How Manufacturers Can Optimise Supply Chains By Fixing ERPs & Layering AI
Release Date: 03/18/2026
SAP & Oracle ERP Implementation In Aerospace
Comparesoft Podcast
Doug Hanson, a former IT and ERP Director with a 40 year career across aerospace and defence manufacturing, joins the Comparesoft ERP Podcast to explain what more than 25 ERP deployments taught him about selecting, implementing and adopting the right system. Starting as a Fortran programmer at McDonnell Douglas back when it was still called MRP II, Doug went on to lead SAP and Oracle deployments at Honeywell Aerospace and B/E Aerospace. Now retired, he talks openly about why so many ERP projects fail, and what leaders must get right before they sign a contract. Full episode:...
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Running Microsoft Dynamics ERP at Alpine F1 Team
Comparesoft Podcast
Jaco Schutte, ERP Manager at the Alpine Formula One Team, discusses selecting, implementing and running Microsoft Dynamics ERP inside Formula One. Jaco leads the technical and functional design of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations for a team of roughly 900 people. He explains why an F1 team is really a manufacturing business, how the system was selected, why he aligns processes to the software before customising, how his team connects PLM and ERP in real time, and why adoption depends on people, not technology.
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Maintenance in MTO Manufacturing: 300 Machines & 1000 Custom Doors a Day
Comparesoft Podcast
Israel Arrieta, Senior Maintenance Manager at TruStile Doors, joins the Comparesoft Maintenance Management Podcast to unpack MTO maintenance management: what it takes to keep a made-to-order manufacturing plant reliable when almost every product coming down the line is different. Drawing on 10 years in the US Navy as an aviation structural mechanic, then maintenance leadership in medical device manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, Israel explains how he runs a 24/7 operation across roughly 900 maintainable assets and 1000 custom doors a day with CMMS Software. 🔗 Listen and read more:...
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Leading Water Utility Maintenance With a CMMS at United Utilities & Binnies
Comparesoft Podcast
Chris Bates, Director of Operations and Maintenance Excellence at Binnies, joins the Comparesoft Maintenance Management Podcast to unpack what water utility maintenance management really involves across a large, ageing and heavily regulated asset base. Drawing on eight years at United Utilities, where he went from graduate mechanical engineer to Reliability Maintenance Manager and helped shape the company's predictive maintenance strategy, Chris now leads a consultancy team advising water companies on asset health. In this episode, Chris talks about: What water utility maintenance management...
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From Jet Engines to Runways: Airport Maintenance Management at Manchester Airports Group
Comparesoft Podcast
James Ayre, Asset Management Director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), joins the Comparesoft Maintenance Management Podcast to unpack what airport maintenance management really involves at the UK’s largest dedicated cargo hub, East Midlands Airport. After 20 years at Rolls-Royce, from engineering apprentice to global maintenance executive, James now oversees more than 220,000 assets across Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands. In this episode, James talks about: What airport maintenance management looks like across a group managing over 220,000 assets The move from reactive...
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How a Korn Ferry FM Gets Supplier and Contractor Management Right
Comparesoft Podcast
Lewis O’Brien, Facilities Manager UK at Korn Ferry, joins the Comparesoft Facilities Management Podcast to explain how he manages suppliers and contractors across three offices, and why he still runs most of the operation on spreadsheets rather than a Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system. Lewis started at Korn Ferry as an Operations Assistant in March 2020 before moving into the UK Facilities Manager role, and now oversees the London, Manchester and Dublin offices. This is a candid look at a manual facilities management (FM) operation: how contractors get selected and...
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What FMs Need to Get Right First: Team, Tools & Knowledge
Comparesoft Podcast
Rachael Lawton, Head of Estates at the Royal Armouries Museum, joins the Comparesoft Facilities Management Podcast to share advice for new and entry-level facilities managers, and to make the case that you do not need an expensive software system to run an estate well. Drawing on more than two decades in facilities management (FM), from accommodation assistant to leading the estate of a national museum, Rachael explains how she runs a team of 24 on SharePoint, spreadsheets and a ticketing tool, and what really matters when you are starting is having the right team, tools, and knowledge at your...
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Running ERP In-House: Lessons From a Six-Country ERP System Rollout
Comparesoft Podcast
Aissam Drai, ERP Head at the Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC), talks through his journey of selecting, implementing, and adopting an ERP system. He explains how he runs Oracle Fusion across six countries and 38 legal entities, with more than 25 integrated applications covering finance, procurement, HR, and project and performance management, at the largest broadcaster in the Middle East, and why he chose to implement it in-house. In this episode, Aissam talks about: How MBC runs Oracle Fusion across six countries, with payroll configured to each country's labour laws Why he moved from...
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Running a PPM Schedule Across 80+ Stations at First Rail London
Comparesoft Podcast
Marianne Martin, PPM and Statutory Compliance Manager at First Rail London, joins the Comparesoft Facilities Management Podcast to unpack what it really takes to build and manage a planned preventive maintenance (PPM) schedule across mission-critical sites. With over a decade in facilities management across demanding environments, including Wembley Stadium and rail depots, Marianne is currently responsible for PPM and statutory compliance across more than 80 London Overground stations, sidings and depots. She is the central knowledge hub for PPM information in her team, and in this episode,...
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Ep 24: Building FM From Scratch at Ocado Retail (and When You Actually Need CAFM)
Comparesoft Podcast
Can you run facilities management for a major retail head office without a CAFM system? Lisa Assiotes does. She's built an FM function from scratch four times, and in this episode she explains how a lean team, an integrated provider and a disciplined RAG report keep a single site compliant. Plus, the exact point where software starts to pay for itself. In this episode, Lisa talks about: The first-90-days gap analysis Integrated vs multiple vendors The single-site vs multi-site CAFM decision The "15 days of AI" and where AI helps Managing reactive vs planned maintenance costs Dogs in the...
info_outlineLee Wachter, ERP & AI Supply Chain Advisor at Interactive Ingenuity, joins the Comparesoft ERP Podcast to unpack what it really takes for manufacturers and CPG companies to fix broken supply chain operations, make ERP decisions that hold up under pressure, and layer AI in a way that actually delivers value.
With senior leadership experience at Olympus and Diageo, work with companies like Pepsi and Citibank, and time spent inside an ERP vendor, Lee brings a rare dual perspective on ERP selection and supply chain performance. He explains where supply chains start to break down, how to pressure-test ERP systems in regulated environments, and why AI only works when the foundation is already stable.
In this episode, Lee talks about:
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The early warning signs that a manufacturer’s supply chain is losing control
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How to pressure-test traceability, shelf life, and compliance in food, beverage, and regulated industries
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What the 20% of ERP capability that actually differentiates supply chain outcomes looks like
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What buyers misunderstand about the ERP vendor’s role in implementation success
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How to layer AI on top of a stable ERP to improve forecasting, inventory, and decision-making
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The non-negotiable guardrails leadership must have before going live with AI