When Tariffs Hit, Your ERP Should Step Up

After 15+ years in ERP consulting, I’ve seen a lot of curveballs thrown at manufacturers - market shifts, new regulations, labor shortages, supply chain bottlenecks, and yes, tariffs.

When something like tariffs enters the picture, it’s rarely something a business can control - but how a manufacturer responds? That part is in their hands.

Epicor leaders recently published three blogs that take a deeper look at how tariffs affect manufacturers and the supply chain. What stood out to me wasn’t just the analysis - it was the clear reminder that the right ERP system doesn’t just support daily operations. It helps companies adapt when the unexpected hits.

Whether you’re in high tech and electronics, life sciences, or industrial products, the challenges are the same - cost volatility, sourcing delays, and margin pressure all hit hard.

I encourage manufacturing leaders to read these blogs. Here are three takeaways that resonated with me:

1. Tariffs ripple across every part of your operation

In "How Tariffs Impact Supply Chains – and What Business Leaders Can Do About It" by Kerrie Jordan, Epicor’s Group Vice President of Product Management, she lays out the broader implication’s tariffs can have - not just on procurement costs, but on production planning, customer pricing, supplier negotiations, inventory buffers, lead times and profitability. Kerrie is also a Forbes Technology Council member and recently published this informative article -  Tariff Impact On Manufacturing: Tech Solutions For Resilience.

2. Small and mid-sized manufacturers need smart agility

"Navigating New Tariffs for Small or Mid-Sized Manufacturers" by Epicor Vice President Marco de Vries dives into the reality that smaller operations don’t have a deep bench of procurement analysts or buffer capacity. With tighter margins and fewer sourcing options, smaller teams can’t afford guesswork - which is why innovative technology is so important.

3. ERP should be a tool for strategic response

In "Tariffs and Manufacturing: A Game Plan for Success" by Epicor Principal Product Marketing Manager Andrew Robling, the message is clear: ERP systems play a crucial role in helping manufacturers navigate tariffs. Manufacturers must stay flexible, invest in technologies that make them more efficient and have a long-term strategy.

Why This Matters

Tariffs are likely not a temporary disruption. Success now depends on visibility, agility, and the ability to act based on real-time insights.

Epicor’s leadership in providing insights on these challenges and delivering solutions like Epicor Kinetic to manage them shows why choosing the right ERP platform is a strategic decision for manufacturers, not just a technology investment.

At Cambia Advisors, we understand that manufacturers need more than software - they need a partner who gets what they’re up against. Tariffs may be out of your control. But how you respond? That’s where we come in.

Let’s talk about how Epicor Kinetic can support smarter, faster decisions - even when things shift without warning.