Visual's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its unique capabilities and where it’s likely to be the strongest fit. Finally, we discussed the challenges with its roadmap and why the product is likely to be sunset soon.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are many different business models for how each ERP vendor promotes its products. Some like to go direct to the customers with their own professional services team while the others only sell through their partners. While not common, some vendors also have OEM arrangements, which is similar to the technology licensing business model, where a distributor may have exclusive rights to modify the product and white label with their branding. This additional layer of complexity may add another layer to the already confusing ERP buying cycle. So what do you need to know about the OEM business model?
In today's episode, our guest, David Taylor, shares his insights into the pros and cons of the OEM distribution model for ERP systems. He also discusses the nuances of Australian geography and how different states might have different statutory and compliance requirements related to vendor payments, e-invoicing, and bank integration. Finally, he discusses why the data model for the Australian market may be different from the US and why the products targeted for the North American market may fall short in the Australian geography.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
eCommerce consultants have been the most enthusiastic about the importance of product configurators. How this is a need for every custom manufacturer. But product configurator comes in many shapes and sizes. A product configurator could be a simple form on a WordPress site that sends out an email to the backend team. Or a 3D configurator with a live product experience. Just like the way you would experience in the Virtual Reality world. But while talking about configurator experience is easy, executing on it is very hard. As that requires a complete alignment of product, pricing, and BOM data across systems. So what are the best practices for implementing product configurators?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Product Configurator best practices. We discussed why product configurators matter and which businesses would be the right fit to enable the configurator experience. Finally, we discussed the challenges in selecting and implementing configurators including the balance between the IT and business users, setting clear boundaries across systems, and the perceived benefits of a configurator.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you were to name the top 2-3 eCommerce platforms, I am pretty sure you would have Magento on your list. Sure there are always going to be pros and cons of every single platform, but you might find a lot more pros with Magento than cons. The pros are going to be especially applicable for businesses with complex products and catalogs. The businesses that are B2B are likely to benefit from Magento's capabilities. But can Magento be a good replacement for companies exploring enterprise-grade platforms such as SAP Hybris, Oracle Commerce, HCL Commerce, and Salesforce Commerce? If not, what would be the limitations of the platform?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Adobe Commerce/Magento capabilities. We discussed their strength of being open source and which organizations will be the right fit for Magento. Finally, we discussed their unique capabilities such as B2B features, product model, shared catalogs, and workflow capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sage 50 is the household name for companies that might be in the revenue range of up to $10 million. In fact, there was a time when Sage 50 literally meant that the software was designed for companies with up to 50 users. But some companies may use it even after they outgrow that mark. Sage 50 competes with QuickBooks desktop and will have all the problems that QuickBooks Desktop is likely to have. These problems are likely to become severe with the interaction of offline and online channels. This is especially true when multiple users may be using the file from multi locations. Is that the reason why Intuit decided to move away from its desktop licensing model? And how long would it take for Sage to do the same with their Sage 50 software?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage 50's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their target market and data integrity issues with multiple users. Finally, we compare their capabilities with other competitors in this segment such as QuickBooks Desktop and Xero.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Creating good content takes time, effort, and investment. But targeting the right content for the right target buyer and prospect is even harder. Because how do you know which prospect might care for which piece of content? Also, even if they might care about a specific topic today, they might move on from that topic in the future. And this makes engagement marketing super hard. But artificial intelligence is changing that in helping curate content and distributing to the appropriate channels as per the preferences of your readers.
In today's episode, our guest, Erica Salm Rench, shares her insights on how AI can be used to improve customer engagement. She also discusses the challenges around email marketing and how AI can reduce the time in compiling the newsletters in an automated fashion to reduce the costs of marketing. She also shares her insights into the technical underpinnings of the AI technology of her platform and the emerging AI trends and technologies that will change how we interact with our customers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Outside process management is a critical process for manufacturers. It's hard for them to run their operations without the support for this process. But you will be shocked how many ERP systems don't support this process natively. Despite their claims that they all are designed to work for any industry. So what are the nuances when it comes to outside process management? And how involved does it get across the industries? Can you manage it outside of the ERP?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Outside Process Management best practices. We discussed the nuances and best practices of Outside Process Management processes and how they might vary in different industries. Finally, we discussed the overlap and boundaries of Outside Process Management processes across systems and functions.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Consulting companies have never been good at selling products. IBM is a classic example. They have always struggled with their true identity. While they were one of the strongest engineering organizations, just like BlackBerry, product marketing is a different skill. And that's probably the reason why they ended up selling all of their software assets to other organizations.' WebSphere Commerce is one example. At one point in time, WebSphere Commerce used to be the gold standard for the enterprise commerce platform. But they ended up selling to HCL. Wait, but what is HCL doing with a software product? You would think that this is probably a "mainframe" strategy with a deliberate intention to buy legacy assets. So they can make charge a premium on their billing rate. But if you review the rearchitected version of HCL Commerce, you will be pleasantly surprised how fine of a job they have done with the product.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss HCL Commerce capabilities. We discussed their strengths and weaknesses and how the HCL acquisition has done wonders to the legacy product that was once the leading product for enterprise commerce for large brands. Finally, we discussed unique capabilities such as mock search, the ability to pin the products on a web page, retrieving the DAM assets using APIs, and the version control of DAM assets.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP systems get a bad rap for being biased toward manufacturing. So manufacturers must feel comfortable using the mainstream ERP systems out there. Right? Well, at least that's not true for job shops. Job shops are unique in the way they think and work. They have a tendency to feel that they have unique business processes and workflow that require them to use a unique ERP system. But if you review the ERP systems that job shops typically appreciate, you will begin to notice a trend. That these ERP systems were created because the job shops were not willing to change how the other manufacturing businesses run. And that's probably the reason why most job shops very rarely cross the inflection point of $25-50 mil of lifestyle businesses. And one software that is extremely popular in the SMB job shop community is ECi M1, which promises a lot for them. But it's so unique and different that you might face migration issues if you ever grow to cross the inflection point.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of ECi M1's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength of functionality for job shops and why these capabilities were born to support the broken processes that job shops are not willing to change and streamline. Finally, we reviewed their screens, workflow, and key features such as scheduling, job manipulation, and BOM structures.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Recent economic events have taught us that Supply Chain is much deeper than most people think. These events, regardless of whether macro- or micro-economic, have the potential to throw off Supply Chain planning. And it requires careful calibration and cross-functional collaboration. So the Supply Chain professionals have data they need to take preventive measures to ensure that you are prepared for Supply Chain disruptions before it is too late.
In today's episode, our guest, Michael Van Keulen (MVK), shares his insights on the current supply chain trends and opportunities. He also discusses the procurement maturity model for companies at various stages and what companies that are successful with their procurement and supply chain do differently. Finally, he discusses macroeconomic trends and their impact on the supply chain planning for the company in the short- and long-term.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most companies would rather give a product for free than worry about reverse logistics. Especially when the cost of the supply chain may be higher than the product itself. By the way, reverse logistics is not as simple as printing a shipping label and sending it to your customer. It could include getting a product to your facility and then recycling it or sending it to the vendor for repair. Managing these transactions could be even more difficult when multiple systems might be involved in your architecture. So what are the best practices of reverse logistics?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Reverse Logistics best practices. We discussed the nuances and best practices of Reverse Logistics processes and how they might vary in different industries. Finally, we discussed the overlap and boundaries of Reverse Logistics processes across systems and functions.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The debate about whether a platform should be more business vs. developer-friendly is classic. Even the platforms that might claim to be friendly for business users might struggle with aesthetically pleasing interfaces. But Episerver takes a very different approach with their rich CMS that is already integrated with several ERP platforms popular in the industrial space. The B2B space also has very different needs with customer-specific pricing and the availability of products for specific customer groups and divisions. So how is Episerver positioned among other headless vendors and the enterprise-grade platforms such as SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle commerce cloud?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Episerver Digital Commerce/Optimizely’s capabilities. We discussed their strengths and weaknesses and why they have one of the friendliest CMS for B2B mid-market companies. Finally, we discussed their evolution, acquisition journey, their limitations compared to other enterprise platforms, and how their A/B testing might be different.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people might think of the distribution business as buy-and-sell. But distribution really gets really complex in the industrial space. You have challenges such as price and rebate management, buying groups, rush orders, and millions of SKUs. Unlike manufacturing, you might have very different planning for your warehouses, including push and pull-based replenishment. The bin structures are so complex that they may contain layers and layers of information to ensure that the warehouse crew is able to manage their operations smoothly. So what do industrial distribution businesses need to know about selecting software? Also, how do industrial distribution software such as Epicor Prophet 21, Epicor Eclipse, and Infor CloudSuite Distribution SX.e differ?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor CloudSuite Distribution/SX.e's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in the industrial distribution space and why it is purpose-built for certain micro-verticals of industrial distribution industries. Finally, we discussed their capabilities such as universal search, push, and pull-based replenishment, rebates, order types, and bin structure.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Whether to go for iterative deployment or the big bang is always subject to debate. But one factor that is often missed is the number of issues you might get on the day of deployment. As well as, the number of resources that you may require to avoid and control the impact of business disruptions. Most consulting companies would often advise against massive rollouts. The smaller the deployment, the more manageable it is. But that may not always be possible due to the system architecture. And the amount of additional temporary overhead that may be required to support a phased deployment.
In today's episode, our guests, Nate and Jess Schisler share their insights on Lululemon’s case study of a massive rollout of their ERP and WMS. They also discuss the specific decisions that led to them opting for the one-weekend rollout despite their system integrator advising otherwise. Finally, they share details about the architectural considerations and resulting inventory issues that required months of hyper-care post-deployment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What comes to mind when you think of RMA? Well, for me, I always feel that I have a fundamental right to return any product as I so please. However, if you think about the people and businesses that have to enable processes such as store credit, refund, sending the shipping labels, and getting the merchandise repaired, you might no longer feel like returning a product. Each of these processes could be so involved that it might require its own ERP systems for each area. Also, RMA processes could have an impact on your profitability. And most issues with RMA can be traced back to engineering or production. So what are the best practices of RMA processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss RMA best practices. We discussed the nuances and best practices of RMA processes and how they might vary in different industries. Finally, we discussed the overlap and boundaries of RMA processes across systems and functions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When people think of SAP Hybris, they are definitely not thinking of the modern stack such as React, headless, or PWA. But SAP Commerce has come a long way in its capabilities and stack. While it might not be as headless as some of the newer breeds of the tools, not many tools can match the enterprise-grade infrastructure capabilities of SAP Commerce Cloud. SAP Commerce Cloud has one of the most robust B2B features that other platforms can hardly match. And it is also a nice blend of headless with enterprise security in mind.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss SAP Commerce Cloud, SAP Hybris, Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strengths and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture for both B2B and B2C business models. Finally, we discussed their different approach to headless and why that may be slightly more sensible way of approaching headless due to the cybersecurity concerns of the modern stack, as well as for the regulated industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sage 300, also known as Accpac, is the household name for many companies when they think of an ERP system. It has always been a powerful accounting package, especially for SMBs. It has also been very strong with construction, real estate, and field service verticals. Especially very deep functionality for unions, cost codes, retainage, submittals, and commitments. While most people might think that any package that might have project-centric functionality may be suitable for construction. That's not true at all. So, would Sage 300 be any different than most construction packages?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage 300's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in the construction and real-estate industries. Finally, we discussed their construction-specific functionality such as union reporting, retainage, submittals, and transmittals.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
It’s very hard to pinpoint the real cause of ERP implementation failures due to the number of moving pieces involved. Some people would always blame the software vendors while others would blame the system integrators. In reality, these factors might not contribute to the ERP implementation failure as you would think. But one factor that has a much higher chance of firing back is the customization of the software. The more you customize, the more cans of worms you will be opening for yourself. The open-source software is more customized than its commercial variants. And because of that, they also have a much higher failure rate.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Nick Foy, shares his insights on the reasons for ERP implementation and adoption failures based on his team’s experience in saving Odoo implementation. He also discusses why technical teams shouldn’t think of over-customizing an ERP solution just because they can. Finally, he discusses why the business analysis of each software feature and customization is equally important even when you might be buying an ERP software.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Committed inventory and allocation are perhaps the most complex processes to master in the ERP world. But they are critical after a certain point in your growth. If you don't have committed inventory processes figured out, you might not be able to reserve for key customers. Every department may create ad-hoc arrangements to preserve its inventory. And that might result in inventory accuracy issues. But for the committed inventory processes to work, you must have your inventory in order. So, where do you start in your journey of committed inventory? And how to get it right?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Committed Inventory and Allocation best practices. We discussed why commitment is inventory and how the commitments might vary in different industries when the inventory may be allocated at the lot or style level. Finally, we discussed complex inventory allocation processes such as available to promise, reallocation, and disassembly after allocation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The whole idea of eCommerce and the web have always been making IT and programming easy for marketers. So easy that they don't need to learn coding to run eCommerce operations. But the world of headless seems to be taking the opposite approach. So is every vendor treating headless as the same? Not really. Also, should the headless experience always be based on React? Probably not. Why should a technology trend be biased toward a specific tech? Also, React is not the only way to write Javascript-based apps. Oracle Commerce is often criticized for being monolithic and Java-based. But that's perhaps not true. They are one of the easiest and most customizable without requiring the clunkiness of headless. So is there only one way of doing headless? If a tech is achieving the same outcome conceptually, then it doesn't really matter whether the tech is headless or not.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Oracle Commerce Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strengths and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture for both B2B and B2C business models. Finally, we discussed their different approach to headless and why their platform may be friendlier for the marketers with their unique changeset functionality.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Before Microsoft started migrating all of their customers to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central and F&O, they had a similar strategy as Epicor or Infor, with several products in their portfolio targeted to specific industry verticals. In fact, they still sell products such as Microsoft SL. While they have announced the end of life for the SL product, some community members feel that the deadline is likely to be extended. They claim this as, in their opinion, Business Central might not be the best migration path for SL customers. And they are perhaps accurate in their assessment. This is because Positioning a product designed for FMCG distribution may not be the best fit for companies primarily in the project business. So, where does Microsoft SL stand as of today?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Microsoft SL's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in the construction and project-centric industries. Finally, we discussed why companies might have a hard time migrating to MS Dynamics Business Central once SL reaches its end of life in 2028. And why Microsoft may end up extending the deadline.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people underestimate the differences in taxes and localization and their implications on the ERP processes. Some countries may have requirements such as reporting on pollution or privacy standards. But countries such as Mexico have completely transformed their taxation system to prevent corruption and bribery in the market. This transformation, however, creates unique challenges for the companies implementing an ERP system as they not only need to comply with the admin overhead registering their product and services with the govt, but they also need to automate their processes to integrate with the govt system in order to remain profitable.
In today's episode, our guest, AgustĂn Cruz Lozano, shares his insights into the taxation and localization nuances of Mexico and why the vanilla ERP would fall short for Mexico. He also discusses concepts such as electronics invoicing, unique numbers for each submission, and the differences in the tax filing processes. Finally, he discusses how the Mexican market is overly regulated with strict requirements such as each product and service needs to be registered with the govt authorities before companies can start selling them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Shop floor scheduling is always the hottest debate in the ERP community. In fact, it is so complex that most SMB companies end up managing their scheduling on spreadsheets. Also, the problems are much worse when multiple systems might be involved in the architecture. They each might claim how inadequate the other system is. With no clear consensus on what works when it comes to scheduling. One of the problems often discussed on the root causes of scheduling is the number of exceptions that the shop floor has to manage. And the ever-changing nature of the schedule. So can you ever fully automate shop floor scheduling? Or would it always require manual interventions? And if scheduling is this hard, how do larger companies manage their plants where the schedule of one plant may impact the other.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss shop floor scheduling best practices. We discussed scheduling issues for different industries and product categories. Finally, we discussed several stories related to scheduling where we discussed concepts such as how WIP could impact scheduling, why material availability is equally important, and how multiple streams affect shop floor scheduling.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to enterprise platforms, it's hard to meet the expectations from all fronts: performance, customization, developer experience, and functionality. Most platforms can perhaps check a couple of these boxes. Salesforce Commerce Cloud might be able to check a lot of them. That's probably the reason it's the leading platform for enterprises. It has deep industry-specific capabilities in both B2B and B2C space. For example, localized OEM-managed sites for dealers. Or, a HIPAA-compliant web store for hospitals and healthcare facilities. Some people may argue that headless should be able to solve the customer needs of most industries.But some of these features could be so deep that unless your data model supports it, it might be harder to build on vanilla platforms. So, where does Salesforce Commerce Cloud stand as of today in comparison to the headless and legacy platforms?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Salesforce Commerce Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strengths and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture for both B2B and B2C business models. Finally, we compared their B2B and B2C capabilities and the flexibility of each solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Epicor Eclipse has a more loyal community than crypto and Metaverse. But why is that? Based on the amount of technological innovation happening, you would guess that any school grad might be able to write ERP software. Right? So then why do technologies such as Mainframe, AS400, and Epicor Eclipse still exist? Is it really because change is hard. But change is hard for whom? For companies that are using it or companies that are selling it? Or is it because customers are unwilling to change because of their strong affinity with a technology or product? If so, why should we blame the companies trying to sell and support what customers are willing to buy? Epicor Eclipse has a loyal community for a reason. But what are those reasons?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Epicor Eclipse's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in HVAC, plumbing, and trade contracting industries. Finally, we discussed why companies are so loyal to this solution despite it being a legacy solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Automating a process is easy. But understanding which process is the right candidate for automation is more difficult than most people think. Also, not every process is the right candidate to be hosted inside an ERP. By the same token, not every process can be as ad-hoc as RPA. There is one category that is in between the enterprise-wide cemented processes of ERP and ad-hoc processes automated by RPA technologies. It’s called workflow automation. Workflow automation inherits approval and transaction elements of ERP and ad-hoc elements of RPA. And that’s perhaps why the workflow automation category is so hot. But which processes are the right candidate for workflow automation technologies?
In today's episode, our guest, Ravi Vaidya, shares his insights into workflow technologies and where they fit in the enterprise architecture. He also compares several technologies such as iPaaS, BPM, P2P, and RPA, and why workflow automation deserves its own category. Finally, he compares several workflow technologies such as BoomiFlow, Microsoft Power Platform, and ServiceNow and how these technologies can help automate the ad-hoc processes that drive data and process issues in an organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The bill of materials becomes complex when you might have multiple layers of costing and sub-assemblies. But you need to be at a different level when you might have co-products and by-products involved as part of your manufacturing process. The co-products can help you optimize your production process and allocate costs appropriately. The by-products can help you measure the yield percentages accurately. But unless your SKUs and BOMs replicate the physical production processes, your costs and yield percentages may be all over the place. So what are the best practices for capturing by- and co-products appropriately as part of the production process?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Co-products/By-products best practices. We discussed their definition and how the definition and their treatment might vary in different industries. Finally, we discussed these concepts from many different perspectives such as costing, scheduling, and in-process testing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people might not even pay attention to the location in the digital world. We can hire workers from any country remotely. We can trade with most countries easily. But when it comes to eCommerce and ERP systems, location is still a huge factor. The solution from North America may not work well in Europe. The solution from Latin America might not work well in North America. There are challenges such as payment providers or taxation being different. But even if a platform may support these integrations, the solution may still feel alienated due to the localization issues, whether we talk about product or documentation. One such platform is VTEX, which is highly advanced in its headless capabilities. But it still carries its Latin American roots, which might be a barrier for North American countries, even if the platform may be technically advanced. So which companies would most benefit from the VTEX platform?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss VTEX Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their geographic limitations for global customers, react-based development standards, and their unique strengths with the franchise-based business models.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most businesses take a reactive approach to their banking needs. They are likely to default to the bank that has the lowest fee. Also, they might have several exposure points for attackers to get access to your accounts. But does the lowest fee always mean the best strategy for your business? What if someone gets unauthorized access to your account and drains all the funds? Well, you will be able to get your money back. But it might take several months. And during these months, you might have to deal with the cash flow challenges. So a solid bank integration strategy is essential for businesses.
In today's episode, our guest, Matt Bernot, shares his insights into the nuances of bank integrations and considerations for ERP buyers. He discusses the differences in several options that might be available from banks and through the ERP integration and how that might impact business. Finally, he discusses bank integration concepts such as positive pay, NACHA files, and exposure points.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Just like ERP, the Bill of Materials is perhaps the overused and oversold term. A BOM could be the assembly of two materials like wrapping a gift for your birthday. Or it could be the manufacturing process of the whole spaceship. But what if the process of manufacturing a spaceship resulted in waste material that could turn into a nice lamp. Would this whole process be captured as part of the bill of materials? How would the cost be accounted for each of them? Does the BOM differ for different teams? How much engineering data does the BOM need to carry? How much financial data does it need to carry? Can it also help procurement teams with their scheduling? Can it produce Gantt charts? Can it compute your contribution margins? These are the questions you are going to have if you are structuring BOMs for your manufacturing shop. If you don’t configure the BOMs right, your costing, scheduling, inventory, supply chain, eCommerce experience, and profit margins will be all over the place. So what are the best practices for structuring the BOMs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the bill of materials best practices. We discussed several types of BOMs and their misunderstanding could result in operational implications for companies. Finally, we discussed several train wrecks and horror stories due to the poor structuring and governance of the bill of materials.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
eCommerce is easy when you are managing a couple of stores and selling in 6-figures. But it becomes increasingly difficult when you have to manage millions and billions of transactions. While also managing the transactional depth of a complex business with thousands of channel partners. When you grow at that level, you will need different search engines for different areas of your eCommerce business. You will also need to manage a centralized CI and CD pipeline to manage the promotion of your changes in a controlled manner. You might also plan to launch your own marketplace where you might allow your distributors to sell through your platform. This would require you to complete control of the data, pricing, and product to avoid channel conflict issues. So what would be your options if you have such complexity in your business? Well, Spryker is one such option. They are leading the headless and marketplace movement for the enterprise space.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Spryker’s capabilities. We discussed their strength with the enterprise and B2B features. Finally, we discussed their punchout integration capabilities, product catalog features, and how they are different from other headless platforms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Infor M3 is a unique product that can meet specific requirements of certain industries. But do these specific requirements really matter? Can't you just customize a vanilla ERP system such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or SAP S/4 HANA? Well, it gets really tricky for certain industries such as Fashion and Apparel, Food and Beverage, and equipment rental. It's because you need to have a richer data model tailored for these industries. The rich data model could include native support for matrix inventory, in-process test workflows, technicians' availability, and integration of rental agreements at the work order level. So does Infor M3 have native support for these needs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor M3's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in fashion, food and beverage, rental, and chemical industries. Finally, we discussed their full-suite capabilities such as PLM collaboration and matrix inventory support along with traceability that will be critical for regulated industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most companies feel that the insurance companies would be able to cover most financial risks for them. But without understanding your risk profile, it’s hard to predict if they will be covered. Understanding and identification of risks require a thorough analysis of your processes and supply chain and evaluating them on an ongoing basis. You might also need to monitor macroeconomic factors and how they might affect your risk profile to have complete control over your financial risks.
In today's episode, our guest, Hart Brown, shares his insights into enterprise risk management and governance processes. He also discusses the drivers that result in financial and legal risks for the companies such as disgruntled employees, macroeconomics factors, and supply chain issues. Finally, he discusses what companies and operations managers might be able to do to navigate current risks because of supply chain disruptions, war, and inflation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Consolidated invoicing and billing are typically the outliers and don't get as much attention until they become painful issues in the organization. So what are the different variables that drive the consolidated processes? How many different types of consolidated invoicing processes exist? Does it vary by industry? Does it vary by product type? Are consolidated invoicing relevant for subscription-based products? If so, what are the data points that are relevant to capture to ensure that the consolidated invoicing is going to work? And what are the best practices you need to keep in mind while selecting your ERP system? Finally, what are the best practices that drive operational efficiency due to the consolidated invoicing processes? These are the questions you will have if your customers have asked you to incorporate consolidated invoicing with your processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how consolidated invoicing processes differ in several industries. We also discussed how larger customers and vendors typically drive the invoicing process and how they could be make-or-break for the system implementation. Finally, we discussed how revenue recognition, subscription billing, and continuous manufacturing can drive the consolidated invoicing scenarios that might be limiting even in the largest systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
commercetools is the hottest darling of the eCommerce space. This is especially true for the people who are big on microservices architecture and are part of the MACH alliance. But headless architecture is a lot of work for brands and requires tons of capital. The only reason why companies such as Shopify and BigCommerce are so successful is that they made it turnkey for entrepreneurs to start eCommerce businesses easily without worrying about hiring expensive developers. But the world of headless seems to be taking exactly the opposite perspective. While we all know that the fluidity and experience of eCommerce are important, the cost of building it may be a dealbreaker for SMBs. Would there be ROI for companies who are investing in composable commerce? These are the questions you are going to have if you are planning to beef up your eCommerce capabilities and drive revenue from digital channels.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss commercetools’ capabilities. We discussed their strength in creating customizable commerce experiences for companies in industries where it’s a critical factor such as automotive, mattress, and apparel. Finally, we discussed their weaknesses with the amount of investment and expertise required and these initiatives are likely to fire back with the lack of expertise.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Pronto is not a household name among the ERP options available in the market unless you are from Australia or New Zeeland. Also, Australia is a different beast when it comes to meeting the statutory requirements of that country. Australia's economy is heavily influenced by specific industries such as mining. Naturally, the software from Australia will have deep capabilities for those industries. But how capable is Pronto for other industries? How do they approach the market? Where are they going to be the best fit? And where would they struggle? These are the questions you will have if you are evaluating Pronto as the potential option for your next ERP project.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Pronto ERP's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in mining and retail industries along with their exclusive focus on the Australian market. Finally, we discussed their mining-specific capabilities such as having vehicles on the BOM, chemical analysis for metallurgy, and super bills.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Lease accounting has a lot of moving pieces. And they are always changing due to the ever-evolving regulations around lease accounting. If you don’t keep up with your lease valuations and amortization schedules, you might be exposing yourself to financial risks. Also, these changes drive the admin costs that are required to maintain the leases. And ERP systems don’t make it any easier as they might be difficult for lease admins to use them effectively.
In today's episode, our guest, Greg Kautz, shares his insights into the nuances of lease accounting and why they are harder to handle with ERP systems. He also discusses how leases vary across industries and which ones have the most burden of lease administration. Finally, he discusses why alignment of master data is important between your ERP and lease administration software if you plan to use one for your lease management.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Choosing an eCommerce platform is hard. You have plenty of options to choose from in the market. But they all have specific capabilities and are designed for a specific purpose. Some of the nuanced options, such as gift wrap or style, could be harder to build if they are not supported natively by the platform. While the look and feel are typically the easiest to change, even that could be harder if the platform limits theme customizations. So, where does 3DCart stand compared to the other platforms such as Shopify or BigCommerce? Would it be cheaper than the other platforms? Would there be any limitations?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss 3DCart’s capabilities. We discussed their strength with the B2B and B2C functionality along with their ability to integrate with any website without requiring to use their platform. Finally, we discussed their weaknesses with the lack of customizable options and their rigid URLs for SEO.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Epicor Prophet 21 has always been extremely popular among industrial distributors. But is Epicor P21 fit for all businesses? Can it work for manufacturing as well as distribution? How about businesses that might manufacture as well as distribute? How is it different from other Epicor products such as Kinetic and Eclipse? Has it been upgraded to the cloud version? How cloud-native would it be? Would there be any limitations, such as the inability to open multiple windows or enterprise search? These are the questions you are going to have if you are thinking of evaluating Epicor Prophet 21 for your business.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Epicor P21's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in retail and distribution industries along with their deep supply chain planning and procurement capabilities. Finally, we discussed their retail-centric capabilities such as financial collaboration, reporting dimensions, unit of measure, seasonality, and replenishment methods.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The furniture industry is extremely unique as while its distribution processes might be similar to other distribution industries, each product is custom-made. And this makes implementing eCommerce for furniture manufacturers extremely challenging. The manufacturers also need to make sure that there is no channel conflict. And their retailers are comfortable with their intention of going DTC and eCommerce. If communicated properly, the eCommerce efforts not only help in getting more business, it might increase the loyalty of their channels as they will be getting more business through OEMs’ eCommerce efforts.
In today's episode, our guest, Robert Giovannini, shares his insights into the eCommerce nuances for furniture manufacturers. He also discusses the cyclical nature of eCommerce processes for furniture manufacturers where the OEMs might generate the lead for retailers, but once they book the order, the transaction might need to come back to the manufacturer for fulfillment. Finally, he discusses other issues with eCommerce such as ADA compliance and how eCommerce brands might get penalized if their website might not be compliant with ADA regulations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The rising consumer expectations and growing trend of marketplaces are driving the order processing complexity for businesses. Sales order processing is increasingly complex. You have challenges such as partial delivery. In some industries, the entire order-to-cash cycle needs to be closed for a line before the other line can be processed. There might also be other trends, such as shipping early in the hope of getting higher margins from the order. So, what architectural considerations do you need to have in place to accommodate such business scenarios? What do you need to look for in selecting your ERP? Which ERP systems might fire back if they don't natively support these business scenarios?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of partial order processing and early shipping. We covered many grounds, including the concepts such as shipping complete, planning around prioritizing and back ordering, and how partial processing differs in make-to-stock vs make-to-order manufacturing. Finally, we discussed issues in some industries such as medical devices avoiding partial processing, creating a temporary warehouse for shipment consolidations, and implications as grave as order lines disappearing from the sales orders because of the limited system capabilities and training.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A2X is not the name you might recognize unless you are in the Xero or Shopify ecosystem. But they have created a new category of software, which seems exciting for eCommerce merchants, especially due to the amount of additional overhead you add with each marketplace you sell on. Each marketplace and big-box retailer are trying to come up with its own business models. And sometimes, that could require as much admin effort as you would get in managing a physical store. The admin effort could include keeping the right levels of inventory in each warehouse and country where you plan to serve your customers. And then reconciling that on a weekly basis. The only difference between the physical store and a marketplace is that you won't get penalized as often with stores. Marketplaces, on the other hand, are likely to have land mines at each step. And tracking that might cost you more than your margins. So how can A2X help in selling on different marketplaces?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss A2X’s capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and why it could be a great value add for eCommerce as well as bookkeeping businesses. Finally, we discussed their matching processes, chart of accounts methodology, and how they maintain the P&L for each channel along with reconciling across channels.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While you might feel that SAP does not care for the SMB market, SAP Business One is one of the most successful products. SAP Business One incorporates all the great features such as financial control and relationship map, along with the speed of the HANA database. SAP Business One also has a similar data model and architecture as their other product, which provides the SAP experience at a fraction of the costs. But SAP Business One Cloud is not as advanced as its on-prem variant. So is SAP Business One still a potential option for you? Or should you be looking at some other cloud- and web-enabled products?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP Business One's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their cloud journey and their strength with their on-prem solution, such as the transactional traceability features similar to their bigger products such as SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Business By Design. Finally, we discussed features such as their sales and assembly BOMs and how they are better suited for project-based manufacturing because they have dates on their operations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Infor LN has been the household name for many Automotive and Aerospace companies. If they can't relate with Infor LN, they will definitely recognize BaaN. At one point, when BaaN won Boeing as their account, there was a prediction that BaaN may be a clear threat to SAP. But unfortunately, running an ERP company requires more than just the technical prowess to handle the workload at the SAP levels. BaaN would have been a tragic story. But, good for the product that it found its place in the financially capable hands of Infor. Infor LN has come a long way in its evolution, and the cloud version offers several Infor products integrated with Infor. But where does it stand today in comparison to other similar products?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor LN's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their strength in manufacturing complex products such as automotive and aerospace along with how dates at the operational level are the crucial factor to determining the right fit for the ERP products. Finally, we discussed concepts such as handling units, pegging, and global trade compliance that are absolutely essential for large companies to manage all aspects of their scheduling such as service, production, and procurement.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The large companies that are present in more than 10 countries and have more than 50K employees need operational efficiencies at a different scale. The efficiencies at the plant or at the entity level are no longer enough. You need to figure out the shared services model where the lower-cost services can be provided by the countries where the costs are likely to be lower. But managing this process requires changes in the systems and processes. You need to share data across the entities and have a shared vision for the entire organization. But executing it is far more difficult than you would think. So how to implement shared services in larger organizations?
In today's episode, our guest, Brian G Shannon, shares his insights into the importance of centralizing shared services for large global rollouts. He also talks about several KPIs such as cycle time and how to measure them to ensure the data quality you expect from your financial processes. Finally, he provides insights into prioritizing the rollouts where multiple countries may be involved with the ERP deployments along with setting the vision for the team.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you're an e-commerce brand, kitting would not be new to you. Kitting could be a great tool to increase the average order value and differentiate yourself from the competition without necessarily launching a new product line. But kitting requires your inventory to be aligned across channels to deliver the intended results. Without the inventory alignment, it may result in missed opportunities, customer experience issues due to not getting their orders as per their timeline, and worse yet, customer churn. Kitting also requires the SKUs to be aligned to forecast the dependent inventory items accurately. Finally, kitting requires your pricing to be consistent across channels. So what are the best practices to implement kitting for your business?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of kitting business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the difference between a kit and a pallet, kit and WIP, and just-in-time kits vs pre-built kits. Finally, we discussed how to account for labor with kitting and which types of inventories can support kits such as raw material, FG, MRO, and QC.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are an eCommerce brand and starting on the eCommerce journey, 3PL may appear to be an attractive option. You might feel that the only thing matters for eCommerce is sales and marketing. But as you advance in your journey, you will quickly realize how critical your operations are for your customer experience. If your customers can't receive the right products at the right time, they will not stick with you for very long, regardless of how compelling could be your messaging and customer services interactions. But the biggest frustration would be to be penalized for none of your faults. How would it feel if your 3PL shipped your competitor's product to your customer? But that's what happens when you lose control of your supply chain. While the new 3PLs make it look very attractive due to their tech capabilities, the age-old problems with 3PLs are still the same. And ShipBob is no exception to that.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ShipBob’s capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and why they should not be confused with an eCommerce platform. Finally, we discussed their pricing, comparison with the traditional 3PL players, and the value they offer for the eCommerce merchants.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Digital commerce initiatives require your product, channel, and customer data in order. Or they might not pay off as you might never get the desired results from them as you expect. While both B2B and B2C eCommerce efforts have their share of challenges, the B2B space experiences complex relationships and hierarchies that drive the process intricacies. These relationships could be because of how the relationships are set up, how contracts are structured, and how each of them are paid in the relationship.
