Insights

August metalworking orders hit the third-highest monthly total on record. ISM expanded for a tenth consecutive month. The constraint is not demand. November’s signals for mid-market equipment makers and job shops managing workforce and infrastructure gaps.

SAP Business One turns 30 with near-zero customer churn. Third Wave, a 23-year partner, reflects on three decades of ERP growth and the AI chapter SAP is building with partners like Forge.

45+ people now work in Forge every day, and the question we hear most is what else Forge does. Here are ten use cases to start from, and the fixed $2,500 package to get your team live in two weeks.

Ten applications Forge AI builds on your own systems, from three-way invoice matching to relationship intelligence. What each one fixes, the industry each was first built for, and how long each takes to go live.

Our new Forge film shows one person, one chat, and three jobs done before five. Here is why Forge AI, and what Forge does across finance, operations, sales, and leadership on SAP Business One.

SAP’s October 2026 road map, read for SAP Business One customers. What the web client covers today, what lands in the next release, what version 11 means in 2027, and how to plan your move.

Third Wave Business Systems is now an Acumatica Gold Partner, giving manufacturers and distributors a cloud-native ERP option alongside SAP Business One.

Two-thirds of Americans now support stricter food additive rules, regardless of politics. GLP-1 users cut calorie intake by 20%. Private label holds 19% of the grocery market. October's signals for mid-market food and beverage producers.

Ninety-six percent of distributors enter Q4 expecting flat or rising sales. The pressure is structural: online competitors own the price war, costs hit from three directions at once, and the default response does not hold.

The ISM Prices Index hit 77.9 in September as new orders climbed for the ninth straight month. Tariffs, the QPP year-end tax deadline, and the RaaS automation shift: what mid-market manufacturers need to track in Q4.

Every SAP Business One implementation moves through the same five phases. This guide explains each one, with durations, deliverables, costs and the decisions that move the go-live date.

Contract electronics makers are booking far more work than they ship. Memory still climbs, laminate lead times have tripled and smaller buyers sit at the back of the allocation queue. Here is what the gap between orders and output means for mid-sized electronics firms.

Canadian whey is now banned at the border, input prices hit their highest reading in months, and shoppers are walking away from brand-name price hikes. Here is what a month of rising costs and a falling price ceiling means for mid-sized food makers.

Most AI pilots stall after the first win. Harney & Sons took Forge AI on SAP Business One from paper forms on one production line to 15 people across four teams. Here are the four breaking points they cleared, and how.

A 100-year-old wholesaler started shutting down, diesel broke $6 for the first time on record, and supplier lead times stretched again. Here is what a month of shrinking cover means for independent distributors, and the three numbers worth checking before October.

Harney & Sons Fine Teas closed SAP Business One Customer Day with Third Wave, showing 150+ customers two Forge workflows in production. We walk through shop floor data capture, AI sales order processing, the safeguards behind both, and Forge in the web client.

Input costs are forecast to rise faster than sales for the next twelve months, and raw material prices have climbed for 23 straight months. We break down the squeeze, the new Canada tariffs, and where machine-tool money is going.

Metalworking machinery orders reached $4.03 billion through July, up 37% on last year, and still slipped 8% in a month. Contract machine shops bought anyway. We look at who is spending, what tariff relief is worth, and the two constraints money will not fix.

Regulators wrote 363 warning letters through late July without a single new rule taking effect. We cover the allergen-label recall surge, a natural color supply shortfall no purchase order will fix, input costs running ahead of shelf prices, and where plant money is going.

Distributors sold 14.1% more than a year ago on inventory up only 4.2%. Leaner is good until a lane tightens. We cover the turn ratio, three cost channels moving at once, freight resetting higher, and the tariff list growing again.

Factory payrolls finally moved the right way in August, yet openings outran hires by the widest margin all year. We break down the Philly Fed turn, cooling input costs, broadening robot orders, and the SBA deadline mid-market manufacturers should not miss.

SAP hosts the first SAP Business One Customer Day on September 15 near Philadelphia. Third Wave closes the day on stage with Harney & Sons, showing Forge AI running against live sales orders.

Third Wave's monthly ERP-relevant news briefing for high-tech and electronics manufacturers, covering the DRAM and NAND price shock, new Section 232 and polysilicon tariffs, stretched lead times, and what each development means for cost visibility and margin protection on the shop floor.

Unhappy with your SAP Business One partner? See how a partner switch works, what stays the same, and when you need a second implementation.

Versago 2026R2 adds PayFabric integrated payments, smarter OData and SAP data views, and faster forms and admin screens for SAP Business One users.

SBA now backs up to $10M in combined 7(a) and 504 financing for small manufacturers. Plus Philly Fed at a five-year high, tariff pressure, and where robot orders are actually going.

