Is your building materials supplier software holding your business back instead of driving it forward? Having worked with more than a thousand builders’ merchants over the past 33 years, we know you’re not alone.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the 6 most frequent implementation challenges and the practical ways to overcome them.
1. Struggling to get stakeholder sign-off?
One of the biggest ERP implementation challenges is securing early buy-in from your staff and stakeholders. Whether it’s fear of change, scepticism about ROI, or simply a lack of understanding, new building materials supplier software can initially be met with resistance. Stakeholders may worry about cost and disruption; staff may feel anxious about learning a new system or may be concerned about their roles changing. This is a situation that needs to be dealt with quickly, because without without full support across the business, even the best builders’ merchant software can struggle to get off the ground.
The key is to tackle these concerns head on, and to do that you’ll need to back your business case with hard facts. Demonstrate how the building materials supplier ERP will deliver tangible improvements in efficiency, productivity, and long-term growth. Involve stakeholders from the outset in the ERP selection and planning phases to give them a clear view of how the system aligns with business objectives.
2. Misalignment with business needs?
It happens more often than it should: a company decides they need an ERP system, picks one that looks impressive, and then wonders why everything feels so clunky afterwards.
The problem?
The system doesn't actually fit the business. It might be too complex, too generic, or simply not built with your sector in mind. When software isn't aligned with your size, workflows, or long-term goals, it can cause more harm than good – leading to operational bottlenecks, frustrated users, and missed opportunities.
How to avoid this costly mistake
Before diving into features and demos, take a step back. What are your biggest pain points? Where do you want to be in five years? Choose a system that not only solves today's problems but also supports your future growth. For building materials suppliers, this means looking for software that understands trade counter sales, complex pricing, and stock control.
Equally important is getting your team on board from the start. Your staff need to know why the change is happening and how it benefits them. A clear, consistent message from leadership helps build trust and reduce resistance. When people feel included, they're more likely to support the project and spot opportunities to improve it.
Working with consultants who understand your industry can make a huge difference too. They'll help translate your day-to-day needs into system functionality, so you avoid over-engineered or underwhelming setups. Sam Herd from STS experienced this firsthand:
Our initial, close work with our Intact consultant really helped us to understand our business needs better. With them on-site, we could give feedback as they built the system, making it more suited to our requirements. We also involved all our staff in testing which meant a smooth transition and led to minimal changes afterwards. Overall, it was a great experience from start to finish.
When your software truly fits your business, adoption is faster and ROI is higher.
3. Limited by resource or budget?
One of the more underestimated ERP implementation challenges is underfunding or under-resourcing the project. It’s tempting to focus on software licensing alone, but there are other costs involved – training and consultancy for example, or hardware and hosting costs if your product isn’t cloud-native. Failing to allocate enough budget or internal resource can delay the rollout, reduce user adoption, and limit the long-term success of your system.
Start by clearly mapping out the total cost of implementation, ensuring it’s aligned to your business vision. This includes upfront software costs, ongoing support, staff training, and any new infrastructure or integrations required.
When it comes to resourcing, make sure your team has the capacity and capability to manage the project effectively. Assigning a cross-functional team, led by someone internally who really knows their stuff, can help keep the project on track. But don’t forget - these people still have day jobs. Make sure their roles are backfilled, or workloads adjusted, so implementation doesn’t stall under pressure.
A well-resourced and realistically budgeted ERP project is far more likely to stay on track, meet expectations, and deliver value.
4. Worried about disruption?
Downtime and business continuity can stand in the way of any new software implementation. But with proper planning, clear communication, and smart resource allocation, these disruptions can be kept to a minimum.
To avoid disruption during peak periods, phased implementations are becoming increasingly popular. This approach allows businesses to go live with new systems module by module - starting with inventory management, then progressing to purchasing, sales, and eventually accounting. It gives your team time to adjust and reduces the pressure of an all-at-once switchover.
From the outset, all the way through and even after our go-live, our implementation was nothing short of exceptional. Everything went smoothly, and I think that was largely due to the good relationship we built up with our consultant and project managers. I can’t speak highly enough of our consultant.” – Tom Skevington, Company Accountant, Clarkes of Walsham
With the right implementation partner and a strategy that fits your business rhythm, you can ensure your builders’ merchants software is rolled out smoothly - without throwing your daily operations off course.
5. Dreading data migration?
Moving data from legacy systems to your new platform requires meticulous planning and execution to maintain data integrity. For building materials suppliers, this is particularly crucial as inaccurate product information, pricing data, or customer records can lead to operational issues.
Before migration, conduct a thorough audit of your existing data, cleaning out obsolete information and standardising formats. When implementing building materials supplier software, pay special attention to product codes, unit of measure conversions, customer-specific pricing, and credit terms. For builders’ merchants handling thousands of SKUs across multiple categories, investing in thorough data migration pays off in the long run by preventing pricing errors, stock discrepancies, and delivery issues once the system goes live.
6. Training up your team
The amount of planning that goes into launching a new system is critical and directly affects its success. Training your team on your new business technology is essential and should begin from the very start of your software implementation.
Once your vendor provides a test version of your new software, relevant users must take every opportunity to identify and resolve any issues early on. To help your staff adapt easily to the new system, ensure every user can complete their tasks effortlessly without needing specialised software expertise.
Basic training before launching the system is required and included in your initial investment cost. In our experience, builders’ merchants that also invest in ongoing training after the system goes live see returns from their new system much faster.
Choosing the right builders’ merchant software
Final thoughts
Implementing new software doesn’t need to be a headache. By planning ahead and learning from common pitfalls, builders' merchants and suppliers can ensure their ERP system delivers long-term value.
Ready to take the next step? Our builders’ merchant software is built to help you grow faster, run more efficiently, and deliver a better customer experience.
Find out how we support building materials suppliers like you – discover our software.
FAQ's
How long does it typically take to implement building materials supplier software?
Most builders' merchants can expect 3-9 months for a full rollout. Phased implementations work well, allowing you to go live module by module, which reduces disruption and gives your team time to adapt.
What's the real cost of implementing new ERP software beyond the licence fees?
Budget for training, consultant fees, data migration, hardware upgrades (if not cloud-based), and temporary staff cover. These additional costs can often double the initial software price.
How do I convince my team that new software is worth the hassle?
Involve staff in the selection process and show them exactly how the system will make their jobs easier. Use hard facts about efficiency gains rather than vague promises. When people see personal benefits, resistance drops significantly.
What happens if the software doesn't fit our way of working?
Choose software built specifically for building materials suppliers that understands trade counter sales and complex pricing. Work with industry consultants who'll configure the system to match your workflows rather than forcing you to change everything.
Can we keep trading normally during the switchover?
Yes, with proper planning. Many builders' merchants use phased implementations or choose quieter go-live periods. Clear communication and dedicated internal resources are key to minimal disruption.
What's the biggest mistake businesses make during implementation?
Underestimating data migration. Poor quality data causes months of headaches. Clean up existing data first - remove obsolete products, standardise formats, and double-check customer records before migration.