In today's episode, our guest, Jay Schneider, shares his insights into how B2B digital commerce processes differ from B2C. He compares and contrast B2B sales and marketing trends such as buying groups, marketplaces, and group purchasing organizations that have been on the rise. Finally, he provides insights into the product data and why it is important for B2B distributors to keep their house in order to be successful with the eCommerce initiatives.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to blanket orders, the business community has mixed feelings about whether they add real value to the business. But their implementation could be all over the place as well. The legacy systems that didn't support the blanket order functionality natively had to come up with creative ways of handling them. These creative ways might include canceling the lines and adding new ones as the quantity gets released. Or they could be as dramatic as creating a completely new order. Irrespective of whether you like it or not. You will end up dealing with blanket orders as they might be driven by factors such as commodity pricing or securing critical components needed for your supply chain. So, where do blanket orders make the most sense?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of blanket orders business processes best practices. We covered many grounds, including the difference between contracts, regular orders, and blanket orders and whether the blanket POs should be used. Finally, we discussed several other concepts related to blanket POs such as blanket orders for commoditized products such as MRO inventory and for the critical items and for the items where price fluctuates significantly.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you look at the eCommerce fulfillment space, there are many options out there. And most of these options could appear very similar. In fact, sometimes it's very hard to spot the difference between a 3PL and an eCommerce fulfillment software, as both software might appear similar. Just because your Shopify can integrate with their 3PL software, it's not meant to be a replacement for your order management platform. It should not even be compared in the software category. It's just another channel similar to EDI or integration with a traditional 3PL. The newer breed of 3PL offers deeper software capabilities than your traditional 3PLs. So, where does ShipHype fit in the food chain?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ShipHype’s capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and why they should not be confused with an eCommerce platform. Finally, we discussed their pricing, comparison with the traditional 3PL players, and the value they offer for the eCommerce merchants.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to ERP software designed for manufacturing, you will find dozen of options. But none of them come close to meeting the needs of complex manufacturers. Even the software that will claim to be designed for hybrid manufacturing and raved by their customers are really lean on manufacturing capabilities. One of the critical differentiators for most manufacturing software is their BOM and data model. Lose correlation of BOM data elements could have significant implications on your production data. This is especially true for complex manufacturing products. One such product is Epicor Kinetic, which is often one of the closest competitors of other manufacturing software such as Infor CloudSuite Industrial and Acumatica. But how deep is Epicor Kinetic with its manufacturing capabilities? Can it support any manufacturing business model?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Epicor Kinetic's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their cloud journey, features such as advanced search that most legacy vendors might lack, and their user experience limitations as with most legacy products. Finally, we discussed their deficiencies such as their materials and operations not connected in their BOMs, their depth with the company structure, and the ownership issues of their quality module.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
One T-shirt takes around 700 gallons of water to manufacture. This is how important the water industry is that not many people understand. The water industry also has a complex sales cycle with several handshakes in the process. And yet it has one of the most legacy processes for the aftermarket industry, with the majority of the sales processes not being digital. But is that changing? Would existing solutions in the market be sufficient for the water industry? If not, then what do we need? How different would be the digital commerce solution for the water industry? And how this industry can prepare for digital transformation?Â
In today's episode, our guest, Noemi Kis, shares her insights into how the water industry works and how its sales cycle differs from other industries. She also provides some facts about the water industry and how many stakeholders will be involved in it. Finally, she provides her insights into buying groups, payment flows, roles and responsibilities of different players involved in the sales cycle, and supply chain.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most eCommerce companies can't survive without dropshipping. They might not have the funds to carry the inventory or build fulfillment centers to support customers in every location. But dropshipping is not as easy as building the website, finding the vendors, and start collecting cash. Incorporating dropshipping processes as part of your operational and financial workflow is even more challenging. And if your ERP system doesn't have dropshipping processes built as part of the system, it might feel unnatural. And you might build ad-hoc processes to support them. Also, dropshipping could mean different things to different parties. If you are a dropshipping vendor fulfilling the dropshipping orders, your processes could differ from a manufacturer sending the order to their dropshipping vendor for specific SKUs. So what are the best practices for incorporating dropshipping business processes into your business model and selecting an ERP system designed to support these processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of dropshipping business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including how dropshipping works and the architectural nuances of enabling this business model. Finally, we discussed the challenges associated with cross-border dropshipping, fulfilment and logistics architecture, and why accounting shouldn’t be an afterthought for eCommerce businesses and dropshipping business models.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to the options available for eCommerce merchants in the QuickBooks ecosystem, there is no shortage. In fact, we have so many options that sometimes it might be a project in itself to find the right tools and use them for the purpose it was originally designed for. There are inventory tools that might also play the role of a PIM. There are other inventory tools that might also have multichannel capabilities. Then there are inventory tools that might also function like a WMS system. This almost seems like a startup where most people play multiple roles. But there comes the point when you no longer can afford to be a startup and need clarity with your organizational structure. Systems work the same way. Ordoro is one such tool designed for inventory control for QuickBooks-sized customers. So is Ordoro wearing multiple hats as well, just like their competitors?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Ordoro’s capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their journey, the product strategy and roadmap, and their inventory and manufacturing capabilities compared to the other inventory solutions present in the QuickBooks ecosystem.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There have been several attempts to segment manufacturing processes such as make-to-order, make-to-stock, engineer-to-order, and project-based manufacturing. Some segment it based on discreet vs. process manufacturing. But the reality is that the manufacturing industry is so broad that each micro-vertical could be unique with its processes. For example, one of the biggest differentiators from the ERP process perspective is the lead time and complexity of the manufacturing processes. A product that might take two months to build is different from the in-and-out products, such as with a lead time of fewer than two days. These two categories follow very different operational and supply chain processes and have different needs for an ERP system. When it comes to meeting the complex needs of an OEM with a large number of SKUs for each product, they need an ERP system that is designed to do the heavy lifting at this scale. So, where does Infor CloudSuite Industrial (Syteline) fit when it comes to manufacturing?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Infor CloudSuite Industrial's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its depth in mixed-mode manufacturing and its capabilities to produce complex products. Finally, we discussed their design methodology, cloud-nativeness, and the markets that will be most suitable for their product.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While the products get the most attention in a manufacturing company, the packaging is equally important when it comes to the CPG world. Also, the systems and operational needs are completely different when we compare different players in the packaging industry, starting from packaging suppliers, packaging R&D organizations, and consulting companies. They all might require multiple systems in the architecture to ensure that the ERP systems are not being overengineered and the specialized systems can talk seamlessly.
In today's episode, our guest, Megan Gamble, shares her insights into building the systems for the packaging industry. She discusses various players and stakeholders involved in the packaging industry and their roles as it relates to process collaboration in the packaging industry. Finally, she provides her insights into the process differences of R&D vs. manufacturing and different systems that might be part of the enterprise architecture for a packaging company.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Not many businesses understand how to capitalize on the synergies of truly globally integrated organizations. They struggle to bring all the departments together from one plant. Bringing together all the entities and sites in one system is a much harder lift than you would think. Sometimes you may be lucky to be forced into it as your customers might be requesting centralized order processing or consolidated invoicing. And then, you might be distributing them from locations most financially feasible for your supply chain. Centralized order entry requires you to share your master data across entities with deep intercompany and intersite functionality. And if you also have challenges such as omnichannel or complex eCommerce architecture, it could be even more complex. So what are the differences between centralized and decentralized order processing?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of centralized vs. decentralized order entry best practices. We covered many grounds, including what centralization and decentralization mean in different industries and how these businesses might be able to take advantage of synergies offered by these strategies. Finally, we discussed several stories where centralization and decentralization strategies resulted in financial and customer experience efficiencies.
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There are many different apps out there in the eCommerce space. Some go by eCommerce operations platform. Some call them multi-channel management platforms. Some can do warehouse management and proof of delivery. Some even claim that how they are going to change the industry by replacing the bigger daddies of the enterprise software world, such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Infor, and Epicor. But most of these apps are present in the QuickBooks or Xero ecosystem just because these businesses can't afford the full-blown ERP implementation. Or don't have experience in running a larger organization or standardizing processes to grow past the QuickBooks inflection point. So, where does Flowtrac fit in the architecture, and which size of the businesses would be the right fit for this app? And how would they play along with the other apps in the QuickBooks and Shopify ecosystems?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Flowtrac’s capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their journey, the product strategy and roadmap, and their alignment with a few niche industries and ERP ecosystems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is a very thin line between mainstream and project-based manufacturing. Is software development manufacturing? How about constructing a house? The manufacturing systems that are designed for mainstream manufacturing, such as make-to-stock, made-to-order, configure-to-order, and engineer-to-order, are very different. While they might claim to do project-based manufacturing, they hardly have a costing wrapper to track different jobs for that project. It's almost like once in a while if the bicycle company needs to also manufacture the bike store, the system should be able to handle it. But that doesn't make this system suitable for companies that are only building bike stores, and maybe once in a while, they might assemble a bicycle to send a gift to their customers. These two are different scenarios and business models. So, where does Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central fit?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its depth in warehousing and project-centric manufacturing. Finally, we discussed its limitations for other industries such as industrial manufacturing and distribution.
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While Sales and operations planning is the shared responsibility of both sales and operations. Sales typically have far more clout while procurement with very little to no say in it. And as a result, most SMB organizations end up stocking the inventory far more than they need. And this overstocking results in the locking of cash and profitability issues. This is especially common with SMBs that are smaller and don't have PE or VC investment with them.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Anna McGovern, shares her insights into the procurement maturity model and governance framework. She also discusses the role KPIs play in setting the governance framework. Finally, she describes the ownership of various cross-functional responsibilities and how to ensure the accountability of supply chain KPIs.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When most people think of integration, they just feel that as long as you have APIs, you should be good. Well, the integration projects could be harder than building software from the ground up. When you build or implement software, you speak one language. On the other hand, when you integrate two software, you speak two, if not more. One option to integrate two software would be to have them talk without a translator. While this might be OK in some scenarios, the problems become bigger as the system complexity and order volume increase. You will also have constraints such as different maintenance schedules for different software or 24X7 transaction processing. So how to decide which integration pattern is the right fit in which scenario?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the pros and cons of iPaaS vs. point-to-point integration. We covered many grounds, including different integration patterns and strategies, the need for centralizing of integration code, and the differences in various iPaaS solutions out there in the market. Finally, we discussed when the businesses are ready for an iPaaS solution, the challenges with newer licensing models, and the importance of integration flow design for integration projects.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Did you know that only 10% of the sellers on Amazon generate over $100,00 a year? And while 90% of these sellers have the same complexity as their peers at $100 million, they don't have the same deep pockets to spend the money on integration and IT. While the options may not be perfect, they need a quick way of synching data from across the channels and system. Also, at this scale, the strategy to somehow manage with a fragmented set of apps and web hooks-based integration is probably OK, as your order volume is not as high. But how long can you survive on these apps? And when you might need to move to a slightly better system like ERP to have superior financial and inventory control.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Webgility Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their synching processes, their integration with other ecommerce solutions, and which eCommerce businesses will be the right customers for Webgility.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If Infor is the largest ERP vendor that no one knows about, SAP Business ByDesign is the product from the largest ERP vendor that no one knows about. Some even doubt if there is any future for the product. The SAP resellers like to cannibalize products from their own portfolio in the hope of getting much higher license dollars from customers, even if it means that they might feel overwhelmed with the larger product. So does SAP even care for SMBs? If they do, have they done anything to change the image of SAP Business ByDesign? So what are the core reasons why SAP Business ByDesign never got any traction when SAP BusinessOne was a massively successful product?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of SAP Business ByDesign's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including its depth in finance, audit trail, configuration management, and project-centric businesses. Finally, we discussed the reasons why SAP Business ByDesign doesn't receive as much traction as some of the other SAP products, SAP's commitment to the product, and recent development for the product portfolio.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Inventory and on-time delivery are two major factors that show that your processes may require transformational change. These issues could lead to long production meetings chasing late orders or raw materials. They could also lead to ad-hoc arrangements and process inefficiencies that might be the implications of the band-aid solutions implemented to cure short-term operational problems. Having accurate inventory and a controlled supply chain requires a holistic understanding of the processes and data.
In today's episode, our guest, Paul Vragel, shares his insights into the operational challenges and quick fixes to deliver desired KPIs for a chemical company. He discusses the core challenges, such as releasing the order to the production floor without checking the critical components and starting the setup operation, and how inventory accuracy could impact the operations of a company. Finally, he shares his insights into why the ad-hoc arrangements, such as creating lost inventory, may not be the best solution to fix your core problems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Discrete manufacturing space is crowded with several solutions. But there are only a few that are really good at process manufacturing and agriculture verticals. The process manufacturing has unique nuances with requirements such as traceability, sub-lots, sub-batches, and formulation management. These verticals also have unique reporting and audit requirements. Managing them could be a challenge with a vanilla ERP. And it might turn out to be extremely expensive. So why is Sage X3 so good at food and agriculture verticals and what are the unique features that matter for this industry?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to conduct an independent review of Sage X3's capabilities. We covered many grounds, including their depth in the process manufacturing, their focus on finance, and why they are one of the few ERP systems in the market that have logistics capabilities. Finally, we discussed several unique features in the X3 solution, such as product families, rider management, multi-legislation, and multi-journal capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people don't understand the importance of requirement management when it comes to ERP. ERP should be as easy as dumping your SKUs, customers, and vendors inside the ERP system. And that's it, right? Well, the ERP system could quickly become the black box, similar to the tribal knowledge sitting in people's heads. So what are the best practices for managing ERP requirements? And how to ensure that the critical decisions are well-documented?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ERP requirements management. We covered many grounds, including the importance of requirements management during the sales process and the impact it might have on the implementation. Finally, we discussed several other topics, such as how to do an ROI analysis, how to logically segment the requirements, and how to manage the requirements using a tool.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Selling on multiple channels is hard. They all have their rules and unique business models. Also, the channels and marketplaces are evolving on a daily basis. If you were to manage each of the channels manually, it could quickly become your day job to manage them. Also, even if you were able to do that, you might still run into scenarios of stockouts and struggle to maintain consistent pricing across channels. You not only need the centralized management of your product data. You also need the centralized management of all of your channels from one place. This is where your multichannel platforms are super handy to help manage your multichannel business.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to conduct an independent review of Zentail's capabilities. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their PIM and multichannel listing or listing capabilites and why they might be overextending themselves by focusing on the operational problems that typically don't reside in channel-specific solutions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cannabis is a unique industry. You have significant reporting requirements that are ever-changing. And the priorities may change overnight due to the investment risks associated. Also, you run the risk of losing your license if you cannot comply with the requirements. For these reasons, the unsettling nature of ever-changing requirements may make planning for ERP implementations increasingly difficult. But are there unique reporting and audit challenges in Canada? Or is Cannabis equally challenging everywhere?
In today's episode, our guest, Abubakr Asif, who shares his insights into the processes of Cannabis businesses in Canada. He also provides his insights into different business models in the Cannabis industry and how cannabis 2.0 differs from 1.0. Finally, he shares his insights into how the unique reporting requirements drive the ERP complexity for the cannabis industry and why the Canadian industry is different from the US.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to the needs of large enterprises with more than $1B in revenue, there are only a few solutions that can meet their needs. These solutions have extremely deep capabilities with their localization and globalization. But they are equally deep in their supply chain planning, transportation management, warehouse management, and project accounting. While most people think of Oracle or SAP as the only potential solution for large companies, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations is one solution that's equally deep and capable. But how does Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O differs from SAP S/4 HANA and Oracle Cloud ERP?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the depth of SCM and TMS functionality, their deep localization capabilities, and lean HCM capabilities. Finally, we reviewed their unique features such as Arrival management during inbound transactions, costing sub-ledgers, and the deeper commitment and allocation capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Building a test plan is hard. Executing is even harder. And if you are building a test plan for ERP implementation, you have added challenges. The testing challenges are unique with ERP implementation because the users don't have as much experience with the software development life cycle. They struggle with thinking like a tester where you need to plan for the edge and boundary cases. And ensure that you are not going to find any surprises post your go-live. But how to build a successful test plan for an ERP implementation without issues?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ERP test plan best practices. We covered many grounds, including the importance of testing and how testing planning and execution are different for ERP projects. Finally, we discussed how to document, automate, and scope testing efforts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
eCommerce business models have grown in complexity exponentially. The channels such as Amazon and Walmart are always modifying their rules and business models. And it's hard for eCommerce brands to keep up with these regulations and have KPIs aligned with the changed regulations. If they are not aligned and measured, the brands may experience significant financial consequences. But most of these eCommerce platforms are targeted at a specific audience that might be on QuickBooks and may have under $5 mil in revenue. So what challenges can you expect once you grow past $5 mi in revenue?Â
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Skubana Detailed Independent Review. We discussed their strength and weaknesses and where they might fit in the eCommerce architecture. Finally, we discussed their exit strategy and market positioning, where they are the best fit, and where they might struggle.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While you might feel that most distribution businesses might be alike, it's not the case. It is especially tricky in industries such as oil and gas due to their compliance requirements and unique quality processes. These companies also go through specific ISO processes that are different from other industries and require you to have unique process arrangements in place to be able to meet them. Finally, each large Oil and Gas OEM may have its standards for the certificate of conformance.
In today's episode, our guest, David Dozer, who shares his insights into the business process nuances for oil and gas suppliers. He also provides his insights into their compliance needs and why it is necessary to ERPize the business processes before implementing an ERP. Finally, he discussed issues such as why it is important to select the right-size ERP and how issues such as lot number traceability and 3PL may require aligning your physical and digital processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you ask anyone their opinion about an ERP system, they will tell you that it's a system designed from the perspective of a CFO. Well, this might be partially true. But most CFOs would disagree with it. As they would not relate with these systems just like you. But there are a few systems that take that CFO perspective to the next level. Their perspective includes the ability to dissect data across multiple dimensions, easy financial report writing, and consolidation and elimination across entities. One such system is Sage Intacct, which is really designed from the perspective of a CFO that takes the financial experience to the next level. But would it have the same experience in other areas as the ERP is supposed to be serving all functions equally well?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Sage Intacct's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their strength in finance, global multi-entity capabilities, dimensions, and their report writer. Finally, we reviewed the industries where they win the most and their recent views.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you have multiple subsidiaries, consolidating them could be a very involved process if you don't have an ERP system that natively supports multi-entity functionality. Your process might start with recording intercompany loans and interest earned through your subsidiaries. Then you might need to allocate the corporate overheads and account payables to various subsidiaries. Then you need to complete adjusting entries, followed by closing subsidiary books and then finally closing books for the parent entity.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss financial consolidation business processes best practices. We covered many grounds, including the rationale for financial consolidation and the appropriate architecture for the multi-entity organization. Finally, we covered the difference between financial and operational integration of different organizations along with the best practices of financial consolidation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How would you feel if you walked into a store and the product you wanted wasn't available? What could you do as a customer service rep if you had this customer at your store? The sales rep in you might be tempted to swipe the credit card. But if you can't deliver on your promises, this transaction may fire back in ways you wouldn't expect. This is where the newer eCommerce architecture allows you to explore scenarios such as buy-online-pick-up-at-store or buy-in-store-ship-to-customer. But these architectural patterns are easier said than done. They require deeply capable platforms such as Shopify. But most importantly, it requires an architecture that can support the demanding needs of such transactions. So what are innovative brands doing to implement this architecture?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss a Shopify case study. We discussed their challenges and drivers for choosing Shopify as their platform and if it would be the right decision for them. Finally, we discussed the nuances associated with the omnichannel and multichannel architecture and why pre-integrated POS with the eCommerce platform is critical for the omnichannel experience.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How difficult could the payment process through a POS be? You will probably take it for granted. If you can swipe a credit card in North America, why would be it be a problem in dealing with credit cards from the rest of the world? Well, when it comes to the financial processes internationally, each country has its own banking system and payment gateways. Selecting an eCommerce without thinking through the financial processes of that country might fire back.
In today's episode, our guest, Jacquelyn Laufer, shares his insights into the Shopify POS and the challenges associated with international payments. She also shared a story about the challenges associated with Mexico localization. Finally, she shared the importance of product documentation and insights on inventory and warehousing processes inside Shopify and in omnichannel architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
One thing is the most consistent about ERP systems is that you will always find surprises. And that is even true for systems that may be well-liked or rated. Also, it doesn't matter how versatile a solution could be. Their design would make them a natural fit only for certain industries. If you make assumptions about any ERP systems, it's likely to fire back. You might think that systems as well adopted as NetSuite may not have limitations and might work for most industries. Well, that is not true. While it's great for certain industries, it struggles in other patches. So what are the core strengths of NetSuite?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of NetSuite's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their strength in finance and global multi-entity capabilities. Finally, we reviewed their distribution and manufacturing capabilities and where they are not as strong, especially with their deeper manufacturing capabilities such as their bill of materials, costing, and scheduling.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are various ways of creating a financial budget. In fact, the key to budgetary planning is not to spend time getting 99% accuracy with your budget. It's the monitoring of the budget that matters more. So that you can take appropriate actions based on how far off you are from your budget. Budget planning is even more critical for industries with large amounts of inventory, heavy capital equipment, and human resources-driven industries. The budget planning could even vary across industries. So what are the features you need in a tool designed for budgeting?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss budgeting business processes best practices. We covered many grounds, including the impact of supply chain and cash flow on budget and different methods of budgeting. Finally, we covered the difference between forecast vs. budget, strategic vs. regular budget, and incumbrance business processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Social media offers one of the biggest opportunities for eCommerce companies. The opportunity could include starting from influencer marketing to targeting ads on social media. Yet not many companies truly understand how to take advantage of social media. The company that really understand the nuances of each platform are crushing with their numbers, whether you talk about LinkedIn Influencers or TikTok. Also, the companies such as Twitter have been trying to figure out how they might be able to create an Amazon-like experience where the users might start searching for products on Twitter as opposed to searching on Google. But how to start on the social media strategy, and how to succeed with it?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss social commerce strategy and how eCommerce companies can take advantage of it. We also discussed several other social commerce-related topics such as trolls, reputation management, and the importance of educational content. Finally, we discussed the nuances of each social media platform and how to align your strategy with the social media platform.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Each industry has its own unique supply chain challenges, irrespective of whether you are in the manufacturing industry or construction. In the case of construction, you have a long sales cycle and demanding projects where you need to make sure you have suppliers lined up as soon as the project closes. The supply chain disruptions might result in delays with your projects, lost relationships with other business partners, and cash flow issues.
In today's episode, our guest, Bahadir Erdem, who shares his insights into the supply chain issues and processes for construction, building material, and roofing industries. He also provides his insights into how the supply chain processes differ and unique forecasting challenges for these industries. Finally, he discusses several other supply chain concepts such as stockouts, SKU rationalization, and recent supply chain challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The best-run companies use SAP S/4 HANA. The platform really lives to its name with its depth in transactions, deep workflow and auditing capabilities, and most robust planning and forecasting capabilities. But, in general, it is also the most hated vendor and platform. But why is that? It's primarily because of the misunderstanding of the purpose of the SAP S/4 HANA platform. It is also the most hated by companies that want to use ERP as the glorified database and have minimal experience with planning and control on the organization. But you can go so far as a company until you master your inventory and cash. This is especially true for public companies with deeper financial control and reporting needs. And the CFOs have a tough job if they are responsible for controlling the financials of more than ten countries. That's probably the reason why CFOs love SAP.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of SAP S/4 HANA's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including its history, evolution, the strength of the HANA platform, product architecture, and inbuilt workflow for Sarbanes-Oxley's needs. Finally, we reviewed the greater financial traceability built as part of the product, the approach for two-tier, and the current product roadmap.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP vendors and resellers race in a competition that no one will ever win. It's the TIME required to implement ERP software. Most vendors will oversell how quick and easy their software package is, some even claiming to implement as fast as a month. These claims are nothing but overstated. The most challenging part of an ERP implementation is to make critical business decisions and build consensus. Some executives might change their entire business model instantly without thinking through the consequences. And while others might take forever to decide the base currency and the decimal places they should use for reporting. Building consensus for ERP projects is a true test of leadership skills. It requires skills and experience. The savvy leaders have figured out how to manage at the thirty thousand foot level without losing touch from the ground. But what do these leaders do differently to build consensus? And not concede to an organization's power struggle and political elements?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to build consensus among teams. We covered many grounds, including the challenges entrepreneurs face with their leadership skills during ERP implementations, why sales skills are most crucial for team members to build consensus, and why team building during acquisitions is even harder. Finally, we covered several stories related to building consensus among teams.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What do you buy as a consumer? Do you think you buy a product, brand, marketing hype, trust, confidence, or perception of being better, superior, healthy, wealthy, or smart? Well, one thing any marketer will tell you is that product is the least important of all, especially in the world of eCommerce, where you can't touch and feel the product before buying. This is the very reason why private label drop shipping exists. It's the exact product you could purchase anywhere else, but you will buy the private labeled product at a much higher price. But is that equally applicable in the B2B setting where the buyer is slightly more educated, informed, experienced, and sophisticated? Also, what are the nuances of the private label strategies? How do you incorporate that as part of your business model?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss private label dropshipping. We also discussed the differences between the private label and regular dropshipping and the differences in the B2B vs. B2C dropshipping. Finally, we discussed the strategies to accommodate dropshipping in the business model for eCommerce businesses and the MoQ and margin requirements for the business model.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most manufacturing companies are barely automated at the plant level. The premise of industry4.0 and specifically industry data ops is high. But it requires companies to have a centralized command and control, just like a supply chain control tower. The operational control tower will receive data from the plants and uncover operational efficiency synergies, whether you talk about energy consumption, predictive maintenance anomaly detection, or process bottlenecks. But what is the process of building operational control towers, and which technologies in the market can help with that?
In today's episode, our guest, Slimane Allab, who shares his insights into industrial data ops and why companies need an operational control tower to gain insights into centralized process efficiencies. He also provides his insights into how operational control towers are likely to be similar as supply chain control towers as companies gain maturity with their industry4.0 operations. Finally, he discusses the differences between analytical and workflow technologies and compares several similar technologies in the market from the industrial data ops category.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Supply chain is hard to define as it's very cross-functional in nature. It starts with receiving goods from vendors at your dock. And then it finishes with how you ship your shipments to your carrier. While these two touchpoints may be completely isolated, looking at your supply chain in an integrated fashion could provide significant cost savings and streamline your processes. But it's easier said than done as multiple departments are involved in the process. And it's very hard to execute on the integrated supply chain strategies unlesss you have executive alignment from the top.
In today's episode, our guest, Phil Kramer, shares his insights into integrated supply chain planning and why companies need to have an integrated strategy for their supply chain. He also describes key TMS processes such as bidding for the freight rates and why companies need to have a process for auditing their freight invoices. Finally, he discusses several stories where the integrated supply chain strategies such as utilizing pre-paid freight with vendors or analyzing all your spend across parcel vs. LTL resulted in significant cost savings for his clients.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The announcement about the end of life of an ERP system has fired back every single ERP vendor. Whether we talk about Oracle announcement for JD Edwards, SAP announcement of ECC, or Microsoft announcement of GP, the vendors that have a lot of solutions in their customer base without very strong communities can typically sunset their products very easily without much noise. But that is not possible when you are a vendor such as Microsoft. And you have one of the most adopted ERP solutions with over 40K installations. So MS may keep extending its deadline for EOL for GP. But how long? Would it have a clear direction for the cloud just like other products in the MS portfolio like Dynamics BC and F&O?Does it make sense to buy GP in 2022? Does it make sense to stay on GP and wait until Microsoft officially sunsets it? If so, what would be your alternatives? But which businesses would be the right fit for Microsoft Dynamics GP?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Microsoft Dynamics GP's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including its history, technology evolution, product roadmap, strengths, and weaknesses. Finally, we reviewed which industries and market segments are using Microsoft GP as of today and which segments are going to be the best fit.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Pricing and discounting will always be a religious debate in the organizations on who controls it. For pricing and discounts to work, you need your inventory and master data to be in order. Or the pricing strategies may fire back due to the inconsistent customer experience. Pricing and discounting are even trickier when multiple systems might be controlling master data and pricing and discounting. The multiple systems could be CRM, eCommerce, PIM, ERP, pricing software, etc. So what are the best practices when it comes to pricing and discounting across systems?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ERP pricing and discounts business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including stories related to the nightmare with pricing and discounting, the impact of master data and inventory on pricing, and the implications of ad-hoc pricing arrangements in certain industries. Finally, we discussed the architectural implications of keeping pricing information in multiple systems, integration issues with CPQ and specialized pricing software, and each team's pricing workflows and boundaries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
For an eCommerce business, inventory is everything. If you don't have enough inventory, you might lose on opportunities. If you have too much, your cash may be locked with the inventory. If you are working with vendors, they will not work with you unless you are willing to work with their preferred minimum order quantity. But those MOQs must make sense for your business as well. In fact, MOQ will drive your sales and product bundling as well as you need to have enough margins and determine the appropriate MOQs that will make sense for your business.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss MOQ and how to calculate it. We also discussed the differences in MOQ calculation for B2B vs. B2C, the difference between MOQ and EOQ, and how MOQ calculation is different in the DTC world. Finally, we discussed the correlation of MOQ and lead time, the best practices of MOQ when multiple vendors may exist for the same SKU, and the magic formula for coming up with appropriate MOQs for both buying and selling.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Amazon could appear like a massive opportunity. But to be successful on Amazon, you need a comprehensive strategy starting from SKUs to pricing and to your fulfillment. While Amazon could come across as frightening due to confusing terms and business models, Amazon provides several opportunities for sellers at different levels, including taking care of your entire fulfillment process. So what do you need to know to create Amazon as a successful channel?
In today's episode, our guest, Will Haire, shares his insights into Amazon's business models. He also describes the business model differences of vendor and seller central, FBA vs. FBM, seller fulfilled prime, and hybrid strategy. Finally, he discusses several strategies such as Amazon's price check and how that impacts your relationship with Amazon, inventory and warehouse processes of Amazon and their expectations from each seller, and finally, the channel conflict and its implications if you or one of your vendors tries to sell the same product at a much cheaper price on Amazon.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The audit procedures require end-to-end traceability and visibility into your processes. While they might vary a bit across industries such as medical or aerospace, the fundamentals are still the same. They are the same in how you vet your suppliers, how you ensure that the due dates are accurate on your POs, and finally, how you deliver to your customers with consistency. So how do you ensure that you are not going to get any red flags during the audit process?
In today's episode, our guest, Anna Reyes-Potts, shares her insights into the audit and quality processes for machine shops. She also discusses the differences in the quality and audit process for various industries. Finally, she discusses how the processes of a machine shop differ from generalized manufacturing, including inventory, inspection, procurement, and supplier quality control.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What is one thing do you know about Salesforce fans? Well, for one, they absolutely love the salesforce platform. Me included! The love is so intense that they will do anything and everything to remain on Salesforce. And why not? There is not a single CRM platform that comes close to matching the depth and object hierarchy while not being as limiting as the ERP systems? But how would you feel about running your entire business on Salesforce? Nice idea, right? Irrespective of whether you will get Salesforce like experience on the entire platform or not, one thing is certain that it will carry a very expensive price tag salesforce is known for. One such platform that can provide this experience is Rootstock which started as an MRP but seems to have transitioned into a full-blown ERP. But which businesses would be the right fit for Rootstock?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Rootstock's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their no-code/low-code approach, history, and current strength. Finally, we reviewed their scheduling capabilities, the platforms they integrate with most often, their most common customers, and which industry verticals would be most suitable for them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How much of an impact might UoM conversions have on an ERP implementation? Well, if you asked a seasoned guy who has been part of a large implementation, UoM conversions fire back pretty bad. In fact, at times, they could be a make or break for the ERP implementations. The UoM conversions not supported the way your business processes are structured could be the birth of ad-hoc and excel-based processes. So what are the pitfalls when it comes to UoMs? How to find the UoMs that will be a bottleneck to your implementation and processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss UoM conversions business processes best practices. We covered many grounds, including concepts such as sales, consumption, purchase, and usage-based unit of measure and their interactions as you process different transactions. Finally, we covered the differences in the unit of measure best practices across several industries, the impact of the unit of measure on SKUs, and how the inconsistencies across different systems might impact the unit of measure.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most businesses struggle with providing consistent pricing across channels. Even when we think of static pricing, the systems and departments are not connected in how they price the product. The accounting may set the cost standards. But sales and marketing might maintain the pricing completely separately in a siloed manner in eComm. The inconsistent pricing experience can come across as alarming for customers. If you charge too high, then you will be missing opportunities. If you charge too low, then you will be setting the wrong expectations that they can expect these products at this price even in the future. The dynamic pricing trends require systems and inventory to be connected for the algorithm to work. Incorrect dynamic pricing may be worse than static or fake pricing. But how difficult is it to implement dynamic pricing and improve customer experience through that?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss dynamic pricing. We discussed various topics, such as how different industries and systems handle dynamic pricing and the factors that drive dynamic pricing. Finally, we discussed the customer experience implications of dynamic pricing, how that is perceived by the consumers and the risks that brand managers need to be aware of before incorporating dynamic pricing as part of their strategy.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
BOMs inside ERP systems are not designed to track specification data. If you have several variables associated with your BOMs, then you might need to track specifications separately. Even if you have PIM or PLM, you might still need the specification software as that can not only help in creating the product model faster, but it can centralize your specification data, especially if you might be using multiple systems in your architecture. The centralized specifications could also provide insights into data and analytics you might need to optimize your procurement or to pursue sustainability initiatives.
