ERP & Digital Transformation Strategy For UK Manufacturers
Independent ERP selection and implementation leadership — ensuring your digital transformation delivers the business value it promised, on time and on budget.
The Reality of ERP Projects
Up to 75% of ERP implementations fail to meet their original objectives. Most overrun on cost, schedule or scope — or all three.
You Need Independent Leadership — Not Another Vendor
ERP vendors and system integrators are excellent at selling and implementing their software. What they are not is independent advocates for your business.
When things get complicated — scope creep, customisation requests, data migration problems — their primary loyalty is to the project contract, not your business outcomes. Without an experienced, independent leader on your side, you're negotiating blind.
Bailey & Associates acts exclusively on your behalf. We have no financial relationship with any ERP vendor, which means our advice is always aligned with your interests.
Common ERP project failure points
Going to market without a clear, validated set of business requirements leads to selecting the wrong system or the right system configured badly.
Relying solely on the vendor or system integrator to manage the project leaves your business exposed to scope creep and cost escalation.
Data quality and migration is consistently the most underestimated workstream — and the most common cause of go-live failures.
Technical implementations that ignore people and process change fail at go-live when users don't adopt the new system.
Our Approach
A structured, four-phase methodology that keeps your ERP project on track from day one.
Requirements Definition
We work with your operational, finance and commercial teams to document exactly what you need from a new system — in business terms, not IT jargon. This forms the baseline for vendor selection and the foundation for a successful implementation.
- Process mapping workshops
- Business requirements document (BRD)
- Integration and data requirements
- Success criteria and KPIs
Vendor Selection
Using your requirements, we manage a structured selection process — from long-listing to scored demonstrations, reference checks and final negotiation. You get an objective recommendation backed by evidence, not vendor relationships.
- Long-list and RFI process
- Scored demo scorecards
- Reference site visits
- Commercial negotiation support
Implementation Leadership
We act as your independent programme director throughout implementation — chairing steering committees, managing the vendor relationship, overseeing data migration and ensuring the project stays within scope, budget and schedule.
- Programme governance and reporting
- Vendor and integrator management
- Risk and issue management
- Data migration oversight
Post-Go-Live Support
Going live is the beginning, not the end. We provide structured post-go-live support to stabilise operations, realise benefits and address issues before they become costly problems.
- Hypercare period management
- Benefits realisation tracking
- Optimisation roadmap
- Ongoing retained support
Platforms We Work With
We're vendor-agnostic — our recommendation is always based on your requirements, not our preferred partner relationships.
SAP S/4HANA & Business One
Market-leading enterprise ERP for complex manufacturing operations with advanced supply chain requirements.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Integrated business applications with strong manufacturing, finance and supply chain modules. Excellent Microsoft ecosystem integration.
Sage X3 & Intacct
Mid-market ERP well-suited to UK manufacturers. Strong localisation and familiar to many UK finance teams.
Epicor Kinetic
Purpose-built for manufacturing with deep production management, MES integration and shop floor control capabilities.
Infor CloudSuite
Industry-specific ERP with strong manufacturing functionality for food & beverage, industrial and process manufacturers.
NetSuite
Cloud-native ERP suited to growing manufacturers looking for unified financials, CRM and inventory management.
Not seeing your current or target system? We work with many other platforms. Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
Planning an ERP Project?
Talk to us before you go to market. Independent ERP leadership from the start saves significant cost and risk down the line.