Resource Center

Free stuff that actually helps.

Guides, honest answers, and self-serve tools for people thinking about ERP. No email gate. No “download our whitepaper” nonsense.

Guides

Read these before you buy anything

These are real posts from the blog — the stuff I wish somebody had handed me before my first ERP project. Start with whichever one stings the most.

Vendor material

Straight from the source

My guides give you the unfiltered version. When you want the vendor’s own words — docs, product tours, and official write-ups — start here. These live on Odoo’s and SAP’s own sites; I link them rather than re-hosting anything.

FAQs

The questions everybody asks

How do I pick the right ERP system?

Start with how your business actually runs, not with vendor demos. Write down your must-have processes, your deal-breakers, and what you’re actually willing to change. Then score demos against your processes — not the vendor’s scripted show. The right system fits your business; the wrong one makes your business fit it. My ERP selection consulting does exactly this: independent, vendor-neutral, no quota on the line.

Odoo or SAP Business One — which is better?

Depends on the company, which is the only honest answer. Odoo tends to fit growing SMBs that want one flexible system covering the whole operation without a heavy upfront license bill. SAP Business One tends to fit companies that need deeper financial controls, inventory discipline, and a mature partner ecosystem. I implement both through Quaint Business Solutions, so I’ll tell you straight which one matches your situation.

What does an ERP implementation really cost?

More than the quote, almost always. The honest math includes licenses, implementation services, data migration, training, add-ons/integrations, and internal time — plus the cost of the change nobody plans for. The cheapest quote is usually the most expensive project. Read the guide above, then learn how TCO math works below.

How long does implementation take?

Longer than the partner quotes, shorter than your nightmares. Timelines stretch when scope is fuzzy, data is dirty, and nobody owns decisions on your side. A well-scoped SMB implementation runs in months, not weeks — anyone promising weeks for a real implementation is selling you a fantasy.

Can I try Odoo before committing?

Yes — start a free 15-day Odoo trial with no credit card and no commitment. Kick the tires, explore the apps, see if it fits. And when you’re ready to do it for real, Quaint Business Solutions can implement it properly.

Who is David Strausser, and why should I trust him?

CEO of Dead Brands, LLC; Head of Sales for Quaint Business Solutions. Former GM of the Northeast at Vision33 (a leading global SAP Business One partner) and former VP of Business Development at SEIDOR. 10+ years in ERP, Penn State grad, 15 years in Mexico, fluent Spanish, Forbes Business Development Council and Harvard Business Review Advisory Council member. Read the full story.

Tools

Check yourself before you wreck your budget

ERP readiness checklist

Ten yes/no questions. Be honest — this is for you, not for me. Check every box that’s true, then hit the button.

Total cost of ownership: what actually goes into the math

Vendors quote you licenses. That’s maybe a third of what you’ll spend. Real TCO — the number you should compare across options — has five buckets:

  1. Software: licenses or subscriptions, by user, by module, by year. Watch for the “limited user” vs. “full user” games.
  2. Implementation: the partner’s services — scoping, configuration, data migration, testing, training, go-live support. Usually the biggest line item and the fuzziest quote.
  3. Add-ons and integrations: EDI, credit card processing, warehouse management, ecommerce connectors, payroll. Budget these before selection, not after.
  4. Internal cost: your people’s time. The project manager, the subject-matter experts, the training hours. This is real money even when it doesn’t show on an invoice.
  5. Year two and beyond: annual maintenance or subscription renewals, support contracts, upgrades, and the ongoing cost of every customization you approved in year one. Customizations are a subscription you didn’t know you signed.

Run every vendor quote through all five buckets over a five-year horizon. The “cheapest” option rarely survives contact with this worksheet — which is exactly why you should do the math yourself, or hire someone independent to do it with you.

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