In today's episode, our guest, Matthew Wright, shares his insights into specification management for manufacturers. He also discusses what specification is and how it differs across industries. Finally, he discusses concepts such as the difference between specification management software vs. PLM vs. PIM vs. BOMs vs. CAD add-ons that remove duplicate part data, user journies for specification management software, and how the analytics software differs from the operational software.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If your physical and digital inventory may not be aligned and you don't have KPIs to track your excess inventory and obsolescence, you might be carrying aging inventory, and you might not be aware of that. Also, while some of the inventory may appear aging, if that is the critical inventory for their machines or operations, there may be a chance that you may not have these parts when you need them the most. Planning for inventory excess and obsolescence is hard as you not only need to look at the global planning, but you also need to make sure that you are monitoring the inventory at the plant level. So what are the best practices to track and optimize inventory excess and obsolescence?
In today's episode, our guest, Pete Grett, shares his insights into inventory excess and obsolescence. He also discusses the critical metrics to track inventory obsolescence and how global planning might drive the inventory needs. Finally, he discusses concepts such as the critical components and ad-hoc warranty processes that might disrupt the inventory planning, hub and spoke model and how the supply chain network needs to be mapped to discover cost savings opportunities, and finally, how DTC customers that might be seeking Amazon-like experience may require micro-fulfillment centers as the traditional regional DC model may be too expensive for them due to the supply chain costs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The developer community often thinks that the problem associated with ERP complexity or costs is technical. Time after time, we have seen developers championing how concepts such as no-code or open source can solve problems of the ERP world. The problems associated with ERP failures are very rarely technical or product-related. The hardest problem in the ERP world is getting everyone in one room to discuss or agree on a decision. Now, if you might take a couple of days to make a decision, what are the odds that you will be able to write all of the business requirements in a couple of years? And if you can't do that, how will you write the code and test it? While the concept of no-code is excellent, the problem in the ERP world is not of the code itself. It's to define the state of a system. The code is typically the easiest part. So while there are a lot of ERP systems that are riding the wave of no-code, how successful would they be in penetrating the ERP market? One such vendor is, NextWorld, which champions the idea of no-code and how they will be the next big revolution in the ERP industry.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of NextWorld's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their no-code/low-code approach, product roadmap, and go-to-market strategy. Finally, we reviewed their data model and capabilities through their current screenshot and which industries and company size will most benefit from NextWorld's capabilities.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Unit economics is critically important for product-centric businesses. If you don't understand your true cost, you might be selling at a much higher price, which would mean that you might not be able to win against your competitors. Also, if you are selling at a lower price as you may be missing on some cost elements, you might be losing money or selling unprofitable products. Product costing has deeper implications on your finance, supply chain, and operations. It could especially be trickier to implement if you have multiple systems involved in the process and don't have a consolidated plan for master data and inventory. So what are the best practices to implement product costing for a business? How much is too much? And how much is not enough?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss product costing business processes best practices. We covered many grounds, including several stories related to costing and the implications of poor costing practices. Finally, we covered concepts such as how to ensure the actual run rate of the machines, aging inventory and the inventory not tracked, how to reconcile inventory when it may be off during the physical and cycle counting processes, how to capture overhead appropriately, and finally the costing differences in the custom vs. commoditized businesses.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most companies might start selling on the website without going through the structured thinking of enabling user experience and mapping customer journeys. They may also start coding without going through the design process and wireframing the ideas. Wireframing plays a vital communication tool to align the expectations and test if the design is aligned with the user's expectations. But how to start on the journey of wireframing? What do you need to have before starting on this journey? What tools are available to help you with the wireframe? These are the questions you will have if you are thinking of re-platforming your current eCommerce experience or maybe opening a new eCommerce channel.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss strategies for creating wireframes. We discussed various topics as they relate to wireframing, including its importance and the role of testing. Finally, we discussed the difference between low vs. high fidelity wireframes and the various tools that can be used to help with the wireframing process.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you asked most salespeople about whether their software can integrate, their standard answer would be that they have APIs. Well, APIs allow you to retrieve data from systems in a structured fashion and remove the technical boilerplate of that system. You still need to design your integration flows around your business requirements. APIs are NOT meant to have self-integration capabilities. This is especially true for integration between your eCommerce and ERP systems, as that disrupts your operational core and transactions. A well-defined and vendor-agnostic integration model can provide the cushion you need for your business model to succeed.
In today's episode, our guest, Ingo Hagemann, shares his insights into the integration challenges of ERP and E-commerce software. He also discusses the shortcomings of point-to-point vs. middleware-oriented integration and in which situations they might not be the right fit. Finally, he discussed the expensive nature of real-time calls and how they need to be analyzed for enterprise performance, and the role of ERP-integrated commerce solutions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The cultural factors drive how users will perceive an ERP or WMS product as each geography may have different ways of processing transactions. They might also be using terms and keywords that they might not be able to relate with in a system that might be built for completely different geography. But the cultural factors are not only limited to just the terms and keywords. Sometimes what profit may mean in a developed country may be completely different in the developing country. So how complex is the South East Asia market, and how are business processes different in this market?
In today's episode, our guest, Bernard Hor, shares his insights into the nuances of the South East Asian market. He also analyzes cultural barriers and how the developing world is different from the developed world, and how that affects the ERP and WMS processes. Finally, he describes why the standardized ERP or WMS solutions may not be suitable for complex geographies such as South East Asia as the users might not be able to relate with the product.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growing through acquisition is not a new strategy. Infor started it. And now several companies are following, especially the PE-owned ones such as ECi and Aptean. PE companies pursue this strategy in the hope of gaining quick market share through edge products or specialized products purpose-built for specific industries. Most of these products are typically built by companies that were cash-starved, and they had to cut corners to survive and sell at a lower price than their bigger competitors. Typically there are three pieces that are absolutely critical for the success of a product: 1) code/features, 2) infrastructure, and 3) documentation. Since the companies would be able to notice differences if they cut corners in the code and infrastructure, the most obvious choice to cut down would be on documentation and thinking through the design, which typically requires a lot of investment. While the premise of integrating several specialized apps might seem compelling on paper, your users will never get the same experience as they would if they were using a product in one piece. One such company is, Aptean, which is still trying to grow through acquisition with no clear strategy for its product portfolio and roadmap.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Aptean's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the core focus of their products and acquisition strategy, their corporate and cloud-native strategy, and their target market. Finally, we reviewed their history, where their portfolio was originated, and their strategy compared to other companies that grew through acquisitions similar to Infor and ECi.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cannabis is a beast when it comes to its process complexity. Also, the ever-changing regulatory compliance and reporting increase the challenges. The critical process of cannabis is seed-to-sale that starts with the grower facility, where every plant needs to be tracked. Then, as cannabis moves through the processing stages where even multiple companies could be involved, such as growers and extraction facilities, the reporting requirements are still the same, with tight yield and waste reporting regulations. The moisture content makes it even more challenging, similar to catchweight in the food and beverage industry. But what are the best practices of the seed-to-sale process, and how can companies scale without getting in legal trouble?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Seed-to-sale business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope, process boundaries, payment issues, regulatory and compliance requirements in the US as well as Canada. Finally, we discussed the system communication issues, the specialized systems that are going to be required to meet the needs of the Cannabis industry, and why the APIs may not be the solution to meet your integration and compliance challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How many people here like to receive promotions in SMS? Not many, right? And yet Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of customer service organizations will be using SMS and messaging rather than native apps. SMS could be used for promo, remarketing, order confirmations, and dispatch notifications. SMS is also not as intrusive as other forms of communication such as email and phone. In addition, SMS forces you to limit your message and get your message across in fewer characters. This also helps customers as they can quickly glance through hundreds of messages without feeling that they are being distracted by lengthy and unnecessary emails. But is it relevant for every business and situation? Also, what are the tools that can help you automate workflows just like emails?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss SMS Marketing. We discussed various use cases for SMS and where it will be fit and where it will not be fit, along with pull vs. push marketing strategies. Finally, we discussed SMS strategies for B2B vs. B2C and concepts such as caller ID, phishing, links embedded in SMS messages, and the unsubscribe mechanism.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Industry4.0 could mean a lot of things to different people. While the idea of Industry4.0 is compelling, it requires a lot of moving pieces from identifying appropriate processes for data collection and then having monitoring and alerting infrastructure in place so that the maintenance can take action before it's too late and expensive. Condition monitoring is one area that plays a very important role with processes, especially if you have several manual interventions in the process that is likely to change the overall profile of equipment and machinery, which might result in product quality issues and rework.
In today's episode, our guest, Dave Roth, shares his insights into the importance of condition monitoring for your critical equipment why that is important for industry4.0 initiatives. He also analyzes the root cause of several stories where the manual processes resulted in process variations and product quality issues. Finally, he touches on how condition monitoring can help detect the issues earlier and avoid any expensive downstream implications.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Amazon has become so big that it has its own constitution and regularly publishes legislation with clear guidelines for vendors and suppliers. While Amazon recognizes the importance of the Vendor ecosystem, they have always been customer-focused. Also, if your business is not diversified, the business buyers might perceive you as a risk as they don't like to see your business to be completely concentrated on a few customers or channels. But, even for Amazon-centric businesses, you have several options through aggregators who would prefer to buy a business that is crushing on Amazon than being average for multiple channels.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Yaz Malas, shares his insights into the exit readiness strategies for Amazon founders. He also discusses what business buyers look for when they acquire an Amazon business and why buying is more attractive for them than building a brand from scratch. Finally, he describes risk factors for investors for Amazon-focused business and business risks you can expect from the Amazon channel.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What's an ERP and what's not an ERP will always be the classic debate in the ERP community. Surprisingly enough, even the largest of the largest companies missed their understanding of the secret sauce for Salesforce. They had always felt that CRM was just a module of ERP. And how much damage could a CRM company cause? Well, Salesforce is no longer just a threat. They have created a completely new category and expanded the market further than any ERP company would ever imagine. But what's next for them? Would they ever be able to replace the traditional ERP players in the departments other than CRM? Do they even want to or care to replace? If not, how are they going to grow? Can they keep creating a similar category as CRM? Well, Salesforce has been trying a lot of new things, including their expansion in the field service, e-commerce, and community category. But would these initiatives have the same impact and provide the same revenue growth as the CRM category?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Salesforce's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the core focus of their product and acquisition strategy, what their potential plan could be to meet the ambitious aim of the next revenue milestone, and their competitors. Finally, we covered their exposure in each micro-verticals and where they are likely to be fit as a solution, and where they win the most.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Agriculture and F&B industries are unique beasts when it comes to their ERP needs. They have unique traceability requirements that you might not find with most companies. They also have unique formulation, and their product management processes are fairly involved. One process that is unique with these industries is the field-to-fork process, where the traceability and farm accounting requirements might throw your ERP implementation off if you have not selected the right tool designed for this industry. And then, the process doesn't end even if you have shipped the goods from your dock due to the recall requirements.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss Field-to-fork business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope, process boundaries, food production and catchweight issues, and the challenges in accounting and business processes because of the uncertainty of the processes. Finally, we discussed the shipping cost and traceability issues in the seafood industry, and why the agriculture industry faces unique challenges even if pharma and MedTech are able to manage similar challenges due to the advancements with standards in those industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Life would be easy if we had to sell only to one ideal customer profile and buyer persona. Most companies sell to multiple ideal customer profiles. That makes the job of a marketer much harder. These profiles could vary based on industries, roles, product groups, etc. But what is so hard about managing multiple customer profiles? Well, each customer profile has its needs in terms of what they like about their buying preferences and the messaging that will resonate with them the most. Each customer profile may have its own journey, even if they might be buying the same product or service offering. If you don't map the journey of each customer profile individually, you might struggle to get results from your eCommerce efforts, even if your overall messaging may be OK.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to manage multiple customer groups. We discussed the differences between the traditional vs. the digital world and how the challenges differ in both settings while the problem of multiple personas exists in both worlds. Finally, we discussed the best practices of segmentation and identifying the user personas for several categories, including logged-in vs. non logged users or buyers vs. users.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sheet metal industry produces one of the most foundational products that we need as consumers and in our industrial applications. This industry also requires significant efficiency with operations and raw materials due to cost pressures and ultra-low margins. The recent supply challenges and labor shortages are driving the demand for even more efficiency in how they consume energy, process raw materials, run their operations, and manage their supply chain. The traditional lean methods for other industries may not be enough to survive in the sheet metal industry.
In today's episode, our guest, Andrea Dallan, shares his insights into the four pillars of efficiency for sheet metal manufacturing companies. He also discusses the unique challenges sheet metal companies face with rising costs of raw materials, ever-increasing energy costs, labor shortages, supply chain challenges, and the unique inventory challenges of this industry. Finally, he describes several manufacturing processes sheet metal companies employ for their products and the unique challenges with each of these processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The challenge with the technology world is that new technologies keep popping up on a daily basis with significant overlap and with no clarity on where and how they will fit in the architecture and what their scope will be as they interact with other systems and cross-functional processes. There is also typically a misunderstanding of a data and analytics system vs. a system that is designed to automate and integrate operational workflows and allow teams to collaborate on a single thread of data. One such system is ODP that has been making a lot of buzz with its potential to predict operational failure using Industry 4.0 technologies. But where does it fit in the architecture, and why do companies need another piece of software when they already have so many technologies?
In today's episode, our guest, Prateek Joshi, shares his insights into the operational data platforms and their role in the enterprise architecture for manufacturing companies. He also discusses the scope and boundaries for many systems such as ERP, MES, historians, and ODP, and how ODP will interact with each of these systems. Finally, he shares several stories of food and beverage companies where they were able to deploy ODP into their existing architecture to detect and predict anomalies across operational data sources and predict operational bottlenecks and failures before it's too late or expensive.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
In the ERP community, there is always a debate about what an ERP is. Sure, you could say that anything that automates enterprise and cross-functional workflow could qualify as an ERP. This would include solutions such as CRM, HCM, MES, P2P, and the real ERP, as they all automate enterprise workflows to some degree. Also, there is a thin line as the companies that grew as edge apps like Salesforce, Workday, or ServiceNow tries to gain additional capabilities in other functions in an organization. For example, Workday started as the best-of-breed cloud HCM application for enterprises with thousands of employees. At that time, most HCM applications were clunky and didn't provide the employee experience that organizations needed that depended on attracting the best talent from the market. The companies that often struggle the most are the ones that had to attract expensive talents such as professional services, tech, and financial services. So, where does Workday stand as of today, and where do they win the most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Workday's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the strength of their product, misconceptions around the core capabilities of Workday product and target market, and corporate strategy. Finally, we covered their exposure in each micro-verticals, where they win the most, and why.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to ERP implementations or digital transformation for asset-heavy organizations, asset management is perhaps the most complex area and one of the hardest to implement. The assets could be internal or external for one of your customers. The external assets follow a very different lifecycle with several stakeholders involved with how they are managed, leased, and serviced. The internal assets are equally trickier to manage with the cross-functional collaboration required in maintaining them and making sure that they are serviced proactively before causing operational shutdowns or disruptions. Also, due to their expensive nature, the regulations around fixed assets are always changing in how their value needs to be carried on the financial statements and how they are reported. So what do asset-intensive companies need to know about the cradle-to-grave asset management process?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss cradle-to-grave business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope, process boundaries, definition of assets, internal vs. external, and the importance of finance value while referring to the assets and differentiating them with other inventory items. Finally, we discussed leased vs. owned assets and their financial treatment how the priority of finance and ops may differ when it comes to their need for serialization of assets.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Email has always been the most predictable channel to drive your customers back to the funnel for eCommerce or digital-savvy companies. Email keeps them engaged and provides opportunities for them to get the best out of their investments and the additional purchases they might be able to make through cross-sell and upsell. Also, with the advancements in Artificial intelligence and recommendation technologies, the new tools are able to recommend exciting workflows that may not have been possible before because of disconnected datasets and siloed systems. Since the newer artificial intelligence technologies can process both structured and unstructured data, the need to have consistency across datasets is not as relevant. So what do eCommerce companies need to know about modern architecture and tools and creating email strategies based on that?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss email marketing strategies for E-commerce. We discussed the difference between transactional vs. promotional email and the use cases for ecommerce email marketing strategies that companies might not be utilizing just yet. Finally, we covered how the identity of visitors can be tracked across channels and systems to capture email events and triggers through their entire lifecycle, as well as the newer technologies and trends that can be utilized to tap into more sophisticated use cases for email marketing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What comes to mind when you think of loyalty erosion? Do you currently have a formal loyalty plan, measurement, or metrics in place? Well, most SMB companies don't even understand how to take advantage of customer-experience-driven innovations. The customer experience is certainly an untapped area for most organizations and where bigger companies have a true edge. But how do you start on the journey of customer experience and how to ensure that your customer experience initiatives don't end up being just an idea on a napkin.
In today's episode, our guest, Paula Courtney, shares how companies can take advantage of the customer-centricity framework to improve their financial performance. She also details how to start on the journey of customer experience and enable controls to ensure that the framework gets executed and has measurable results. Finally, he describes the organizational structure for customer experience function and where it fits depending upon the stage of the company.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Finance always takes the back seat in organizations over sales and operational priorities. But without setting clear financial goals and plans to execute them, it's like shooting in the dark. Sure, you may have gotten lucky to grow at the desired pace. But how confident would you be to sustain that growth? Not much, right? This is where the connected systems and financial KPIs can provide the framework for growth with confidence.
In today's episode, our guest, Jim Downes, shares his insights into the importance of tracking meaningful financial KPIs to improve profitability and growth for CPG companies. He also discusses the unique challenges associated with matrix inventory and how the planning for such inventory is slightly more involved than most other businesses. Finally, he describes the importance of having a plan and why connected systems are important for continuous tracking and improvement.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP industry is divided mainly into two flavors. One is primarily focused on product-centric industries such as manufacturing, distribution, and retail. The other focuses on service-centric industries such as not-for-profit, architecture and engineering firms, construction, public sector, education, etc. But if you are in the construction or govt contracting space, your needs are likely to be unique. First, you have the compliance needs for unions with their requirements for submissions, which will require substantial reporting functionality for it to work. Then you have in-process compliance requirements, including DCAA, etc. The vanilla ERP, such as SAP, Sage, Acumatica, etc., may require several add-ons to support this critical piece of functionality. Even the ERP designed for professional services such as Workday, Unit4, or FinancialForce may struggle to support the critical functionality needed for these verticals. So what are your options if you are in this space?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Deltek's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals, product psychology, and corporate strategy. Finally, we covered several micro-vertical stories and why they chose to implement Deltek over other ERP software.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Record-to-report business processes typically take the back seat with ERP implementation projects as O2C, and P2P get the most limelight due to the customer-facing nature of these processes. Also, the decision made to streamline O2C and P2P processes and improve the cycle time for these transactions will have implications on the record-to-report processes. As you grow, your finance department is likely to grow as well. And if you can not streamline, your SG&A will likely to grow faster than your revenue. So what do you need to do to streamline your record-to-report processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss record-to-report business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope and branches that extend from record-to-report processes, the roles, and the organizational structure of the finance department. Finally, we discussed the communication and collaboration of different systems as part of the architecture for the finance department and the best practices for process design across these systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While you might feel how critical the testing could be in a software project? Well, that's the foundation of success whether the software will work or be usable in production. Also, there are differences in how eCommerce implementation projects need to be tested vs. the eCommerce development. In the case of the implementation projects, you might not have the users that may have a deep software development background and might not understand the importance of testing or how to write good test cases to have enough coverage for all the business scenarios that they plan to execute when they go live. Also, with the implementation projects, the major component is also users' training as testing is the first step to learn deeply about the software and have a deeper understanding of their own journeys. So how to create a good testing framework and test cases to be successful with eCommerce implementation projects?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to create good test cases for E-Commerce implementation projects. We discussed the difference between the testing strategies for eCommerce implementation projects vs web or software development projects, including differences in the skillset, resources, budget, etc. Finally, we covered the strategies for coaching and training business users in how to think and write test cases like a professional software tester.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Everyone has their preferences of how they shop and search. This makes the job of eCommerce companies harder as they can only do so much to understand customer preferences and align them with their product catalog. But if you streamlined your guided navigation and personalization, it could also be a competitive advantage for companies. The more personalized experience you could provide to your customers, the higher their affinity with your brand.
In today's episode, our guest, Ben Rudnick, shares his insights into how companies can increase their revenue by improving the findability and searchability of their product lines. He also discusses concepts such as exponential design and reindexing. Finally, he describes the process of how artificial intelligence can be used to assist with guided navigation and how that can improve the personalization for your eCommerce customers.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Scaling eCommerce operations for a global business is hard. You have multiple challenges, such as different product mixes for different markets. You might also have completely different channels and customer journeys for each channel. But if you are a medical device business, the complexity of your operations will be at a different level. You have different regulations in each market and how you price and commercialize your products, with consumers still expecting an Amazon-like experience.
In today's episode, our guest, Colin Cronin, shares his insights into the evolution of B2B digital eCommerce capabilities for a global medical device manufacturer. He also shares his insights into how to find appropriate channels and markets for the eCommerce initiatives. Finally, he shares his insights into their current architecture, single source of truth, and 24X7 strategies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While many of you might think that SAP may have lost its momentum because of the newer cloud players, it is still the undisputed market leader and has the largest market share among all ERP companies. SAP's primary market has always been among large, global enterprises primarily because of its strength as the global financial solution. SAP also had one of the deepest enterprise-grade industry functionality in the on-prem model, which has been harder to replicate in the cloud world. This is probably the reason the companies that have an edge in the cloud such as Oracle, Microsoft, or Infor have been winning over SAP. But that has changed in the recent quarters with the new leadership focusing on the Industry cloud and utilizing partner ecosystem to complement the industry functionality, which will take forever for SAP to build. But is this model sustainable? Also, would customers choose slightly more complete solutions such as Oracle or Microsoft than relying on risky partner-owned code and add-ons? Or would they use SAP as the financial solution while using Infor, Epicor, or Plex in the two-tier model as they had always done?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of SAP's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other ERP software. Finally, we discussed their unique value proposition, product psychology, industry cloud, rise with SAP, and their integration and growth challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Order-to-cash (O2C) and Procure-to-pay (P2P) processes do the most heavy-lifting in a company operationally. While O2C gets the most attention due to its customer-facing nature, if you don't have your P2P processes figured out, there will be significant implications to your planning cycle and, as a result, on O2C processes. There has also been a significant advancement in the P2P processes, including specialized tools for Source-to-pay (S2P) processes and streamlining of invoice processing, etc., through AI tools and P-card processes. The procurement teams are also significantly impacted by the recent supply chain disruptions. And companies need to rethink how their supply chain and procurement function. So what are the best practices for streamlining the P2P process, having appropriate KPIs at each step in the cycle, and having technology architecture that will serve the needs of the procurement department?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss procure-to-pay business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope and branches that extend from procure-to-pay processes, the roles, and the organizational structure of the procurement department. Finally, we discussed the difference between P2P, S2P, and S2C processes and the communication and collaboration of different systems part of the architecture for the procurement department, and the best practices for process design across these systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A lot of you might feel that email is dead. That's not true at all, especially if you are talking about consumer-centric businesses for which engagement is key to staying on top of their mind, which may not be possible through other methods because they could be cost-prohibitive. It could also be true with some B2B businesses where cross-sell, and up-sell opportunities might exist. Also, you might not like the automation through bots because of impersonal interaction. But a bot is far better than no chat option at all. It could be very handy to enable a 24X7 customer service chat option for businesses where hiring costs of customer service agents might not be justifiable. So what are the strategies that matter when it comes to email and mailbots?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to win more loyal customers with happy email and mailbot. We discussed the scenarios where email marketing will be fit vs. where it might not be as fit and how it can help with loyalty. Finally, we covered the differences between mailbots and chatbots, and if they have a place, don't have a place, and where do they have a place?
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The Southeast Asian market has been on an eCommerce boom due to the availability of technology and penetration of social media and the internet to remote places. The COVID pandemic has only fueled this boom. If you are thinking of capitalizing on this market opportunity, you need to understand how the market works and how you can set up your logistics and warehouse network to make sure you are able to compete with local vendors.
In today's episode, our guest, Kevin Lee, shares his insights into cross-border ecommerce practices and challenges for the South East Asia market. He also shares his insights into how the South East Asian market is different from the North American market and how to penetrate the South East Asian market. Finally, he shares different B2C and B2B categories that might be relevant for the market and how to handle strategies such as locations for warehouses, logistics networks, international contracts, and reverse logistics.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a complex distribution business with manufacturing as part of your business model, your business processes are likely to be more complex than most traditional distribution and manufacturing businesses. It's even harder if you plan to penetrate digital channels along with selling through distributors. You have issues such as eCommerce not talking to your ERP. Then Issues such as consistent pricing need to be communicated across channels. Finally, you might have channel conflict issues that may not be in your control.
In today's episode, our guest, Billy Hanes, shares his insights into the B2B eCommerce journey for a construction distribution business. He also shares his insights into different ways of integrating ERP and eCommerce and how to make a decision when overlapping functionality may exist in these systems. Finally, he shares the best practices of managing pricing across channels and how to integrate with Amazon channels in the hybrid scenarios where you might be selling through distributors as well as DTC.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cloud could mean different things to different people. Not all clouds are created equal. Even the ERP vendors claiming them to be a true cloud solution might not have all the bells and whistles required by a true multi-tenant system. Also, just because an ERP vendor offers consumption-based pricing or unlimited users, it doesn't mean that you will get a true flexible cloud pricing designed for scalability. One cloud-native vendor has always positioned them as true cloud and often calls out other vendors that might not be true cloud. They have also positioned them as the fastest-growing while their total market share remains smaller than their other cloud-native vendors. I am pretty sure you all are able to guess that we're talking about Acumatica. But is Acumatica a fit for all industries? Is Acumatica the most customizable solution as they claim? What are the core reasons for it to get much higher ratings among its users? These are the questions you are going to have if you are planning to include Acumatica as part of your next evaluation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Acumatica's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other ERP software. Finally, we discussed their unique value proposition, migration path from other ERP software, consumption-based pricing, unlimited users, and their customer bill of rights.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are exploring an ERP initiative, order-to-cash processes are likely to receive the most attention as they have a lasting impact on customer experience, cash conversion cycle, and profitability. The O2C process might get completed within an ERP. Or, it might extend to multiple systems handing off the process at each step. If you have a simplified business where there is always a 1:1 mapping between your orders, shipments, invoices, etc., then your problems might not be as complicated. But most businesses have a significant need for splitting and merging of various orders, batch picking, and consolidated invoicing. A streamlined O2C process could make or break your ERP implementation and your companies' abilities to scale. So what are the best practices for effective order-to-cash processes, and how to streamline to get the desired results?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss order-to-cash business processes and best practices. We covered many grounds, including the scope and branches that extend from order-to-cash processes. Finally, we discussed the process and architectural issues because of the process spanning multiple systems and when the documents may have a different life cycle with significant merging, consolidation, and splitting involved.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A successful e-commerce strategy requires you to be able to dropship your products. This is especially true for newer brands that might not have access to the capital necessary to set up the distribution and logistics network required to meet customer expectations. Even the existing brands need to have it as part of their strategy for newer products and territories before setting up an expensive distribution network for untested ideas. But finding products for dropshipping is not easy as the dropshipping business model requires you to find the products with appropriate margins. It also requires you to find quality suppliers who are willing to support your order types, MOQs, and customer experience expectations. Finally, it requires you to research the competition and channels to ensure that you are able to compete with bigger brands that might have the economy of scale with their existing fulfillment network. So how do you decide which are the right products for dropshipping? Do you analyze each channel and SKUs and determine if dropshipping might make sense? Do you also need to consider the product weight and size to account for shipping complexities, cross-border challenges, and white-glove services that might need to be included as part of your product bundle? These are the questions you are going to have if you are exploring dropshipping as part of your business strategy.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to find products for dropshipping. We discussed the criteria for finding the right SKUs for dropshipping and the differences between B2B and B2C dropshipping. Finally, we covered strategies of how to conduct price and supplier research to set up the dropshipping network.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The oil and gas industry is unique with its process complexity and its ad-hoc nature. Also, it's even harder for global companies when you might need to comply with global regulations in each country. If you were to implement an ERP for a large, global oil and gas company, you not only have to figure out which countries would be the right candidate to avoid implementation failures as well as cost overruns, but you also need to figure out how to standardize ever-changing processes.
In today's episode, our guest, Sue Shaw, shares her insights into how to succeed with large global rollouts for the oil and gas industry. She also discusses concepts such as how to develop criteria for prioritizing the countries and how to plan for costs for projects that might be as long as 10-years. Finally, she shared concepts such as joint venture billing, costing challenges across subsidiaries for the oil and gas industry, transportation management challenges, and depreciation rules.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While most businesses think that a website is important for their businesses, they very rarely understand the user experience issues that can affect the conversion rate. The issues run way deeper than we realize. And these issues might be as insignificant as color or messaging that can have a huge impact on consumer psychology. Unless you have a deep understanding of these issues and the toolset to provide you with the data that you need to discover these issues, you might not know why your site traffic doesn't convert and what objections your customers may have in doing business with you.
In today's episode, our guest, Ross Davies, shares his insights on the steps for objection hunting and how that can help with discovering user experience issues on a website. He also discusses how factors as insignificant as the color or size of a button can drive the conversion rate. Finally, he discussed several stories where he was able to fix conversion issues through their approach of objection hunting and the tools and technologies that can help with these issues.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are two ways to grow an ERP company. Either you build the product from scratch or acquire several products to gain market share and then figure out your product strategy. Both approaches have pros and cons and implications for customers. But there comes the point in the company's lifecycle when you need to consolidate your product portfolio. Or you can't sustain it. Also, no one commercializes the idea of micro-verticals as much as Infor. But are they really deep in these micro-verticals? Or is it just marketing hype? How is their micro-vertical functionality compared to other deeper solutions such as IFS, Plex, IQMS, and QAD? Also, there are also two approaches to building micro-vertical functionality. Either you can keep the underlying product different or the same and utilize the industry packs on top of the core product. But Infor seems to be claiming that it has purpose-built ERP for each micro-verticals. How true is that? Is that true for both large companies as well as SMBs?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Infor's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product portfolio and their future roadmap, history, current cloud capabilities, and their evolution as a company.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Marketing teams typically drive the overall market penetration strategies. They could also drive your strategic priorities in key market segments and transform the customer experience. Also, while they use a lot of tools and technologies to be efficient with their day jobs, they very rarely are part of the operational core. So what are the systems that marketers need in their roles? And do they need to interface with the enterprise systems such as ERP? How do you accommodate the needs of marketers in the enterprise architecture?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss information architecture for the marketing department. We covered many grounds, including the systems for each marketing role and their process boundaries. Finally, we discussed new technologies and industry-specific architecture, including the challenges associated with B2B and B2C business models.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditional media has been a master of offering relevant content based on users' locations. And while digital media has far more traceability, brands typically struggle to deliver location-based content to their visitors. Then you have location-centric businesses that only target specific neighborhoods and cities. You might have products relevant to the specific locations as other locations might not care for that. Location-based marketing requires a comprehensive review of your marketing strategy, including product, pricing, positioning, and targeting. So how do you create effective geo-based targeting strategies?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss geo-based targeting strategies for e-commerce. We discussed the nuances of geo-based targeting and planning and how that can provide a personalized experience and improve conversion rate. Finally, we covered the differences between B2B and B2C geo-based targeting strategies along with various tools, technologies, and best practices that help can help you succeed with geo-based targeting.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a seasonal CPG business, you may have grown due to word of mouth to this point in growth, primarily through B2C channels. While B2C has its nuances for planning and procurement due to the unpredictable consumer demand, the drivers and consequences are not as severe as B2B once you have landed a few large enterprise customers. Also, if you want to have fast growth, you will need to sell through marketplaces and large retailers. While onboarding them could provide sustained growth of 2-3x without much marketing efforts, meeting their delivery and fulfillment expectations is hard. And you need much superior control of both the first and last mile to serve these key customers and avoid losing after you have landed them.
In today's episode, our guest, Colby Young, shares his insights on the nuances of PO lifecycle and why it is critical for seasonal businesses such as cosmetics. He also discusses the role of the first and last mile and why the first-mile planning and collaboration are critical as the last mile to ensure timely delivery of goods to key customers, avoid inventory stockouts and missed opportunities due to disconnected processes. Finally, he discussed the planning and supply chain challenges associated with onboarding enterprise customers and how to avoid disruptions caused by sudden growth spikes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditionally manufacturers didn't have to worry about software development or release processes as the only software they utilized for their business processes was packaged software. But with Industry 4.0, manufacturers are utilizing more and more software in their OT environment. This requires their software lifecycle to be controlled. And it needs to be compliant with any changes in the hardware. But how? Well, that's where DevOps can help. Utilizing DevOps practices can reduce disruptions and improve operational efficiency.