BizWeaver 2.13.10 adds Connection Health Monitoring and Smart Queuing, so you can see whether every connection is alive and stop the same workflow from running twice.

You want to add capacity while demand is hot. This week the numbers say demand is real, orders are strong, and lead times are stretching.

What agentic AI in ERP means for mid-market manufacturers, how the technology turns your ERP into a system of action, real examples, autonomy levels, and what earns trust.

A practical readiness check for mid-market manufacturers, the five signs your ERP data is ready for AI, the five signs the data is not, and how to close the gap.

AI vs BI reporting for mid-market manufacturers, why BI tickets stall decisions, how asking your ERP data a question changes the day, and what makes answers trustworthy.

What AI for SAP Business One makes possible today, asking your data questions, automating routine work, and supervised action, plus a look at Forge AI, the B1 agent.

A plain-language guide to AI in ERP for mid-market manufacturers, what AI does today, why most teams are not ready, and where to start without a moonshot.

You run a food or beverage company doing somewhere between $10 million and $200 million in revenue, and this year feels different.

Every implementation moves through the same arc. Knowing the arc up front removes surprises and shows you where attention pays off most.

Most mid-market ERP implementations take three to six months. The timeline by phase and company size, what speeds it up or slows it down, and what it costs.

The launch is the visible moment, and the outcome is set in the weeks before. Two workstreams carry most of the risk and most of the reward, moving your data cleanly, and readying your people.

Failed ERP projects make headlines because they are dramatic, not because they are common. Run with a real method, an implementation is a controlled, repeatable project.

You run a distribution business, and your goal is simple. Move more product, protect your margin, and keep cash flowing. This week made that harder.

June factory output rose while manufacturing payrolls hit a six-year low. What the split signals for mid-market manufacturers planning the back half of 2026.

Cloud or on-premise ERP? A plain-language guide for mid-market manufacturers and distributors weighing cost, control, and growth before they choose.

How cloud and on-premise ERP shape multi-site visibility, rollout speed, and peak-season scaling. A guide for operations leaders in manufacturing.

Who owns patching, uptime, and security? An IT leader's guide to the cloud-versus-on-premise ERP decision for mid-market manufacturers.

CapEx or OpEx, faster close, lower total cost. A finance leader's guide to the cloud-versus-on-premise ERP decision for mid-market manufacturers.

Moving a software team from non-agentic to AI-native is a leadership decision, not a tooling rollout. A reflection on the three-day workshop, the two-artifact framework, and what it means for other teams.

IEEPA refunds are live, 100% bonus depreciation is permanent, and 81% of CEOs are reshoring. What this week means if you run a $5M-$200M manufacturer on SAP Business One.

May ISM PMI held at a four-year high of 54.0 while input costs stayed elevated at 82.1. The week in manufacturing: ERP, AI, reshoring, and the IEEPA tariff-refund fight, decoded for SMB to mid-market manufacturers.

Manufacturing PMI hit a four-year high of 54.0 in May while input prices spiked to 84.6. The Third Wave weekly roundup on ERP, AI, and the tariff/tax picture for mid-market manufacturers and distributors.

Third Wave Forge is the AI Agent for SAP Business One that reads, reasons, and acts across your whole stack. No data lake needed. Try free for 14 days.

The software is the same no matter who sells it. The partner behind it decides whether your SAP Business One project succeeds. Here is what separates a true partner from a reseller.

Up to eight parties touch every B2B card transaction, and most of them earn margin you cannot see. A breakdown of where credit card fees actually go, why fragmented stacks cost more, and how Third Wave CreditCard on Global Payments rails consolidates gateway, processor, and acquirer with automatic Level 2/3 data and monthly rebates for SAP Business One customers.

Versago 2026R1 expands SAP Business One access for employees, customers, and vendors. No SAP licenses, no code, real manufacturing workflows.

A North American SAP Gold Partner with 20+ years of supply chain experience, zero failed implementations, and 98% customer retention. Here is why US manufacturers running legacy on-premise ERP or QuickBooks trust Third Wave Business Systems to modernize ERP the right way.

How Third Wave Business Systems delivers ERP outcomes: zero failed implementations, 98% customer retention, fast QuickBooks to SAP migration, and AI applied to reduce the cost burden of modern ERP.

Anthropic announced Mythos Preview this month, a model that finds software vulnerabilities at a scale no prior tool matched. Within 24 hours, unauthorized users appear to have gained access anyway. Here is what that means for small and mid-sized businesses, and the five-item playbook for keeping your operation current.

Epicor Kinetic's manufacturing depth is real — but is it the depth your operation actually needs? An honest side-by-side of SAP Business One vs. Epicor Kinetic for discrete manufacturers: implementation time, cost, financials, shop floor execution, and where each platform genuinely wins.

