Manufacturing ERP Consolidation

A mid-market manufacturer operated 5 disconnected legacy systems for production planning, inventory, quality, and finance. Data reconciliation consumed 40+ hours per week and delayed month-end close by 10 days.

Each department had evolved its own tools and workflows over 15 years, creating data silos that made cross-functional reporting nearly impossible. Finance teams spent the first two weeks of every month manually reconciling inventory valuations, production costs, and procurement data across systems that used different data models and update frequencies.

The lack of integration meant that production planners couldn't see real-time inventory levels, procurement couldn't anticipate demand changes, and quality data was siloed in a standalone system with no connection to production or customer feedback loops. Leadership estimated these inefficiencies were costing millions annually in excess labor, missed production targets, and inventory carrying costs.

We designed a unified enterprise architecture with a modern ERP at its core, integrated via an API gateway and event-driven messaging. The architecture comprised three layers:

First, a Data Integration Layer using an API gateway and event bus to connect the legacy systems during the transition period. This allowed departments to continue using familiar tools while data flowed into the unified platform. Change Data Capture (CDC) patterns ensured real-time synchronization without disrupting operations.

Second, a Core ERP Platform consolidating production planning, inventory management, procurement, and financial modules into a single system of record. The platform was configured to match validated business processes rather than forcing organizational change to fit software defaults.

Third, an Analytics and Reporting Layer providing real-time dashboards for each department and cross-functional KPIs for leadership. Automated reconciliation rules replaced manual processes, with exception-based workflows for cases requiring human review.

The project was executed in four phases over 18 months:

Phase 1 — Discovery and Architecture (Months 1-3): Comprehensive audit of all 5 systems, data mapping across 120+ data entities, and solution architecture design. We identified critical integration points and designed the CDC-based synchronization strategy.

Phase 2 — Foundation Build (Months 4-8): Deployment of the API gateway, event bus, and core ERP platform. Configuration of financial and inventory modules with parallel operation alongside legacy systems.

Phase 3 — Migration Waves (Months 9-14): Phased migration of departments starting with finance (highest pain point), then inventory, procurement, production planning, and finally quality. Each wave included data migration, user training, and a 2-week parallel-run period.

Phase 4 — Optimization (Months 15-18): Legacy system decommissioning, advanced analytics deployment, and process optimization based on unified data insights.

Within six months of full deployment, the manufacturer achieved transformative operational improvements:

Month-end close was reduced from 15 days to 5 days through automated reconciliation and a single source of truth for financial data. The finance team redirected 80+ hours per month from reconciliation to analysis and strategic planning.

Manual data reconciliation was completely eliminated, freeing 40+ hours per week across departments. Cross-functional teams gained real-time visibility into inventory levels, production status, and procurement pipelines for the first time.

Production planning accuracy improved by 35% with access to real-time inventory and demand data. Excess inventory carrying costs decreased by 22% as procurement decisions were now informed by actual consumption patterns rather than spreadsheet estimates.

The project achieved full return on investment within 24 months, with ongoing annual savings in reduced labor costs, inventory optimization, and elimination of duplicate data entry.