In today's episode, our guest, Adam Gluck, shares his insights on the importance of structured software development and release processes and the role of DevOps for manufacturing OT environments. He also discusses the role of custom development and where it makes sense for Industry 4.0 initiatives. Finally, he discusses how DevOps processes differ in the OT environment from IT and why IT DevOps tools such as Git would not suffice the needs of the OT environment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people think of ERP as a manufacturing or distribution solution. And if you are not a manufacturing company, they feel that ERP systems add very little value to operations and become limited to just finance. While that might be true for some companies such as professional services firms or marketing agencies, companies that are very heavy in assets and field service such as MRO, telecom equipment operators, utilities, and energy companies have different needs. These needs require a tightly integrated ERP system that can handle business processes such as call-to-collect, rentals, and service management. These companies have very different order management needs. For example, each line item could be delivered completely, while the next line item may not even kick-off fulfillment until the first one is delivered. IFS has a unique position in the market for these industries that other solutions can't match. It also has one of the best user experiences in the cloud comparable to Plex and Acumatica.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of IFS' capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product design, history, current cloud capabilities, and the challenges of working directly with the OEM.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sales teams are typically known to be completely disconnected from the organization. But if you have a smart sales team, they understand the importance of technology and what it can do to the sales process. The sales technologies have also come a long way. There are so many tools out there that can help with each step of the process. But what are the systems that need to be part of the enterprise architecture to help with each sales role inside the organization?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss information architecture for the sales department. We covered many grounds, including the systems for each sales role and their process boundaries. Finally, we discussed new technologies and industry-specific architecture, including the challenges associated with B2B and B2C and how the processes might differ due to nuances of the marketplaces, customer portals, configurators, and dealer onboarding processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
For every one second it takes for your website to load, your conversion rate goes down by 10%. But how true is that? Well, speed is a huge factor in ranking on Google. In fact, even if you have mastered the Desktop speed, you might still not rank well if your mobile speed might not be as good. But what are the issues that cause a site to load slower? Are these issues related to hosting provider, site design, # and size of the imagery, or bloated themes? What do you need to do to fix these speed issues? Are there any tools out there that could help diagnose and fix the issues?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss visitor page speed optimization strategies for e-commerce. We discussed the factors that may cause the sites to slow down and, as a result, might perform poorly on Google. Finally, we covered the strategies and tools that might be helpful in fixing issues related to site speed.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Time series data is all about continuous monitoring of your machines to detect trends with your batches. If you don't collect and analyze the data, you might feel that you don't have capacity to meet customer demand and might be forced to acquire additional capacity or facility if you don't miss the opportunities. But the additional capacity might be right there within your facility and existing machines. Just because you may not have enough data points to draw conclusions from, you may not be aware of it. Also, even if you start collecting it, you might have to incorporate more variables to keep learning until you get to the bottom of the anomalies and trends you might be getting through your data.
In today's episode, our guest, Jim Gavigan, shares his insights on the importance of time-series data and why it is important to understand your capacity. He also discusses the role of historians in enterprise architecture and how it interfaces with other systems. Finally, he discusses the similarities in the manufacturing processes of various industries and how to perform batch analysis to spot anomalies and detect trends.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are in the custom machinery business or building a custom machine using control systems from scratch, you have several challenges. While you might have previous experiences in building similar machines, each job is unique. The materials and the process may vary. The tooling required may be completely different. And then, you need to keep calibrating the interaction of materials, tooling, and variables using data gathered through your control systems until you get the desired throughput you need from your machines to produce the jobs profitably and competitively.
In today's episode, our guest, Frank Lamb, shares his insights on the process of building control systems required to increase the capacity of custom machinery. He also discusses the difference between the sales and production cycles for the boxed juice business and their co-packaging arrangements. Finally, he discusses why it is important to have historical data to quote, track time-to-quote for each job, and have templates for each job that you can use as a baseline to remain profitable with each job.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most manufacturers relate eCommerce as the B2C experience and swiping the credit card for pre-paid customers. But digital commerce is more than that, especially in the B2B setting. Also, in most cases, most people relate eCommerce as the engine for generating revenue through net-new customers. And they miss the point that digital commerce is about enabling and tailoring the experience for each persona to create the sticky effect that can create a much superior competitive advantage than offered through your brand, product, or pricing.
In today's episode, our guest, Ken Novak, shares his insights on enabling self-funded operational plans for Industrial manufacturers' digital journey. He also discusses the difference between the B2B and B2C experience and why the B2B experience is completely different with overlaps in user personas and their journeys. Finally, he discusses several other concepts such as the need for different systems in the digital architecture, the implications of poorly functioning PIM, the importance of industrial data points, and how to identify the lowest hanging fruits when executing digital projects.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a small custom manufacturing shop switching off from spreadsheets or QuickBooks, you will likely come across GeniusERP. It is probably the only small ERP that can work with complex assemblies and BOMs in the small ERP category. In the small ERP segment, most ERP systems don't support hybrid manufacturing. And in most cases, they will be able to support a couple of manufacturing processes. In the case of GeniusERP, they target custom manufacturers geared toward ETO processes. But how do they compare with other ERP systems such as Epicor Software, ProShop ERP, GlobalShop, ECI Software Solutions, and Infor? Also, since private equity or large investors do not back them, would they have enough funds to migrate their legacy codebase? What financial risks can you expect by choosing Genius as your ERP package?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of GeniusERP's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product design, history, current cloud capabilities, and the challenges of working directly with the OEM.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are responsible for managing operations for your organization, you will find yourself caught in the middle. On one side, you have a sales team that may not commit to driving predictable sales, but they will not allow you to miss even one delivery, even if it may be out of your control. Then on the other side, you have unpredictable factors such as workers not showing up on time or truck drivers not meeting their commitments. Finally, you need to make sure you can plan facility expansion, staffing, and training. You are also responsible for maintaining the quality of your products while maintaining all the regulatory compliance, including the health and safety of your employees. That's a lot. And there is no way you can do all of that on papers, spreadsheets, or disconnected systems. So, what systems do you need to build the annual operating plan? But most importantly, which systems will help you deliver on that plan? Is ERP enough? Or do you need more than that?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss information architecture for the operations department. We covered many grounds, including how to start on the annual operating plan and the systems and data points you might need to build your operations plan. Finally, we discussed concepts such as how to incorporate risks into your operating plan, where IIoT fits in the planning and operational execution, whether quality, health and safety, and SPC fit in the architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How many shoppers do you know will buy the first time they visit a store Very few, right? It takes some time before we can trust a brand. The same goes for e-commerce. The percentage may be even higher for e-commerce due to low barriers to exit from a site and go to the next one. In fact, more than 95% of the people that visit a website for the first time are not ready to buy. They need more than one interaction before they can make their mind. That’s where retargeting comes in. But is retargeting effective in every scenario? What are the best practices of effective retargeting? How many attempts should you be making to bring them back in the funnel?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss visitor retargeting strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the concepts such as retargeting vs. remarketing and where retargeting could add real value to the marketing campaigns. Finally, we covered retargeting strategies, methods, specific tools for retargeting, their pros and cons, and most importantly, the stories where it was effective.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sales and operations planning is a dark art, and most organizations typically have a very ad-hoc process of forecasting due to its nature. But it's critical to be directionally correct with your plan. Or you might end up missing opportunities or losing customers. Also, planning is more than just creating a model on a spreadsheet. It requires you to come up with estimates and iterate until every external or internal stakeholder agrees with the plan.
In today's episode, our guest, Lisa Anderson, shares her insights on why it is important to be directionally correct with sales and operations planning. She also discusses similarities in the planning for products such as E. Coli and 737 aircraft and how involved they both could be. Finally, she discusses why you might not get much value in being too detailed at the item level and why you will need to take an iterative approach to come with the forecasts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Launching a business model could provide a revenue engine and competitive advantage that will be unmatched. But launching a marketplace is not easy. In fact, it's a chicken and egg problem. Your suppliers will ask you to get the customers first. And your customers will need a decent product and vendor mix before they can choose your site over other stronger brands such as Amazon. Also, the technology investments required to launch a marketplace are substantial. But at least now, some of the eCommerce platforms can provide the marketplace module as part of their bundle.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Michael Vax, shares his insights on the marketplace business model and the challenges associated with launching it. He also describes the differences between the classic and enterprise marketplaces and which businesses will be appropriate for a marketplace business. Finally, he discusses the concepts such as ownership of data, biases to vendors or customers, or the channel conflict issues among marketplace participants and operators.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you have been thinking about incorporating robotic processes or industry 4.0 controls into your facility, you will have a choice whether you would like to buy the control systems directly from the vendors or program the robotic arms and control systems until you get the desired results from the manufacturing processes. Therefore, irrespective of whether you are a system integrator or the end consumer of the robotic process, you need to make a key decision whether you want to build the entire process from scratch or buy it out of the box.
In today's episode, our guest, Ira Sharp, shares his insights on open automation and why that is important for manufacturers to understand as they increase the industry 4.0 maturity of their companies. He also describes the differences between open, industrial, and process automation. Finally, he discusses why it's important to understand the vendor lock while buying a control system produced by the vendor vs. having control over the processes by designing it from scratch.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are two ways to grow an ERP company. Either you build products from scratch like SAP, Acumatica, SYSPRO, and NetSuite, etc. Or you acquire several products until you have a solid market share to create a product strategy like Infor, Epicor Software, Sage, and Appian Corporation. While Infor and Epicor were very aggressive with their acquisition strategy in their early days, they have realized how bad having too many product bases could fire back. One of the challenges that ERP companies face is to phase out the products acquired through acquisition and move their customers to a few strategic products. ERP business also requires a long-term commitment by their investors as having a solid technology strategy is expensive and requires aligned product priorities with the target market. ECI Software Solutions is one such company that has taken a unique approach of a franchise model where each company is a separate company with several products with overlapping functionality and codebase. They have had their last investor exit with 4x within four years. And even the new investor seems to be operating with the same mindset. But is this strategy sustainable? Would they have enough investment to modernize 30+ codebases with significantly duplicate functionality?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of ECi's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their acquisition strategy, investors' experience in building a software company, the specific position of each of their products, and the financial risks for customers. Finally, we discussed why Exact decided to spin off some of their products and what changes customers can expect post-acquisition.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you ask any manufacturer, they will tell you that the Shop floor is where you make money. You need to make sure you have the right material and the right operator at the right machine. Wasting machine or machinist time is equally expensive. But then your margins may be tight, and you need to make sure you are profitably able to produce the job by optimizing the cycle time. You also need to make sure that you service your equipment at the right time, or you have the risk of disruptions. So how many different systems does the shop floor need? And how to create the system architecture to enable the smart factory?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss shop floor information architecture. We covered many grounds, including the stories related to shop floor information architecture across various manufacturing industries of various sizes. Finally, we discussed what companies need to do to take advantage of Industry 4.0 technology and architectural patterns.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Getting a visitor to your site is not easy. Once you get visitors, keeping them engaged on the site is not easy either. But what is worse is if they end up dropping out without buying. Dropouts could happen because of a lot of reasons. It could be the higher price or shipping options. It could also be the checkout experience if the process may take a longer time than expected. So how do you control visitors from dropping out? What are the best practices for reducing the dropout? What are the KPIs that matter in controlling the dropout rate?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss visitor dropout strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the causes of dropouts and strategies to reduce them. Finally, we covered several stories related to dropouts, including overly intrusive pop-ups, autoplay videos, unavailability of inventory, or implications of a dependent system being down.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Demand and inventory planning is a dark art that even trained S&OP practitioners struggle to understand. Each company goes through a maturity curve as they scale their operations. They will start with a spreadsheet or a combination of a spreadsheet and an ERP system. They might also do a lot of planning inside the ERP, but the development of those reports could be costly, and your planners may still not like to use it due to the rigidity of the ERP systems. As they grow, they need a sophisticated planning system that can talk to the ERP back and forth.
In today's episode, our guest, Russ Graf, shares his insights on the inventory maturity curve for manufacturers and distributors. He also discusses how the inventory and S&OP planning differs for manufacturers and distributors. Finally, he discusses how the ERP systems might not have all the datasets the planners need to compute safety stock.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Did you know that plastic could be more sustainable than paper? Wait, what? Well, to understand sustainability, you need to analyze the complete product lifecycle, identify your KPIs for the critical material waste, and find out how much total waste you have in the entire product life cycle. If you did this, you might learn that paper usage resulted in wasting some other key resources as the product moved through the supply chain. This is why sustainability is more challenging than you think, and it requires careful analysis and positioning. Otherwise, these efforts are likely to fire back once influencers and consumers learn that you didn't mean what you stated on your marketing material.
In today's episode, our guest, Adam Peek, shares his insights on how sustainability initiatives can help your brand's strategic growth. He also discusses why you can't fake sustainability and why that's likely to fire back more than helping. Finally, he outlines why executing sustainable strategies is more challenging than you would think, as it requires a deep understanding of your materials and the entire product life cycle starting from procuring raw materials to consumers consuming or discarding them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Prototyping business is unique since each order is different. Most people would not be able to imagine standardization for this business. You may be building parts of different materials, shapes, and sizes and may require different machines and tooling to process the parts. You may also struggle with material storage requirements and might produce several WIP items as it might be cheaper than ordering each individual part. Given such constraints, how many people would think of implementing #robotic cell for a prototyping business?
In today's episode, our guest, Brian Kippen, shares his insights on Robotic cell technology and how that can be implemented to increase capacity. He also discusses the nuances of the prototyping business, and while it might be counterintuitive to implement robotic cell technology, he could successfully implement it by standardizing the processes. Finally, he shares his insights into his order to cash process and how they segment the materials, assign each job to machines, and share his insights into what would be required to scale the current processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While most ERP systems might feel as if they overlap entirely, there is a clear distinction between desktop apps, single-tenant, multi-tenant, and enterprise solutions. You might also need to pay attention to how many levels of BOMs are supported in the solution to ensure that you find an appropriate solution for your company. For example, most solutions that support industries such as food and beverage and automotive parts may not be suitable for complex manufacturing such as Electric Vehicles or Aerospace due to the lack of depth of their BOMs. Finally, make-to-stock planning is typically very different from make-to-order and engineering-to-order. One such solution is SYSPRO, which used to be a desktop app due to the underlying database. It has come a long way with its SQL server migration and advancement in the underlying technology platform. It may also be one of the best solutions for smaller Food and Beverage manufacturers and distributors.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of SYSPRO's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their marketing claims, especially about their transparency to their customers and their positioning in the appropriate market verticals. Finally, we discussed how SYSPRO could be a great solution for distribution and light manufacturing companies, but not so much for complex manufacturing as it's designed to be a single tenant and serve in ala-carte mode.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Retaining customers is 10x easier than acquiring them. But you will not be able to create the sticky effect with your customers unless you have a solid strategy behind it. Retention requires a loyalty model that makes your customers feel that they are getting preferential treatment for their loyalty. It also requires you to communicate the value of preferential treatment. Unless you communicate, how would they know that you are doing something for them? Without communication, your retention strategies may result in devaluing your products without any tangible advantage. Retention also requires you to have better experience and barriers that help them stick to your brand. Every brand has a different retention strategy. But what are the best practices when it comes to retaining your customers?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss customer retention strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the steps and processes for customer retention and why tracking invisible churn is important. Finally, we also discussed how to measure customer retention and why it is important to right-size the customer for product purchase alignment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While the 3PL and companies involved with freight movement may have much stronger needs for logistics and transportation processes, manufacturers and distributors can't be efficient if they treat logistics as their stepchild. In fact, more and more companies are managing their in-house fleets to meet the consumer expectations of faster delivery and issues such as driver shortages. The inhouse fleets are also required if you have regulated business or special requirements to ship your goods, such as Frozen food or if 3PLs might be cost-prohibitive for your business model. Even if you rely entirely on LTL and FTL carriers, you still have to manage the scheduling, timely loading or unloading, and coordination with your 3PL carriers if you want to avoid overages. So what are the needs and best practices to cost-effectively manage the logistics needs for a manufacturer or distributor? And what system and integrations would they require to manage them?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss logistics information architecture. We covered many grounds, including stories related to the different systems that logistics function needs and the role of POD and rate shopping systems in the architecture. Finally, we discussed why manufacturing and distribution companies need to think before bringing capabilities such as last-mile delivery in-house and how the supply chain companies have a very different business model than the traditional manufacturers and distributors.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Getting in front of more customers is typically the response of most manufacturers that might have sales performance issues or ambition to grow their sales. But you need a formalized sales process and a deep understanding of why you might be losing your current deals or how to find the next cohort of customers that might be similar to the ones you currently might have to be successful. Also, unless you have a well-adopted CRM for your sales team, it's hard to formalize the sales process and get the insights that will be meaningful for your sales leadership to create strategies that will help them get the desired results.
In today's episode, our guest, Josh Curcio, shares his insights on CRM onboarding best practices for manufacturers in the metal industry. He also discusses why most manufacturers don't have visibility into their sales performance problems unless they have a formalized sales process and collect data that is meaningful to create a feedback loop for the sales process. Finally, he discusses the specific CRM process and data issues for the metal industry.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The more regulated a business, the harder the requirements for regulatory compliance. Pharma distribution might feel like a straightforward business, but it has several requirements related to lot and serial number tracking that only exist in this industry. They also have unique channels and how their sales and purchase orders need to be processed in order to be compliant with the regulatory bodies. Utilizing a vanilla ERP for a pharma business may be a harder lift due to the unique process development requirements on top of a vanilla ERP, which might be more expensive than buying an ERP designed for the pharma distribution industry.
In today's episode, our guest, Darren Myher, shares his insights on the unique nuances of the pharma distribution business. He also discusses why vanilla ERP would fall short when it comes to the needs of pharma distributors as they have specific tracking requirements such as having a lot and serial numbers both on the product packaging. Finally, he discusses the data elements and information that need to be exchanged across the Supply Chain to comply with regulatory bodies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most manufacturers started their businesses as they were good at making parts. They grew primarily because of word of mouth with very little investment in marketing and automation. They might be sitting on a pile of inventory and legacy machines due to their lack of understanding of how to invest in modern technologies and processes. They might also lose on the opportunities if they might not be able to meet the consumer demand due to the limitations in their capabilities. But why are manufacturers so afraid of innovation? Is the fear real or is it primarily because of their unwillingness to move out of their comfort zone?
In today's episode, our guest, Tony Gunn, shares his insights on what manufacturers need to do to move out of their comfort zone. He also discusses how the iterative process to replace legacy machines with the new CNC machines can result in tapping into newer designs for consumer-centric industries. Finally, he discusses the need for innovation even for companies that might not be in the consumer-centric industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Among most software, #ERP systems have always traditionally been the most hated. Each new ERP system that comes to the market seems to claim how they can either expedite the implementation time, increase the adoption, or change the ERP industry. Also, most new systems target smaller niches such as job shops. But the deeper your ERP system is in a specific niche, the less friendly and agile it will be as your business model expands. Specifically, the smaller job shops have a hard job meeting regulatory requirements imposed on them if they sell to verticals such as Aerospace or Medical. In general, they need IT capabilities more than ever before. But most shop owners or their executive teams don't have formal IT, finance, or procurement leadership to understand how to take advantage of an ERP system. Also, there is a fundamental misunderstanding in the machining community that you only have opportunities on the shop floor. While the shop floor plays a major role with most shops, you need to balance all your departments equally, whether finance, procurement, or operations with growth. One of the newer systems that seem to be making a significant buzz, especially in the machining community, is ProShop ERP, which has been positioned as game-changing. But is the system genuinely game-changing, or is it just marketing hype?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of ProShop's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their marketing claims, especially about their transparency to their customers and underlying technical deficiencies that may not be entirely clear to the customers. Finally, we discussed how these technical limitations might end up costing way more in data restructuring and process alignment with the mainstream ERP systems once ProShop customers outgrow QuickBooks or Sage 50, and how this uniqueness will be a huge red flag for inventors considering to include ProShop customers in their portfolio.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A warehouse is a critical component to drive operational efficiency, especially if your company moves a lot of goods. The warehouse is also the area, which is typically the start of the automation, and if you operate your warehouse without barcodes, it might take forever to deliver the goods. Also, with ASRS systems and robots, the sky is the limit with what you could do to treat the warehouse the way it deserves. But without the foundational information architecture and connected systems, it's very hard to gain the efficiencies you expect. Sometimes poor implementations or poorly connected systems cause implementation failure of large Robotics or ASRS systems. What do you need to make sure you have a solid foundation for your warehouse to automate your warehouse processes?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss warehouse information architecture. We covered many grounds, including stories related to the information architecture for warehouse processes and the considerations that businesses need to keep in mind while designing the architecture, including WiFi availability, interactions with 3PL, the need for robotics, and the number of sites. Finally, we discussed how newer technologies such as multi-shuttle systems, AMRs, and drones that can cycle count are driving the need for refined architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Retaining customers is easier and cheaper than acquiring customers. But unless you continuously acquire, you might have growth challenges. You can't simply rely on word-of-mouth channels. Customer acquisition is especially critical for e-commerce. For your customer acquisition to work effectively, you need to master your ideal customer profile and the messaging that will work with them. You also need to master strategies that are going to be uniquely applicable to your customers and channels. Finally, you will need to figure out how to continuously measure and keep improving until you hit the desired KPIs for your funnel.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss customer acquisition strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the process and steps of customer acquisition and stories related to customer acquisition strategies. Finally, we covered how to improve customer acquisition metrics by having deeper understanding of customer needs and refining the targeting strategies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As you grow, you will be getting a lot of offers to get acquired. You might also be acquiring the companies, especially if you might not be able to meet your growth plans through organic channels. Whichever side of the M&A process you might happen to be on, you will only get value from the transaction if it is successfully executed. The most common reasons why acquisitions fail is because of the misunderstanding of the market and focusing solely on the financial models on the spreadsheets than really understanding what has really worked for the company that may be acquired.
In today's episode, our guest, Kison Patel, shares his insights into the importance of people-focused M&A transactions and why buyers and sellers must understand the market deeply than simply relying on spreadsheet models. He also describes the success and failure rates of M&A transactions and what works for companies that have successfully executed the transaction. Finally, he shares why integration is the most important step of the M&A transactions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The social proof is becoming real, especially for B2C and FMCG brands with the advancements in social media and influencer marketing concepts. Also, with the increased competition, it's becoming harder to get placed at shelves in high-traffic areas. Even so, there are several newer technologies out there, such as mass customer mobilization, that can help get visibility for your brand inside the store through non-traditional methods.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Ben Searcy, shares his insights into the importance of customer advocacy and mass customer mobilization. He also describes how customer advocacy differs for B2B and B2C brands. Finally, he describes how the mass customer mobilization could increase sales at low-performing stores and how the advocacy could increase the revenue for B2B brands.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What could you do if your business were not able to break through and grow as expected? What would you do if the close rate were extremely low and you couldn't do anything about it as your channel controlled the sales process? While there are several options to help with this issue, including going DTC, the path is extremely risky, especially if you might be taking this path for the first time on such a massive scale. But careful planning and a well-thought-out process beforehand can save you a lot of headaches during the project phase.
In today's episode, our guest, Phil Coerper, shares his insights into executing on DTC strategy. He also describes how to determine whether your business should be pure distribution-led, pure DTC, or hybrid. Finally, he shares his journey of building the business case, getting approval from the board, and the challenges he faced to ensure that the project remained on time and on budget.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditional IT required you to stress test programming languages, databases, and server farms based on your expected workload. You designed the system based on the size of your organization. If you are buying an ERP system, you obviously don't have to go through the testing and measurement process as you assume that ERP vendors and salespeople must sell to the right-sized organization. Unfortunately, most ERP salespeople neither have ERP implementation nor an IT background.
To be fair with them, their providers never provide them with the technical sheet (or technical education) of the system's limitations. Instead, they only have access to the functional sheets. Would you not expect a technical sheet if you were buying a piece of machinery as the OEMs are legally required to provide for the products that might be life-threatening? Then why not for an ERP? This makes the process for selecting an ERP system fundamentally flawed as just because a corolla may have similar functionality as an SUV or a truck. A corolla is not supposed to be doing the same heavy lifting if your organization has grown to require an SUV. Because of this issue, most companies end up defaulting to the system they already trust, such as SAP, or they might be making extremely unfair comparisons, such as Oracle NetSuite vs GlobalShop. But if you asked them to explain why they chose a specific system, they would rarely have an answer. Each ERP system is designed for a specific stage of a company, and you will be sitting on a financial and legal risk if you don't understand that you will get the real taste of ERP after you have signed a multi-year contract and started loading all of your data. Let's dig under the hood to underhood how to evaluate Desktop apps such as GlobalShop. More importantly, where does GlobalShop stand as of today? And where do they win most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of GlobalShop's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their marketing claims, especially about their transparency to their customers and underlying technical deficiencies that may not be entirely clear to the customers. Finally, we discussed how these technical limitations might drive the admin costs and challenges in running even a decent-sized manufacturing organization with more than 100 SKUs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Procurement plays an extremely important role in ensuring that you have the right raw materials at the right place at the right time. They are also responsible for the S&OP planning, which is the hardest to master, and misaligned S&OP functions could significantly impact the top and bottom line. And they are often left behind when it comes to their technology needs. They are also an afterthought in the organization in creating sophisticated procurement processes that will have tangible financial results. But what do procurement professionals need to perform their duties? Is ERP enough? Or do they need more? Where do systems such as P2P, CLM, Spend Analysis, Supplier Discovery, Supplier Information Management, eSourcing, Contract Management, eProcurement, eInvoicing, Supplier Management fit in the architecture? And how to design an architecture that allows companies to create process boundaries between these systems and share information while maintaining a single source of truth.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss procurement information architecture. We covered many grounds, including stories related to the different systems that procurement function needs and the role of MDM and CLM in the architecture. Finally, we discussed the vendor collaboration required at the various stages of the order lifecycle, starting from the design, procurement, finance, and production.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are an e-commerce business, you need to have your margins at your fingertips. Understanding your margins for each of your SKUs lets you know if any of the products might be a good fit for marketplaces. They also help you assess if you have enough margin for customs duties on international sales. Finally, they will help you understand if you can offer free shipping, bundle discounts, or cash back options. But sadly, most e-commerce companies very rarely understand their margins as their costing may be off. They might be using standard costing, and because of that, the costs may not be current. They might not be factoring in their labor or machine costs. They might also not be factoring overheads. So what can companies do to measure their margins and track appropriately?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss margins measurement and tracking for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including how often the margins need to be tracked, different cost variables that might affect them, and how that would affect decision-making. Finally, we covered the KPIs eCommerce managers need to track to manage their roles and responsibilities effectively.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most companies are very rarely effective with their pricing strategies. They might have very simplified pricing strategies such as cost-plus to avoid the analyst overhead and lose money by not charging enough. Or they might have very manual processes to monitor competing SKUs at marketplaces or over the web and might lose their margins with the admin overhead. While monitoring pricing has never been straightforward, the newer tools are making the process easier and helping companies control and update them dynamically as the market condition changes.
In today's episode, our guest, Burc Tanir, share his insights into dynamic pricing works and how e-commerce companies can take advantage of it. He also describes how the newer technologies can help monitor the pricing on marketplaces without hiring an army of analysts and increase your admin costs. Finally, he describes the nuances of dynamic pricing, such as SKU segmentation based on price sensitivity and aligning the pricing strategies based on their sensitivity.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The automotive industry has always been challenging for manufacturers and distributors serving it. You might have ultra-thin margins with every year the OEMs threatening to reduce the costs further. You also have had traditional demand forecasting issues where the demand forecasted by industry groups may be off by as much as 50%. Also, with COVID and supply chain issues, the job of forecasters has become even more challenging. Now your choice is to overstock or overwork to meet the unpredictable demand. Or figure out how to take advantage of newer technologies such as machine learning platforms that are helping automotive manufacturers become leaner and operationally efficient.
In today's episode, our guest, Ryan Knox from Flexfab, Tony Lancione from Lancione Group, and Eamonn Barrett from Remi AI, share their insights into how AI and Machine learning have solved their traditional demand forecasting issues. They also describe why automotive is unique with its demand forecasting needs and why this market has unique challenges to forecast the demand compared to other manufacturing verticals such as Aerospace or consumer goods. Finally, they describe the nuances of the machine learning algorithm and how the traditional approaches might fall short or maybe cost prohibitive to achieve the same forecasting accuracy.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How hard could running a store be? Isn't it as simple as keeping a bunch of products, renting a place, and selling? Also, how hard could it be when you have multiple locations where customers expect consistent experience when they visit any of the stores? Well, if e-commerce is hard, running a retail chain that is known for its customer experience like Starbucks or WholeFoods is equally hard. First, you need to make sure the customers can find the right products at the right place. And then, you need to have consistent store experience across locations.
In today's episode, our guest, Rachel Williamson, shares her insights on the nuances of retail store transformation. She also discusses how the customer experience starts right from hiring, having a playbook, and the importance of study and observations to handle execution and compliance issues. Finally, she shares several stories of various stores where the most store performance issues were related to problems such as not having a clean fitting room or having the right size that customers expected when they visited the store.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
You can't spell Automotive without the mention of Plex. While not as penetrated as other bigger players such as Infor, Epicor, or SAP, Plex has had a significant impact on the ERP community due to the quality of its product. That's probably the reason Rockwell decided to acquire them. But the bigger reason why Rockwell acquired them is because of their MES and IoT capabilities. In fact, if you look closely, Plex would appear more of the MES than ERP. That's also probably why companies install Plex and Workday together, as they are truly made for each other, especially for manufacturing companies. It's also the only system that takes the perspective of plant managers and shop floor, and that's why Industry 4.0 community is a big fan of Plex. But where does Plex stand as of today? And where do they win most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Plex's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product roadmap, history, current capabilities, financial risks, and changes to their strategy because of the Rockwell acquisition.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Even though CFOs and Controllers are responsible for driving the transformation inside the company, they often have to put the needs of their peers in operations, sales, and HR before their own needs. Also, technology decisions are always about trade-offs. If you make the life of customer-facing teams easier, it would mean that your backend teams might need to work harder to meet the expectations. What systems do finance leaders need to drive finance transformation? Is ERP enough, or do they need more? How to build the architecture that is going to drive the needs of the finance dept?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss implementing systems for the finance department. We covered many grounds, including several stories of finance transformation, including some horror stories and initiatives that resulted in the growth of the companies purely because of these financial innovations. Finally, we discussed several other concepts such as continuous close, standard vs. actual costing, fixed assets, the chart of account, acquisitions, and finance data warehouse.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While free tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you provide some insights into your funnel and customer behavior, you are simply scratching the surface with the amount of analytics you would need to drive marketing results. With multiple systems being used in the e-commerce architecture, including CRM, website, PIM, and marketplaces, you need a centralized analytics platform to determine which products are the right fit for which channel. Which marketplaces are most profitable in which countries? Which paid campaigns are working most effectively for which customer segment? Where would be your next expansion opportunity? Would it make more sense to extend another product line on a specific channel? Or does it make more sense to expand geographically? How can you find customer 360 to get all the activities related to a customer? These are the questions you will have as an e-commerce manager for which you need tons of data to make informed decisions.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss marketing analytics strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including several stories where the analytics platform consisted of several systems and platforms and the challenges associated with multi-system architecture. Finally, we covered how to interpret and read the data, find the right datasets for reconciliations, and what KPIs and dashboards marketers need for day jobs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you plan to acquire ISO or AS, one of the critical steps for this journey would be to go through the internal audit process. But who is responsible for internal audits? Is it the external consultants who will be providing the certifications? Is it the quality department? Or is it department heads? While it may seem counter-intuitive, the role of external consultants is not to do the internal audits. The internal auditors are selected from one of the internal teams that is curious about quality and have the communication and cross-functional skills to ensure that necessary issues get logged while explaining the importance of each process steps.
In today's episode, our guest, Michael Venner, shares the nuances of internal audit and its importance to get certified. He also discusses where internal audit fits in the certification journey and the role of external consultants. Finally, he outlines the process for selecting an internal auditor, their responsibilities, and the traits of a good internal auditor.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As you grow, you will go through several stages of S&OP maturity. Sales always conservatively estimate the inventory as they don't want to miss any opportunities. But finance executives want to reduce the inventory as much as possible as that has carrying costs. While you might be aware of the inventory issues, solving them is hard, as they require cross-functional collaboration and agreements across teams. Inventory turnover is one metric that could help you achieve your goals if you included it as part of the compensation plan for every stakeholder across the company.
In today's episode, our guest, Hugo Fuentes, shares the nuances of inventory turnover and how that could help optimize the inventory and cash flow. He also discusses stages of S&OP maturity for various companies and how they must enable cross-functional KPIs tied to compensation plans to solve the S&OP challenges. Finally, he discusses how to perform the SKU segmentation across industries and categories to find the appropriate inventory turnover targets for each SKU.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
You might not worry about vendors until one day your production line stops because you didn't realize that you had a single point of failure with your processes. You might also make a strategic choice to simplify your processes by choosing just one vendor for most of your components. But while you might not have issues as of today as you may have had reliable vendors supporting you for a long time, it doesn't mean that you will never face issues because of a single source of supply. What if the vendor gets acquired? Or they have management changes that might not provide the same service levels that you expect.
