In a recent InformationWeek SMB On Location webcast, the grateful employees of Torelli Bicycle Co. discussed details of their successful enterprise resource planning system deployment. The feat was accomplished through the help of ERP solution provider SAP and Navigator Business Solutions, a premier SAP integration partner that specializes in serving the small and midsize business (SMB) community."One of the things I would compare it to is when you drop your cell phone and it breaks," Torelli's Director of Product Design Christian Feldhake said during the webcast. "You don't really want to get a new cell phone and [program] everything into the phone that you've already [programmed into] the old phone." However, Feldhake said, when you begin to take advantage of the new features and ease of use built into the newer solution, you realize that the [process] will pay substantial dividends. "It's like, once you look at going from some of the old flip phones to some of these new smartphones, and you get that [set up], it becomes so easy to do all these things."

Carrying the cell phone analogy further, Feldhake said that the key to unlocking access to the array of new and improved features available from the SAP solution was having an expert implementation partner on the premises and available to provide the customized integration support that was needed.

"Having Greg [Woodward of Navigator Business Solutions] here was kind of a priceless tool. It's like when you go get a new phone, and the best thing to do is to have someone follow you around all day who has had that phone for six months, and you can just ask him or her, 'How do I do this?' " Feldhake said.

"When the iPhone came out, the best thing would have been to have Steve Jobs standing next to you, showing you how to use your iPhone." He said "With Greg here, it really felt as if we had someone we could go to and get a lot of solutions in an instant, instead of having to e-mail back and forth." So it appears that Steve Jobs has nothing on Greg Woodward of Navigator. In fact, there's a major difference: Steve Jobs does not do house calls. Are you ready for your big ERP makeover? And if so, is your company considering bringing in a professional implementation partner to handle the transition? Share your plans with us.