ERP Implementation for a Lagos Manufacturing SME

The Challenge

A 50-staff Lagos manufacturing company had been running finance on Excel, inventory on a legacy system, and HR on paper. Rapid order growth was exposing the limits of disconnected data: stock-outs were common, payroll ran 3–5 days late every month, and management had no real-time view of the business.

Platform Selection

After assessing the client's budget, team technical ability, and growth trajectory, Corespec recommended Odoo ERP — an open-source platform with a modular structure, strong Nigerian community support, and a total cost of ownership significantly below SAP or Oracle alternatives at this scale.

Implementation Phases

• Phase 1 (weeks 1–2): Data audit and migration planning
• Phase 2 (weeks 3–4): System configuration — chart of accounts, product catalogue, bill of materials, employee records
• Phase 3 (weeks 5–6): Integration testing, parallel run, and go-live
• Phase 4 (weeks 7–8): Staff training across all three departments

Training Delivery

Corespec delivered role-based training: finance staff on accounts payable/receivable and reporting, warehouse team on inventory management and reorder points, HR on payroll processing and leave management. All training was delivered on-site in Lagos.

Results

• 23% reduction in operational costs from inventory optimisation alone (within 90 days of go-live)
• Payroll processing time reduced from 3–5 days to 4 hours
• Management dashboard providing real-time P&L, inventory value, and headcount data for the first time