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Most businesses have an inventory problem. The question is how big. In this episode, we're joined by Ben Hussey, Co-CEO of Katana Cloud Inventory, to talk about why so many growing businesses struggle with inventory visibility — and what they can do about it.

Ben shares how Katana was founded after its creator realised he had no real-time view of demand and supply across his own manufacturing business, and why the rise of multi-channel e-commerce has made the problem exponentially harder. When orders are flowing in from Shopify, Amazon, and distribution channels simultaneously, Excel and traditional ERP systems simply can't keep up.

We dig into the practical side: how to assess whether you have an inventory problem (start with a single SKU and audit it end-to-end), who needs to be involved in that conversation, and how to quantify the cost of doing nothing. Ben shares a story of a customer who discovered $120,000 worth of inventory they didn't know they had — simply by gaining a single view of their stock.

The conversation moves into change management — arguably the biggest barrier to success. Ben explains Katana's "strangulation technique" for phased adoption and why the most common trigger for falling back to old ways isn't resistance to new tools, but staff turnover when new hires aren't trained on the systems already in place.

We also cover how macroeconomic forces — tariffs, the Middle East conflict, supply chain disruption — are reshaping how businesses approach planning, costing methods (moving average vs FIFO vs LIFO), and supplier diversification. Textile and apparel companies increased inventory purchases by 50% overnight following recent geopolitical events. The question is whether the rest of the market has caught up.

Finally, we get into AI. Ben talks about where it's already useful (data analysis, workflow mapping), where it's arriving whether you like it or not (agentic commerce on Shopify, launching end of month), and why your product data accuracy is about to matter a lot more than your website copy.

**Guest:** Ben Hussey, Co-CEO of Katana Cloud Inventory — katanamrp.com

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There comes a point in every e-commerce business where the patchwork of Shopify, spreadsheets, ShipStation, and QuickBooks stops working. Orders are flowing in, but nobody has a single view of what's happening — and you're managing three screens just to fulfil one order.

In this episode, Peter and Nirav break down the five essential steps every e-commerce business should take before integrating with an ERP system. From cleaning up your product data to choosing the right connector (and why they're not all created equal), this is the groundwork that sets you up for success — or sets you back ten steps if you skip it.

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👋 JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Have you experienced an ERP data migration, or are you planning one? Share your thoughts, experiences, or ask questions in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

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You selected the right ERP. You signed the deal. Everyone's buzzing. So why does it start going wrong three months in?

This week, Pete and Nirav welcome Emily Browning back to the show to tackle one of the most underrated topics in ERP: project management. Not the software. Not the consultants. The actual discipline of running the project well.

Together, the three of them walk through five areas that determine whether your ERP project finishes strong or fizzles out:

1. Structure – assembling the right team, defining roles, setting governance before a single workshop happens
2. Project planning – building a realistic plan, using it as your single source of truth, and dealing with scope creep
3. Visibility – making the project status visible to everyone, not just the PM
4. Keeping momentum – handling decision fatigue, mid-project slumps, and knowing when (and when not) to call a timeout
5. Change management – the people side that most projects underestimate and many never recover from

If you're about to start an ERP project, in the middle of one, or wondering why the last one didn't land — this episode is packed with practical, experience-based advice you can use immediately.

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👋 JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Have you experienced an ERP data migration, or are you planning one? Share your thoughts, experiences, or ask questions in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

🔔 STAY IN THE KNOW:
Enjoyed the content? Subscribe to our channel and hit the bell icon to stay updated on the latest episodes. We bring you expert insights, valuable tips, and real-world case studies from the ERP realm and beyond!
#ERPTips #BusinessProcesses