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Three short reads from this category, none longer than 8 minutes. Then browse by topic or work through the full list below.
Every article in this category.
28 articles, newest first
Manufacturing ERPERP vs MES in manufacturing: who owns what
An ERP plans, costs and accounts for production; an MES runs it on the shop floor and reports back. What each one owns, where SAP Digital Manufacturing, Siemens Opcenter and Kinexon tracking fit, and the integration mistakes to avoid.
· 10 min read
Manufacturing ERPERP for defence manufacturing: what decides it
A defence manufacturer needs an ERP that costs and bills by contract, runs work as projects, traces every serialised part and screens every export. Contract costing and project systems mattered most in the defence work I have done, and an unagreed finance design is the usual reason these programmes fail.
· 9 min read
Manufacturing ERPManufacturing ERP cost: what you pay and where it goes
What an ERP costs a manufacturer by company size, where the money goes in a plant (shop-floor integration, master data, testing and finance design) and the hidden costs that land after the contract is signed.
· 10 min read
Manufacturing ERPMRP Live vs PP/DS vs IBP: which SAP planning tool
MRP Live plans materials at infinite capacity, embedded PP/DS schedules bottleneck resources at finite capacity, and SAP IBP plans the network and the months ahead. What each one plans, and when a manufacturer should step up.
· 10 min read
Manufacturing ERPSAP discrete vs process manufacturing: what changes
In SAP, discrete manufacturing runs on production orders, BOMs and routings, process manufacturing (PP-PI) on process orders and master recipes, and repetitive manufacturing on period-based planning. What each one changes in master data, batches, quality and costing, and how mixed-mode plants such as plastics and steel combine them.
· 10 min read
Partner selectionHow to choose an S/4HANA migration partner
SAP's partner badges narrow the field. They do not pick your partner. Here is how I would test references and high-level design, and keep the scope in your own hands.
· 10 min read
RISE with SAPRISE with SAP pricing: what is in the contract
RISE with SAP is priced as a quoted subscription, mostly on Full Use Equivalents. Here is what the contract covers, what it leaves out, the three traps I see most and what I always negotiate.
· 10 min read
RISE with SAPRISE with SAP public vs private cloud: how to choose
Public cloud suits standard processes that need no very specific configuration. Private cloud keeps full configuration, system conversion and every industry. Here is what each edition allows and how I would decide.
· 9 min read
SAP Migration CockpitSAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit step by step
The SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit loads master data and open items into a new S/4HANA system. This is the process step by step, the choice between staging tables and direct transfer, and how to run it as a programme rather than a tool.
· 11 min read
ECC to S/4HANAS/4HANA migration cost: what drives it by path
What an ECC to S/4HANA migration costs by company size, why brownfield vs greenfield cost depends on your system, and the drivers that move the bill: custom code, data, mock conversions, dual running and the contract conversion.
· 10 min read
ECC to S/4HANAS/4HANA migration timeline and project plan by path
How long an ECC to S/4HANA migration takes on each path, what the project plan holds in each SAP Activate phase, and where migration timelines slip.
· 9 min read
Project recoverySAP project recovery: rescuing a programme off track
SAP project recovery starts with an honest diagnosis, not a new plan. The three checks I run in week one, how to tell a programme that needs rescue from one that needs a push, and what to do after.
· 10 min read
ECC to S/4HANASAP Readiness Check and S/4HANA migration assessment
The SAP Readiness Check tells you what in your ECC system collides with S/4HANA. A migration assessment tells you what to do about it. Here is what each covers, how to run the check and where it falls short.
· 10 min read
Modernization & IndustryERP modernization in 2026: cloud, AI, and clean core
With SAP ECC mainstream maintenance ending in December 2027, ERP modernization is now execution, not analysis. This covers clean core, the backbone-plus-satellites architecture, AI readiness, and a risk table for the next 18 months.
