Making the most of the ERP you already invested in
We asked Peter Wass — an independent IT consultant with more than 25 years inside the builders’ merchant sector, including eight years as Head of IT at Plumbase and many years advising independent and regional merchants — for his honest take on why integration risk shouldn't be what's keeping AI-powered transport tools out of the business, and where a platform like Alrik delivers. Along the way, he challenged a few assumptions we hear all the time. Here’s what he told us.
The problem is not that ERPs are failing. The problem is expecting them to do jobs they were never designed to do.
Myth: modernising means upgrading your ERP
ERP systems are exceptionally good at what they were built for: stability, control, and consistency across multi-branch operations. Replacing or heavily upgrading them can be expensive, disruptive, and rarely pays for itself. For many merchants, especially family-owned and independent businesses, margins are tight and teams are lean. A major ERP transformation is high risk and high cost, and it pulls focus away from customers.
That's why most merchants rationally stay on older, stable ERP versions — and in most cases, it still does the core job well. The trouble starts when merchants stretch the ERP beyond that job. Transport planning, live delivery visibility, emissions reporting, cost-to-serve analysis: none of these were ever core ERP design goals. That's where third-party, AI-powered systems come in.
“Upgrading your ERP rarely makes you more competitive overnight. Most builders’ merchants already have core systems. Competitive advantage comes from how you connect and use your systems — not just which version you run.”
Peter Wass, former Head of IT, Plumbase, and Founder, Chartwell IT Ltd.Bolt-on beats upgrade
Most successful merchant IT setups today are ecosystems, not monoliths. Rather than upgrading or switching the ERP, merchants bolt on specialist systems that do one job well, and connect them to the ERP. It's lower risk, faster to implement, and easier to justify commercially.
A delivery or transport system can sit alongside ERP without touching trade counter operations, stock, or finance. Orders flow out. Delivery data flows back. Each system does what it's best at, and merchants can modernise incrementally and gain new capability without ripping the heart out of the business.
“Merchants don't want to run technology projects. They want systems that quietly improve service and margin.”
Peter Wass, former Head of IT, Plumbase, and Founder, Chartwell IT Ltd.Clean data isn't the blocker you think it is
The biggest misconception about integration is that it needs complex, real-time APIs and months of data prep. Most successful merchant integrations run on simple file transfers instead: data out of the ERP, processed, sent back. It's transparent, easy to trace, and works with almost any ERP version.
Data cleanliness, especially around product weights and volumes, is often blamed for delaying delivery projects. It's a real issue in many merchant ERPs. But it's not a reason to wait. Modern platforms can work with missing data, use AI to enrich it, and improve it through use, not a long clean-up project first. Waiting for perfect data usually just means doing nothing.
“Integration doesn't have to mean disruption. In most cases, simple file transfers can work better than complex APIs, especially with older ERP systems.”
Peter Wass, former Head of IT, Plumbase, and Founder, Chartwell IT Ltd.How Alrik fits into an ERP environment
Transport is one of the least analysed cost lines on a merchant's P&L. At the same time, it's one of the most visible parts of the customer experience. Customers increasingly expect accurate delivery slots, status updates, and proof of delivery. This creates a double opportunity. Better transport systems improve customer service and, at the same time, give merchants visibility into where money is being made or lost across routes, branches, and customers. This is precisely where a specialist platform like Alrik bolsters operations.
“Transport is one of the least analysed cost lines in many merchants’ P&Ls, yet one of the most visible parts of customer experience. This creates a double opportunity.”
Peter Wass, former Head of IT, Plumbase, and Founder, Chartwell IT Ltd.Alrik is not an ERP replacement. It is a transport intelligence layer, an AI TMS, that connects to existing ERPs, without requiring upgrades or changes to core processes. From a merchant's perspective, this matters because it's:
- Low implementation risk
- Minimal disruption to daily operations
- Faster time to value
- No pressure to change ERP strategy
“The smartest merchants aren't replacing their ERP. They're extending it, adding delivery intelligence and cost visibility alongside the ERP they already run.”
Peter Wass, former Head of IT, Plumbase, and Founder, Chartwell IT Ltd.