In today's episode, our guest, David Chavez, shares the nuances of outsourced contract manufacturing. He also discusses several stories where the outsourced vendor processes and supply chain were a major cause for production breakdown and significant financial loss and missed opportunities. Finally, he discusses the process for evaluating global vendors and how to ensure that they are not retaining control that could be a financial risk to your business.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most large enterprise customers rarely look for an ERP solution outside of SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft as they offer comprehensive global solutions with localizations in most countries. This allows you to use a truly global solution without requiring a country-specific solution for the countries where non-global solutions fall short. When it comes to a truly global solution, some industries have specific supply chain management needs, including global trade management, transportation management, and supplier collaboration. These industries include Automotive suppliers that need to collaborate with their suppliers and perform integrated business planning. This planning helps them meet the needs of demanding customers such as GM and Ford while still meeting their costs expectations in an ultra-competitive market. Enter QAD. They are truly unique with their capabilities to support the needs of specific micro-verticals of global enterprises.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of QAD' capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product roadmap, history, current cloud capabilities, financial risks, and changes to their strategy because of the private equity acquisition.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Building information architecture for e-commerce companies is not easy. Most e-commerce companies serve B2B and B2C, so they need customer-facing websites along with an ERP. But then, with the blurring business models, e-commerce companies, especially those that are DTC, are expected to do a lot more, including managing their complex warehouses and sometimes their fleet for the last-mile delivery if 3PLs may not be as cost-effective or might not be able to meet the lead time requirements of the customer. In addition, these fleets might soon need IoT devices and GPS to appropriately track the driver compensation and provide the tracking to compete with the likes of Uber Eats, which will increase the complexity of the architecture further. Also, just like Google started creating partnerships with big-box retailers to provide the product and store experience, more e-commerce companies will start creating similar partnerships or open their experience stores, complicating the architecture further.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss implementing systems for e-commerce companies. We covered many grounds, including several e-commerce stories and the role of the PIM system in the E-commerce architecture. Finally, we discussed several scenarios to handle e-commerce architecture challenges, such as when multiple ERP systems feed a single website vs. multiple brands sourced from a single ERP system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is so much talk about marketing automation. But, is marketing automation about automating the entire marketing, so you don't have to hire anyone in the marketing department? Or is it about predicting and creating engagements through content at every step of the way as buyers move through the funnel? How much investment does marketing automation require? Are there any best practices on what to automate and what could be overkill? How important is technology to achieve marketing automation goals? And how important is tracking? Are there any specific KPIs that matter? Are there any industry-specific KPIs that might be relevant?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss marketing automation strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including what marketing automation is and why it matters. Finally, we covered several stories related to the best practices of marketing automation and KPIs relevant for marketing automation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While ERP systems have come a long way with their capabilities and faster time-to-value, these investments still take a long time to deliver value to your business, even if you may have gone live within 90 days. Also, you will uncover real issues with the ERP system once you start running your business on the new system due to the lack of interest from most stakeholders during the testing and implementation phase. Finally, the post-implementation phase may cost you more than the pre-implementation phase, but if you pull the plug after investing for many months or years, cleaning it up and upgrading to the new system may be even costlier.
In today's episode, our guest, Matt Dietrich, shares his insights on why ERP implementation projects must be treated as a journey instead of a one-time deal. He also discusses the importance of a fully connected ERP system even for commercial decision making and how to spot an old vs. newer ERP system with deeper capabilities to drive the decision-making. Finally, he outlines why committing to a platform and continuous investment is more important than upgrading it every couple of years.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a warehouse manager, your goal will be to get as many shipments out of the door as fast as possible. You might also be tempted to compare your ratios with other similar warehouses or the warehouses of your competitors. But as each business is different, each warehouse and its ratios will be different as well. So while you need to consider the warehouses and inventory as part of your continuous improvement plan as you learn more about your business and processes, you can't compare them with anyone else.Â
In today's episode, our guest, Jeff Lem, shares his insights on optimizing dock-to-stock ratios of a warehouse. He also discusses the various component of the dock-to-stock ratio that drives the overall ratio including time to receive the product against a purchase order and put away in suitable locations. Finally, he discusses the nuances of the labeling process, part #, and where and how vendor part number should be used to avoid tight coupling with your vendors while still providing end-to-end traceability.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The larger the organization, the harder it becomes to roll out the implementation and truly reap its benefits. Also, the ERP implementation needs to be treated as a continuous improvement project as the context will change, and as you acquire more data from your ERP implementation, you will have more opportunities to improve your processes. If you don't share your inventory, customer, and vendor data across sites, you will not gain true cost-saving opportunities due to the siloed nature of your organization. Also, you need to analyze if there might be standardization opportunities available by utilizing similar equipment or processes.
In today's episode, our guest, Bob Feathers, shares his insights and lesson learned from a multi-site ERP implementation. He also discusses their rationale for data sharing across sites, including customers, vendors, and items, and walks us through their selection and implementation process. Finally, he discusses the challenges they ran into in the post-implementation phase due to the lack of testing and commitment from users and why ERP implementations need to be treated as continuous improvement projects even after the implementations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While evaluating ERP systems, one of the critical choices you will have to make is whether to go for ERP systems that are supported directly by the OEM vs. through partners. In the SMB space, most large vendors support their systems through resellers. But some vendors such as IQMS, QAD, and IFS don't have their channels as developed and support their products primarily through their professional services teams. Also, before its acquisition by Dassault systems, IQMS had a very interesting journey. They were growing very fast and had many solutions to support industry-specific functionality. So, where does IQMS stand as of today? And where do they win most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of IQMS' capabilities. We covered several grounds, including their positioning in specific micro-verticals and their deeper capabilities than other manufacturing ERP software. Finally, we discussed their product roadmap, history, current cloud capabilities, and changes to their strategy because of the Dassault acquisition.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How would you feel if you noticed the availability of your favorite shirt on a website, but when you walked to the store, it wasn't available there. How would you feel if the coupon provided on purchase from the website would not work on a mobile device because of the disconnected loyalty databases? The channels are increasing at an ever-increasing rate, and with that, the complexity of building omnichannel architecture increases exponentially. Omnichannel experience requires you to allow your users to switch between devices right within a transaction, ranging from e-commerce to POS and mobile. But how do you start on the omnichannel journey, and what is required to build a truly omnichannel architecture?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the strategies to enable omnichannel experience. We covered many grounds, including several stories where omnichannel and their architectural components. Finally, we discussed some of the live case studies on omnichannel experience, including how it differs from multichannel in different B2B and B2C situations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
48% of customers buy sooner when they have a coupon. And 37% of customers buy more than they normally would. These numbers could be a great tool to drive sales and results. Most people think of coupons as discounts but successfully implementing a good coupon strategy requires far more planning. The coupons require you to identify appropriate distribution channels so they get seen by the customers. The coupon also requires you to identify the right audience and have incentives for them that will drive them to make a purchase. Mastering the coupon strategy not only helps you increase your sales and help spread awareness of your brand. But how to follow a structured coupon strategy that will help with business results?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss coupon strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the difference between discounts and coupons and how they differ for B2B and B2C. Finally, we also discussed several concepts such as distribution strategy, measurement techniques, applications, implementation guidelines, specific coupon types and use cases, and best practices for implementing coupons without losing money.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Creating consumer products that don't have a pre-existing category is much harder to sell and commercialize than you would think. You have to figure out how to go through procurement, who will probably not be very receptive to your product as they might get beat up by their management. You may also not have enough funding for advertising campaigns to create the kind of buzz a new product requires. What can you do? You need to think deeper. You have to find non-traditional ways to find your customers and convert them into champions to create a completely new market that your buyers start finding you as opposed to you finding them.
In today's episode, our guest, Kara Goldin, shares her insights into how to develop non-traditional marketing channels for your new products. She also shares how she solved her initial product and supply chain challenges without any experience in the manufacturing or food and beverage industry. Finally, she shares how she prioritized with limited funding as she grew her company through inflection points and at which point she had the confidence that this was the right product category that could scale.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cannabis has become a booming industry, with several states legalizing the use of cannabis in their states. And the industry is also becoming complex with the ever-increasing applications of Cannabis products and their by-products. The companies need to comply with the state requirements, but there might also be additional process overheads due to federal limitations. While the Cannabis industry has some similarities with other industries such as manufacturing, food, or tobacco, there are also significant differences due to the unique traceability and processing requirements.
In today's episode, our guest, Dave Crysler, shares his insights into the nuances of the cannabis market and value chain. He also discusses the customer groups of each of the players involved in the industry and their licensing structure. Finally, he discusses the manufacturing, warehousing, and inventory processes of the cannabis companies and their compliance requirements.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Generating demand for new products is super challenging. But the challenges would be at a different level if you had to generate the demand for product categories that didn't exist and if you had to go through procurement. Luckily, today's technologies allow you to target specific roles in a given account, so they can relate with your logo and brand before you visit them. The manufacturers who would have wasted millions of dollars in the generic marketing strategies such as trade shows without any tracking can know what is happening with each of the impressions, who is looking at your content, and if you are heading in the right direction with your investments.
In today's episode, our guest, Daniel Englebretson, shares his insights into the demand generation strategies for new product development. He also shares several stories about his work where he successfully penetrated the market where there was not even a category for that product. Finally, he shares his challenges working with procurement and how he broke into these accounts through innovative targeting strategies that are only possible through the technologies available in the market.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Open-source is not a term you will hear when it comes to ERP systems. But there are a few open source ERP systems such as Odoo. While their claim of being open-source made them super popular in the development community, are they truly open-source? Well, if you look under the hood, the open-source pitch is really to grab developers' attention as the core component of ERP, such as the accounting module, is not really open source. But developers still love it. That's probably the reason why Odoo is majorly used by the IT and development community and primarily used by E-commerce companies as they tend to be development heavy. But where does Odoo stand as of today? Where do they win most?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Odoo's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the features available in their open-source edition and whether there are any tangible advantages of it being open-source. Finally, we discussed the pros and cons and different cost components that need to be considered while evaluating an open-source software versus a commercial package.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you start your business, you will do whatever you can in your power to survive. You might sign up any customers that might have any amount of money in their pockets. You might sell an offering that you might not have on your menu. Again, we as entrepreneurs have figured out how to survive. But the same entrepreneurial spirit fires back when you are trying to scale your business. Once you reach an inflection point, you will likely have the most complex product mix, manufacturing, and inventory processes resulting from ad-hoc survival or incomplete customer and vendor data driving unnecessary manual processes. At this point, you have two choices, either live with the processes that might not be relevant anymore for your business. Or, start with a clean slate and draw every process out there and simplify as much as possible.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the strategies for business simplification prior to implementation. We covered many grounds, including why simplification matters and which business objects you should prioritize for simplification. Finally, we discussed several stories related to chart of accounts, sub-accounts, work centers, inventory part numbers, paper-driven processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While you may get tons of traffic for your e-commerce website, if your users don't find your content interesting, they might not stay on it for very long. And this is where the KPIs around sessions are critical. It will help you understand what's happening after the users land on your pages. It will also help you understand how long they stay on each page and how many pages they visit per session. The session KPIs are helpful when you might have a lot of traffic but not as many conversions. But how to optimize the content and journeys to improve your KPIs related to sessions?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss session optimization strategies for e-commerce. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why the session matters and the pitfalls associated with reading session KPIs. Finally, we also discussed several stories where the session optimization strategies resulted in tangible results for the business and which platforms have higher accuracy for session data.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Transportation management has multiple facets, and it could mean different things to different companies. But the real value of a TMS system will be when multimode legs are involved in shipping goods. And that's why the transportation and 3PL companies have greater needs for a TMS system than manufacturing and distribution companies. But if the manufacturing company manages its own fleet and requires visibility into multi-mode tracking, it might also need a sophisticated TMS system. So whether you simply use a shipping add-on or a full-blown TMS system for your shipping needs, you will need to integrate with your WMS or ERP system.
In today's episode, our guest, Fred Cartwright from Haversack, shares his insights into the nuances of transportation management systems from different perspectives of manufacturers, distributors, 3PL facilities, and transportation companies. He also describes the concepts such as mode optimization, consolidation, and spot market. Finally, he shares several stories of TMS implementations and describes several KPIs that companies should aim to get from a TMS system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Logistics planning is hard, and it gets harder as the number of incoming and outgoing truckloads grows for a warehouse or manufacturing facility. While yard management is typically an afterthought as its implications may not impact the core operational and financial transactions, you can't ignore it due to the financial hits caused by unused trailer capacity, detention, and demurrage fee. Unless you have enough data at your fingertips and automated management of your gate etc., your yard operations crew might be spending more time dealing with the shouting match due to the blame game than adding the real value to your bottom line.
In today's episode, our guest, Colin Mansfield from Yard Management Solutions, shares his insights into the process nuances of yard management of manufacturing and warehouse facilities. He also describes the lifecycle of yard management and trailers, along with concepts such as drop load, live load, the role of jockey drivers, detention, and demurrage fee. Finally, he discusses the role of YMS in the enterprise architecture, how it interacts with other systems such as WMS, TMS, and ERP, and various KPIs relevant to managing a yard.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The journey of e-commerce could be frightening. In fact, it's kind of confusing because of the blurring line between B2B and B2C. The approach that worked for B2C may not be most appropriate for B2B. There is also a blurring line between whether you want to consider the content-first approach or cart-first. Whatever you consider, you will have significant implications on your business model, and you want to make sure that it's the right fit for your business. If your business is slightly more content first, the cart-first approach may fire back. But how to decide which would be appropriate for you?
In today's episode, our guest, Jeffry Graham from Ecommerce MGMT, shares his insights into the classic debate of cart-first and content-first for e-commerce companies. He also shares several stories of companies that went through either cart-first or content-first approaches from point A and B, including describing their outcomes. Finally, he describes when each of these approaches would be appropriate and immediate steps companies can take with their journey of the configurator.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people might recognize Microsoft for Windows or Office applications. They might also recognize them for their database and Azure. But did you know that Microsoft always had a significant market share in the ERP space? While Microsoft's go-to-market strategy has been very different from other ERP vendors such as Oracle and SAP, they have always had a lead in the market with their products such as GP, SL, NAV, and AX. In the world of the Cloud, Microsoft may even be ahead of its legacy competitors, such as SAP, due to the completeness of their products. Microsoft also has a possible advantage with their #2 CRM products and several other products that they offer as part of Microsoft 365 Suite, such as Office, Power Apps, Azure Data Factory, and Power BI. But like other competitors such as SAP, Sage, Infor, or Epicor, they still have significant legacy code that is not modernized and would not be as fresh as their cloud-native counterparts. Where does Microsoft stand as of today? And where are they winning in the world of the Cloud?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Microsoft's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the overview of different product offerings from Microsoft and their positioning in the market. Finally, we discussed which companies would be the appropriate fit for Mircosoft ERP systems and the risk factors they might need to evaluate during their evaluation process.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Garbage in garbage out is perhaps the most overused phrase of all during the ERP conversations. Everyone uses it, but very few understand the consequences and implications of this phrase. Also, your data, whether structured poorly or diligently, forms the foundation of your business model. But why? Because many data sets are relevant in the ERP conversations, such as master, configuration, transactional, and historical, they each have their implications on the selection and implementation of ERP. Suppose you implement or select an ERP without going through the phase of data cleansing or aligning your data with the future business model. In that case, you might end up choosing an incorrect ERP, as your poorly structured data may be influencing the decision for your ERP. The data cleansing could mean aligning your BOMs with your production process or your customer structure with how you transact with them. But how to follow the structured data cleaning approach to select the suitable ERP and avoid implementation disaster?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss data cleansing prior to ERP implementation. We covered many grounds, including the difference between what garbage truly is during the implementation and why ERP historical data is hard to migrate compared to CRM. Finally, we discussed the business model implications of bad data and how the master data needs to be planned in different contexts in the multi-system scenario.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Pricing and discounting are two strategies to incentivize buyers to make a purchase decision. But there is always confusion where each would be appropriate. Also, pricing is often a sensitive area where most companies would rather undercharge in fear of losing market share or customers. Companies could use pricing strategies such as cost-plus, competition-based, value-based, price skimming, loss-leader, penetration, dynamic, bundle, premium, and anchor. But they rarely understand the true potential and their applications. There are a lot of factors to consider when developing an ecommerce pricing strategy. Competition, ever-changing customer expectations, material costs, and shipping all play a role in pricing your products. To stay relevant, brands need to continue to reevaluate their pricing strategy. But what are the best practices of pricing?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss pricing strategies in the e-commerce world. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the difference between pricing and discounting strategies. Finally, we also discussed the nuances of various pricing types loss-leader, cost-plus, and competitor-based along with their pros and cons.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The divide between IT and OT has always been challenging for business executives. But this divide has always existed and still exists among other groups too. For example, sales and marketing teams don't like to deal with IT as they are perceived to slow down things. The supply chain doesn't like them either as they would rather manage their systems independently than dealing with IT. While other groups have realized the importance of IT and created true partnerships, OT teams have yet to figure out how to eat at the same dinner table with IT.Â
In today's episode, our guests, Tom Harrop from Splunk, share his insights into the core reasons for the organizational divide between IT and OT. He also describes why OT cannot catch up with other departments such as sales, marketing, HR, and Supply Chain with IT and what companies can do to remove silos. Finally, he describes the ideal industry 4.0 architecture for companies to converge their IT and OT functions.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Due to the proliferation of IoT devices in manufacturing environments, the number of access points prone to attack has increased significantly. And while the OT environments don't have as thicker the code base as the IT environment, OT environments are less secure than IT. The lack of education in how to write production-ready software and a greater push for efficiency have been the reasons why OT devices are more prone to attack with higher safety consequences.Â
In today's episode, our guests, Corey White and David Cundiff from Cyvatar share their insights into how the tradeoffs for greater efficiencies and OEE may be driving cybersecurity issues in the OT environments. They also take a deep dive into a car manufacturer's story where they ended up losing millions of dollars due to a ransomware attack within 8 hrs of attack. Finally, they describe the mechanics of ransomware, how the codebase in OT and IT differ, and why OT devices are harder to secure and more prone to attacks than IT due to the lack of standardization and skillsets of OT operators.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Scheduling has always been challenging for manufacturing industries, especially for industries such as Automotive, where stopping the assembly line even for a couple of hours could mean the loss of millions of dollars for a company. Some industries also have challenges where the skill matrix could play a huge role in your scheduling as the skills may not be transferrable. If you don't have a sense of how many associates from each skill would show up on the shop floor and if there might be any hot order dropping on unexpectedly, there will always be disruptions on the shop floor. But what can companies do to manage these disruptions?
In today's episode, our guest, Sneha Kumari, shares her insights into how SLAs and resource mix impact shop floor scheduling. She also shares concepts such as the importance of real-time data on the shop floor and how that can help improve the shop floor function. Finally, she discusses concepts such as the tradeoffs between pseudo resources and reduced admin efforts because of it and how change management could play a huge role in whether your team will adapt your initiatives or not.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Epicor is the household name for mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies. Just like Infor, it offers last-mile functionality for manufacturing and distribution companies that may not be available through other enterprise players such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft. While Epicor may not be as global a solution as some of their larger competitors, they offer more value to the SMB manufacturers and distributors. Epicor also has a similar strategy as Infor and Aptean to focus on specific industry verticals in the manufacturing and distribution space and have acquired many last-mile products in the last few years. Due to multiple products in its portfolio in the on-prem world, they have had similar challenges competing with other cloud-native vendors. While they have attempted to consolidate their portfolio and give their cloud strategy a new name Kinetic, just like Infor branding its products under CloudSuite, they are still actively selling and developing most of their legacy products.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Epicor's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the overview of different product offerings from Epicor and their positioning in the market. Finally, we discussed their cloud-native strategy, their market share in each micro-verticals, and the migration path for their legacy customers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The supply chain structure defined in the ERP software must mirror the actual supply chain. But it very rarely does. This issue is even more critical when the organizations may have multiple sites to distribute or manufacture goods. The supply chain professionals often need to plan on spreadsheets to make up for the underlying problems in the ERP configurations and data. While there are many definitions of a multi-site implementation, the sites in most implementations maintain their customer, vendor, and item master independently due to the lack of understanding and limitations of the underlying software. This limits organizations in capitalizing on the corporate discounts available globally, exploiting capacity optimization opportunities across the sites, and supply chain planning to minimize the number of hops. Multi-site planning requires you to analyze your item master, BOMs, customer, and vendor at a much deeper level to see how each site will interact with each other and who will be responsible for what.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss data-sharing across multiple entities. We covered many grounds, including the difference between planning for multi-site vs. single-site. Finally, the issues around optimizing multi-site structures and the framework to implement the multi-entity architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Planning for sales in the traditional world was easy. If you had a retail location, you would plan the right location, inventory, study the neighborhood, and provide the customer service and pricing aligned with the neighborhood's needs. If you were selling through big-box retailers or distributors, you had to hire salespeople qualified to sell to distributors, design their territories, and perhaps send them to golf courses. In the world of e-commerce, planning for sales requires much deeper planning. But what are the best practices for these strategies, and how to plan in a structured manner?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss sales strategies in the e-commerce world. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the comparison between traditional and e-commerce sales organizations. Finally, we also discussed the framework for ensuring sales results and the strategic and tactical steps that a sales leader can take to ensure results.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Identifying the appropriate production method requires you to have a deep understanding of your finished products and raw materials consumed. An incorrect production method and its KPIs may have implications on the production capacity. Also, if there is a mismatch in your demand and supply, you might need to understand if there might be a way to increase the capacity. If you are lucky, you might be able to duplicate the existing line and increase it. But if you have to install a new line from scratch, there might be a lot more moving pieces and surprises than you would expect.
In today's episode, our guest, Vlad Romanov, shares his insights into how the two schools of production, discrete and continuous, differ, including their KPIs. He also shares his insights into optimizing the production lines by analyzing the types of products produced and the types of raw materials consumed. Finally, he discusses how to increase capacity by analyzing the business case of installing a new production line vs. upgrading the existing one.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditionally most systems used on the shop floor were disconnected. Even if you had multiple systems such as ERP and MES, they didn't have real-time connectivity with the machines. And to get data from these systems, manufacturers created data lakes and powered dashboards using the insights gathered from these lakes. While these dashboards provide visibility into operations to some degree, they were deficient in providing the controls that connected systems would offer. With the help of MQTT and a unified namespace, now you can connect all your disparate systems on the shop floor using a gateway or a broker.
In today's episode, our guest, David Schultz, shares his insights into how manufacturers can increase the capacity from their existing investments by connecting them in real-time. He also discusses how traditional methods of creating data lakes fall short as they would not allow real-time decision-making and capacity optimization. Finally, he discusses several KPIs that operations managers need to know to optimize the capacity at the plant level.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Edge computing is powerful. It can help companies monitor and maintain distributed assets that would otherwise require significant capital and manpower to manage. In addition, these technologies allow your technicians to control those devices remotely without having to travel. You can also gather tons of insights that can improve the operational performance of these devices and help them recover for common error conditions. However, due to the Cyber Security issues and data centers' traditional design, adopting these edge technologies has been challenging.
In today's episode, our guest, Jason Andersen, shares his insights into edge technologies and how manufacturers and field service companies can take advantage of them. He also discusses how edge networks and their communication requirements differ from traditional and cloud technologies. Finally, he discusses how the conventional airgap between OT and IT has been the barrier for edge adoption and what options companies have for them to take advantage of these technologies fully.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Oracle and SAP are the only two names you will hear in the enterprise accounts while everyone else is trying to claim the third spot, including Microsoft, Infor, and Sage. In fact, you might hear that you are either an SAP shop or an oracle shop in the enterprise community. Oracle also largely dominates the database market, which could be why IT typically champions Oracle applications inside enterprise accounts. But in the cloud market, that's no longer true as now Oracle has two leading cloud products in their portfolio Oracle Fusion and NetSuite, both of which have experienced significant growth, even despite COVID.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Oracle capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the overview of different product offerings from Oracle and their positioning in the market. Finally, we discussed the correlation between financial perspective available through their financial statements, marketing perspective available through their website and marketing analytics, and users' perspective through the trends from user reviews.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Utilizing software in a siloed department is super easy. But as your enterprise grows, you will require cross-functional collaboration across departments. You will have systems that share common data, such as inventory or parts, customers, and vendors. Your architecture may contain ERP, E-commerce, WMS, MES, and P2P systems. Each of them is equally important, which may be dictated by the needs of each department. If you don't have a clearly defined source of authority for each master data, you will have significant challenges correlating the datasets. But what exactly is the source of authority, and why it matters for enterprise architecture and to integrate multiple business applications?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the single source of truth and why it matters. We covered many grounds, including identifying the process and data owners for each dataset and the implications of having multiple and uncontrolled sources of truth. Finally, we discussed the best practices in creating the policies and procedures to develop governance frameworks that will enable the controlled source of truth across applications in your enterprise architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditionally, there were a limited number of channels that a company had to manage. But as the lines keep blurring in the business models, businesses will need to manage more channels. The marketplaces and their ever-evolving business model will fuel the growth of channels even further. These marketplaces also pose some of the newer challenges that didn't exist in the traditional channels, such as the dynamic changes in pricing based on market conditions and consumer behaviors. That makes managing channels even harder as the original assumptions about pricing and discount are likely to change. But what can companies do to have the strategies without any channel conflict?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss overcoming channel conflict. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why channel conflict matters and the benefits of managing channel conflict effectively. Finally, we discussed the types of channel conflict and strategies for preventing channel conflict.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The needs of the production floor have always been the most critical for Manufacturing, with scheduling being the most challenging function. The finite scheduling method has been the most accurate and most commonly used so far. It claimed to improve the on-time delivery by scheduling based on the due date and only working on jobs when they were due. But finite scheduling never worked as it didn't accommodate real-life scenarios such as machines going down or some resources not reporting when you were expecting them. Protected flow manufacturing is the new method of scheduling that considers the real-time signals from the production floor and determines the priority of each job without missing the on-time delivery or needing to expedite at the last minute.
In today's episode, our guest, Mark Lilly, shares his journey of being involved with several manufacturing ERP software systems and scheduling deficiencies in the Visual manufacturing ERP software. He also discusses how protected flow manufacturing solves the problems with finite scheduling available through the most commonly used manufacturing ERP software such as Visual, Syteline, or Epicor. Finally, he shares the integration and data requirements for the PFM module and how the scheduling needs vary across industries, including some of them having complex scheduling needs such as sequencing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
People often talk about the importance of diversification, especially for cash-intensive businesses such as manufacturing. But what exactly is diversification, and how to plan for it? Is it about having the right balance of customers? Is it about rejecting opportunities even if you might have millions of dollars knocking on your doors? Well, diversification requires the complete change of thinking and redesign of your business model. To be completely diversified, you can't just be revenue-focused. You need to think about possibilities such as, hey, what if your major customer goes bankrupt or gets acquired? Or they end up canceling orders due to a financial or marketing risk at their end.
