A lot of businesses leave ERP decisions until the eleventh hour. No judgement, running a company is full-on. This guide is here to make things simple: what ERP software actually is, why it matters, and how to tell if your business is ready.
At Verde Group, we help organisations evaluate and implement business systems every day. ERP is one of the most important choices you’ll make because it touches almost every team.
So let’s start at the beginning.
What is ERP?
ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. Think of it as a single platform that brings together the most important parts of your business - finance, inventory and supply chain, HR/payroll, customer management (CRM), projects, and manufacturing/service - so everyone works from the same real-time data.
Without an ERP, teams often live in separate systems that don’t talk to each other. Sales can’t see stock in time, operations can’t see upcoming orders, finance is chasing spreadsheets, and leaders don’t get a clear, trusted view. With an ERP, the warehouse and the boardroom are finally looking at the same picture.
Where did ERP come from?
ERP has roots in the 1960s, when early MRP (Material Requirements Planning) tools helped manufacturers plan raw materials and production schedules. As computing power grew, these systems added finance, purchasing, and maintenance. By the 1990s, ERP moved beyond manufacturing into services, distribution, and project-based businesses. Today’s cloud ERP platforms are configurable, API-friendly, and built for real-time decision-making.
(If you love the backstory, we’ve got a deeper dive on the evolution of ERP you can read next.)
A practical example (a specialty beverage & café supplies distributor)
Imagine you run a specialty beverage and café supplies distributor serving supermarkets, cafés, and convenience stores across New Zealand.
- Stage 1 – Accounting only
You start with basic bookkeeping to track income/expenses and pay suppliers. It works—until orders ramp up. - Stage 2 – Inventory & purchasing
Your catalogue grows: canned drinks, syrups, cacao, paper cups, cleaning products. Spreadsheets can’t keep up with reorder points, lead times, and seasonality. You misjudge demand before long weekends; some SKUs stock out while others gather dust. You add a standalone inventory tool to calculate EOQ (Economic Order Quantity) and purchase suggestions. - Stage 3 – Warehouse operations
You move into a bigger site and start using a 3PL for the North Island. Now you’re juggling two warehouses, inbound ASNs (Advance Ship Notice), cycle counts, bin locations, batch/expiry (for food products), and carrier integration for labels and tracking. You bolt on a WMS-lite app for pick/pack/ship and wave picking. - Stage 4 – Sales & customer management
Field reps take orders on the road while the inside team handles phone/email. Promotions differ by channel, you manage price lists, discounts, rebates, and trade spend, and you need visibility of backorders. You add a CRM and promo calendar - separate again. - Stage 5 – Light production/kitting
To win margin, you launch sampler packs and starter kits (kitting/assembly). Some products require lot traceability and FEFO (First-Expired-First-Out) picking. You adopt a small manufacturing/kit app to track components and costs. - Stage 6 – E-commerce & EDI
Key retail customers demand EDI for orders, invoices, and ASNs; cafés want to reorder via a B2B portal. You add an integration tool plus a separate storefront.
Now you’re running six systems that don’t natively talk to each other!
The pain
You’re re-keying data between apps, promo pricing drifts out of sync, 3PL stock doesn’t match your spreadsheet, and the sales team promises dates ops can’t keep. Month-end drags on while you reconcile shipments, credits, and rebates.
Where ERP clicks - On a single ERP platform with shared data and modular apps:
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A sales order instantly checks ATP (available-to-promise) across both warehouses, applies the correct price list/rebate, reserves stock, and creates a pick wave.
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Warehouse staff pick by FEFO for perishable lines; carrier labels print; tracking flows back to the order automatically.
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Purchasing sees demand spikes from promos and EDI orders, generates suggested POs using lead times and safety stock, and includes landed cost (freight, duties).
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Kitting/assembly backflushes components and updates finished-goods inventory and true margins.
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Finance posts revenue, COGS, and rebate accruals in real time; month-end closes faster with fewer adjustments.
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Dashboards show fill rate, OTIF, margin by channel, aged/expiring stock, and promo ROI—updated continuously.
Result: fewer stockouts, less excess inventory, cleaner rebates/claims, and a single version of truth from order-to-cash and procure-to-pay all the way to the board report.
Another practical example (a construction materials distributor with project/job allocations)
Imagine you run a construction materials distribution business supplying concrete products, steel, timber, fixings, membranes, and safety gear to commercial builders and civil contractors across New Zealand.
- Stage 1 – Accounting only
You start with basic bookkeeping for billing and supplier payments. It’s fine - until order volumes and project complexity ramp up. - Stage 2 – Inventory, purchasing & units of measure
Your catalogue explodes: lengths, packs, pallets, and cut-to-size items. Spreadsheets struggle with multiple units of measure, length/area conversions, backorders, and vendor lead times. You plug in a standalone inventory tool for min/max, EOQ, and replenishment. - Stage 3 – Warehousing & site delivery logistics
You open a second yard and use a 3PL for overflow. Now you’re juggling bin locations, cycle counts, staging areas, and PODs (proof of delivery). Some items have batch/expiry (adhesives, additives) or serials (tools, equipment). Dispatch must coordinate crane trucks, site access windows, and delivery sequencing by job/site. You add a WMS-lite app and a route planner - separate systems again. - Stage 4 – Sales, project pricing & rebates
Major customers get project-specific price lists, contract rates, tiered discounts, and supplier-funded rebates. Inside sales handles phone/email while reps capture release orders against umbrella project POs. You add a CRM and a rebate tracker, but pricing and accruals drift out of sync across systems. - Stage 5 – Project/job allocations & commitments
To avoid stock being sold out from under active jobs, you start allocating/committing inventory to projects. You need to see available-to-promise (ATP) vs available-to-allocate, hold stock against upcoming pours, and reserve deliveries by site/phase. You bolt on a project tool to tag orders to jobs and phases. - Stage 6 – EDI, compliance & documentation
Key contractors require EDI for orders, ASNs, and invoices. Sites expect delivery dockets, MSDS/COA attachments, and lot traceability on certain lines. You add an integration platform and a document system.
