“Every change needs a supplier quote and takes months”
You want something small: a new field on the order screen, a different invoice layout, a report that splits sales by channel. You email your system supplier. A week later, a quote arrives. It's approved, scheduled, tested, and a few months on, the change goes live. By then, the business has already moved on to the next thing.
If that rhythm feels normal, it's worth asking whether it should be.
Why it happens
Many established ERP and distribution systems were designed when businesses changed slowly and software was released once or twice a year. Customisations were bespoke projects, often written by a small team at the supplier or a reseller. That model works when change is rare.
It struggles when change is constant. And today it is: new channels, new delivery promises, new customers with their own requirements, new accounting set-ups. None of this is the supplier's fault. The model was built for a different pace.
What it costs
- Lost opportunities. A big customer wants orders in a particular format. If the change takes months, they may go elsewhere.
- Workarounds pile up. While you wait, people build spreadsheets and manual steps, which add risk.
- Change fatigue. Teams stop asking for improvements because "it'll never happen".
- Unpredictable spend. Lots of small quotes add up, and they're hard to budget.
- Strategy shaped by software. Decisions start with "what will the system let us do?" instead of "what does the business need?"
What changing looks like
The aim is a system where change is routine rather than a project.
- Configuration before code. Many changes (fields, statuses, document layouts, workflows, permissions) should be settings, not development.
- A clear route for real development. When something genuinely new is needed, it should go through a short, transparent process with small releases.
- Ownership options. With Dark Store Systems, platform development can be owned code or leased, so you choose whether a custom feature belongs to you.
- Open integrations. Connecting a new channel or Xero shouldn't need a bespoke build every time.
- Small, frequent improvements. Ship little and often, so the system keeps pace with the business instead of lagging a quarter behind.
A note on fairness
None of this means your current supplier has done a bad job. Bespoke change projects were the right model for years, and many suppliers still deliver them carefully and well. The question is simply whether that model fits how fast your business needs to move now. If you're adding channels, customers and delivery options every quarter, you need a system where most changes are a setting, and the rest are small, regular releases you can plan around rather than wait for.
How to judge your current set-up
- How many change requests did you raise last year, and how long did each take?
- How many spreadsheets exist because a change was too slow or too expensive?
- Have you ever turned down a customer or channel because of the system?
FAQs
Is this just about cloud versus on-premise? Not only. It's about how change is delivered: configuration, integrations and small releases, versus one-off bespoke projects.
Should we ask our current supplier first? Yes. Some suppliers have modernised their change process. If yours can't meet your pace, that's useful to know.
Who owns custom features? On Dark Store Systems you can choose owned code or leased development, agreed up front.
How do we start? List the last ten changes you wanted, what they cost and how long they took. It gives you a clear baseline to compare against.
Software that moves as fast as your business. Talk to us about where your business is going.