Want Better Margins? Start with Better Tools

One of the biggest mistakes I see mid-sized business owners make is this: they try to run a $25 million company with $2 million tools.

I’ve been in more than a few meetings where someone tells me they “track everything in spreadsheets” or “get the reports from accounting once a month.” That may have worked ten years ago. But if tariffs, rising costs, and unpredictable supply chains are hitting your bottom line, you need real-time visibility—and that means investing in the right systems.

Here’s what I mean:

ERP Systems Aren’t Just for Big Companies
I know ERPs sound expensive and painful. But the right one, properly implemented, gives you what spreadsheets never will:

• Live data on inventory, pricing, and purchasing
• Margin analysis at the product, customer, and channel level
• Clear forecasting models that help you plan, not just react

A client of mine recently upgraded their ERP after years of delay. Within six months, they cut waste by 12%, caught a pricing error that was bleeding cash, and finally got clarity on which of their SKUs were actually profitable.

Data Analytics Help You Make Better Calls, Faster
Don’t just collect data—make it work for you. If your team can’t quickly pull a report that shows customer profitability or vendor performance, you’re operating with a blindfold on.

Advanced reporting tools, even built into mid-tier ERPs, can highlight where your margin leaks are happening. That’s where we start turning cost pressure into opportunity.

Small Investments Can Pay Big
You don’t need to overhaul everything tomorrow. Start with tools that fit your current size and complexity. Maybe it’s a BI dashboard that helps your sales team see how discounts affect profitability. Maybe it’s automating your purchasing thresholds based on real-time stock levels.

Every step you take toward integrated data and smarter systems gives you more control—and that’s what makes businesses resilient.

What You Can Do This Week:

• Take stock of what software and tools you're using to manage inventory, pricing, and vendor costs. Are they connected? Are they giving you what you need?
• Identify one area—like purchasing, inventory tracking, or customer profitability—where a tool upgrade could improve visibility and speed.
• Schedule a demo or conversation with your current provider or a trusted advisor to understand what’s possible.

The Bottom Line

Tech isn’t a silver bullet, but without it, you’re playing defense. With it, you can shift to offense—navigating change with speed, accuracy, and confidence.

If you’re not sure where to start, or want to talk through what kind of system makes sense for your business size and model, I’m happy to help.

→ Let’s talk: https://www.impactcfo.net/free