Thoughts on software and operations

Writing

First-hand analysis from builders. On software decisions, operational patterns, and the work that matters.

When to Customize Your ERP (And When to Change Your Process Instead)

Every ERP customization is permanent. A framework for knowing when to customize, when to change your process instead, and what the maintenance cost really looks like over time.

The Post-Go-Live Cliff: Why Month Four Is When ERP Implementations Actually Fail

ERP implementations don’t fail at go-live. They fail at month four when nobody’s looking. The four failure patterns of post-go-live, how to detect them early, and what to plan for during selection.

When to Walk Away From an ERP Project Mid-Implementation

Most failed ERP projects keep going because nobody in the room has authority to stop them. The warning signs that mean stop, the political moves that make stopping survivable, and how to actually do it.

The Integration Tax: When Your Three-Vendor Stack Costs More Than Your ERP

ERP doesn’t live alone. The mid-market default stack is ERP plus CRM plus WMS plus EDI plus e-commerce plus BI. Why TCO blows out at the integration layer and how to score it during selection.

The ERP Demo Is Theater: How to Evaluate Vendors When Every Pitch Looks the Same

Every ERP demo follows the same script because it’s built to do the same thing: close the deal. What the demo hides, what to demand instead, and the walk-away signal when a vendor refuses your data.

What ERP Vendors Don’t Tell You About the True Cost of Implementation

What ERP vendors don’t tell you about the true cost of implementation. The internal hours, opportunity costs, and timeline overruns that never appear in the vendor quote.