· 8 min read
Modernization & IndustryOracle Fusion vs SAP S/4HANA: how leaders should choose
A decision guide for CEOs, CFOs and CIOs choosing between Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP and SAP S/4HANA Cloud: how each behaves under pressure, implementation risk, AI, the contract questions vendors skip and a selection plan with owners.
· 11 min read
Modernization & Industry10 ERP modernization mistakes to avoid
ERP modernization mistakes rarely show up in real time; they surface after go-live, when the efficiencies don't appear and the workarounds come back. These are the ten I see most, with the early warning signs and who should own each fix.
· 10 min read
Modernization & IndustryBest ERP for small business operations: how to choose
There is no perfect ERP, but there is a right one for your size, your industry and the way your team works. This guide compares seven options with real examples and gives you a decision table to shortlist two.
· 9 min read
Modernization & IndustryERP modernization with SAP and ServiceNow
ERP modernization is more than an SAP upgrade. SAP runs the structured transactions, ServiceNow runs the workflows around them, and the value comes from connecting the two.
· 10 min read
Modernization & IndustryBest ERP for manufacturing in 2026: by size and type
SAP S/4HANA for large, complex and regulated manufacturers; Epicor Kinetic for most mid-sized manufacturers of about 200 to 1,000 staff; Acumatica for smaller plants. A comparison table, recommendations by size and type, and when you need an MES on top of the ERP.
· 14 min read
Planning & SelectionECC to S/4HANA migration: paths, steps and SAP ECC deadlines
What SAP ECC is, what changes in S/4HANA, how to choose between greenfield, brownfield and selective data transition, and the steps, tools and deadlines that matter.
· 14 min read
TechnicalSAP clean core: what it means, levels A to D and governance
What SAP clean core means for S/4HANA, how the A to D levels work, who should own the decisions and how to measure clean core compliance.
· 12 min read
StrategyBest ERP software for small business: six systems compared
My shortlist of six ERP systems for small businesses, who each one fits, how each is deployed and priced according to the vendors' own pages, and how to choose without falling for the cheapest quote.
· 11 min read
Modernization & IndustryTrump tariffs and ERP cost configuration: 2026 update
US tariffs changed legal basis three times between 2025 and 2026, yet import costs stayed high. What happened, who ends up paying, and what finance and procurement teams should change in their ERP.
· 8 min read
TechnicalWhy ERP integration with Salesforce fails and how to fix it
Most SAP-Salesforce integrations fail commercially, not technically: the data is too old, too dirty or nobody owns the flow. Here are the failure patterns, the middleware options and a one-page specification template that prevents them.
· 8 min read
Planning & SelectionSAP vs Oracle: which ERP is better for your business?
Oracle for finance-led organisations and professional services; SAP for manufacturing, public sector and other operations-heavy, regulated organisations. The differences, cost, timelines and support deadlines side by side.
· 9 min read
Modernization & IndustrySAP in manufacturing: what actually makes it work
SAP manufacturing projects fail in predictable places: master data, routings, deep BOMs, shop floor integration and shop floor adoption. Here are the modules you need, the seven challenges that cause delays, and a master data readiness checklist.
· 8 min read
Planning & SelectionSAP license negotiation: what actually saves money
The real cost drivers in SAP licensing are not in the headline number. This guide covers user classification, digital access, RISE and GROW pricing, SAP's July 2026 maintenance commitments, and ten checkpoints before you sign.
· 10 min read- Planning & Selection
SAP negotiation advisors: how to reduce what you pay
Most SAP savings are corrections, not special deals: wrong user types, unused modules, unchallenged infrastructure charges. This guide covers what an independent negotiation advisor checks, RISE and GROW tactics, and when to start.
· 10 min read
Written by Noel D'Costa
25 years in ERP delivery across SAP, Oracle and Microsoft, now a chief technology officer. I write from the programmes I have run, for the people making these decisions.
Tell me what you're working on.
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