Why Fixed-Fee ERP Implementations Win for Manufacturers

Описание: Why do most ERP projects still bill by the hour — when no manufacturer would ever charge their own customers that way?
In this episode of The Integrate Intelligently Podcast, Rob Jolliffe, CEO of Sabre Limited, joins hosts Jeff and Scott Brickler to challenge one of the ERP industry’s most deeply embedded practices: time-and-material billing. Rob shares how a blunt question from a production manager — a guy turning 12,000-pound castings on two-story-tall boring mills — forced him to rethink how he runs projects.
Rob breaks down the fixed-fee implementation model he’s built at Sabre Limited, how he applies Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints and lean manufacturing principles to ERP projects, and why a mandatory post-go-live support contract completely changed his customer outcomes.
Whether you’re evaluating ERP partners, planning a Business Central implementation, or just tired of surprise invoices — this one’s for you.
About Our Guest
Rob Jolliffe is the CEO of Sabre Limited, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central partner specializing in manufacturing. With over 25 years in manufacturing consulting, Rob is a University of Toronto Mechanical Engineering graduate, an Eli Goldratt devotee, and a strong advocate for transparency in ERP pricing. He publishes his implementation pricing on Sabre’s website — something almost no one else in the industry does.
About Sabre Limited
Sabre Limited is a premier Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central reseller and implementation partner serving manufacturers across the English-speaking world. They specialize in fixed-fee implementations for small and mid-market manufacturers.
🔗 https://www.sabrelimited.com
Key Takeaways
• Time-and-material billing creates perverse incentives — the vendor benefits when the project takes longer
• Fixed-fee pricing forces process discipline and consistency
• Tiered packaging (basic, enhanced, premium) nearly eliminates scope creep
• Lean manufacturing principles (Theory of Constraints, 7 wastes) apply directly to ERP project management
• Recorded training sessions reduce rework and support calls
• A mandatory post-go-live support contract removes the fear of calling for help
• Operations managers (not traditional PMs) drive consistency across all projects
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:30 Rob Jolliffe’s Background in Manufacturing and ERP
05:15 The Question That Changed Everything: “Why Can’t You Just Give Me a Price?”
08:00 Why Time-and-Material Billing Creates Perverse Incentives
11:00 How Fixed-Fee Implementation Actually Works
14:30 Tiered Packaging: Basic, Enhanced, and Premium Scopes
17:15 Shifting the Right Work to Customers (Teach a Man to Fish)
19:30 Applying Lean Thinking and Theory of Constraints to ERP Projects
21:45 Operations Managers vs. Traditional Project Managers
23:00 The Mandatory One-Year Support Contract

Notable Quotes
“Why can’t you just give me a price? I could never get away with telling my customers I’m going to charge them for time.” — Rob’s customer
“It’s not the cheapness that sells fixed fee. It’s the fixed fee itself.” — Rob Jolliffe
“They would start DIYing because they didn’t really understand the ERP… and that led to them painting themselves in corners.” — Rob Jolliffe
Connect
Rob Jolliffe LinkedIn:   / robjolliffe  
Sabre Limited: https://www.sabrelimited.com
CADTALK Software: https://cadtalk.com
CADTALK LinkedIn:   / cadtalk  
Jeff Brickler LinkedIn:   / jeff-brickler-cadtalk  
Scott Brickler LinkedIn:   / scottbrickler  
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Tags
#ERP #Manufacturing #BusinessCentral #ERPImplementation #MicrosoftDynamics365 #ManufacturingERP #IntegrateIntelligently #FixedFee #SabreLimited #CADTALK