Adopting an ERP system is a major milestone for any building materials business. But getting the system in place is only half the battle — the real challenge lies in making sure your team actually uses it effectively. That’s why some of the most successful companies invest in a specific strategy: building ERP champions from within their distribution teams.
This case study outlines how one regional distributor rolled out an ERP platform across its yards and warehouses — and how empowering frontline ERP champions led to faster adoption, fewer errors, and stronger team performance.
The Company
A mid-sized building materials supplier with five distribution yards and a fleet of delivery trucks across two states. The company was managing inventory, dispatch, and purchasing using disconnected spreadsheets and manual logs.
After selecting a cloud-based ERP system designed for the construction supply industry, leadership knew they needed more than just a software rollout — they needed internal ownership.
The Challenge
While the ERP platform promised real-time visibility, better inventory control, and integrated scheduling, initial training sessions revealed a gap:
Some team members felt overwhelmed by the system’s interface
Yard and warehouse staff weren’t confident navigating digital tools
Managers feared bottlenecks if only a few employees could use the system well
To close that gap, the company launched a focused initiative to identify, train, and empower ERP champions at every yard.
The Strategy: Building ERP Champions
Here’s how the company approached it:
- Identifying Influential Users
Supervisors selected employees who:
Were respected by their peers
Had a track record of reliability and attention to detail
Showed curiosity and openness during initial ERP demos
These weren’t necessarily managers — in fact, some were shift leads, forklift drivers, or inventory clerks who knew the flow of materials better than anyone.
- Investing in Peer-Led Training
ERP champions received hands-on, in-depth training that went beyond the basics. They were walked through:
Role-specific ERP workflows (receiving, transfers, dispatch)
Troubleshooting common issues
Answering FAQs from their team
How to escalate unresolved problems effectively
The goal: make champions the first line of support inside the yard, reducing dependence on IT or corporate trainers.
- Creating a Feedback Loop
Champions met bi-weekly (virtually) with the ERP rollout team to:
Share insights from the ground
Flag system pain points or workarounds
Suggest improvements to training guides or user flows
This kept the implementation grounded in real operational needs — and gave employees a direct voice in shaping the system’s usage.
The Results
After just 60 days, the impact of the ERP champion program was clear:
Faster onboarding: New hires learned the ERP system faster by shadowing champions
Reduced downtime: Day-to-day questions were handled locally instead of waiting on IT
Higher adoption: Over 90% of yard and warehouse staff were using the ERP platform daily
Better accuracy: Inventory discrepancies dropped by 25% in the first quarter
Improved morale: Employees felt more confident and engaged in their work
Perhaps most importantly, the champions built a sense of ownership and pride among frontline teams. Rather than feeling like a system was forced on them, employees saw it as a tool they helped shape and master.
Key Takeaways
Champions drive culture, not just compliance: Peer leaders helped normalize ERP usage as part of everyday work — not a separate task.
Training is more effective when it’s role-based and local: Context matters. Champions provided real-time, relevant support tailored to each yard’s needs.
Involving frontline employees builds trust: Giving employees a stake in the system’s success created buy-in that top-down training alone couldn’t achieve.
Final Thoughts
The most successful ERP implementations don’t rely on software features alone — they rely on people. By investing in ERP champions, this distributor transformed its rollout from a technology project into a team-driven success story.
If you’re rolling out an ERP system across your yards, don’t underestimate the power of internal champions. They might just be the key to lasting adoption and operational excellence.