In today's episode, our guest, Aneesa Muthana, shares her journey of transforming her shop after losing all of her key customers because of the consolidation in her customers' industries. She also discusses why diversification is important for manufacturing businesses and how to diversify the business in a methodical manner rather than jumping on to every opportunity that comes your way. Finally, she shares why manufacturers require a complete transformation of their shop and not just one aspect, including understanding modern marketing methods, cutting edge manufacturing practices, and cost-saving strategies to stay afloat in business.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Every company manages thousands of contracts. These contracts could belong to procurement, sales, or HR. But in most cases, the contracts management function is part of the procurement team because of the sheer volume of contracts issued and negotiated. If you don't want to spend millions of dollars in back and forth negotiating with lawyers, then you would need a contract playbook that can help define the boilerplate for your contract, along with a system to track contract expiry, legal obligations, and commitments.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Karthik Rama, who shares his insights into contract management processes' nuances and best practices. He also discusses how contract processes differ across departments, categories, industries and how a contract playbook can help save with admin efforts. Finally, he discusses different toolsets and frameworks available to streamline contract management processes and where ERP and P2P systems might help.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP conversations can't finish without the mention of Sage. Like SAP, Sage has always been strong in the European market as it's a European company. They have also been very well penetrated in the accounting and CPA community due to their distribution and business model. Sage has many different products in its portfolio, with construction and process manufacturing industries being its strength. While there have been many debates about the 3rd spot in the ERP market among Microsoft, Infor, and Sage, after SAP and Oracle, Sage maintains a clear lead in the SMB segment even above SAP and Oracle.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of Sage capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the overview of different product offerings from Sage and their positioning in the market. Finally, we discussed the differences between cloud-migrated and cloud-native products and which Sage products are cloud-native and which ones are not.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The main challenge with ERP is that it cannot address 100% of your organization's needs, no matter how good it is. There will always be company-specific needs such as reporting or KPIs. There are also likely to be several integrations that you might require, such as integrating your inventory forecasting, demand planning system, or e-commerce. These integrations and reporting requirements will drive changes to your core ERP functionality, such as exposing additional data fields through interfaces or screens. While customizations provide great flexibility to tailor the experience to your needs, over-customizing could fire back due to increased technical debt and maintenance.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss the customization of ERP systems and the resulting nightmares because of it. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the difference between configuration, customization, and integration. We also discussed when customization makes sense and when it could be overkill and why customizing the ERP system is so difficult.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most e-commerce companies remain busy chasing new customers and visitors to the site. And they ignore the average order value, also known as deal size in the traditional world. There are several ways to increase your average order value, such as trying different pricing experiments, bundling, up-sell, and cross-sell. But you would not know what's going to work unless you design suitable experiments and measure them accurately.Â
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss measuring and increasing average order value. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why average value matters for e-commerce companies and the specific strategies to increase it. Finally, we discussed how to A/B test various strategies and how it can help improve the average order value.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
It's tough to keep up with the trends and technologies in the e-commerce ecosystem. Social media marketing and channels have grown significantly, especially due to COVID. As a result, it's becoming harder and harder to manage the marketing budget and explore the right channels for your market segment and business model. Managing relationships and promoting your offerings through nano influencers is one such trend that's been rising in popularity lately. But it almost seems like a lottery ticket as some brands have been massively successful through these strategies, while others feel it's a waste of time and money.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Paul Benigeri, who shares his insights into the nuances of nano influencer marketing. He also discusses the channels and market segments appropriate for nano marketing and describes the process and best practices. Finally, he shares his experiences of recruiting and managing relationships with nano influencers and several stories of working with them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The journey of serving the DoD market could feel frightening. While it might provide stability to your fluctuating revenue cycles, it also comes with a significant overhead with the process upkeep. But as part of DoD compliance, you get several benefits, such as protecting your IP as DoD is trying to protect your proprietary methods or patents. With these controls in place, professional investors will see your business as more sustainable if you decide to sell it. Finally, you could use these measures in your sales messaging to pass along some of these costs to your customers to rest assured that they are working with a financially stable vendor.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Dale Parmenteri, who shares his insights into CMMC preparedness and assessment nuances. He also provides practical advice to business owners about the real value of penetrating the DoD market and if the overhead is worth the hassle. Finally, he discusses several other concepts, such as the importance of financial and cybersecurity control, the risk of running end-of-life applications and software, and the value of financial audits to increase the value of your business.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
With innovations in technologies, we have put software on every device and endpoint too soon, which has increased the attack surface significantly. Unfortunately, this has also been done without truly understanding the ramifications of these advancements. The hackers or state-sponsored agencies are advancing their capabilities with the same speed, if not more, with these developments. And businesses need to keep up with them, or their intellectual properties could be at risk. The SMB businesses, in particular, are at a higher risk as they can't afford to spend millions of dollars on Cybersecurity.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Bill Palifka, who shares his insights into low-hanging fruits for SMB businesses without breaking their bank. He also shares insights into concepts such as the cybersecurity needs for IIOT vs OT devices, awareness of the potential known and unknown access points on the network, and the attack surface for hackers. Finally, he shares his insights into why tracking the end-of-life of software is crucial for avoiding any attacks and what to do if you get hit by ransomware. Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a startup, you will have several options in the QuickBooks portfolio to get your business up and running without requiring deep IT or accounting capabilities. As you grow, you might need to upgrade to several products in the QuickBooks portfolio and try add-ons such as FishBowl. However, while they have deeper capabilities functionally to support your small business, they are not designed to support the scale and transaction volume needed by a company with 8-digit revenue.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry experts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to discuss major stories in the ERP and digital transformation space and an objective and independent review of QuickBooks' and FishBowl's capabilities. We covered several grounds, including the overview of different product offerings from QuickBooks and their positioning in the market. Finally, we covered a deep review of FishBowl capabilities along with recent reviews from public sites.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Whether you are pitching an initiative or getting pitched, turning down an idea is extremely uncomfortable for both parties. Although executives may be turning down the idea as they might not see how they might sell it to their boards, colleagues, or teams, they don't want to reject it as it could be a lifetime opportunity for their career. While it might feel counter-intuitive, the executives pay attention to every single idea in an organization. Still, most ideas get turned down as they could be perceived as overly zealous technical transformation, not aligned with organizational vision, or just a wish list that has very little business value.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to pitch digital initiatives to executives. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the interests of executives and what they like to hear in pitches. We also discussed how to identify the control points inside an organization and how to align pitches to various stakeholders' interests.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people think of personalization strategies as the thank you note written on the post-purchase card sent to the consumer or a thank you video from the CEO. But personalization goes deeper when it comes to e-commerce. The personalized experience could include the products that are shown to the non-logged-in user based on their location or IP address. It could also include reminding users about a battery pack if the product box doesn't include a battery set.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss personalization strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why personalization matters and different features related to personalization. Finally, we discussed tools and technologies available to enable personalization and how intent data could help boost the personalized experience for your customers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Scaling an e-commerce brand is hard. And it's becoming harder with the expansion of marketplaces. While they offer significant opportunities and an easy way to acquire customers, each channel and the marketplace has fairly stringent requirements regarding their quality standards and what they like to see from the vendors. Also, the more you move your products and the longer your products have to travel, your supply chain costs increase significantly.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Rick Watson, who shares how to plan for warehouse and logistics architecture for DTC brands selling through marketplaces. He also shares why SKU level planning and profitability analysis is critical for product and channel fit. Finally, he discusses his insights into concepts such as SFP and the difference between centralized distribution strategy vs. using retail locations as fulfillment warehouses for e-commerce channels.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The legacy warehouses were extremely rigid and imprecise. They had challenges in locating the precise location in the system. They also didn't map humans in the system. These restrictions limit WMS systems to accommodate real-world scenarios such as seasonality and dynamics recommendation of rearrangement of the warehouse based on demand. The modern breed of WMS systems is far more capable with the help of technologies such as machine learning and ultra-wideband.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Michael Pytel, who shares how he can create a far more precise digital twin of the warehouse by mapping warehouse workers in the system. He also touches on the deficiencies of legacy WMS systems and their implications on warehouse processes and workers, and how modern systems would make their life easier. Finally, he shares his insights about several technologies, such as how different business systems and warehouse hardware technologies such as AMR and ASRS would interplay in his system and how indoor positioning and 5G would improve the warehouses.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A machine is not a microwave where you can throw a piece of steel, push a bunch of buttons, and expect your parts to be done. The inner workings of machines are fundamental to account to be able to program cost-effectively. You need to take several things into account, starting from the fit between materials and machines. You also need to figure out the appropriate setup times to make sure that you can make the part in the budgeted amount.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jennifer Bannink Bloomer, who discusses how machines think and why that matters to the machine shops. She also discusses why a comprehensive understanding of materials, machines, and their applications is essential for making parts. Finally, she shares several stories about cross-functional collaboration between machinists and engineering departments that require open and transparent communication.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Change management has become the new buzzword. Most ERP implementation practitioners talk about how important change management is and how that can save implementation failures. Also, most ERP implementation failure conversations are around exceeding the original estimations of the budget. But who pays for change management? Who is responsible for change management? Where does change management fit in the organization? How to budget for change management? Is there a finite amount or timeline that companies should plan while allocating a budget for change management?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss change management strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why change management is important and where change management function fits in an organization. We also discussed how to identify change management projects in an organization and why the center of excellence plays an important role in managing changes. Finally, we discussed why the real need for change management is to bring that cross-functional perspective typically supported by CEOs in smaller organizations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While building your e-commerce site, you might be tempted to go for the cheapest option. But for your e-commerce initiatives to work, you need to perform a deeper analysis of customer journeys to provide them the experience they expect. This study requires you to go deeper than the five WHYs and to utilize methods such as management by walking around. Also, optimizing customer journeys is an ongoing process, which doesn't end with identification.Â
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss customer journey mapping. We covered many grounds in this episode, including how companies can start on the customer journey and why performing as-is and to-be analysis is vital to identify customer journeys and behaviors. Finally, we discussed several other concepts related to customer journeys, such as touchpoints, cohort analysis, the importance of user research, and design thinking.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most machine shops are afraid of going for certifications such as AS9100 and CMMC due to the process overheads and compliance requirements imposed. They would rather invest that money in buying more machines and adding more people. While these certifications can be perceived as unnecessary, they can open up tons of newer opportunities for you. They can also make you efficient with your operations and provide the necessary controls for creating a sustainable business that will have much higher value when you are ready to sell.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Aaron Theisen, who shares his journey to AS certification for his shop. He also discusses how AS9100 certification can open up newer opportunities for your shop and grow faster despite it being perceived to be expensive. Finally, he shares several data and reporting requirements that you need to get in a row before you attempt to acquire the certification.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While several tax packages out there, such as Avalara and Vertex, can automatically monitor each state's tax rates and apply to each of your transactions, these packages rely on your data and accounting to determine your tax obligations. If you are not accounting for your product costs appropriately, you might be leaving millions of dollars on the table. You could save this money through tax recovery if you conducted a refund review.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jason Parr, who discusses the nuances of tax recovery of your purchases and why periodic refund review is crucial. He also touches on tax laws of different states and where you might have the opportunity to recover some of the taxes that you may be overpaying. Finally, he compares the sales and purchases side of tax obligations and any opportunities available through strategic planning of your facilities and warehouses.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you have been thinking about penetrating the automotive market, your customers will ask you to comply with the PPAP processes. You need to comply with several requirements irrespective of your tiers, such as communicating any process or line changes in your facility. You will also have additional testing requirements at the transaction level, such as corrosion testing, etc. If you don't understand these standards, you have a risk of losing your customer or wasting money on non-conforming parts.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Ken Hatlewick, who discusses the nuances of the PPAP process for machine shops serving the automotive market. He also touches on the testing requirements at the transaction level and the audit and compliance requirements annually. Finally, he shares several stories about how upfront communication and relationships with your customer could help navigate issues if you run into challenges while complying with PPAP guidelines.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
First-time ERP buyers and salespeople without any implementation experience consider implementations as plug-and-play. But while you might be using someone else's product, you first need to understand the product at a deeper level and this learning might take the same amount of time as creating your ERP from scratch. So although off-the-shelf products reduce the implementation risks and success, they still require substantial time to go through the necessary phases of software development to avoid issues in the live system.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to manage the digital budget. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the difference between budget risks for custom development and ERP projects. We also discussed the secret sauce for making digital projects successful and strategies to mitigate risks with vendors. Finally, we discussed how to vet the vendors that are being realistic with their estimates from the ones that may be low-balling to get a foot in the door.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
A deep understanding of your ideal customer profile is the foundation of your sales, marketing, and e-commerce success. Unfortunately, most companies struggle to create their marketing positioning around their ICP as they are often serving multiple industries and buyers. This issue is even more critical for your digital and e-commerce journey as the success of your market would be dependent upon how well you map your buyer journeys aligned to your ICPs.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ICP Identification strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the ideal customer profile (ICP) and how it differs from buyer personas. We also discussed how ICP strategies would differ for both B2B and B2C businesses and how they would differ for both PPC and SEO. Finally, we discussed the strategies for identifying and prioritizing ICPs when companies might be serving multiple industries or multiple personas inside a company.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Robotic applications have come a long way. They can automate a lot of mundane processes in your warehouse and facility. But to get the ROI from robotic investments, you need to assess the factors that make robotic applications efficient. Just like human operators, robots are not suitable for all environments. Even minor changes in the environment can impact their efficiency goals. With any technology, the more standardized and streamlined your processes are, the higher your chances of success with your technological investments.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Kevin Paramore, who discusses the nuances of robotic automation of warehouse and manufacturing processes. He also touches on barriers to automation and shares several stories where robotic automation may not be the best fit. Finally, he provides insights into technological, environmental, and regulatory factors to explain the use cases for warehouse robotic applications.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP sales teams are some of the most confident people, while the ERP implementation team would come across as the most nervous. If you ever sat in an ERP demo, the sales team would provide assurance on every single doubt you might have, and the implementation team is rarely involved in the sales process. After signing the contract, you might never see the pre-sales or salesperson, and in the implementation, the lead might not agree with the verbal commitment during the sales phase. To be successful with your ERP implementation, you need an expert hand who knows how to look under the hood.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Andy Pratico, who discusses why ERP demos are designed to deceive and why ERP salespeople are more incentivized to sell their products and the success of their customers. He also touches on how to find the right references and evaluate them. Finally, he discusses different manufacturing verticals and their unique requirements.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Sales compensation is a multi-edged sword. There are many variables, and each variable could significantly impact your top line and bottom line if the consequences are not thought through. If the base salary is too low and if it doesn't meet the basic needs of salespeople, they might be looking for additional sources of revenue for themselves and might not be committed. If you paid too much in base, they might not be motivated to work hard and go out of their way to close deals.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Ryan Wicklum, who discusses why companies require a framework for sales compensation strategies aligned with their growth plans. He also touches on psychological drivers and motivational triggers that drive sales teams to deliver results. Finally, he shares several stories of bad compensation strategies that fired back for the company and the good strategies that paid off.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Irrespective of whether you are integrating two hardware components or software products, the challenges are similar. You need to understand the current state of the integrated components, but the future state is equally important, especially if the future state may not be in your control. For example, if you aim to integrate an e-commerce platform with an ERP, the only piece you will own will be the integration code. The product life cycle of e-commerce or ERP products is out of your control. While these technical considerations are important for your integration strategy, the most important question for any integration project will be the purpose and outcome expected from the integration.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to plan for enterprise integration. We covered many grounds in this episode, including what enterprise integration is and why it matters, the pros and cons of point-to-point integration vs. centralized integration strategy, and why integration projects could be as big as ERP. We also discussed the role of iPaaS and how they can help avoid the Frankenstein of integration code across platforms. Finally, we discussed the best practices, the role of swim lanes or data flows, and integration patterns.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Marketers tend to offer sitewide discounts to their entire audience without considering where visitors are in the buyer's journey. Sure, that might drum up more sales, but it can hurt your bottom line in the long run. They also use discounts to attract the top of a funnel audience. Sure that's effective in the retail world? But does that work in every single situation? So what can you do to segment your customers better and understand if they truly care for discounts?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss E-commerce discounting strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including seasonality and its impact on discounting; cultural, regional, and geographic factors that drive discounting; aged and obsolete inventory and their discounting treatments. Finally, we also had a chance to touch matrix-based discounting, influencer strategy, and coupon codes--and how they can help you measure discounting strategies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), there are several choices available. You have regular ASRS systems that will require changes to your facility and processes as they are designed to be more of the conveyor belts. Mobile ASRS, on the other hand, don't have to travel in a fixed path. Instead, they can travel to a predetermined location or work center inside a facility. Mobile ASRS systems are also very flexible in accommodating real-time demand and changing picking operations as the demand changes.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jon Schechter, who discusses how mobile ASRS systems differ from regular ones. He also touches on the rigidity of the regular ASRS systems and why they would not be suitable when the demand may fluctuate significantly. Finally, he describes the technology behind mobile ASRS systems in simple terms that will help you assess if they could be fit for your facility.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Strategic placement of complementary products and personalized recommendations can help increase revenue from each transaction and the lifetime value of each customer. But strategic placement is art and science and requires you to understand customer behavior at a deeper level. If you go overboard with your suggestions, the customers may bounce from your site. And if you underserve them, you might miss out on the opportunities to be able to upsell and cross-sell.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Ronnie Teja, who discusses the upsell and cross-sell strategies for e-commerce merchants and how you might be able to increase the average order value for your customers. He also touches on several customer service strategies, including how to motivate your employees to meet their customer service targets. Finally, he touches on how personalization strategies can help increase the average order value from each transaction.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As a procurement leader, if you are too focused on seeking discounts, sometimes you might lose sight that the cost of spend could be higher than the discount you might be seeking. Also, as the number of SKUs increases in your organization, the SG&A costs rise at an increasing rate than your top line because of increased marginal overhead with each SKU. The cost of spend is a key metric that manufacturers and distributors need to measure and control. Or you might hit the growth inflection point.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Edmund Zagorin, who describes why the cost of spend is an important metric for some of the strategic sourcing categories. He also touches on various strategic sourcing terms and processes, such as how to interpret the implications of purchase price variance KPI and why it's important. Finally, he touches on why businesses should be forecasting the outcome to reduce the cost of spend and better manage supplier relationships.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cybersecurity issues are becoming more and more common. As the adversaries and state-funded agencies get sophisticated in their capabilities, most businesses will need to rethink their cybersecurity strategy. It will be even more critical for regulated companies such as aerospace and defense and medical devices. Also, as we advance with our capabilities with industry4.0, OT security will be even more critical. What can executives do to educate themselves and prepare for enterprise security?
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to plan for enterprise security. We covered many grounds in this episode, including risk factors and considerations for executives as they prepare for cybersecurity. We also discussed concepts such as the importance of threat profiles and the common entry points for ransomware. Finally, we discussed how to evaluate software and hardware from the perspective of cybersecurity.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
For e-commerce sites, the conversion rate is perhaps the most critical metric. Many sites focus on getting tons of traffic, but what is the point in having that traffic if they don't convert. When it comes to improving conversion rate, various factors drive the conversion rate, including page speed, expectations of your users, and flow or navigation.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss conversion rate optimization techniques. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the factors that drive it. Finally, we also had a chance to touch if platform selection may affect the conversion rate and any strategies to improve it.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The most critical factor in winning or losing a deal is always timing. And the faster you convert your customer, the faster you answer all of their questions, and the faster you ship it to them, you can outrun your competition. To do so, you need to think about the speed to your customers and suppliers. This speed requires cross-functional alignment and everyone operating on one system and with process harmony.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Rich Sade, who describes his journey and the pitfalls of implementing six ERP projects throughout his career. He also highlighted the importance of the pre-ERP phase and how that could improve the chances of success of selection and implementation. Finally, he also touched on how he could convert his business from make-to-order to configure-to-order and improve the customer experience while expediting the sales cycle.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Balancing your day job and executing a transformation project in parallel could be frustrating. Your team might look up to you to make the most crucial decisions when you might not fully understand the implications of those decisions. To avoid this uncomfortable situation, you might want to outsource your role as a sponsor to a third party. But this approach typically fires back as they may create their version of your vision. Additionally, they might not fully understand your business as they may not be living it.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Tim Morton, who describes the role of sponsors in a digital transformation project and why it's crucial. He also discusses the implications of outsourcing it to a third party such as a system integrator and how sponsors can deal with situations when they might not have experience executing digital transformation projects. Finally, he describes several change management terms and how data can help with alignment among teams.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As a plant manager or an executive responsible for the P&L of a manufacturing plant, you will need to make several decisions to improve your internal capacity. They could be adding more bodies, equipment or adding a new location. Unfortunately, if you don't have data to substantiate them, it may feel as if you are investing money in improving your capacity but not realizing tangible benefits.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Dave Westrom, who describes the importance of understanding the true internal capacity for manufacturers and how that could assist with decision-making in your plants. He also discusses how to go from point A to point B to create a data-driven plant and build a culture of continuous improvement. Finally, he shares several stories of manufacturers from his recent engagements where he improved the internal capacity.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a growing siloed organization, you will have puddles of data sitting inside every department. You could also have hundreds of unused reports on top of your ERP system that you might not even be aware of. If you want to avoid growing pains because of data, you need centralized ownership and strategy with clearly identified systems for their roles and responsibilities.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss enterprise analytics planning. We covered many grounds in this episode, including identifying enterprise datasets, their ownership, and appropriate systems to host them. Finally, we discussed the importance of data lakes and their importance in an organization, and how to avoid too many reports on top of ERP systems as they could be expensive.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Mastering SEO is no longer optional for ecommerce companies and manufacturers. If you are starting on your SEO journey, you will need to make decisions between SEO and PPC strategies. You will also need to understand the nuances of keyword strategies to identify the right targets that will help you meet your goals. Finally, you need to understand how to compare various channels such as PPC and SEO.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss SEO strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the SEO framework and signals that Google cares for. We also discussed SiteMap, machine-generated content, information architecture, and indexing and crawling patterns. Finally, we discussed why keyword research matters and how to choose between SEO vs. PPC strategies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are ready to expand your e-commerce footprint, you have several choices. For example, suppose you have been selling to the most popular channels, such as Amazon in North America. In that case, you might want to explore other channels such as Walmart, Alibaba, or Etsy. Or you might want to explore some of the international markets such as the UK, India, or Brazil. But the decision is not as simple as that as you need to compare the channels in each country, understand regulatory nuances, and cultural synergies to be successful in each marketplace and market.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Paul Sonneveld, who discusses the marketplace expansion strategy for e-commerce sellers or manufacturers aspiring to expand their footprint through digital commerce. He also describes visibility into the marketplaces around the world and their nuances. Finally, he discusses the unique requirements of each country and the resources available to them through the marketplaces ecosystem and service providers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The journey of ISO could feel overwhelming with the amount of standardization and documentation required. But if your machine shop never served a regulated industry, it could be a great start as you expand your market to other sectors such as aerospace, defense, or automotive. You will not only be required to change your processes and procedures, but you need to game up on training and documentation.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Derek Hall, who describes the importance of ISO compliance and why it's necessary for shops to grow. He also discusses what non-ISO shops need to know about ISO compliance and how the processes of ISO-compliant shops differ from non-ISO shops. Finally, he shares important concepts such as audit requirements and the importance of visual cues on the shop floor.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Due to how companies function in the startup phase and evolve, most of them operate in silos because it's hard to find cross-functional talent. In addition, the cross-functional processes are perceived to be slow. It's also tough to train people in multiple disciplines. As a result, most SMBs will have one person responsible for each function: sales, purchasing, AR, AP, HR, etc. While this siloed nature may help you sail through the startup phase, it's the cross-functional alignment that will help propel your growth.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Pam Fox Rollin, who discusses how to drive cross-functional clarity in a siloed organization. She describes the entire process of driving this clarity, including setting the shared promise and how it differs from a shared vision. Finally, we discussed several stories of executives who may be afraid of driving this clarity in fear of disruption to their organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Managing digital projects have never been easier. While there have been tons of attempts to improve the process with Agile methodologies, the timeline, budget, and scope are still tough to manage. There are several explanations as to why digital projects are harder. For example, each digital project is fairly unique, even if it is repeatable ERP implementation. Then you have the problems of invisibility. Managing digital projects have always been art and science. That's probably the reason why the success of these projects varies so much.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss planning for digital projects. We covered many grounds in this episode, including capturing the appropriate scope, iterations, and phases. We also discussed the pros and cons of using process templates from various vendors. Finally, we discussed several stories to identify the initial beachhead for e-commerce success and ongoing measurement and development.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
E-commerce opportunity is highly lucrative. As an executive responsible for e-commerce success, you will come across several options and opportunities. But if you don't know how to plan for e-commerce, you might be out of cash without knowing what went wrong. For example, it could happen as you overcommitted in channels that didn't perform to your expectations. Or you stocked too much inventory in the hope of getting significant traffic from your e-commerce efforts. E-commerce budgeting requires comprehensive planning across channels.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss e-commerce budget planning. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the cost buckets that need to be considered for e-commerce budget planning. We discussed the framework of e-commerce spend in many industries and ratios of how they plan for e-commerce spend. Finally, we discussed several stories to identify the initial beachhead for e-commerce success and then ongoing measurement and development.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a small business operating as a single entity with one warehouse and site, most of your suppliers will have a handshake relationship. But as you grow, you are going to add more sites. Each site may have its procurement functions and may manage its supply chain. This is where having accurate supplier intelligence and a comprehensive risk profile of suppliers becomes important.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Matt Keyes, who describes the importance of supplier intelligence and how that helps uncover supply risks before it's too late. He also discusses how centralized relationships can help companies save money through centralized contract and supplier profiles. Finally, he describes supply chain risk concepts through the stories of his recent engagements.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Every user in a company has different needs when it comes to completing their jobs. The warehouse users, in particular, are worried about how fast they can move the goods and organize accordingly. Therefore, to be effective with warehousing operations and organization, you need tons of data that can help you analyze the most efficient way of running them.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Roy Strauss, who describes WMS systems and how they can help meet your operational operating goals. He also discusses how to build an operating plan and how WMS systems can help monitor and measure the KPIs. Finally, he describes WMS concepts through the use of several stories from his client engagements.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Automation technologies are advancing at a rapid pace. There are tons of options available whether you are looking to automate some of the operations of your production process. Or you may be automating process steps such as trailer unloading that are essential but may not be billable. And the more repeatable tasks you can automate in your facility, the better quality products you can produce, and the more cost-effective your products will be. But to take full advantage of these technologies, you need your information systems to be fully connected and integrated.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jake Hall, who discusses the current state of automation and challenges with its adoption in manufacturing industries. He also discusses the reasons for the success and failures of automation initiatives and describes several automation technologies available for industrial manufacturers and distributors. Finally, he shares several stories of where automation technologies make sense and where they might be overkill.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
To understand the total cost of ownership of software, one of the critical pieces that you need to understand would be the software license and pricing. There are several nuances of the licensing model with several variables that could impact your total costs. The licensing and pricing nuances could be as simple as whether you are buying a single-user or multi-user license, or it could be as complex as whether you would still be paying for your license if the user leaves the company.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise in selling and procuring software packages to discuss software licensing/pricing. We also discussed several variables that executives need to review to understand their implications and how that would impact the total price. Finally, we discussed the difference between named vs. concurrent licenses and the nuances of consumption-based pricing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The game has completely changed when it comes to serving customers in the new world of e-commerce. The personal touch that existed in the traditional world may not exist in the e-commerce world. The customers also operate in self-serve mode, so they need a lot of information to research and make decisions. You might think that the role of salespeople may not be relevant in the new world of e-commerce, but their role is even more relevant as they need to become coaches and provide the same hand-holding as they would get in the traditional world.
In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise implementing e-commerce websites to discuss customer service strategies. We also discussed the challenges with e-commerce customer service and how it differs from traditional customer service. Finally, we discussed the effective ways of measuring customer service and the newer trends and technologies available to improve customer service.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How vital could bookkeeping be? Isn't it all about capturing all the transactions and creating a bunch of statements to file taxes? Well, strategic financial planning is where your real opportunities reside. If you are not strategic about it, you may be chasing wrong opportunities that may not have as much financial value as you would if you were strategic with your bookkeeping.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jeannie Doherty, who discusses how strategic bookkeeping differs from tactical bookkeeping. She also describes the five pillars of strategic bookkeeping and how most owners think of bookkeeping as numbers 101. Finally, she discusses how to find comparable industry data to lead the negotiation and keep your costs in check and how to do budgeting and spend analysis to create the strategic financial framework that will help you scale.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Today's consumer requires most stores to provide the same experience that they will get from larger brands. These experiences could include click-and-collect, also known as buy-online-pick-up-at-store, integrated loyalty across channels, and omnichannel experience across all the channels. These experiences require you to have your inventory centralized and reconciled across channels. Or there will be friction to the process with significant customer experience issues such as not buying the product on the site that consumers may be looking for. These issues could also include delays with shipment at the store or challenges with traceability of the order.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jason Greenwood, who discusses the nuances of the click and collect process and why you need to centralized inventory and distribution strategy to enable this experience. He also provides some easy hacks on how brands can enable this experience without having a true technology and operational infrastructure to enable this experience. Finally, he discusses several scenarios and implications if the businesses might not have a true click and collect experience system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Managing aerospace projects is just like solving puzzles. You have many moving pieces, including managing your customers' expectations, coordinating with your supply chain, and meeting the specification requirements. But when it comes to the NPD process, a project manager's job is even harder due to increased risk and the lack of available data to estimate accurately. Estimating and delivering a project within time and budget requires tons of data and experience to forecast all the possibilities where the project is likely to fail.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Lori Nevin, who discusses the differences between the aerospace industry's new product development and product improvement projects. She also provides practical insights into how to mitigate risks and estimate the projects to win but at the same time not lose money taking those jobs. Finally, she discusses the quality, compliance, certification, and audit processes for the aerospace industry.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you plan for your next digital transformation initiative, you need to decide whether you will opt for an on-prem system or cloud. You might ask why anyone would even worry about on-prem in 2021. Well, there are several reasons. If you already have an IT infrastructure and are locked into on-prem licenses, the cloud option may be more expensive. You might also want to opt for on-prem if any regulatory constraints require you to be present on the on-prem system. Finally, some people may be just more comfortable with their data on their premises.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with digital transformation infrastructure to discuss how to choose between on-prem and cloud. We also discussed how to build the criteria based on your business needs and how to identify fake clouds. Finally, we discussed why on-prem would still be a viable option in some cases, even if the rest of the world may be taking a cloud-first approach.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The average rate at which the average consumer abandons their shopping cart before making a purchase is 81%. There are countless reasons why consumers leave their shopping carts. These reasons could be legitimate such as unexpected shipping costs. They could also be website functionality issues such as the requirement for a new user account, their tendency to research to buy later, and security concerns. These issues affect conversion, sales, and customer experience.Â
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with e-commerce shopping cart issues. We discussed these issues and the implications on consumer behavior as well as conversion. Finally, we discussed several advanced shopping cart features such as cart-to-quote, approval processes in the B2B carts, out-of-the-box functionality available in e-commerce systems, and several stories related to shopping cart issues.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are exploring the ISO journey, your current collaboration tools might outgrow your needs driven by ISO compliance. Your current legacy PLM tools may not support collaboration features. If your current processes are manual or done on a spreadsheet, you may be overwhelmed with the tracking and information required to submit to regulatory bodies. Like any other cross-functional process in your organization, your design review processes require multiple teams, including quality, engineering, and production.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Adam Keating, who discusses the needs of design revision processes in the engineering departments of manufacturing companies. He also describes the deficiencies of legacy PLM systems and the number of custom development companies need to do on top of PLM systems to make it work. Finally, he discusses the user experience issues and adoption issues in the quality department that derail quality efforts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The processes of most food and beverage businesses are challenging due to government regulations. Still, the distillery business is even trickier due to maintaining inventory through the production process. There is significant inventory tied in the final phases of the production process. Then you don't have access to the final consumer as the government mandates you to go through the distribution channels. Finally, there are significant quality and packaging guidelines that need to be followed through and after the distribution.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jim Vinoski, who discusses the nuances of the distillery industry and its manufacturing and production processes. He also discusses the nuances of inventory and warehouse processes in this industry. Finally, he outlines the 3-tier and licensing system unique to this industry and shares an ERP story that was a massive success with implementation despite business model challenges.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The majority of digital transformation initiatives fail, and in most cases, they fail because of people issues. When it comes to building digital initiative teams, you need a comprehensive approach. The first batch of champions you have chosen to drive the initiatives may be super excited initially. But their excitement may fall off once they realize the amount of effort involved in driving these initiatives. Then you need to manage the detractors' expectations, or they may be extremely vocal and far more enthusiastic than your champions to ensure that the initiative is not successful. What could you do to ensure that you have the right team in place from the get-go that will help you reach the finish line without any disruptions?
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with digital transformation initiatives to discuss how to build successful digital teams. We also discussed how to find initial champions, find covert champions, and reduce churn. Finally, why defining and aligning success criteria could help with the success of digital teams and reduce churn.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Choosing a platform for your e-commerce is not easy. There are several factors to consider. While SaaS options make buying and maintaining easier, their pricing could be tricky to understand. The hosting for open source options could be cheaper, and the licensing fee might not be applicable with these options. On the other hand, the development and support costs could be more expensive. The SaaS option may require you to use their payment gateway and might take a cut on your revenue.Â
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with e-commerce platform licensing and pricing. We also discussed the red flags one needs to look at in the competing options you might evaluate. Finally, we discussed the nuances of transaction-based pricing and cheaper hosting options available for open source.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you start your business, you are going to do everything in your power to survive. You might sell anything and everything to anyone and everyone who has cash. But as you grow, the number of decisions that your team will have to make daily will grow exponentially as well. The more products you maintain, the higher the number of decisions you need to make daily, which causes frustration and chaos. This frustration will grow within your employees, but it will be equally frustrating to your customers.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Darrin Mitchell, who discusses the challenges and strategies of people, processes, technology, and products at each stage of his growth through inflection points. He also talks about how simplifying product mix and messaging could help streamline the sales process and position you as an expert. Finally, he discusses how custom platforms and inflexible solutions might result in organizations switching to asynchronous planning and ad-hoc process solutions maintained on error-prone spreadsheets.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Packing is always the bottleneck in most manufacturing facilities and is often blamed for slowing production down. But replacing the packaging equipment is never fun as you need to understand thousands of variables related to machines and their impact on your process. The manufacturers might not understand your processes or product, and you might run into a scenario that the packaging machine may not work for your specific needs. And then you might run into contract issues or follow-ups with manufacturers who may not be as prompt as the sale is already made.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Christine von Pander, who discusses the procurement process for food packaging equipment. She also discusses the factors you need to understand thoroughly to ensure you acquire the right packaging machines for the right situation. Finally, she shares several supply chain stories around backup strategies that you can employ in case of your equipment or material shortage.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What comes to mind when you think of the most complex business from the viewpoint of business processes? I can almost guarantee that it will not be a poultry business. How hard could the poultry business be to run? Shouldn't it be as simple as raising a bunch of chickens, feeding them corn, and selling eggs and chicken parts? Well, running a poultry business requires tight control of yield and financial processes. There is always a push for higher productivity and yield because of the cost pressures.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Gabriel Paunescu, CEO of Naologic, who discusses the nuances of the agriculture and poultry business and how the manufacturing processes are different from other industries. He also discusses the challenges associated with maintaining in-house ERP solutions and their implications on the business. Finally, he discusses how custom platforms and inflexible solutions might result in organizations switching to asynchronous planning and ad-hoc process solutions maintained on error-prone spreadsheets.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The traditional methodology for selecting software focuses on features and functions. In fact, if you have too many features, the software is likely to be complex, and it may be harder for business users to learn and adapt it. While features are important to select the right software, more often than not, you will rarely use all the features offered by your software. In fact, the overall utilization of your software would probably be lower than 20%. Most software demos focus on the commonly used scenarios as the demo would be harder for business users to follow, but they are rarely a critical success factor for your software selection.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with technology procurement and software selection to discuss the critical success factors for software selection. We also discussed the process for building the criteria for software selection and their deeper implications. Finally, we discussed several stories of software selection and how to identify the critical processes that will be similar to performing heart surgery to your business operations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most financial executives leave the deployment details to their IT team as long as their websites run fine. But while making a decision for your e-commerce platform, your biggest cost driver will be how and where the solution will be deployed. If you are signing a SaaS or hosting contract, you need to pay attention to at least ten different variables such as performance tiers, the price increase at each tier, storage restrictions, security, speed, and staging environments. These factors could drive your costs significantly in the long run if you don't understand their implications. Â
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with deploying and implementing different e-commerce systems. We also discussed the basics of the software deployment process, the importance of staging environments, and how deployment affects your SEO and security. Finally, we discussed how to compare competing solutions in order to make an informed decision for your e-commerce deployment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are responsible for cutting the check for your marketing spend, it's a frightening experience. Your marketing teams may sound highly confident in every initiative they might have on their radar, but you know from your prior experience that marketing investments are extremely risky. You require careful analysis of your existing successes and mapping out the channels that have been the true contributor to your success.
In today's episode, we have our guest, John Readman, who discusses how to compare and measure marketing channels to plan your marketing budget. He also discusses how to attribute the total cost of sales and get comprehensive insights for each of your customer groups. Finally, he discusses how to design touchpoints, stages, and the best practice to design stages for longer sales cycles.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
E-commerce is all about mapping your sales and marketing processes digitally regardless of the type of your business, irrespective of whether you transact online or send them invoices. But while transitioning to e-commerce, one of the resistance you will face is the adoption of e-commerce, as your sales team is likely to derail your efforts because of a conflict of their interests. To be successful with your ecommerce journey, you need to create an organizational strategy and compensation plan that incentivizes everyone in your company to encourage your customers to move to e-commerce.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Lori McDonald, who discusses sales compensation best practices for organizations aiming to transition to e-commerce from the traditional sales model. She also discusses why digital commerce is cheaper for organizations because of the self-serve and automated nature of the model. Finally, she discusses the best practices for creating sales compensation that will take a holistic view of the organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are embarking on the journey of your digital transformation, you will have several options. You can either work directly with the software provider and utilize their implementation team or work through a consulting company. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and the process requires due diligence from your side to ensure that the company you are hiring truly understands your business and is qualified to implement your project.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Bonnie Tinder, who discusses the pros and cons of various digital transformation project models, working directly with software providers or through a consulting firm. She also discusses how these projects vary in the enterprise vs. SMB space and how team turnover is the most significant contributor to project failures. Finally, she discusses the most important criteria for selecting a software vendor.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Some enterprise software vendors provide their professional services, while others rely on resellers and system integrators. If you are evaluating your enterprise architecture, one key decision you will need to make would be to work directly with OEMs or software producers vs. consulting companies. While working with OEMs, you don't have to deal with multiple companies, but they could be expensive, not as skilled, or flexible. On the other hand, with so many system integrators out there, it may be harder to evaluate their core expertise. Irrespective of whether you work with OEMs or consulting companies, you will most likely be working with multiple companies and signing multiple contracts. What can you do to reduce the surprises you might get with your implementations?
