WBSRocks: Scaling Growth with AI, Enterprise Software, and Digital Transformation

Hosted by Sam Gupta

BusinessInterviews guests

Language

EN-US

About the show

WBSRocks podcast features in-depth conversations on AI-enabled business models, customer experience, digital transformation, supply chain, eCommerce, industry 4.0, and enterprise software categories such as CRM, ERP, or analytics suites. The purpose of the show is to help CFOs, COOs, CEOs, and business owners with their daily commercial, operational, or financial challenges by taking a deep dive into business cases and processes, technology strategy and architecture, transformation initiatives, and business models. The show also offers an independent analysis of technology trends, various enterprise software vendors and solutions, and their mergers and acquisitions. Subscribe today to stay on top of digital transformation trends!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 9, 2026Episode 90459 min

WBSP904: Scale Growth by Understanding Configure, Buy, or Build? How AI Changes ERP Decisions, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail ERP implementations rarely fail because of limitations in core functionality. Instead, they tend to break down in the final stages, where industry-specific workflows, company-specific processes, and complex edge cases drive extensive customization that can cost several times more than the ERP platform itself. This last mile is often where organizations lose control of project scope, budgets, and implementation timelines. AI-native ERP strategies are beginning to change this dynamic by shifting custom capabilities outside the ERP core. Rather than embedding complex customizations or relying on fragile bolt-on solutions, platforms such as AiSpecify enable organizations to build governed, auditable applications around the ERP, extending functionality while preserving data integrity, simplifying future upgrades, and maintaining a disciplined enterprise architecture. In this episode, Sam Gupta from ElevatIQ is joined by Sam Yen from Everest ERP where they discuss how to decide between configure, buy, or build and how AI Changes ERP Decisions. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/configure-buy-or-build-how-ai-changes-erp-decisions/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Sam Yen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yensam/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

September 8, 2026Episode 9031 hr 11 min

WBSP903: Scale Growth by Understanding Drivetrain’s Capabilities, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail Selecting a modern FP&A platform such as Drivetrain is no longer simply a budgeting or software decision. It is a strategic architectural choice that influences forecasting agility, data governance, cross-functional collaboration, and executive visibility across the finance organization. As CPM and EPM platforms continue to evolve, finance leaders must look beyond feature comparisons and evaluate underlying data models, integration strategies, workflow orchestration, and long-term operational fit. In this webinar, we explain why FP&A platform selection should be approached as a finance transformation initiative rather than a standalone technology purchase, highlighting why this perspective is critical for organizations transitioning from spreadsheet-driven planning to scalable, connected, and data-driven finance operations. In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform Drivetrain. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/drivetrain-fpa-platform-an-independent-in-depth-review/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/ 🔗Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/ 🔗Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

September 7, 2026Episode 90219 min

WBSP902: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Make-to-Stock Manufacturing ERP Systems In 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

Send us Fan Mail Make-to-stock manufacturers operate in a supply chain-driven environment where products are produced in anticipation of customer demand and held in inventory until they are sold. Unlike make-to-order businesses that manufacture only after receiving customer orders, make-to-stock organizations depend on accurate demand forecasting, inventory optimization, production planning, and efficient distribution to balance customer service levels with inventory carrying costs. These operational priorities require ERP systems with strong planning, inventory management, and supply chain capabilities, making their needs fundamentally different from those of make-to-order, engineer-to-order, and project-based manufacturers. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top make-to-stock manufacturing ERP systems In 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1hrx4abjXE Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

September 2, 2026Episode 9011 hr 3 min

WBSP901: Scale Growth by Understanding The ERP Demo Illusion: How to Spot What Vendors Don’t Show You, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail Most ERP demonstrations are designed to showcase the software in its best possible light, but they rarely reflect the complexities organizations encounter during real-world implementation and daily operations. Carefully scripted scenarios, polished user interfaces, and curated demo data can create a false sense of confidence, leading buyers to focus on visible features while overlooking critical considerations such as integration complexity, data quality, process fit, customization requirements, and implementation risk. In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ discuss the ERP demo illusion: how to spot what vendors don’t show you. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/the-erp-demo-illusion-how-to-spot-what-vendors-dont-show-you/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

