When manufacturers talk about digital transformation, the conversation often jumps to advanced capabilities: embedded analytics, multi-device access, omnichannel workflows, and AI-driven visibility. But for many mid-market companies, real change begins with something more fundamental: replacing legacy platforms that no longer communicate, scale, or support the pace of modern business.
That reality came through in a December 4 Acumatica webinar featuring Boca Terry, a family-owned hospitality products manufacturer that grew from a two-person start-up in the 1990s into a global distributor serving hotels, spas, and cruise lines. Their journey offers a candid look at why organizations change ERP systems, what makes transitions succeed, and how the right partnership can turn software into a force multiplier for growth.
From Aging Systems to Unifying the Business
Like many maturing businesses, Boca Terry had reached a breaking point with its patchwork of legacy tools. CRM was on an outdated platform. Inventory and customer data lived in a database no longer supported by its vendor. Financials were in a small-business accounting package. “The three platforms never communicated with each other,” said Bruce Cohen, Boca Terry’s owner and founder. Access was limited by physical servers, remote desktop constraints, and unreliable connectivity, he added.
The result was what many mid-market leaders quietly admit—reporting delays, manual workarounds, and operational blind spots that made decision-making harder than it needed to be.
The organization’s first attempt to modernize an ERP environment did not go as expected. The key issue was the fit, not capability. Boca Terry’s product catalog uses complex SKUs, combining sizes, lengths, and descriptors in ways that require system flexibility. They needed a platform that would conform to the realities of their business, not the other way around.
When adaptation proved difficult, they stepped back. That is an early lesson that evaluating ERP is as much about organizational alignment as it is about features.
Why the Second Attempt Worked
The company’s successful transition began when they adopted Acumatica’s modern cloud-native ERP, of which ecosystem was designed around mid-market growth. Several factors influenced that success, including:
- Fit over force. “We found a system that adapted to what our needs were, which was most paramount,” said Cohen. This reduced friction in implementation and created early buy-in among teams.
- Partner relationship as an extension of the business. Their reseller became central to the transformation. “Our resale partner became almost like family,” Cohen said, adding that the reseller was collaborative, responsive, and invested in making the implementation work. For mid-market businesses without large internal IT teams, this dynamic often determines the trajectory of the entire project.
- Cloud enabling everyday efficiency. Moving away from on-premise servers and remote desktop sessions fundamentally changed how teams worked. “Working off the cloud just enhanced our access to information,” Cohen explained. Multi-device access, real-time visibility, and uninterrupted connectivity allowed employees across states and time zones to operate as a single team.
- Disciplined approach to timing. Boca Terry embraced one of the most underrated pillars of ERP success: “Don’t go live until you’re absolutely ready,” Cohen emphasized. They declined an early go-live date; continued running parallel systems; resolved data migration challenges; and ensured financials, inventory, CRM, and reporting were stable before fully transitioning.
- Continuous improvement after launch. Post-implementation, Boca Terry kept evolving the system by building new reports, refining processes, and extending access to sales, shipping, and even select customers. Post-go-live maturity is where ERP investments compound.
A Business Transformed
The impact was unequivocal. Revenue became easier to scale. Decision cycles accelerated. Sales and operations gained instant access to the information they needed, improving customer responsiveness. Teams no longer waited on emailed financials or struggled with system downtime.
The entire company became faster and more coordinated. “The system has been a game changer in terms of speed and access to information,” Cohen said. For a business like Boca Terry’s that built decades of reputation on service and responsiveness, the ERP became a living environment, not a one-time project.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
Implementation discipline determines ERP value. The discussion illustrated how timing, readiness, and data migration rigor directly influence the success of ERP transitions. ERP vendors, system integrators, and program leaders need to consider structured onboarding frameworks that accommodate phased adoption and parallel operations.
Partner ecosystems are critical extensions of ERP delivery. Boca Terry’s experience highlights how reseller and implementation partners shape long-term satisfaction, system usability, and business impact. For product teams and partner strategists, this reinforces the importance of solutions that combine technical capability with cultural alignment and high-touch engagement to support adoption maturity.
Cloud-native architecture redefines operational expectations. The shift from server-bound systems to flexible, multi-device access shows how cloud ERP can transform day-to-day work, particularly for distributed teams. Enterprise architects and platform leaders can view this as further validation that usability, remote accessibility, and integrated workflows are no longer value-adds but foundational expectations in the modern ERP landscape.
