3 Years of ERP Lessons: Homestead Growers

When businesses evaluate ERP software, the focus often lands on features, dashboards, and technology.

But after sharing their ERP journey during a recent webinar, one message from Homestead Growers stood out above all others:

““With the foundation in place, we can now ask the questions of our business that we didn't know to ask before.””
John Albers, Homestead Growers

The lesson is simple. ERP success is less about software and more about preparation.

Lesson 1: ERP Won't Fix Broken Processes

Before ERP, Homestead was already collecting data. They used accounting software, spreadsheets, internal databases, and planning tools.

The problem wasn't a lack of data.

The problem was that everything lived in separate systems.

As John explained, the business struggled with visibility, forecasting, inventory management, and understanding profitability because information was disconnected.

ERP didn't magically solve these issues. It provided a framework to standardize processes and bring information together.

“We didn't have a single view of the business.”

For many growers, this is the real starting point. Before selecting software, understand how decisions are made, how data flows, and where information gaps exist.

Lesson 2: The Hardest Work Happens Before Go-Live

Many companies expect implementation to be primarily a technical project.

Homestead discovered something different.

“Implementation was more than installing software. It required significant preparation, learning, and organizational change.”

Their original implementation timeline was six months.

The reality was much longer.

Data had to be cleaned. Processes had to be reviewed. Employees needed training. New responsibilities had to be defined.

For growers considering ERP, this may be the most important lesson of all:

The software implementation begins when the project starts.

Successful ERP adoption begins long before that.

Lesson 3: Leadership Can't Delegate Ownership

Throughout the webinar, John repeatedly emphasized the importance of leadership involvement.

ERP touches production, inventory, finance, labor, sales, and planning. It changes how people work.

Without active leadership, transformation becomes difficult.

“Success depended on people, collaboration, and ownership, not just technology.”

At Homestead, leadership remained involved throughout the project, helping maintain momentum, solve issues, and keep the organization aligned around the long-term goal.

Lesson 4: Good Data Creates Better Decisions

One of the biggest benefits Homestead highlighted was improved business visibility.

With ERP providing a connected data foundation, the organization gained:

• Better inventory visibility
• Improved financial insight
• Stronger reporting
• Better understanding of crop costs
• More informed decision making

As John put it:

“Good data allows for better decisions.”

Perhaps more importantly, ERP helped the company answer questions they previously could not answer.

Which crops are most profitable?

Where are costs accumulating?

How is labor impacting production?

What will future capacity look like?

Those insights become possible when information is connected.

Lesson 5: ERP Is a Foundation for What's Next

One of the most interesting parts of the discussion focused on the future.

Homestead's ERP journey is not finished. In many ways, it is just beginning.

The company is now exploring:

• Integrated production and budgeting
• Long-term space planning
• Advanced forecasting
• AI-supported workflows
• Deeper production and financial reporting

These initiatives all depend on one thing: a reliable digital foundation.

“With the foundation in place, we can now ask the questions of our business that we didn't know to ask before.”

That statement may best capture the true value of ERP.

The goal is not simply to digitize existing processes.

The goal is to create the visibility, structure, and confidence needed to make better decisions for the future.

The Takeaway

If there is one lesson growers can take from Homestead's experience, it is this:

“Document your business before asking someone else to digitize it.”

ERP is not a software project.

It is a business readiness project.

The growers that gain the most value are often not the ones who move fastest. They are the ones who prepare best.

Watch the video below to hear John Albers share Homestead Growers' ERP journey, lessons learned, and practical advice for growers considering ERP.

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