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Why do most ERP projects still bill by the hour — when no manufacturer would ever charge their own customers that way?
In this episode, 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 forced him to rethink how he runs projects — and how the fixed-fee model he built at Sabre has changed outcomes for his customers.
Rob breaks down how he applies Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints and lean manufacturing principles to ERP projects, why tiered packaging nearly eliminates scope creep, and why a mandatory post-go-live support contract was the single best decision he’s made for customer retention.
Whether you’re evaluating ERP partners, planning a Business Central implementation, or just tired of surprise invoices — this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Time-and-material billing creates perverse incentives
- Fixed-fee pricing forces process discipline and consistency
- Tiered packaging nearly eliminates scope creep
- Lean manufacturing principles apply directly to ERP project management
- A mandatory post-go-live support contract removes the fear of calling for help
- Operations managers (not traditional PMs) drive consistency across all projects
Connect with our guest:
Rob Jolliffe | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robjolliffe/
Sabre Limited: https://www.sabrelimited.com
Follow CADTALK:
CADTALK’s Website: https://cadtalk.com
Follow CADTALK on YouTube (video episodes found here): https://www.youtube.com/@cadtalk6667
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:30 Rob Jolliffe’s Background in Manufacturing and ERP
05:15 The Question That Changed Everything
08:00 Why Time-and-Material Billing Creates Perverse Incentives
11:00 How Fixed-Fee Implementation Actually Works
14:30 Tiered Packaging: Managing Scope Without Arguments
17:15 Shifting the Right Work to Customers
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