CBP just opened a $166 billion refund portal. The filing is simple — the data isn't. Here's who qualifies in Phase 1, exactly how to file, and why the companies that get paid first are the ones with the cleanest ERP data.

Three tariff regimes. Three legal authorities. $170 billion in refunds up for grabs. Here are 5 ERP fixes every manufacturer needs before the next ruling drops.

Every ERP vendor on the planet is talking about AI right now. "AI-powered insights." "Intelligent automation." "Copilot for everything." If you've sat through vendor keynotes this year, you've heard…

Choosing between SAP Business One and Oracle NetSuite for discrete manufacturing? This comparison breaks down where each platform genuinely excels, where each falls short, and what manufacturers should watch out for before signing a contract.

Spreadsheets feel like the perfect operational tool when you're growing. Until they aren't. The hidden costs of spreadsheet-driven manufacturing and distribution: inventory uncertainty, reporting lag, tribal-knowledge dependency, and how integrated ERP systems help mid-market companies regain visibility, efficiency, and control.

Every dollar is spoken for, capital costs are still elevated, and boards want profitability. So how do CFOs justify a seven-figure ERP investment? A practical business-case framework for North American finance leaders, including the hidden cost of doing nothing, the case for phased deployment, and how to handle the objections you will face.

ERP is not a software purchase. It is a fundamental rethinking of how your business runs. A guide for CFOs, COOs, CEOs, and boards on what genuine ERP transformation requires, why so many implementations underdeliver, and how mid-market organizations should approach the decision in 2026.

For mid-market manufacturers and distributors, the numbers exist but live in too many places. See how SAP Business One brings financial data into one place and keeps it current.

Most ERP projects do not fail because of bad software. They fail for business reasons: unclear goals, thin ownership, poor data, and partners who leave at go-live. Here are the seven patterns and how to avoid each one.

Third Wave CreditCard is the best 1:1 replacement for Boyum iPayment, which is sunsetting in 2026. Learn about why and the best the time to make the move.

Last week, I had a conversation with VP Product and Development Abel Fernandes on the latest releases for Bizweaver (2025R2) and Container Management.

Third Wave Business Systems Announces New CEO, Eddie Bearnot, as Chris Milan Transitions to Strategic Role at Pine

Mastering CPG Challenges: Navigating Scalability and Sustainability

Mastering CPG Challenges: Navigating the Rise of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C)

Mastering CPG Challenges: Navigating eCommerce Complexity

Mastering CPG Challenges: Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions

Navigating the Growing Pains of Manual Processes: The Path to Digital Transformation

Navigating the Growing Pains of Supply Chain Management: The Path to Digital Transformation

Titan CEO and headline sponsor Enavate are pleased to announce the 2024 Tampa Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Tampa’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that include demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively, the 2024 Tampa Titan 100 honorees and their companies employ upwards of 55,000 individuals and generate over $24 Billion in annual revenues. This year’s honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at the inaugural awards ceremony on October 24, 2024, and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans.

In the dynamic world of wholesale distribution, managing supply chains effectively can make or break a business. Effective container management plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth operations, managing costs, and meeting customer expectations. Small businesses particularly face unique challenges, especially when it comes to importing goods. From navigating international regulations to optimizing logistics and ensuring product quality, the complexities can seem daunting. However, with the right tools and strategies, these challenges can be turned into opportunities for sustainable growth and operational efficiency.

Third Wave Business Systems has been named to Bob Scott's Top 100 VARs for 2024, ranking #96 among ERP and accounting software resellers by annual revenue.

Effective inventory management is all about leveraging data. Wholesale Distribution Managers need to have key metrics like inventory numbers, costing, margins and cash flow at their fingertips so they can track orders, manage stock levels, and make faster, smarter decisions. Ultimately, streamlined inventory management operations are critical for gaining competitive advantage and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Are you feeling stretched thin in your wholesale distribution warehouse? You’re not alone. The wholesale distribution industry has experienced rapid innovation and change over the past several years, and there are no signs of a slowdown anytime soon.

ERPs allow for planning, tracking, and measuring a business's operational processes. However, typically they are touched by only a fraction of the people effecting the business.

ERP pricing models compared: what a perpetual license costs versus subscription pricing per user, what annual maintenance covers, and the questions to ask before you sign.

Are your customers allowed to deduct from certain invoices when rules of engagement are not met? If so, you know how costly these chargebacks are, not only in dollars themselves but in the processing…

Companies today have relationships with customers and vendors with their own preferences, systems, and behaviors.

As small and medium-sized businesses seek to mobilize their workforce with apps that integrate with the ERP, they are encountering a serious problem.

An ERP implementation can be one of the most complex projects a company may undertake, with consequences that can impact the entire organization.

Businesses with complex supply chain systems and critical platforms spanning multiple departments can use an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to centralize the flow of data and streamline…