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise implementing ERP and digital transformation projects for several years to discuss the pros and cons of working with OEM directly or through consulting companies. We also discussed the differences and their motivations for each of the players involved in the implementation, including OEMs, VARs, SIs, and ISVs. Finally, we discussed several other topics related to today's discussion, such as contract differences in each of these arrangements and implications of project and partner churn
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The journey of e-commerce requires you to think about your processes starting from your sales to production. While selling online is a big part of it, that's not the only component of e-commerce. In fact, you don't need to always pay online with e-commerce, especially with B2B businesses with complex products. With such companies, the major component of digital commerce requires enabling online quoting. The online quoting processes include configurable products in the self-serve mode while supporting tiered pricing and account management through the web.Â
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with quoting strategies and how they can benefit different businesses. We also discussed which products are the right fit for e-commerce and quoting and which ones could be overkill. Finally, we discussed the process of how to start on the journey of online quoting, starting from product modeling, conversion of service-based offerings to configurable products, and finally, their implementation in iteration.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The digital journey is more than simply identifying technologies and implementing them. The most challenging part of any digital initiative, especially if it involves customer interaction, is understanding customer behavior and what drives them to engage with your brand and make a purchase. Making assumptions or not involving your customer experience and service professionals in your digital strategy initiatives fires back as they are closest to your customers.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Howard Tiersky, who discusses the process of customer empathy, the importance of user experience research, and the approach of design thinking to improve the outcome of digital initiatives. He also talks about the structured methodology he has developed through his engagements and working with several customers. Finally, he discusses the importance of data and why organizations need to be tracking that as an asset to differentiate and develop a competitive advantage.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to meeting timely growth targets, pricing is an essential and powerful tool for marketers. Also, in the world of e-commerce, where you might not have as much relationship leverage and location advantage, pricing strategy becomes critical. When we think about pricing and discounting strategies, I am sure you are perhaps thinking of BOGO and B2C, but pricing strategies are even more complex in the world of B2B with account and contract complications.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Eyal Rozenberg, who discusses B2B E-commerce pricing nuances and how it is different and more complex than B2C. He also talks about various complex pricing scenarios such as sub-order, which impact user experience and ERP interactions. Finally, he describes the differences between pricing, discount, and coupon and why multi-channel pricing scenarios are even more complex to implement.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The automotive industry is unique as not only it has challenges associated with B2C, such as focus groups and consumers driving the demand, but it also has all the challenges that other B2B manufacturing companies would have. The automotive industry is also fairly unique with faster cycle and lead times, which drives the need for instant availability of parts in the JIT fashion and reduces the BOM complexities. But since you have so many stakeholders, and vendors involved in supplying parts, even a minor change in product assembly could impact the whole ecosystem, including OEMs and suppliers.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Melissa Drew, who discusses the product life cycle of automotive products and how it is different from other industries. She also discusses the difference between manufacturing, engineering, configurable BOMs, and their nuances in the automotive industry. Finally, she has had a chance to touch on the importance of focus groups and how that drives the entire engineering and manufacturing process and tool selection and adoption for automotive companies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are several systems and choices available to support the needs of your functions and business processes. Best-of-breed options offer much deeper functionality and system designed for specific groups of users. But communication and integration could require significant resources and maintenance from your organization. The Full-suite options can get you the basics to get you going but might outgrow if a department has complex needs for its operations. As a business user, you need to decide how many apps you will be using in your enterprise architecture, balancing integration costs and flexibility.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant system integration and implementation, manufacturing, and distribution, and finance. But most importantly, a manufacturer who has owned several manufacturing companies and integrated several applications as they grew.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Amazon is perhaps the most visited site for e-commerce, and its product filters will probably be the most used feature on its site. Product filters help you find the products you are looking for without going through thousands or millions of products that the site might carry. Well-designed websites understand your journey deeply, and they are guiding you as you use the site. On the other hand, poorly designed websites either have too many or too few filters and ignore the user's viewpoint while designing the site. Irrespective of whether you are a B2B or B2B business, you need a sophisticated product filter strategy to provide the buying experience that your customers desire.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with product filter design and e-commerce to discuss the best practices of designing product filters. We also have a chance to discuss the competing features such as onsite search, voice, and several other trends such as AI and how they would redefine the place for product filters. Finally, we have had a chance to discuss real-life scenarios of poor filter design and its implications on the user experience.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If your teams report problems in the production line and the capacity, their answer is often additional machines or people. Unfortunately, solving each problem with an additional body or machine results in unused capacity and unnecessary spending when the problem could be somewhere else. While there are tons of data available from machines and processes to make prudent financial decisions, interpreting data requires experimentation, design, and understanding each variable that may cause deviations.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Martin Davis, who discusses the strategies to improve your manufacturing facilities' capacity and increase the overall equipment effectiveness of your equipment. He also discusses several stories where he used data to pinpoint the actual bottlenecks in the process, which saved millions of dollars in savings in unnecessary additional equipment purchases of equipment. Finally, he discusses several issues around data quality, describes the difference between operational and business technologies, and how each of these components fits in the enterprise architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
With IIOT devices on the shop floor capable of altering the state of machines through exposed endpoints for hackers, operational security is vital for manufacturers or distributors. While security issues could be frightening, and you might opt to take the approach of not connecting your shop floor with the internet, you might be missing out on the benefits that industry 4.0 machines and devices offer. With careful planning and processes, operational security is manageable.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Denrich Sananda, who discusses how operational security is vital to ensure that your plant is always available and operational without any danger to the lives inside the plant. He also describes the difference between operational and cybersecurity and how to plan for the security of your facilities. Finally, he describes various concepts related to operational security, such as the interplay of networks, machines, and touchpoints and where you may have security holes in your premises.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Have you heard the news where a large aerospace manufacturer won a large contract for several planes? While it's exciting news, it could be equally challenging for suppliers who are part of that ecosystem and asked to staff overnight to meet the demand of their key customer. Or you run the risk of losing the relationship. In addition, the quality requirements and stringent processes make it even harder for these suppliers.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Mark Evans, who discusses the manufacturing and engineering processes of a Boeing Supplier. He also discusses how to manage the expectations of large customers where your key customer may have thousands of suppliers in their ecosystem. Finally, he discusses key nuances and processes of the aerospace manufacturing industry and how it is different from other industries.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The software and technology world is evolving daily, and so are the software contracts. As pricing becomes easier to start using software for small-to-medium-sized businesses, the incremental costs could be unexpected if you don't understand the new pricing models. While technology is making it easier to create and sign contracts, it also provides software vendors freedom to create contracts that may not have legal binding or might change even after signing the contract.Â
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant legal, software, and IT contracting, manufacturing, sales, and ERP implementation expertise. But most importantly, a manufacturer who has owned several manufacturing companies and lived through the contracting challenges over many years. We also invited a guest who appears on several expert witness cases should there be a conflict between the software vendor, implementation partner, and the customer.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When I was planning for this episode, I had a conversation with a friend that I could never forget. She was planning to resign from her company. So I inquired why she was planning to resign. To give you a little background, she was very well established in her career, spent roughly 20 years, and held an executive position at her current company. Her company had experienced massive growth. And there was a high chance that she could get promoted to a much higher position. It didn't make a ton of sense why she wanted to resign as she will have to build her credibility from scratch in the new company.
I asked if she wasn't happy with the compensation. She responded with a resounding no. Then I thought maybe it was probably the role or responsibilities with which she might not be happy. But that wasn't the case either. Then I asked. Do you not like your current team or co-workers? She said that she loved her team. Huh? I was clueless as to why she would want to move out.
After several more questions, she said my biggest problem is that I am never allowed to go to the board room for meetings even though I am an executive. So I thought, how come meetings could be such a big deal and a potential reason for dissatisfaction at the workplace. I was reflecting on why anyone would lose their life savings for a bunch of meetings. So I asked her why these meetings were so important to her. And what was the primary reason to leave the organization?
She said, "to be able to perform my job effectively. I need to be in those meetings." She continued, "I am OK even if they don't let me speak there. Even just listening to them would help." So I asked if she ever tried to approach her superiors and shared her concerns. She said, "she tried numerous times, but the conversation didn't go anywhere."
They always brushed her off by saying that you don't want to be in that room with those men. Personally, since I always worked in fairly inclusive workplaces, that didn't make a ton of sense to me. Sure, there would always be minor issues here and there. But I never thought that you would not be allowed into the board room just because you were a female. That got me thinking that although we might be in 2021, we are not over the issues from the 1960s. By not being inclusive and not selecting your teams based on merit, you are only hurting yourself.
This story is a reminder that we all need to do our parts of spreading education about inclusiveness in the workplace and how that could impact digital transformation initiatives and growth.
When I was planning for the 100th episode of our wildly popular podcast, I had many offers from high-profile celebrities that we could have hosted. But then, I would not be doing my part. So I decided to dedicate this episode to Six amazing women doing fantastic work to promote women in digital transformation. Each of these women has several initiatives to support and encourage women. So no one feels left behind.
In this episode, we discussed the factors that are most important to build a digital team. We also discussed several stories where keeping the information in the board room and not including key users resulted in failed digital transformations. Finally, we discussed the importance of communication and why the leaders need to immerse themselves with users to truly understand their needs and not just being lip service and promoting the culture of open and honest communication without fear.
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Irrespective of whether you are an owner who would like changes in your organization or a leader trying to convince the owners or boards for transformational changes, the journey of change is lonely. You might come across super enthusiastic collaborators who will lose interest if they don't see an immediate return. You might also come across several detractors who will take every effort to shut you down. The change requires a deep understanding of the mindset and what drives people to identify the right team to lead the change initiatives.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Laura Goodrich, who discusses how and where to begin the journey of change, especially if you have been facing resistance from your team. She also describes how to identify the initial champions and build the right team to take accountability to lead the change and not be discouraged by detractors. Finally, she discusses strategies to lead change in various organizations, including where the team may be facing resistance from the owner or vice versa.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
An average manufacturing facility may have ten operations to produce a part. The process of creating a chip goes through at least 500 steps. Some of these processes use significantly expensive machines and materials. They also require timely preventive maintenance and sophisticated scheduling. Operational improvements at such facilities could mean a massive difference to your bottom line, while bottlenecks could mean increased operational overhead and product cost.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Julie Hopkins, who discusses how she could bring significant productivity improvements in semiconductor facilities by setting the 10x goal. She also describes the manufacturing and quality processes of a dry etch semiconductor fabrication facility and how it is different from other manufacturing sites. Finally, she shared several stories of how to find hidden items that may reduce the operational availability within your process.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Planning through growth inflection points is difficult. You have to figure out how to find revenue. And then, if you are not able to fulfill the demand, the growth may fire back. Planning for growth requires you to build your multi-year sales and operating plan. But the most crucial part is its execution. The more alignment you have across your cross-functional groups, the easier and more natural the growth will feel without growing pains.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant finance, sales, operations planning, logistics, and warehouse expertise. But most importantly, a manufacturer and distributor who has been part of the growth journey for her company from $10M to $200M and experienced it first-hand.
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Stock keeping unit (SKU) could be a dummy number, and you might feel how important a number could be. Well, your SKU is a binding thread that ties all your business processes that interact with your products. You could quickly outgrow your SKU numbering strategy if you don't have a flexible numbering scheme to accommodate your near future requirements. The SKU numbers could also impact your customer experience as they are used internally to identify your products. They are also used externally to cross-reference vendor part numbers and search products inside a store or on order forms and invoices.
In today's episode, we invited an expert panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise with the SKU numbering scheme and e-commerce to discuss how SKU numbers impact your business processes. We also discussed several stories of poor numbering schemes and best practices that impacted internal efficiencies and customer experience because of the numbering strategies. Finally, we discussed how to design SKU numbers to accommodate current and future requirements without impacting SEO, vendor, and customer interactions and causing any legal and copyright issues.
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Most manufacturers struggle with cross-functional collaboration, especially when it comes to engineering handoff because it requires going beyond the engineering perspective. Engineers need to think from the perspective of consumers. These consumers could be anywhere from machinists, assembly technicians, welders, inspectors, and purchasing. This thinking requires several changes in the organization, including a deeper understanding of the needs of these consumers, adoption of digital processes, and cultural transformations.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Jennifer Herron, who discusses how 3D CAD models can improve cross-functional collaboration and design from consumers' perspectives. She also describes the engineering handoff process and cultural barriers in adopting digital processes. Finally, she describes the stages of design processes and the tools relevant at each stage, and which industries are most appropriate for adopting 3D CAD models.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Paid advertising could make a massive difference to your pipeline and bottom line if done right. It could also help you optimize your organic search campaigns as you would have access to detailed insights into your customer journeys and customer behaviors. But mastering paid advertising is easier said than done. It requires you to make the entire journey congruent, starting from what users are trying to search on google to the design and architecture of your website.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Steve Rice, who discusses why congruence is the most important factor to optimize product category architecture, navigation, user experience, customer journeys, and campaign design. He also explains how pay-per-click campaigns can help gather insights to improve overall traffic. Finally, he shares several stories where he could improve the contribution margin by making everything congruent. Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Manufacturers have traditionally been problem solvers. While the problem-solving mindset helps create amazing products, the same skill fires back in designing the processes. This problem-solving approach leads each department to make their decisions independently and buy software to solve their problems, limiting interoperability. This approach also promotes the culture of organizational silos and prevents taking advantage of synergies through a consolidated view of the organization.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Mike Yost, who discusses the differences between performance management, production management, and asset management on the shop floor. He also shares several stories where he improved the organization's performance by optimizing the shop floor functions and improving data sharing. Finally, he shares his insights into what executives can do to break the organizational silos and create a consolidated view to take advantage of synergies across business functions and plants.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are trying to penetrate an account, the involvement of their procurement department is the last thing you want to see as they are hard negotiators on price. Selling to FMCG buyers could even be more challenging as they need to move fast and make quick decisions. In 2021, most offerings are fairly competitive, so you could only do so much while negotiating with FMCG buyers. However, if you researched enough and figured out how to sell based on value, you might end up converting your accounts into strategic with a significant upper hand.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Mark Schenkius, who discusses selling to and negotiating with FMCG buyers in buying environments where they need to make quick decisions and move fast. He also describes several negotiation profiles with the help of blue and red colors and how to convert blue to red and vice versa. Finally, he describes the negotiation color of various departments and what sales and procurement teams can do to win negotiations.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Manufacturers carry thousands of products, and each of them requires several materials with their own dependencies. This chain can go on and could feel cyclical. That's how complex is our supply chain. One critical component could block the production and further impact the production of products that may depend upon it. The best way to mitigate the supply chain issues is to have complete transparency into your supply chain and have an emergency plan for the rainy day.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Gina Tabasso, who discusses the current supply chain shortages in the chemical distribution industry and their impact on various manufacturing industries. She also had a chance to discuss the crucial component shortages, their sources, and their dependencies. Finally, she describes the role and properties of various chemical products and their supply chain processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is a lot that goes into planning for a warehouse. Some warehouses are complex, while others may not be as complex depending upon the shipment types and the influx of shipments. If you don't plan well, it may lead to poor utilization of labor and inefficiencies in the warehouse. It may also lead to missing sales opportunities due to the unavailability of products or missing due dates for your customers. Scheduling of distribution center plays a crucial role in ensuring that you can ship at the right time while maintaining your warehouse efficiencies at the optimum levels.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Deema Adada, who discusses how distribution centers work and their planning. She also describes best practices for managing the workload at distribution centers and space utilization. Finally, she has had time to explain several concepts, including upstream and downstream supply chain and exception handling.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Demand planning is a double-edged sword, and it's tough to predict. Demand planning requires you to plan enough and then be nimble and agile while tweaking the demand as the market condition changes. Most companies take an algorithmic approach to their demand planning, resulting in wasting critical resources. The agile approach is especially relevant to SMBs as they may not have as many resources as their bigger counterparts.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Dyci Sfregola, who discusses why companies should spend less time worrying about forecasting accuracy and more on execution. She also describes how demand planning differs from sales and operations planning. Finally, she has had time to discuss several KPIs that are meaningful and important for various industries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Complying with regulatory bodies is more than just producing the documentation when they ask for it. If the regulatory body is as stringent as FDA, they look for several red flags, including completeness and thoroughness of the documentation and confidence level. But speed is typically the most critical factor. Manufacturers with manual processes and fragmented systems might struggle with the speed expectations of these regulatory bodies.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Tom Rodden, who discusses the nuances of medical device manufacturing and how it differs from generalized manufacturing. He also discusses several processes and system needs that are driven by regulatory bodies such as FDA. Finally, he shares several stories where poorly maintained systems and methods may have had catastrophic results for the company.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Remember when you bought five shirts last time and ended up returning all? Let's face it. Consumer behavior is unpredictable. It is especially challenging for the apparel industry, where one loose thread or difference in perceived color could be the reason for return. But the supply chain planning for the apparel industry is not only complicated because of consumer behavior. Supplier issues are equally problematic, including geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and cultural factors.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Crissa Klein, who discusses the supply chain nuances of the apparel industry and its unique challenges. She also discusses the planning challenges, especially with geopolitical tensions in Asian countries that are the primary source of raw materials for the Apparel industry. Finally, she discusses several subtleties such as planning around extraordinary situations, unpredictable events, and unique e-commerce challenges.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
What helps you compete in the market? Is it your unique product? Is it your operational efficiency? Is it your market segment? Or is it the alignment of your manufacturing and operational strategies with market needs and business goals? Since most manufacturers are part of a large process for their customers, simply thinking about your product's value prop may not be enough. You need to think about the entire value chain, how your products fit in that, and the implications and benefits it may have on the end goal of your customer.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Kishore Khaitan, who discusses how to align manufacturing strategies with business goals. He also provided key insights into his different businesses and how he could turn them around despite unfavorable circumstances. Finally, he discussed the manufacturing processes and market nuances of several manufacturing verticals, including industrial fabrics, paper plants, and textile parts.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are involved in vendor negotiations or expense management, it's hard to know if you may be overpaying for services or goods. What if there was a way to benchmark your expenses against other companies. Enter big data for expense management. These data lakes have amassed trillions of data points in the last ten years through several data sources. They have the capabilities to benchmark your expenses for the majority of your categories.
In today's episode, we have our guest Scott Berman from River North Financial Group and Jake Lindmark at Optimally, who discusses how big data solutions have evolved and now accessible for small to medium-sized businesses. They describe how these big data solutions can help and how they work. Finally, they explained several nuances associated with financial big dataÂ
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Warehouses have been using automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for a long time. While they have come a long way in their capabilities and along with their interactions with other newer technologies such as robotic arms or cobots, their adoption is still very low. Although ASRS systems provide excellent capabilities, the key is to deeply understand your specific needs and measure your current KPIs for their successful implementation and reap financial benefits from these initiatives.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Tim Harrison, who discusses various ASRS systems and why they are essential to increase the productivity of a warehouse. He also discusses barriers and opportunities in the ASRS ecosystem. Finally, he discusses several metrics and stories where ASRS systems made sense and where they were overkill, in addition to describing their software and hardware interactions with existing systems in the enterprise architecture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How would you feel if you had a handful of customers with huge leverage decided to consolidate their vendors and put pressure to cut the prices further that you might not be able to afford? No one wants to be in this situation. What would you do if you faced this situation? Would you expand your operations to explore further cost reduction opportunities? Would you rather shut down your operations? Would you try to sell hard and not take no for an answer? Or Would you start looking for other customers?Â
In today's episode, we have our guest, Paul Serafino, who discusses how manufacturers and distributors can get through vendor consolidation situations by their key customers. He also discusses why thinking from the overall capacity is vital to deal with such problems than limiting it to your four walls. Finally, he provides several relationship-building and negotiation techniques to help overcome the price pressure and help create superior value and strategic partnerships with your customers.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Whether you are releasing new parts or making changes to existing parts, you will likely go through the engineering change process (ECN). More often than not, engineering organizations are siloed from the downstream organizations and don't understand how their engineering decisions will impact the production floor. As you add more engineers to the department, the more opportunity, you might find to have tighter engineering change control processes and reuse the existing CAD models.
In today's episode, we have our guest, Andrew Hood, who discusses why classifying and promoting the reuse of parts is vital to save costs. He also describes the financial implications of poor and siloed engineering management functions. Finally, he has shared several stories and discussed the nuances of engineering organization, including the difference between PLM and PDM systems, conceptualization, and ideation process.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
SMB manufacturers and distributors in the personal care industry face unique challenges. These difficulties could be even more for organic products or the items that need to comply with FDA., such as sunscreens. They need to ensure enough demand for new products or struggle to find contract manufacturers and labs that will accept the lower batches of order. Also, since credibility is vital for brands in this industry, the source of ingredients and the ability to have end-to-end traceability is critically important.
In today's episode, we have our guest Erin Williams, who discusses the manufacturing and commercialization processes of the personal care industry. She also discusses why organic products require stringent procedures and what makes them more expensive. Finally, she has had a chance to discuss the quality and audit processes and the responsibilities and liabilities of each party involved.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As procurement departments and buyers become more sophisticated, manufacturers and distributors will see more scrutiny from their customers, especially if they might be selling high-value and complex items. They have already been facing cost pressures from their customers, but now they might see an elongated sales cycle with RFPs to compete. The RFP process might increase your costs if you don't have experience responding to them. Winning RFPs and working with procurement requires you to understand how procurement thinks and works deeply.
In today's episode, we have our guest Jill Robbins, who discusses how to navigate long-term sales cycles that involves selling to and through procurement. She also describes best practices in responding to RFPs and what procurement teams value in a partner and in the RFP response. Finally, she has been able to share how procurement teams think and work from her experience of working in procurement for a very long time that manufacturing executives need to know if they are selling complex products through procurement.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Your CRM system is key to managing your customer relationships and providing the customer experience to help you stand out among your competitors. While most organizations may use some form of CRM system, the adoption rate is low. Most CRM systems are either over-engineered, making them difficult to use and maintain, or under-engineered with data quality issues, a roadblock to CRM system adoption.
In today's episode, we have our guest Seamus Ruiz-Earle, who discusses the core reasons for the low adoption of CRM systems among sales teams. He also discusses how to evaluate a CRM and the nuances of selecting a CRM for specific industries considering their unique business processes. Finally, he provides insights into why data integrity, security, and migration issues are essential to consider while selecting and creating standard operating procedures around CRM processes to avoid significant dollar expenses because of data corruption and integrity issues.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you grow in transactions and have many low-dollar transactions, the cost of processing transactions could be higher than the expense being paid. You might also face this when you may be purchasing cheaper consumable items from one-time vendors. Understanding the cost of processing is critical as that allows you to introduce different strategies for such transactions. One such strategy is to introduce a P-card for your low dollar volume transactions, which enables companies to process transactions without creating vendor records or going through an invoice matching process.
In today's episode, we have our guest Scott Engelking, who describes why companies should be implementing a P-card program for their low-dollar transactions to reduce processing costs. He also describes the end-to-end process of implementing a P-card program and the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder involved. Finally, he shares several examples and best practices for effective P-card implementation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Remember walking around a gym to find the weight you wanted for your next set of exercises? It could be even more frustrating and inefficient to locate a tool or asset in a large manufacturing facility or a warehouse. What if you had real-time tracking of your tools and assets that you could locate by tracking their real-time locations. The RTLS technology is powerful and helps manufacturers in tracking critical resources on the shop floor.
In today's episode, we have our guest Viren Mathuria from Sewio Networks, who describes how a real-time location system (RTLS) works and how it helps manufacturers. He also discusses several examples of how large enterprises and SMB manufacturers are using the technology as of today. Finally, he provides insights into various competing technologies available in the market, including RFID and Bluetooth, and discusses their limitations and applications.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are building or upgrading your e-commerce capabilities, you are likely to evaluate several platforms. This evaluation needs to be comprehensive, covering factors ranging from legal contracts, deployment issues, customer experience needs, product model complexities, and your teams' skillset. If you chose a platform without performing due diligence, you might experience cost overruns with your ecommerce budget.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Erin Courtnay and Eric Landmann from Earthling Interactive, who discusses the strategies and considerations to evaluate e-commerce platforms and architecture. They also discuss how the e-commerce needs differ between B2B vs. B2C and among different industries. Finally, they discussed several other nuances that drive the cost and design, including product models, search filters, and the technology ecosystem.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cash is the lifeblood of a company. Cash forecasting is the discovery process to predict your future cash needs. How would you feel if you discovered that you had four months of cash left to operate? I am sure you will lose your sleep. Thus, cash forecasting and understanding your balance sheet are essential. It is especially vital for cash-intensive companies such as manufacturers.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Alok Ajmera, who discusses the corporate performance management (CPM) function and breaks down its processes into the tactical cost-saving and strategic components. He also touches on concepts such as continuous and consistent planning. Finally, he explains the role and interactions of CPM and ERP software and what value each of these tools adds to an SMB organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you focused on the metrics for each employee where they contributed to the organization's overall improvement, it could result in millions of dollars of savings. But finding the areas of improvement is easier said than done. It requires you to perform gap analysis and trace the Gemba. It requires you to perform a deeper study of data, identify appropriate KPIs, and continuously measure to become operationally resilient.
In today's episode, we have our guest Tamar Nelson, who discusses why an organization needs to become operationally resilient to combat uncertainty. She also describes why a gap analysis is required to identify the areas of improvement and start on the journey of operational resiliency. Finally, she shares several stories where she has made transformational changes to the organization by tracing the Gemba through data, surveys, and process mapping.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
RFID technology has been available for a long time, but its adoption has been limited to high-value assets. Most manufacturers might not believe that RFID technologies can track commodities and be an excellent replacement for barcode labels. Unlike barcode labels requiring warehouse and production workers to hold the pointed gun and scan each item, RFID tags could significantly save time while expediting the scanning process. They will also provide you real-time visibility and replenishment of the inventory.
In today's episode, we have our guest Andrew Johnson, who discusses the evolution of RFID tags and how RFID technology is no longer limited to tracking high-value assets. He also touches on the old-school vendor-managed inventory approach and how RFID technology enables manufacturers to enable true Just-in-time tracking in real-time across products. Finally, he touches on the several logistics associated with enabling RFID to manage your vendor-managed inventory, including the cost of printing RFID labels, their limitations, and strategies for their adoption.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Energy has always been one of the heaviest line items on a P&L for manufacturers. While manufacturing executives are acutely aware of the energy costs, they have struggled to enforce energy-saving procedures. In fact, the push for quality and productivity could have counterproductive effects on energy consumption. To find the cost-saving opportunities available through energy, the executives need to consider comprehensive approaches, including factoring energy costs into product costs and performance metrics like product quality and quantity. They also need to adopt industry 4.0 technologies to provide historical data to capitalize on cost savings available through energy.
In today's episode, we have our guest Mike Nager, who discusses the organizational metrics and KPIs that completely ignore the cost savings opportunities available through control and policies. He also touches on trends in other countries where energy prices may be higher. Finally, he shares several stories and describes several technologies that companies could use to accelerate industry 4.0 adoption, which will help companies save on energy costs and help them grow faster.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Material requirement planning helps in keeping the appropriate inventory levels that you need for manufacturing. If the MRP processes are not optimized, it could result in surplus inventory or component shortages that could halt your production. While several technologies are available to implement MRP, the biggest challenge is the cross-functional nature of the MRP processes as multiple business units and departments may be involved. This challenge makes the implementation difficult and causes operational disruptions.
In today's episode, we have our guest Marcia Williams, who discusses various components of MRP planning and where MRP fits in the process. She also discusses the differences between MRP and DRP and why MRP processes are challenging to implement in an organization. Finally, she shares several stories of complex MRP planning, including performing MRP planning in a multi-entity scenario, planning when multiple locations may be involved, and when the BOMs may have complex dependencies.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
With new trends and technologies such as additive manufacturing and experimental design, it's never been this easy to launch and disrupt a hardware product category. The traditional manufacturers that are slow in taking advantage of these trends run a risk of being disrupted and become irrelevant in their market. The new trends require manufacturers to get inspired by the newer disruptive companies from their markets and be corporate intrapreneurs by changing their internal R&D workflows and capabilities.
In today's episode, we have our guest Kevin Mako, who discusses how experimental design and additive manufacturing can help mitigate financial risks with innovative projects. He also discusses several technologies and trends that have been driving faster innovation in the manufacturing sector. Finally, he discusses what financial executives look for in a pitch and how engineering workflow changes with additive manufacturing methodology.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While other industries such as banking or logistics have successfully differentiated purely because of technology, manufacturers treat digital technologies as their stepchild, especially in the SMB space. SMB manufacturers and distributors rarely have internal IT or use external research to augment their business or digital transformation initiatives. What could manufacturers do to learn from other industries and create a compelling customer experience using technology?
In today's episode, we have our guest Shari Lava, who discusses the importance of partnership with your tech vendors and external research. She also talks about various trends that executives should know and how they have changed because of COVID. Finally, she touches on how to read research reports and why it is essential to have an organized methodology to lead large transformation initiatives, and how their digital frameworks can help.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Running a machine shop is complicated with complex parts, heavy precision needs, and tricky materials handling requirements. With cost pressures from customers, rising material costs, and shrinking margins, one inaccurately estimated job could wipe out the profits for the whole month. Also, customers are savvy with their evaluation as they now want to vet your end-to-end business processes to validate the claims on your sales collateral.
In today's episode, we have our guest Paul Van Metre, who discusses how machine shops can use their business processes as a sales tool in their sales and marketing collateral. He also describes the nuances of running a machine shop efficiently from his own machine business experiences. Finally, we have had a chance to discuss several scenarios and their implications on your efficiency and profitability, including the most realistic timeline and practical strategies for an ERP implementation for a machine shop.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Cost accounting is a complex topic. You have so many different choices, and sometimes it's hard to decide which method may be appropriate for your business. If you choose an incorrect accounting method, you may get a significant variance and require more admin effort to discover the source of variance and tweak the processes to reduce it. The incorrect costing method could also mean that you don't have a true sense of profitability for your products.
In today's episode, we have our guest Christiano Gherardini, who discusses the importance of costing granularity and why it is crucial to understand your products' profitability. He also talks about various costing scenarios and the implications of choosing an incorrect costing method. Finally, he has had a chance to talk about multiple costing concepts, including macro and micro variance analysis, costing layers, backflushing, rework, costing concurrent resources, and much more.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
New product development is complex. There are financial risks associated with research and development. The experience could be even more frightening if you are new to R&D, have a tight budget, or working with external or overseas partners. While you might perceive that the risk may be lower with internal initiatives, it may not be true as it's harder to track the internal opportunity costs and stay on track with other competing priorities.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Andrew Lees, who discusses how engineering can work effectively with production and finance teams. He also provides several strategies in working with overseas vendors and contract manufacturers to mitigate financial risks. Finally, he has described how CFOs can budget and plan engineering initiatives and work with engineers effectively.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The lines keep blurring between traditional retail supply chains with trends such as DTC and buy-online-pick-up-at-store. With large retailers offering such convenience, it's harder for smaller retailers to compete. These models require you to have your fulfillment centers within 20 miles of the customer location to match consumers' delivery time expectations. This need drives the business architecture complexity with cross interactions between hybrid systems ranging from POS, e-commerce, and ERP, which drives the need for an enterprise glue and a common data model.
In today's episode, we have our guest Richard Halter, The Wizard of POS, who describes the challenges associated with buy online, pick up at store model. He also talks about why small retailers and manufacturers would need to develop these capabilities to avoid the risk of running out of business because of competitors such as Amazon. Finally, he has described several nuances associated with this model, and the approach retailers can take to implement it.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The risk profile of manufacturers plays a critical role in how insurance companies and regulatory agencies perceive them, including their cybersecurity standard operating procedures, their ability to prevent injuries, and their consistency to hit their KPIs. All of these factors may have significant growth implications for manufacturers.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Michael Schlagenhaufer, who discusses how insurance companies evaluate manufacturers' risk profiles. He also shares his insights into how your risk profiles can impact your bottom line because of increased premiums, denied claims, or inability to be insured. Finally, he discusses several issues related to manufacturers' risk profile and their insurability, such as cybersecurity issues, equipment breakdown, and shop floor injuries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There are a lot of definitions around LEAN. But implementing it right is easier said than done. Most companies fail to implement LEAN because they focus more on tools than focusing on strategy. It's a change in thinking, the way you do your business. It's the kind of SOPs you want to follow in your business and how flexible you want to be around those SOPs. The less variability and leaner operations you have, the more competitive you will be. If implemented right, Lean would be your competitive advantage.
In today's episode, we have our guest Sanjeev Baitmangalkar, who discusses why LEAN is a strategy and thinking and why most companies fail with LEAN as they focus on tools. He also shares several stories of how he implemented Lean at several facilities in various industries. Finally, He shares numerous KPIs and execution strategies to help business executives implement Lean.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
There is always so much at stake with ERP implementations. One plus one is perhaps eleven when it comes to deploying ERP. They are never just technology deployment. The companies that promise the world to their teams based on the overstated claims from technology sales professionals might encounter varied emotional responses from their leaders, leading to a compliance culture. This culture often produces the exact opposite effect of what you intended to achieve with your technology.
In today's episode, we have our guest Amanda Prochaska, who discusses how to prepare for change with large transformation projects and why a continuous monitoring of emotional response is absolutely critical for the success of such projects. She also shares several stories related to emotional response and what she did to get these projects back on track and to bring positivity to the culture. Finally, she talks about what leaders need to do to identify the underlying symptoms of compliance culture and how to engage with vendors hired to help you manage this change.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Product pricing is more than just the dollar amount printed on the packaging or pricing labels. It drives consumer behavior, affects the customer experience, and impacts the bottom line. Right pricing strategies could catalyze your growth and provide a competitive advantage. On the other hand, overly promotional pricing strategies could be counterproductive and increase operational complexity. When it comes to pricing, it's the balance that matters.
In today's episode, we have our guest Andrew Deutsch, who discusses pricing and discounting strategies for companies. He shares his thoughts on how to shift from the transactional mindset to value-driven pricing. Finally, he touches on several other pricing-related topics, including organizational alignment on pricing, channel conflict issues about pricing, pricing-driven customer experience, and promotional pricing.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP contracts are inherently crafty. If you don't have experience buying an ERP, you might want to get your contracts reviewed with a consultant who has several years of experience reviewing ERP contracts. You might think of purchasing an ERP as a subscription package, but an ERP system implementation has more nuances in the form of data ownership, ongoing support, bandwidth usage, etc. So you might want to understand these critical details before you are locked in a contract and might end up paying 8x of what you had forecasted.
In today's episode, we have our guest Brian Sommer, who discusses why legacy ERP systems and artificial accounting practices need to change with time. He also shares several litigation stories related to his experience being an expert witness or consultant in antitrust cases. Finally, he shares several nuances and stories of how businesses must be approaching an ERP or digital transformation initiative and why it is crucial to understand contractual obligations.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Mobility can increase the efficiency significantly of your warehouses, from automating your data entry to voice-enabled picking. But how to plan for a mobility journey? Is it as simple as picking a bunch of bar code readers from the market and be mobile? Or do companies need to plan based on the size of the warehouse, ergonomics needs, and efficiency requirements?Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Chuck Coxhead from Procensis, who discusses warehouse mobility trends in the enterprise and SMB markets. He also describes technical details of several warehouse mobility technologies along with crossover between ERP and WMS systems. Finally, he has had a chance to touch on how manufacturers can evaluate mobility technologies and take advantage of the new trends such as Micro-fulfilment.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Have you had challenges engaging with your customers? Do you lose prospects just because you could not call them timely? Do you have challenges in finding net-new prospects? Do you have capacity issues in your sales department? How deeply do you understand how your prospects may be interacting with your website? These are the questions you will have if you are ready for marketing automation.