Now you’re running six apps that don’t natively talk.
The pain
Sales promises dates ops can’t keep; allocated stock is invisible to the warehouse; project pricing isn’t consistently applied; rebate accruals are a month-end scramble; 3PL counts don’t match your spreadsheet; and leadership lacks a real-time view of DIFOT/OTIF, margin by project, aged/slow-moving stock, and rebate impact. Re-keying data increases errors and drags out month-end.
Where ERP clicks - Move to a single ERP platform with shared data, warehouse workflows, and project intelligence:
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A sales order tagged to Project A – Tower 2 automatically applies the project price list/rebates, checks ATP across both yards/3PL, allocates/commits inventory to the job, and creates a pick wave for the correct staging zone.
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Warehouse picks by FEFO for time-sensitive materials; crane-truck slots are scheduled; POD and site instructions print on the delivery docket; MSDS/COA attach to the shipment and the invoice.
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Purchasing sees project demand (release orders, phase timelines) and promotional spikes, generating suggested POs with vendor lead times, safety stock, and landed cost (freight, duties).
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Job allocations protect stock for live projects while exposing controlled deallocation/substitution workflows when plans change.
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Rebates accrue at the line level in real time; claims reconcile to supplier programmes without spreadsheet gymnastics.
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Finance posts revenue/COGS instantly; margin by customer/project/phase is visible mid-month; month-end closes faster with fewer adjustments.
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Dashboards surface DIFOT/OTIF, allocated vs unallocated stock, aged/obsolete inventory, rebate impact on true margin, and site-level delivery performance—updated continuously.
Result: fewer site delays, tighter control of project commitments, cleaner pricing/rebates, and a single version of truth from quote → allocation → pick/pack/ship → POD → invoice → rebate claim.
Cloud or on-prem? (And why it matters)
Not all ERPs are built or delivered the same way.
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Cloud ERP is accessed via a browser and paid as a subscription. Updates are frequent, the system scales easily, and IT overhead is low - ideal for multi-site and remote teams.
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On-premise ERP runs on your own servers. You get full control, but you also own maintenance, upgrades, and security. Some large or highly regulated organisations still prefer this route.
How to know you’re ready for ERP
Implementing an ERP isn’t just an IT project; it’s an operating model change. Before you look at vendors, align internally on a few things:
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Business outcomes: What must improve? Faster month-end? Fewer stockouts? Better cash flow? Consolidation of five tools into one?
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Process clarity: Map your current processes (order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, plan-to-produce, record-to-report). Where are the bottlenecks and risks?
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Requirements: Define the non-negotiables—industry compliance, integrations, mobile access, reporting/analytics, audit trails.
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Stakeholders: Bring finance, operations/warehouse, sales/CRM, HR/payroll, IT, and leadership to the table. ERP is a team sport.
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Data & change: Plan data migration (what history to bring across), training, and change management. People make or break ERP success.
If you’re nodding along to most of the above, you’re ready to shortlist.
Shortlisting without the headache
There are hundreds of ERPs with overlapping claims. Here’s a pragmatic way to cut through:
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Start with outcomes, not features. “Reduce stockouts by 30%” is more useful than “has demand planning.”
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Create a scorecard. Weight must-haves vs nice-to-haves, then score each vendor the same way.
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Favour configuration over custom code. Configure first; only customise where it clearly pays back.
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Test with your data. A pilot or proof-of-concept using a real process (e.g., quote-to-cash) reveals the truth fast.
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Model total cost of ownership. Include licences, implementation, integrations, internal effort, support, and upgrades.
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Speak to references that look like you—same industry, similar complexity.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
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Buying the “biggest” instead of the “right”: choose fit over brand.
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Underestimating data migration: cleanse and deduplicate early.
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Skipping change management: train, communicate, and support super-users.
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Customising too soon: simplify processes and use standard capabilities first.
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Ignoring reporting: agree on the dashboards and KPIs you’ll actually run the business on.
Phasing your rollout
Most successful programmes go in steps:
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Phase 1 (Foundations): Core finance, basic inventory, purchasing, sales order processing.
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Phase 2 (Operations): Advanced warehouse (WMS), manufacturing/MRP or job/service management, projects.
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Phase 3 (Scale & Insight): CRM/marketing automation, planning & budgeting, BI/analytics, e-commerce, deeper integrations.
This approach reduces risk, speeds time-to-value, and builds confidence.
Quick answers to common questions
What problems does ERP actually solve?
Data silos, manual re-entry, spreadsheet sprawl, slow closes, stockouts/overstock, and limited visibility across teams.
How long does ERP take to implement?
Anywhere from a few months for a focused scope to 12–18+ months for multi-entity and complex operations. Readiness and scope drive the timeline.
Is ERP overkill for smaller businesses?
Not necessarily. Some platforms, like Oracle NetSuite and MYOB Acumatica, let you start with the essentials and add modules as you grow.
Where Verde fits in
If comparing ERPs feels like comparing apples to pineapples, you’re not alone. We help NZ organisations define outcomes, map processes, and build an objective scorecard. Then we’ll narrow your shortlist, pilot with real data, and plan a phased rollout that brings value forward - without burning out your team.
Ready to explore? Book a 30-minute ERP readiness chat and we’ll help you decide whether now is the time - and what a sensible first phase looks like.
