WBSRocks: Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation

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.

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.

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.

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. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community 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 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.

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. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

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. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

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.

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.