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ERP vs Best of Breed Software

June 16, 2026 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

With our ERP Selection Tool, you can filter ERP software by application, tier, and industry. Additionally, you can drill down to information about the system including industries supported, number of customers, underlying technology, and critical generic functionality. You can also identify the implementers of these ERP software and drill down for additional ERP implementer information including industries supported, location(s), and number of employees. However, our selection tool did not include Best of Breed software, which is specialized software for specific business functions for an industry. We were recently talking to John Macdonald, Group Chief Sales Officer and Regional President, North […]

Most Organizations Do Not Have an Integration Problem. They Have an Authority Problem.

June 16, 2026 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

One of the things that has always fascinated me about integrations is how quickly very sophisticated organizations can suddenly start behaving like a stressed family trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions. Everybody is present and has opinions, but nobody wants to admit they are confused, and at least one person is quietly questioning every life decision that brought them into the meeting. At the beginning, integrations usually feel incredibly organized. The organization moves with the confidence of something that still believes planning and execution are basically the same activity. Leadership feels aligned, and the deal rationale still sounds compelling. […]

For the Love of Scheduling, and Other Affairs in Field Service

June 12, 2026 | 0 Comments | Nelofer Dawer

Scheduling in field service always starts with good intentions. Somewhere, usually the night before, a clean, logical schedule exists. It has neat time slots, sensible travel paths, and a comforting sense of order. Then the day begins, and scheduling immediately reminds everyone that it has a personality of its own. On paper, scheduling looks like a math problem. In real life, it behaves more like a relationship. It is emotional. It is unpredictable. And it has a habit of going off-plan the moment you stop paying attention. The first misunderstanding usually happens around availability. A technician appears free on the […]

Boots, Breakthroughs, and ERP: My Takeaways from Epicor Insights 2026

June 4, 2026 | 0 Comments | Nelofer Dawer

Epicor Insights 2026 in Nashville was a great reminder that ERP is not just about software, workflows, dashboards, and project plans, although, as a Project Manager, I do believe a well-maintained project plan deserves its own standing ovation. Between the sessions, conversations, product updates, and Nashville energy, Insights gave me a chance to step away from the day-to-day world of timelines, trackers, and “just following up on this action item” emails and look at the bigger picture of where ERP is headed. And spoiler alert: the future is exciting. Also, it still needs clean data. ERP Is Getting Smarter, but […]

The Integration Glass Wall

June 3, 2026 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

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DMAP 3.0 is now open for applications!

May 22, 2026 | 0 Comments | Rishi

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Sometimes We Bring Home Chickens

May 22, 2026 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

My eight-year-old son found a chicken outside and brought her home. Not from a farm, not from a neighbour we knew, not from any situation where a chicken should reasonably be collected and relocated by a child. She was just outside, wandering with confidence, and apparently that was enough to begin the acquisition process. By the time I understood what was happening, the chicken had a name. Ginger. Water had been offered. Food was being discussed. My son had already moved from discovery to emotional ownership in about seven minutes, which, frankly, is faster than most deal teams move from […]

180 Systems_Do things Rights vs Do the right things (2)

Do Things Right vs. Do the Right Things

May 20, 2026 | 0 Comments | Alex Miles

Project success is still largely defined by delivery – on time, on budget, and in scope. That standard hasn’t changed, but it is no longer enough on its own. Organizations expect projects to produce measurable outcomes, not just completed work. This is where business acumen matters. It’s the ability to understand how a project connects to the broader business – financial impact, operational improvements, and strategic priorities then make decisions with that context in mind. Most project managers operate somewhere in the middle. Data shows that many have moderate business acumen, with fewer demonstrating strong capability. The difference is visible […]

180 BlogWhich ERP is suitable for your company?

Selecting the Right ERP Implementer

May 11, 2026 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

This is a critical step in the selection process. A successful implementation depends equally on the ERP system and the implementer of that system. In some cases, you have no choice as the developer of the system also does the implementation. But for many systems, there are lots of implementers and it’s not easy to pick the right one. This applies to companies doing their own selection work, but also to consultants like 180 Systems. Some of the vendors have resources to help in finding the right implementer. Although we have lots of experience with many of the implementers, we […]

Integration Debt Doesn’t Show Up in the Model

May 5, 2026 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

Everyone talks about technical debt, but almost no one talks about integration debt. Which is interesting, because if you have been through a few deals, you have definitely paid for it. Just not when you expected to. Integration debt is what you carry into Day 1 because you did not resolve it before close. It shows up as unvalidated assumptions, dependencies that were “understood” but never fully mapped, technology decisions that got pushed, and people risks that felt just uncomfortable enough to avoid. None of it feels critical in the moment. The deal is moving, the model holds, and nobody […]