What to Know Before Updating Your Company’s ERP System
July 16, 2026 Selecting the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can be overwhelming, especially for growing operations balancing production, inventory, and sales. Some companies have done it the right way (read about a recent example from Midwest Groundcovers here), but it can still be a daunting process. During Cultivate’26, a panel discussion with solution providers gave attendees the chance to hear directly from three experts in their field. Moderated by Rayne Gibson of Taproots Horticulture Consulting, the panel included:
- Aaron Allison, co-founder of SBI Software
- Tony Van Oort, Director of Sales at Aster Software
- Garrett Walsh, Sales Manager at Mprise Agriware
Keep reading for some great advice and helpful tips from the panelists.
Identify and quantify the problems you want to solve, or the business processes you are trying to improve, before you even make the call to a prospective partner. “If you’re not sure what you want to accomplish, you’re not ready,” Allison said. “You need to be committed to the process, and you need to get buy-in from your team.”
Develop standard SOPs and process maps for where you want to be. “Make a list of the systems you’re currently running and how you might be able to consolidate them into a ‘single source’ of truth with clean data,” Van Oort said.
Don’t start with price or someone promising shiny new features. “We want our grower partners to know the rationale behind the features of a new system,” Walsh said. “We prefer when they don’t just take us at our word, but they ask why and how it can benefit their operation.”
The leadership of your company needs to agree on the problem and needs to be aligned on how to solve it. They also need to pick a champion for the project, even if it’s someone not on the leadership team. “Vision comes from the top, but reality comes from the bottom,” Allison said. In other words, heed the advice and thoughts from those who will be using the system every day.
Make sure your technology partner has a strong technical team in place that also understands your business and your industry. “Don’t get sold on a knowledgeable sales person – get to know the team behind them,” Van Oort said.
One of the reasons an ERP system implementation can fail is when it’s customized to an excessive level. “The more you want to customize, the harder it becomes to solve problems when they occur,” Walsh said. “Only push for customization if it definitely provides value.”
Have a rollout plan with sensible timelines. “Ideally, you should be looking at a two- to three-year implementation plan,” Gibson said. “The amount of time and effort you put into preparation will determine your success.”
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