Introduction:

In my journey as an ERPNext implementer, I’ve encountered scenarios that seemed manageable at first but turned out to be much more complex. One of these experiences involved a long-established B2B wholesale company dealing in foodstuffs. What started as a straightforward ERPNext implementation ended with a hard lesson in understanding business requirements and planning for future expansion.

The Project: Implementing ERPNext for a Foodstuffs Wholesale Company

This particular client was a 15-year-old B2B wholesale company supplying food items to major retailers like Lulu and Grand Hyper. They handled large quantities of products, and their default Unit of Measure (UOM) was set to wholesale quantities such as dozens, cartons, and bags of rice. Everything from inventory to sales was managed using these wholesale UOMs.

The Challenge: Retail Expansion

After the successful implementation of ERPNext, including POS, Purchase, Accounts, and Stock Management modules, the system was up and running. The client’s sales team was trained, and custom reports were being developed.

Then, the management decided to expand into retail by opening outlets to sell near-expiring items and offer promotions that involved selling individual pieces. The problem arose when we had to convert the UOM from wholesale (e.g., dozen) to retail (e.g., pieces). ERPNext at that time struggled with rounding during UOM conversions. With over 750 invoices generated daily, even minor rounding errors began to accumulate, leading to discrepancies in stock levels.

Trust Issues and Unmatched Inventory

As the errors compounded, the client’s trust in the system—and by extension, in us—started to erode. Stock levels were never accurate, and inventory reconciliation became a nightmare. Despite our attempts to fix the problem by redoing items and recalculating inventory using the smallest UOM, the damage was already done. The client eventually lost confidence and switched to another system.

Key Learnings from the Project

1. Understand Client Requirements Thoroughly:

Initially, the client was focused solely on wholesale operations, and we didn’t anticipate the need for retail-level UOMs. Proper scoping of business requirements—including potential expansion plans—would have highlighted the need for flexibility in UOMs from the start.

2. Plan for Expansion:

Businesses evolve, and ERP systems need to accommodate that growth. In this case, had we designed the system with expansion in mind, we could have avoided the complications that arose when the business model changed.

3. Be Transparent:

One of the biggest mistakes we made was offering a quick fix—using UOM conversions—without fully explaining the long-term consequences to the client. If we had been upfront about the need for system redesign due to their retail expansion, we could have preserved their trust and potentially saved the project.

Conclusion:

This project was a tough but valuable lesson in understanding the bigger picture and planning for future possibilities. Business requirements can change overnight, and it’s our job as implementers to ensure that the system is robust enough to handle those changes—or to be transparent when redesigns are needed. In retrospect, this failure taught me the importance of foresight and clear communication.

These stories not only serve as learning experiences for you but also as a way to reconnect with old clients. Reflecting on them is a powerful way to grow professionally.