A plumbers merchant carries thousands of SKUs, serves trade customers with negotiated terms, and deals with commodity prices that move frequently. Generic systems struggle with this. Here's what to look for.

Running your merchant system and accounting software in parallel means reconciling two versions of the truth at month-end. A proper integration removes that — but what counts as proper varies more than most suppliers admit.

Most merchants work hard on buying well. But margin is often lost after that - at the quote, at the counter, through discounts applied without visibility, or in the gap between what was agreed and what was invoiced.

When stock is managed branch by branch rather than centrally, the problems compound quickly. Here's what running multi-branch merchant stock from one system actually needs to work.

Most inventory software assumes stock is counted in units. Timber isn't. Here's what actually matters when choosing a system built for how timber is bought, processed and sold.

Epicor is ending on-premises support for BisTrack. Here's what the timeline looks like, what "Sustaining Support" actually means for your day-to-day operation, and what to consider before you decide what comes next.

Ask three ERP suppliers what their system costs and you'll get three different answers. Here's how to compare them properly — and what to check before signing anything.

Outgrowing your current system shows up in specific, recognisable ways. This guide covers the warning signs and a framework for deciding when to replace it.