We work with manufacturers running SAP B1, Epicor, Infor and Sage 200 - and we won't pretend the system is the problem when the process is.
Vendor momentum builds quickly around ERP decisions but internal capability to evaluate fit against actual operational requirements is often thin. An independent view before committing to Sage, SAP Business One, Epicor, Infor or any competing platform protects the business from a decision it cannot easily reverse.
When production data does not reconcile with financial reporting, board confidence erodes. The root cause is usually process or system, not just reporting, and needs to be addressed at that level.
Inventory, supplier, and logistics data fragmented across systems creates MI that nobody fully trusts. Getting a clear line of sight requires process and system changes working together.
Large capital or system programmes in manufacturing environments often drift without the board noticing until cost or timeline pressure becomes visible. Early independent scrutiny prevents late escalation.
Growth through acquisition or new markets puts existing systems and processes under stress. Understanding which parts of the operating model will fail first is a board-level question that deserves an independent answer.
When you cannot tell which products are making money and which are not - or when the answer changes depending on who runs the report - the problem is almost always process and system, not the finance team. Fixing it requires a view across production, costing and reporting at the same time.
Most manufacturing engagements start with the Business Review - a fixed-scope diagnostic across process, technology and programme that gives the business a risk-rated view of where the operational picture is fragile. It is built to work around production schedules, not alongside them.
From there, engagements typically cover ERP selection support, MI redesign or programme recovery - always scoped to the findings, never sold as a predefined package.
"We were six months into an ERP selection before anyone asked whether we had actually defined what we needed the system to do. Assured Velocity asked that question on day one."
"I've sat through a lot of consultant presentations. This was different. They came in, looked at what was actually happening on the floor, and told us what was wrong. No framework. No slide deck. Just the answer."
Most manufacturing businesses have. The problem is usually not the system - it is the absence of independent oversight from the start. Assured Velocity manages the risk of the implementation, not just the recommendations. We stay in the room through selection, delivery and go-live - not just the diagnostic phase.
You do - and that is not the point. The Business Review works alongside your knowledge, not around it. We ask the questions that vendor presentations don't, map the gaps your team is too close to see, and give you a view that protects the decisions you are about to make - without telling you how to run your business.
Start with a 30-minute call to confirm fit and agree what a useful first step looks like for your business.
Independent technology selection, architecture review, and implementation oversight. No vendor relationships.
End-to-end process mapping, root cause analysis, and improvement design using Lean Six Sigma methodology.
A fixed-scope 14-day independent diagnostic. Board-ready output. Fixed price.
All three entry points are free and take under an hour. Each gives you something useful regardless of what comes next.
See exactly where the drag is before spending anything. Personalised scorecard and top 3 profit constraints.
Free · 30-45 minA senior consultant turns your survey results into a clear next step. Live debrief, peer comparison, profit scenarios.
Free · Short call12 structured questions. Clear recommendation on the right service path. No hard sell.
“We were six months into an ERP selection before anyone asked whether we had actually defined what we needed the system to do. Assured Velocity asked that question on day one.”
“I have sat through a lot of consultant presentations. This was different. They came in, looked at what was actually happening on the floor, and told us what was wrong. No framework. No slide deck.”
“Independent, senior, and honest about what they could and could not help with. Rare.”
“They told us the problem was in our costing process, not the system we were about to replace. Saved us a six-figure implementation and six months of disruption.”
“The ERP project had been drifting for eight months. They reset the governance, rebuilt the plan, and delivered on time. No drama.”
“Shop-floor data integrity had been a board concern for months. The process review found the break in 11 days.”
“We were six months into an ERP selection before anyone asked whether we had actually defined what we needed the system to do. Assured Velocity asked that question on day one.”
“I have sat through a lot of consultant presentations. This was different. They came in, looked at what was actually happening on the floor, and told us what was wrong. No framework. No slide deck.”
“Independent, senior, and honest about what they could and could not help with. Rare.”
“They told us the problem was in our costing process, not the system we were about to replace. Saved us a six-figure implementation and six months of disruption.”
“The ERP project had been drifting for eight months. They reset the governance, rebuilt the plan, and delivered on time. No drama.”
“Shop-floor data integrity had been a board concern for months. The process review found the break in 11 days.”
We understand the scepticism - most manufacturing MDs have seen consultants produce recommendations that could not be implemented, or bill for months without delivering anything tangible. We work differently: a senior partner does the work, we commit to specific outcomes upfront, and we measure our success by what changes on the shop floor and in the P&L, not by slides produced.
We have worked with Sage 200, Sage X3, SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA, Epicor, Infor M3, and Microsoft Dynamics across manufacturing and industrial businesses. We are not tied to any vendor, and we will tell you honestly if the problem is the system or the way the system is being used - which is more often the case.
The most common issues are: ERP systems that are not fully utilised (resulting in spreadsheets running alongside the system), inventory and production planning that relies on individual knowledge rather than system data, quality processes that are inconsistent across sites, and management information that is delayed or disputed. These are fixable - but they require honest assessment first.
ERP recovery in manufacturing starts with understanding the actual position - what is working, what is not, and what the real cost of the current situation is. We separate the technical issues from the process and people issues, because the solution is different in each case. Sometimes the right answer is to remediate the configuration; sometimes it is to re-implement selected modules; rarely is it to replace the system entirely.
A manufacturing operations diagnostic examines your production processes, inventory management, quality systems, planning and scheduling, and the data and reporting that support operational decision-making. The output is a prioritised list of improvements with realistic effort and cost estimates - not a strategy document, a working plan.
Yes. Improving OEE requires understanding the actual drivers of availability, performance, and quality losses - which means getting into the data and talking to the people on the shop floor, not just reviewing reports. We use Lean and Six Sigma methods to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities, with a focus on changes that can be sustained by the internal team.
Multi-site manufacturing businesses often have inconsistent processes and systems across sites, which creates both inefficiency and difficulty in comparing performance. We help standardise where standardisation creates value - typically in planning, quality, and reporting - while respecting the operational differences between sites that are genuinely important.
A fractional operations director provides senior manufacturing leadership on a part-time basis - typically two to three days per week. This is most valuable when the business is growing faster than its operational infrastructure, when the current operations leader is approaching retirement, or when a specific improvement programme needs more senior oversight than exists internally.
Supply chain and procurement challenges in manufacturing typically involve supplier relationship management, purchasing processes, stock management, and lead time visibility. We assess these as part of the broader operational picture and prioritise improvements that have the most direct impact on cost, availability, and service level.
Well-executed manufacturing improvement programmes regularly deliver 5-15% reduction in operational cost, 10-25% improvement in inventory turns, measurable improvement in OEE, and significant reduction in the management time spent on operational firefighting. The specific numbers depend on the starting position - which is why we always assess before we commit to targets.