In today's episode, we have our guest Dave Meyer from BizzyWeb, who describes how marketing automation works and why that is important to understand customer journeys. He also explains how marketing automation helps engage with existing customers and find new-new prospects. Finally, he shares several stories related to growing businesses using marketing automation.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Gears are among the most foundational parts of machines, ranging from food delivery equipment to medical devices. While we all may recognize the prevalence of gears, how many of us know that manufacturing gear is almost like surgery? Yes, that's the kind of precision and expertise required to manufacture gears. Manufacturing them could even be more difficult if you are dealing with a customer who doesn't fully understand the engineering behind them.
In today's episode, we have our guest Dave Hataj, who describes the role gears play in our society. He also describes the manufacturing process of gears and the nuances associated with it. Finally, he shares several stories related to gear manufacturing and procurement.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most people think of customer experience as providing the best customer service. But, in reality, it's much bigger than that. It's about removing the friction and choppiness from each channel. It's making the experience personalized while not compromising on scalability. The customer experience innovation requires a rounded approach, starting from your team alignment, offerings, processes, and the product bundle.
In today's episode, we have our guest Kirk Thompson from Chief Outsiders, who discusses how team alignment may be necessary to align with your customer experience strategy. He also touches on removing the choppiness in the sales and operational cycle by systemizing the processes. Finally, he shares several stories where businesses had hit the wall in their growth journey and required a refined product and pricing model to grow.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As your business grows, it's hard to find that Goldilocks zone of inventory so that neither you lose on opportunities nor lock your cash down. Sales and operations planning is easier said than done. The problem becomes more complex when you might have a high mix of your products, especially if you might be tracking your KPIs manually or on a spreadsheet.
In today's episode, we have our guest Mike Ryan, who discusses how to do sales and operations planning appropriately for a growing business. He also discusses his lessons learned from various KPIs pertaining to sales and operations planning and how to streamline them to maintain appropriate levels of inventory and cash. Finally, he shares his insights into several inflection points of growth for businesses and their needs for proper S&OP systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
They say that numbers add up. It couldn't be more true about tail spend, which is the non-strategic spend that most companies don't care for. The problem becomes far serious if they may not have true visibility into tail spend or if they misclassify the tail spend. This issue typically leads to companies losing millions of dollars in potential cost savings and growth opportunities.
In today's episode, we have our guest Sarah Scudder from Real Sourcing Network and Madison Mobley from Fairmarkit. They discuss different categories of spend that companies typically consider as tail spend. They also discuss how companies can capitalize on growth opportunities by better managing their tail spend. Finally, they share several stories where they've saved millions of dollars through better insight about tail spend.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Most organizations focus on growing revenue. Sure, getting revenue is always the hardest part. But did you know that the increased time between earning revenue and collecting cash could result in giant write-offs impacting your growth? Also, how would you define the right customers to focus on? Would it be based on revenue or their ability to pay? Having a cash flow mindset is critical for growth, especially for capital-intensive organizations such as manufacturing.
In today's episode, we have our guest Aaron Spool from Eventus Advisory Group, who describes what it means to have a cash flow mindset in the organization. He also touches on business drivers and why tax and accounting should not drive business decisions. Finally, he discusses many scenarios of cash and revenue misalignment and the resulting implications because of this issue.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Data is the new oil. But collecting data could also mean distracting your operators from focusing on jobs. Moreover, just because you collected millions of data points, drawing insights or meaning could be challenging if your systems are siloed and don't communicate with each other. Finally, the data quality issues may result in poor sales and operations planning, impacting your bottom line and growth.
In today's episode, we have our guest Martin Cloake, who discusses different barriers associated with Artificial Intelligence and Industry 4.0 adoption. While technology has come a long way, he shares his insight into how behavioral challenges impact manufacturers to operate with a continuous improvement mindset. Finally, he discusses why siloed systems result in companies operating on two sets of KPIs and ledgers and the impact on the growth of this siloed mindset.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Digital Twin has been around for a long time. But is that just marketing hype? Is it just a fancy term for data gathering? What are the core challenges digital twin solves? Is that supposed to help overworked maintenance departments and extracting stories from each machine? Could it help in reducing waste and improving product quality? These are the questions you will have if you are in the process of exploring a digital twin for your organization.
In today's episode, we have our guest Chris Harris, who discusses the importance of data gathering for manufacturers. He also provides insights into how every machine has a story and how much you can learn from these stories by collecting and analyzing data. Finally, we discussed the nuances of digital twin and how that could help manufacturing maintenance departments become proactive and efficient.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Are we already out of the woods from COVID? Should you be bullish on the economy? How should you plan your investments for this year? Can you comfortably plan for long-term investments? How would the new normal look? What disruptions can you expect in your supply chain? What new consumer trends can you expect? What workforce changes can you expect? If you are a manufacturer, these are the questions you might have as you plan for 2021.
In today's episode, we have our guest Chad Moutray, who discusses the current economic conditions and outlook for manufacturers. He also translates economic insight for small-to-medium-sized manufacturers who may not understand how these issues might affect them. Finally, we discussed several other topics, including supply chain, consumer behavior in the new normal, pandemic-driven business trends, changes due to new administration, and much more.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
As your company grows, you might feel the need for software as you encounter each problem. The software landscape is hard to navigate, and if you don't understand the role each system, such as ERP, E-commerce, and CRM systems play. You could create an extremely patchy architecture, which typically results in significant admin overhead and conflicts among teams, causing your growth to slow down.
In today's episode, we have our guest Gill Walker, who discusses why CRM is important and how that fits among other systems such as ERP and E-commerce. He also shares several best practices for executives embarking on a CRM implementation journey. Finally, she shares several stories about the poor implementation she has seen and the lesson learned from them.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
No one appreciates uncertainty. It is even more frustrating when the uncertainty may not be in your control. And if you are an executive of a company, navigating through difficult times has a toll on everything. The uncertainty could be related to macroeconomic trends such as recession, trade tensions, or merely changing consumer behavior. These macroeconomic factors directly impact not only the top line but also the bottom line. What would you do if your job was to help a company navigate through difficult times?
In today's episode, we have our guest Mark Jaffe from Strategic Growth Consulting, who discusses how macroeconomic trends impact consumer behaviors. He also shares his insights on what business owners might do to combat uncertainty associated with macroeconomic factors by understanding customer behavior better and shifting the mindset from cost-saving to opportunistic organization. He also shares several stories of companies that faced macroeconomic uncertainty but ended up growing instead.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Building a high-performing sales team requires more than just winners and the winning product. It requires the right compensation structure, refined customer groups, and a deep understanding of their needs. But is that enough for sustained growth? What do small to medium-sized businesses miss that struggle to grow? Whose responsibility is to generate leads? Is the sales team accountable for everything, or should marketing share some accountability of missing growth targets?
In today's episode, we have our guest Enrico Parodi, who describes the sales organization's key components. He also discusses different sales organization structures and how their roles vary, including direct, hybrid, and channel-driven. Finally, he had a chance to touch on sales and marketing alignment and why that is important for an organization's sustained growth.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Running manufacturing operations is not easy. But if you are running a machine shop that produces complex parts in short runs, the switch over time between jobs or additional time spent in bringing material to machines could have significant profitability and growth challenges. Also, if your data collection and entry is primarily manual, you might run into significant operations bottlenecks and might not be able to compete. What process changes could you make to your operations to improve your quality and reduce costs?
In today's episode, we have our guest Matt Guse from M.R.S. Machining, who discusses the challenges associated with manufacturing complex parts in short runs. He also shares his insights into the process changes he made to his company that resulted in significant quality improvement and growth opportunities. Finally, he shares several stories of where he was able to save significant costs and grow his customers by simply replacing a material or improving the design of a part slightly.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
It's very rare to relate reshoring initiatives with costs saving and sales growth. It's typically the opposite. However, if you account for all the costs and risks involved with offshoring or near-shoring, including geopolitical risks, reshoring initiatives can help grow a company.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Harry Mosner from Reshoring Initiative, who discusses how to compute the total cost of ownership of reshoring initiatives. He also shares several stories of manufacturers where they could reduce the costs and increase sales through reshoring initiatives. Finally, he sheds light on manufacturing verticals and components that benefit most from the reshoring initiatives.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you think of print marketing, what comes to your mind? Perhaps flyers or coupons? But print marketing is much more than that. There have been some exciting trends lately with print marketing, where the print packaging includes QR codes that can take you to a web page to improve customer experience. The print industry is way cooler than you would think.
In today's episode, we have our guests Sarah Scudder from Real Sourcing Network and Roger Buck from Corporate Development Associates. They discuss some exciting trends in the print industry to create a compelling customer experience. They also discuss how print could help manufacturers increase their sales. Finally, we discussed some interesting use cases of print and how they have helped manufacturers increase profits.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Who doesn't enjoy drinking wine? But did you know that wine distribution is very complicated, similar to Cannabis or Tobacco businesses? And if you are selling in Canada, especially in Ontario, there is a different complexity level as everything is so monopolized and govt controlled.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Nelson Aberu from 3050 Imports, who discusses the wine distribution business's nuances and supply chain challenges. We also had a chance to touch on the different contracting and system interaction requirements of the wine industry. Finally, we touched on the nuances associated with Wine distribution businesses in Ontario and Canada.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Product packaging is as important as the product itself. Poor packaging could cause issues with delivery, failures, and increased returns. These issues typically lead to a bad customer experience.
In today's episode, we have our guest Mark Oser from Anteris Consulting Group, who discusses How to launch new products by simply changing the packaging. He also shares his insights into how to take new product packaging ideas from concept to design. Finally, he sheds light on design challenges that COOs and CFOs must be aware of, before launching a new product line.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Do you care for your vendor relationships? Well, your vendor relationships are as important as your customer relationships. If you are dealing with international vendors such as China, Mexico, or India, your relationship with vendors and understanding of their culture could impact your bottom line and growth.
In today's episode, we have our guest Francois Jaffres from Noviland, who discusses what manufacturers need to know about working with international suppliers. He also shares his insights into why the transactional approach does not work while collaborating with international suppliers. Finally, he shared what other options companies might have to access international supplier markets without having pre-existing relationships in these countries.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
How busy is your shop floor? How occupied is your team? Are your machines always running? Are you happy with your growth and operational efficiency? While you might be content with what you have right now, the question is, why would you not make more money if you could without increased efforts or resources.
In today's episode, we have our guest Paul Critchley from New England Lean Consulting, who discusses practical examples of how to apply the 5Ss of LEAN to your organization. He also shares his insights into how the needs for LEAN differ in high-volume organizations such as Automobile from job shops. Finally, he clears some of the misconceptions around LEAN and how applying LEAN principles can grow your organization's faster growth.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
COVID has been harsh on everyone. But if you have a COVID incident in your facility, not only will there be significant disruption with your operations, but there may also be additional overhead of reporting for your already overworked HR department. What can facilities do to manage their facilities better while taking care of their employees' health?
In today's episode, we have our guest Amanda Schleede, who discusses how manufacturers and retailers can better manage disruptions associated with COVID spread. She also provides insight into reporting requirements related to COVID. Finally, we have had a chance to describe how contact tracing works and how it can help manufacturers understand and analyze trends.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
We all understand the power of social media and its influence. But how to build authority and your tribe on social media? What works when it comes to building a large audience around your expertise and interests? Is it the subject-matter expertise, industry awareness, or something else? These are the questions you will have if you wish to have a strong personal brand and thought leadership in your industry.
In today's episode, we have our guest Lorena Acosta, who takes us through her journey of amassing millions of followers on LinkedIn. She also discusses the most critical factors that are important for anyone to be successful on social media. Finally, she discusses the mistakes executives make in focusing on subject-matter expertise and knowledge rather than trust and authenticity.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Selling complex products involving several buyers is challenging. Each buyer persona is different. Each channel they prefer to hang out with is different. And each piece of content needs to have appropriate messaging that resonates with the customer persona you are targeting. But the most crucial element of mapping your customer journeys would be the ideal customer profile, which most companies struggle to identify.
In today's episode, we have our guest Jeff White, who discusses why it is so important to identify the ideal customer profile for your offerings to streamline your growth. He also discusses why mapping customer journeys are critical to providing a seamless customer experience irrespective of whether you acquire customers through physical or digital channels. Finally, we had a chance to discuss the nuances of account-based marketing and channel conflict issues for manufacturers selling through distributors.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Remember going to a well-organized library or a store where you didn't need the endless merry-go-round to find the product or book you wanted? That's the power of clean data and organized systems. For manufacturing and distribution companies with the never-ending need for balancing control and agility, the task is easier said than done. You might have further challenges if you don't have systems that minimize the data entry or experience significant churn with your team.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Susan Walsh, who discusses how to normalize your product, customer, and vendor data to avoid planning and forecasting issues with your inventory. She also shares several stories where she has been personally involved in cleaning companies' financial and operational data and the impact such activities have had on operational efficiency and growth. Finally, she shares the differences between good vs. bad data and how to stop piling up on bad habits of dirty data syndrome.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Why should SMB companies be investing in technology during the downturns such as COVID? What could be some of the low-hanging fruits for executives to consider during the downturn? Why investing in technology is a wise idea during the downturn? These are some of the questions you will have if you are managing a business during COVID.
In Today's episode, we have our guest Laurie McCabe, who discusses how technology can help struggling businesses be more efficient during downturns. She also touches on different technology trends and ERP ecosystems, how they have evolved and what changes you might expect in the future. Finally, she helps SMB business owners understand their technology options.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While Software-as-a-service has made buying and implementing enterprise software such as ERP easier, evaluating SAAS options is never easy. With so much at stake with growth, understanding the implications of a cloud infrastructure provider is essential. You will still have tons of questions such as security, the location of your data, and vendor lockup issues. Finding the answers to such questions is hard unless you understand the cloud providers at the macro level.
In today's episode, we have our guest Bob Evans, who discusses what SMB customers need to know about cloud infrastructure providers. He also discusses the evolution of these vendors and their direction for the next 5-10 years. Finally, we touched on why understanding cloud infrastructure issues are still relevant and essential, even if the SAAS options may seem straightforward.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The metal fabrication industry has several nuances that don't exist in generalized manufacturing. The metal fabrication industry also has unique challenges such as sustainability that increase operational overhead. Finally, the unique manufacturing process and interactions with different stakeholders increase the process complexity.
In today's episode, we have our guest Robert Johnson, who discusses how the metal fabrication industry's manufacturing processes differ from generalized manufacturing. He also provides insight into the unique challenges associated with the metal fabrication industry and the production of cold-formed steel. Finally, he shares some thoughts about the value of LinkedIn and how executives from traditional industries such as metal fabrication can take advantage of LinkedIn.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The last three years have changed the way businesses operate, with podcasts and video becoming the most consumed media for information consumption. With 80% of the B2B sales decisions are being influenced by industry influencers and consultants, today's businesses need to be thought leaders in their spaces. But who drives thought leadership in a company?Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Chris Grainger, who discusses how his company EECO, a large electrical distributor, needed to change the way they sold to their customers. He also touches on how they started their journey of thought leadership, highlighting heroes in their community, which has helped them strengthen their position in the market and acquire net new business in a whole new different way.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
ERP systems are perceived to be complex. But why are they so hard to implement and learn? How do usable systems differ from the other complex systems? Does technology play a role in user experience? Why are ERP consultants so expensive, and why are they so critical for an effective ERP implementation? These are some of the questions you will have if you are reviewing a new ERP system today.
In Today's episode, we have our guest Ted Needleman, who discusses the role of ERP consultants why they are pivotal for an ERP implementation, and why they play a huge role in user experience and training. He also helps us understand why modern systems are more user-friendly than legacy ones. Finally, he touches on the attributes you should be paying attention to while selecting a usable system.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are an SMB lifestyle business and have had growth challenges, your end goal could be selling to an investor or a PE firm. Even if you are a second or third-generation business, your business's chances of survival would be slim if you don't follow the modern procedures for running your business. Operating a business has become even harder as the game has completely changed in the last three years, especially with COVID.
In today's episode, we have our guest Damon Pistulka from Exit Your Way, who discusses why word-of-mouth or traditional marketing strategies are no longer enough for business growth. He also touches on his growth secrets and how they have been able to rule the market through the network effect. Finally, we touched on what buyers look for when business owners try to sell their business.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Managing the quality of your product is not only required to provide a consistent customer experience. It may also be a requirement by customers and regulatory bodies in specific industries. The necessary amount of effort in getting certified and audited cannot be underestimated, with significant financial risks for non-compliance.
In today's episode, we have our guest Clay Coleman, who discusses the importance of a QMS system and why it matters for manufacturing and distribution companies. We also had a chance to discuss what manufacturers need to know about starting their ISO and QMS journey. Finally, we had an opportunity to discuss how API for Oil and Gas differs from other industries' ISO needs.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Business buyers have a unique way of evaluating businesses. If your end goal is to sell your business, you may want to know what buyers value in a business as an asset to align your growth plans with their needs. Do buyers put more value on the team or the roster of clients? Do they emphasize more on technology or products? Would you get a higher return on home-grown software or an off-the-shelf ERP?
In today's episode, we have our guest Nick Jackson from The Mendota Group, who discusses. What lifestyle brands can do to enhance their value for strategic buyers. He also discusses what founders can learn from CEOs who typically manage the business acquired by PE firms. Finally, he touched on why they put a negligible value on technology when you buy lifestyle brands.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growing a business is challenging. You might require newer facilities. Your employees might be overworked and might ask for additional resources. The process of growth could feel overwhelming, especially with operational challenges. You might feel that you are spinning your wheels. And your efforts are not paying off.
In today's episode, we have our guest Ian Pratt, who discusses how to distinguish between the need for additional resources and operational bottlenecks that need to be optimized before investing further. We also had a chance to discuss the specific steps executives need to take to undertake process improvement initiatives. Finally, we touched on why tracking of unit costs is vital for lean or continuous improvement efforts.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When you think of growth barriers, you might not think of corporate bullying and executive toxicity. Sure, every company has its share of issues. But how bad can toxicity and bullying get? Can it be catastrophic for companies? Can it cause fatalities? Can it invite lawsuits? If yes, they are significant financial and legal risks that have a massive impact on the bottom line and growth.
In today's episode, we have our guest Carol Marzouk from Leadership' N' Soul, who discusses how to uncover and correct lingering toxicity before it stunts your business growth. We also had a chance to discuss the implications if you smell it but choose to ignore it. If you are looking to learn how to fix toxicity before it's too late with compelling stories full of laughter, this is a must-listen episode for you.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growth could be challenging with product quality and process waste issues. You could also see inflated costs and reduced profit margins if you don't track scrap and waste appropriately. The problem could even be more significant if your measuring equipment are not appropriately calibrated or provide the necessary precision needed by your processes.
In today's episode, we have our guest Max Krug, who discusses what actions businesses need to take if they encounter product quality or business performance issues. He also describes how statistical process control (SPC) could help in addressing such issues. Finally, he shares several stories in different manufacturing verticals, where he has implemented SPC processes.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are looking for an ERP in 2021, you might not even think of any other options than a cloud ERP. But is cloud ERP for everyone? Does cloud ERP provide a competitive advantage? How do you ensure business transformation with a cloud ERP? These are the questions you will have if you are at a stage where you can't grow unless you implement a newer ERP system.
In today's episode, we have our guest Brett Beaubouef who provides insight into whether moving to the cloud guarantees business transformation. He also discusses how you can ensure business transformation with your Cloud ERP implementation. Finally, he provides a deep analysis of what to look for in a Cloud ERP Solution.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growing a company today is no longer the same as it used to be five years back. Today your customers expect you to be thought leaders in your industries. While we have been using social media to enhance our personal and company brands for quite some time, the game has entirely changed in the last three years. The companies that are actively promoting their brand and encouraging their employees to elevate personal brands will have a substantial edge compared to the rest.
In today's episode, we have our guest Katie Thomas from Leaders Online, who discusses the importance of personal brands and why personal branding is essential for personal growth and corporate branding. We also had a chance to touch on why accounting and finance subject-matter expertise is critical for marketers to reduce marketing spend. Finally, she also covered how executives can drive their employees to be more active on social media to generate opportunities.Â
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you are a CEO of an SMB company, you might think that getting to $25M in revenue is the hardest. However, if you ask anyone who has experience with an IPO or with a public company’s reporting, the game completely changes when you go public. As a public company, you will have increased reporting needs and additional stakeholders such as the board and shareholders. If this is your first time leading a public company, you will need to game up your leadership and persuasion skills.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Brian Goffenberg from Vitalhub, who discusses the difference between accounting for a public and private company. He also touches on the importance of auditing and why most companies must consider getting audited by a public accounting firm despite its price tag. Finally, he shares his experience on the relationship between CFO and CEO and what new controllers and accountants need to know about this relationship.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The industry4.0 initiatives offer significant opportunities and require executing large transformation projects with success. If not planned well, the changes could cause substantial disruption and become a bottleneck to your growth. Such projects require careful planning and a phased approach to ensure these projects’ success and meet your growth objectives.
In today's episode, we have our guest Dave Griffith who discusses why manufacturers must look for low-hanging fruits when exploring the path of industry4.0. He also explains what industry4.0 means to different manufacturing verticals and how they can take phased approaches to make these transformation projects successful. Finally, he shares several stories of his recent successes using the phased approach.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growing a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand is uniquely challenging. Not only will you need a product that consumers are willing to pay for, but you will also be required to win over your distributors and partners. Even if you succeed in developing your customer channels, you might still fail if you can't figure out how to manage your supply chain and cash flow.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Aman Ailani from SAH.OL Cold Brew who discusses the unique challenges and important metrics for a consumer brand and a food and beverage company. We also had a chance to discuss the secrets behind his company’s exponential growth in the Boston market. Finally, we touched on how LinkedIn has helped him raise awareness about his brand in a space where he competes with powerful brands like Starbucks.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Internal communication influences the culture of an organization, and culture typically is the biggest driver of growth? But what exactly is the culture? Is it about hiring employees from diverse backgrounds? Is it about creating the culture-buzz that most startups create? While every company might claim that they have the best culture, the culture that differentiates a fastest-growing company from the rest is hard to build.
In today's episode, we have our guest Ben Baker who starts describing how internal communication influences growth. He also touches on the cultural differences between VC-funded startups and traditional manufacturing and distribution lifestyle businesses. Finally, he discussed what industrial executives could do to enable the culture with internal communication tools and processes and how they can grow with a great culture.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Inventory management and warehouse processes are the backbones of your operational effectiveness. Defining standards for your key inventory processes from the get-go can help with scaling without going through operational chaos. Non-standard processes cause bottlenecks to other areas of the organization and could become an impediment to your growth.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Kevin Lawton from the New Warehouse Podcast, who discusses why standardization plays a key role in inventory planning. He also discusses how to perform root cause analysis for any inventory issues and how manufacturers and distributors can plan their inventory as they scale. Finally, we also had a chance to discuss some basic warehouse planning terms.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
While a retail business might seem straightforward, it has its nuances, which is probably why it's often referred to as a labor of love. Either you love it or hate it. With COVID and changing consumer behavior, the lines keep blurring in the traditional retail supply chain with the ever-increasing complexity of business processes and evolving need for better digital systems to provide the customer experience needed for the modern and ever-changing retail industry.Â
In today's episode, we have our guest Paul Sklar who takes us through the retail industry's deep dive. He also walks us through how the industry operated in the past and what retail executives need to know about the changing landscape for the retail industry due to changing customer expectations and increasing need for a better and comprehensive customer experience than siloed thinking.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Without adequate planning, growth could fire back with chaos and confusion. As you navigate each stage of growth or inflection points, you will have an enhanced need to document your processes to discover bottlenecks and find areas for improvement. The accounting processes may also differ among manufacturing organizations and across geographies. Understanding these nuances and the need for process documentation will help manage your growth.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Randy Johnston from K2 Enterprises, who discusses why process documentation is essential to manage growth. He also touches on different manufacturing organizations and how process changes in those organizations with straightforward examples that anyone could understand without an accounting or manufacturing background. Finally, he touches on some of his secrets on what makes Randy so efficient to be influential in the accounting and ERP community.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditionally, B2B businesses have been relationship-based. However, in the modern, digitally-centered buying process, 70% of buyers are now fully defining their needs on their own before engaging with a sales representative. B2B businesses need to critically review their go-to-market strategy before it's too late. COVID has further fueled the rise of e-commerce. Also, with Facebook buying Kustomer, we are going to see ​a convergence of B2B and B2C. And marketplaces such as Amazon will play a key role in the success of B2B businesses.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Brian Beck from Enceiba, who discusses key trends in B2B e-commerce, including the rise of Amazon's prominence in B2B product research and buying, and why manufacturers and distributors should be paying attention and acting now. We also touched on the digital transformation landscape for B2B e-commerce businesses, and how CEOs can begin their journey of e-commerce enablement. If you are looking for research-based insights from an industry expert, long-time practitioner, and author who spent 4 years interviewing your peers and competitors, this episode is a must-listen for you.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Growing companies are obsessively efficient with their smart business processes. When it comes to making a manufacturing plant smart, there are limitless options available whether you talk about making your existing machines smart, or replacing your old machines. The smarter your plant is, the more efficient are likely to be your manufacturing processes, and the more cost-effective will be your operations.Â
In today’s episode, we have our guest Chris Luecke from Manufacturing Happy Hour, who discusses several case studies where he has been involved in improving the manufacturing processes and making the plants smarter. He also touches on the basics and key advantages of smart manufacturing. Finally, he discusses the core challenges SMB companies face in growing their businessesÂ
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditional manufacturing organizations are typically sales-focused. Even with complex products and longer sales cycles where research-based content would be crucial, manufacturing organizations rely on relation-based sales. With 70% of buyers fully defining their needs on their own before engaging with a sales representative, manufacturing finance executives and owners need to understand the value of content marketing.Â
In today’s episode, we have our guest Greg from Winbond, who talks about why manufacturing organizations need to adopt the approach of Digital Twin to augment their sales teams. He also touches on several stories where he has made a significant impact on the organization’s growth with his Digital Twin approach. If you are looking to learn how to grow with innovative marketing methods while having a good laugh, this episode is a must-listen for you.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to growth, personal branding and social media play a huge role. While most companies might be present on social media, only a few understand their algorithms' nuances and have mastery in creating viral posts. Among other social media platforms, LinkedIn is the most powerful when it comes to marketing for B2B brands targeting executives. LinkedIn is also equally powerful for personal branding and positioning yourself as an expert in a given field.
In today's episode, we have our guest Cory Warfield from ShedWool, who discussed how he became a popular LinkedIn Influencer with nearly 250K followers through his authentic content and personality widely admired on LinkedIn. We also got a chance to discuss what finance and operations executives need to do to start their LinkedIn journey and why it's important to be present on LinkedIn. Finally, we discussed the nuances of LinkedIn algorithms and how to create content that will give you high visibility on LinkedIn.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you ask anyone how to grow a business, their opinions will vary on what differentiates a fastest growing company from the rest. Some would argue that the strategies vary at each phase of growth. Others would say that the need for people, processes, and technologies changes as you grow. While you will get tons of advice, there is no clear consensus on the formula for success. There is no better way of learning from growth than digging into the growth of a company that has been featured in the fastest-growing INC 5000 list three times in a row.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Brian Burke from SellYourMac.com, who takes us through each inflection points in his company’s journey and how the need for people, process, and technology changed at each step of his growth. Since they have accomplished significant growth in a highly competitive business, we touched on their differentiators. And what has fueled their growth. Finally, he shares his thoughts on how personal branding and social media has been the main driver of their growth.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
If you don’t have experience growing a company, you may make rookie mistakes for which there is already plenty of advice available from senior executives who have been there multiple times and done that. Your growth strategy requires alignment with people, processes, and technology. Having technology experience on your advisory board can set you on a growth trajectory from the get-go.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Wayne Sadin, who shares his thoughts on forming an advisory board and its importance. He also shares his perspectives on growth implications because of technology misalignment. Additionally, he shares his experiences on digital transformation and digital optimization and why business processes are more than important than individual systems.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
You may have heard several growth strategies. But growing a business is not as simple as applying a sales formula or launching an innovative product. The approach for growth changes as you evolve in your journey. Each time you double in size. You hit an inflection point. And the need for people, processes, and technology changes accordingly.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Jim Gitney from Group50, who shares his thoughts on each inflection point for companies and what they need to know to identify them and move to the next by making necessary changes. He also shares his perspective on growth implications if you don’t act or see a doctor timely.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to growth, the growth could fire back if you don’t have sufficient margins to sustain a business. If you have a busy shop floor with several variables that go into making your products, tracking your product costs could be critical. There are several methods of costing, which could vary across industries. Choosing an appropriate costing method could be a drain on your profitability and could mislead you into making incorrect business decisions, which could jeopardize your business.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Ram Krishnamurti, who discusses costing strategies for different businesses and why that matters for ERP implementations. He also breaks down some of the ERP concepts for executives who may not be familiar with ERP or ERP implementations. Finally, he shares some secrets into what makes ERP transformation projects successful and who would be the right fit to consider an ERP if they have never had one.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
The manufacturing community is genuinely gifted, and one of the best-kept secrets that the world of “Google” needs to know. Manufacturing conversations are typically limited to the four walls of trade shows and have a limited presence on newer marketing channels. The digital world isn’t any different from the physical. There is only so much “Digital” land you can own before it becomes too expensive and competitive. First movers will have an advantage while the laggards will struggle to grow their businesses.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Curt Anderson from B2BTail, who touches on why growth extends beyond sales and marketing. The revenue needs to be profitable. He shares his personal story of growing his e-commerce business. Unlike other companies, he has had tremendous success in increasing revenue but struggled to make it profitable. He also breaks down critical terms that finance and operations executives need to better understand marketing and the digital world. If you are a manufacturer and curious about growing through e-commerce, this episode is a must-listen for you.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Traditionally, the industrial sector’s growth has been primarily sales-driven, and marketing takes the back seat. With the changing business conditions of COVID, the industrial sector has been caught off-guard without the traditional revenue channels of in-person interactions at trade shows and industry events. The new normal requires industrial companies to rethink their marketing strategies and consider marketing a key enabler of business development.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Joe Sullivan from Gorilla 76, who touches on growth from the perspective of marketing and why COVID offers an excellent opportunity to reinvest their marketing budget reserved for in-person events to other digital channels. He also discusses why marketing needs to start from a strategic business outcome instead of a tactical approach. If you are serious about growth, this episode is a must-listen to ensure that marketing is not an after-thought in your organization.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
International trading is entirely different from domestic. Growing internationally requires you to understand various stakeholders and the process involved. The new collaborators could be importers, exporters, custom brokerage shops, freight providers, and regulatory agencies. The process is extremely complex and involved. This process also exposes you to new risks unfamiliar to you. The lack of understanding of the process and risks could be a hit on your growth ambitions.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Sarah Barnes-Humphrey from Shipz, who shares her knowledge of the international supply chain and trading. She discusses the challenges associated with traders and manufacturers as they go through the process of international trading. Since Sarah is highly influential on LinkedIn and in the supply chain community with over 26,000 followers on her podcast and 11,000 personal followers, we also had a chance to briefly touch on her productivity secrets. And why LinkedIn is essential for personal branding and community development.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When I was putting together a list of growth topics for this month that could be valuable to our audience, especially with the changing business environment due to COVID, Direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategies were on the top of our list.
In today’s episode, we have our guest, Chase Clymer, who brings a unique perspective for manufacturers and e-commerce merchants from his experience of helping customers getting their e-commerce businesses to grow from the ground up. He also shares his in-field experiences of what makes an e-commerce toolset or architecture, especially Shopify, successful.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When it comes to managing growth through inflection points, ERP implementations are pivotal. Despite the premise of superior ERP systems helping with our growth, going through the purchase and implementation process isn’t fun. With the added challenges of COVID-19 and remote collaboration, we face an added risk of going over budget and, as a result, taking a hit on our growth ambitions.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Erin Koss, CPA from Syte Consulting Group who brings a unique and fresh perspective through her recent e-book on how to grow and scale during COVID-19. In this episode, she takes us through the journey of an ERP implementation that they planned before COVID but continued despite the unforeseen challenges and made a massive success for the client in the end. If you would like to learn more about how to manage ERP implementation without that being a roadblock for your growth, this episode is a must-listen for you.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When we think of growth, we often don’t consider Quality as a cornerstone for enabling it, especially in the SMB space. Perceived quality of your products can lead to poor customer experience, disengaged consumers, and financial implications. All of these factors will have an impact on P&L and slow your growth down. Quality control is of paramount importance for growth for brands seeking the path of D2C.
In today’s episode, we have our guest, Jason Chester who shares his thoughts on how evolving consumer trends are forcing manufacturers to rethink their approach to managing manufacturing processes and how optimizing your operations across the three fundamentals of cost, value and risk will ensure long term growth, competitiveness and ultimately, profitability. For new manufacturing businesses and SMBs with ambitious growth plans, rethinking your approach will enable you to leverage the substantial growth opportunities that exist in today’s global consumer society and the frictionless global market.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
When I was putting together a list of growth topics for this month that could be valuable to our audience, especially with the changing business environment due to COVID, Direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategies were on the top of our list.
In today’s episode, we have our guest Michael Begg from AMZ Advisers who brings a unique perspective for manufacturers and e-commerce merchants from his experience of helping customers getting started on Amazon as a revenue channel and grow their e-commerce businesses from the ground up. He also shares his expertise to plan your marketing budget. If you have been thinking about or are already immersed in the path of D2C, you must listen to this episode.
For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.
Public speaking is a frightening experience for most people. Launching a podcast is equally hard. In this icebreaker episode Sam Gupta, the host of the WBS podcast shares his personal story and the focus for this podcast. He also provides details about the recommended episodes and what operations and finance leaders can expect with this podcast. Each episode will feature your peer or competitors who have grown their businesses or in the process of scaling using business systems. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.