Articles

In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, accessing real-time ERP data is a primary challenge. Critical information is often contained in static reports, making it difficult to access quickly. By the time a report is run, exported to Excel, and analyzed, the situation on the shop floor or in the warehouse may have already changed. For operations […]

In our first two articles, we established the ERP as the “conductor” and explored how Augmented Reality (AR) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) act as “instruments” to revolutionize picking. Now, we address the most dreaded process in logistics: the annual physical inventory. For 30 years in Automotive, Industrial, and A&D, this has been a slow, […]

In many large facilities, operators spend over 50% of their shift simply walking: this is non-value-added time. While our last article gave operators AR “superpowers”, this post tackles that waste at its source using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). But first, you must understand why an AMR is not just a smarter AGV. AGV vs. AMR: […]

In our first article, we established the ERP as the “conductor” of the smart warehouse. Now, let’s look at the first instrument in the orchestra: Augmented Reality (AR). In any warehouse (Automotive, Industrial, or A&D), the highest cost and the single biggest source of errors often lies in the “last 10 meters” — the manual […]

In recent years, the warehouse has been redefined by three technology trends that are already (or about to) have a massive impact: Augmented Reality (AR), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), and Drones. This Blog-Post launches a series of 3 episodes exploring these three pillars of the intelligent warehouse. In this new ecosystem, the ERP is the […]

The unspoken rule of enterprise software was that power came at the price of complexity. We accepted that our ERP systems, while functionally robust, required extensive training, complex navigation, and a specialist’s mindset. We learned to operate them because we had to. But what if the most powerful tool was also the easiest to use? […]

One of the biggest hurdles preventing companies from moving away from their trusted legacy ERPs isn’t data privacy or fear of the cloud itself. It’s a much deeper, more operational fear: the belief that a multi-tenant cloud ERP will force them to abandon the unique, highly customized business processes they’ve spent decades perfecting. Let’s be […]

For years, the value of an Infor LN ERP consultant (or Baan, for the veterans) was measured by the depth of their technical knowledge of the core system. The ability to write a 4GL script, to know key tables by heart, or to force a customization to bend the system to a client’s will was […]

We have traditionally viewed our ERP as the ultimate system of record—a detailed chronicle of every transaction and inventory movement. It is the undisputed source of truth for what has happened. In a stable world, this rear-view mirror was enough to navigate. But in today’s landscape of constant disruption, looking back is no longer a […]

Last month I had a chat with one of my old colleagues. We used to work together back in manufacturing (feels like a lifetime ago). We ended up talking about the old days, the stuff we used to do, the situations we were thrown into without giving any insights, all the funny bits we missed. […]

I recently came across an interesting thought shared by an old friend of mine, someone who’s a co-founder and leader in the retail industry. He said, “Instead of hoarding stock to ‘buffer’ quality, buffer the process itself.“ At first, I was surprised. For as long as I can remember, most industries, especially manufacturing, distribution, and […]

In an ERP implementation, we often see that features and functions implemented are driven by the complicated structure of the base ERP application instead of the actual business (process) requirements. The question “What is better?” is not that relevant as you know that the answer is in the implementation process. Sometimes consultants propose to alter […]

Any project managing an ERP implementation, regardless of the methodology used or how the phases are labelled, is structured in the same typical way. Project Initiation Planning Design Development Testing Training and Change Management Go-Live Preparation Go-Live Post-Go-Live Support Project Closure And so it has been since at least the last 30 years. When companies […]

In the old days, ERP implementations were all about long, rigid waterfall projects; slow, linear, and less flexible. Project timelines extend for years, which leaves us with no to little room to adjust as things change. Companies got stuck with static or customized systems that couldn’t keep up with fast-moving market demands, often leading to […]

In today’s global economy, businesses are expanding across borders and dealing with customers and suppliers from different countries. Consider a supplier from the Netherlands sending an invoice to a customer in Norway or the UK. In the past, this process might have involved emailing PDFs, faxing documents, or even using paper. This can lead to […]

In many organisations, following industry-led solutions and best practices while adopting standardized processes is crucial for improving efficiency, reducing bottlenecks, and ensuring consistency. However, this is not always feasible, as workflows often vary across different departments, regions, or business units. For example, processes like order-to-cash or procure-to-pay may differ geographically or between departments, leading to […]

As a kid, I was always fascinated with superhero stories, and when I first heard the phrase “With great power comes great responsibility,” from the Spider-Man movie, for me, it was a mantra for the characters I admired. At the time, I didn’t understand the value or message behind this phrase, but over the period […]