20 • AUGUST 2026 • Must Read | ERP Roulette The Minneapolis-based company has also implemented NetSuite. But it has been a “real learning curve” for staff, Pottebaum admits. “One of the biggest lessons for us has been the importance of change management,” he says. “I once heard a phrase that stuck with me: ‘Everyone wants change, but no one wants to be changed.’ That sums up ERP transformation pretty well. “You’re not just learning a new system. You’re learning a new language. Some people adapt quickly, while others need more support and reinforcement. And you have to plan for both. That said, we’re starting to see the payoff: better accuracy, faster turnaround, less reliance on tribal knowledge and more streamlined workflows that create a better experience for both our clients and our employees.” Fortunately for Morris Magnets, its NetSuite implementation was “smoother than anticipated.” Jamie Gamez, vice president of the Monroe, Washington-based company, says the process began in October 2024 and went live six months later. In addition to an elevated customer experience with real-time updates on orders and a more accurate view of inventory, Gamez expects NetSuite will improve administrative tasks by reducing unnecessary redundancy and provide access to live data analytics of operations. “The tools for our sales team are highly anticipated as well,” Gamez says. “With customer expectations evolving around delivery times and communication touchpoints during the life of an order, we want the ability to continue delivering the five-star service we’re known for.” Versa-Tags says Durst Lift ERP will provide a payment portal as well as overall customer portal for uploading artwork and approving proofs. The biggest issue with the Missouri-based company’s previous ERP was that it wasn’t print specific. “We’re a graphics printer and we were using a general ERP, which didn’t allow us to create workflows that were intuitive to the normal processes for any graphics printer,” says Nathan Garden, president of Versa-Tags. “You must find an ERP that works for you – not the other way around. It should automate workflows and make information for customers more transparent and easier to find.” Jeremy Bayness, chief technology officer at BAG MAKERS, agrees. “Don’t get locked into overly rigid systems that don’t allow you to customize the software to meet your own company goals,” Bayness says. “Do your due diligence to find the right fit for your exact needs.” BAG MAKERS upgraded last year to a new version of SAP ERP with automatic data archiving that will not only prevent future data creep but also enhance the user experience. “Make sure to have buy-in from your employees on why the switch is occurring by offering them insight into the process,” Bayness says. “You also want to make sure you dedicate more time than you think will be needed for user acceptance training to work out all the bugs before even considering a go-live date. While that may drive your upfront implementation costs up, it will save money in the long-term by having a fully functional system when your team flips the switch.” Tips For Choosing An ERP The universal advice for considering a new ERP or an upgrade is to do your homework. You can’t just jump into it – it’s a lengthy process that demands preparation, commitment and patience. “Audit your real pain points first,” says Martin Olsina, executive vice president of operations at Spector & Co. Because Spector & Co.’s legacy ERP was running on a release that was more than 10 major versions behind, Olsina says it created a bevy of pain points, such as hardware integrations, user experience, data handling, reporting, process automation, regulatory and security concerns. After exploring a full re-platform to a new ERP, Olsina says leadership concluded that the development and change management costs “Everyone wants change, but no one wants to be changed. That sums up ERP transformation pretty well.” — Todd Pottenbaum , MAS+, president of Quality Resource Group
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