September 1, 2026Episode 9001 hr 1 min

WBSP900: Scale Growth by Understanding AI & Data Architecture Considerations in ERP Selection, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail ERP selection is no longer just a matter of comparing features. It is fundamentally an architectural decision that influences implementation success, reporting quality, operational scalability, and long-term business performance. While many organizations continue to prioritize functional fit and rapid go-live timelines, they often underestimate the importance of application architecture, data models, integration strategies, and governance frameworks. Overlooking these foundational elements can introduce hidden risks that only become apparent after deployment, resulting in disconnected workflows, inconsistent reporting, data integrity issues, and limited opportunities for automation and future innovation. In this episode, Sam Gupta from ElevatIQ is joined by Tim Nargassans and Brian Colville from Velosio where they discuss AI & data architecture considerations in ERP selection. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/ai-data-architecture-considerations-in-erp-selection-reducing-implementation-risk/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Tim Nargassans: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tnargassans/ 🔗Brian Colville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancolville/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

August 31, 2026Episode 89922 min

WBSP899: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Make-to-Order Manufacturing ERP Systems In 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

Send us Fan Mail Make-to-order manufacturers operate with a production model in which manufacturing begins only after a confirmed customer order is received, requiring close coordination across quoting, planning, procurement, production, and fulfillment. Unlike make-to-stock organizations that build inventory in anticipation of future demand, make-to-order businesses align operations around individual customer requirements, making accurate planning and execution critical to meeting delivery commitments and controlling costs. Although make-to-order is often grouped with engineer-to-order or project manufacturing, each represents a distinct operational model with different product complexity, planning horizons, and ERP requirements, making it essential to select a system that supports the specific demands of the business. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top make-to-order manufacturing ERP systems In 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHepPi2IKgI Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

August 26, 2026Episode 8981 hr 7 min

WBSP898: Scale Growth by Understanding Datarails’ Capabilities, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail Selecting a modern FP&A platform such as Datarails is no longer simply a budgeting or software decision. It is an architectural choice that influences forecasting agility, data governance, cross-functional collaboration, and executive visibility across the organization. As CPM and EPM platforms continue to evolve, finance leaders must look beyond feature comparisons and evaluate underlying data models, integration strategies, scalability, and long-term operational fit. In this session, we examine FP&A platform selection through an architectural lens rather than a tooling exercise, highlighting why this perspective is essential for organizations transitioning from spreadsheet-driven planning to scalable, enterprise-grade finance operations. In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform Datarails. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/datarails-an-independent-in-depth-review/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Phil Coerper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philcoerper09/ 🔗Andy Pratico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-pratico-80175410/ 🔗Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

August 25, 2026Episode 89752 min

WBSP897: Scale Growth by Understanding How to Write ERP Project Objectives, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail ERP projects rarely fail because of the technology itself. More often, they fail because success was never clearly defined from the outset. Broad objectives such as improving efficiency or modernizing systems may sound compelling, but they frequently result in scope creep, conflicting stakeholder expectations, and disappointing outcomes after go-live. This episode explores why poorly defined business objectives create execution risk throughout the ERP lifecycle and explains why many unsuccessful implementations are ultimately failures of planning and alignment rather than failures of the software. It also provides a practical framework for defining measurable, actionable success criteria before ERP selection and implementation begin, creating a stronger foundation for project execution and long-term business value. In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ discuss how to write ERP project objectives. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/how-to-write-erp-project-objectives-from-vague-to-measurable/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

August 24, 2026Episode 89627 min

WBSP896: Scale Growth by Learning the Top ERP Systems for Service centric Industries In 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

Send us Fan Mail Service-centric organizations operate with business models that are fundamentally different from those of product-based companies, requiring ERP systems designed around people, projects, contracts, subscriptions, customer relationships, and financial management rather than inventory and manufacturing processes. Industries such as financial services, banking, insurance, SaaS, technology, media, consulting, and other professional services prioritize resource utilization, project profitability, recurring revenue, and customer engagement over physical supply chains. Because of these operational differences, their process requirements, reporting needs, and overall system architecture often vary significantly from those of inventory-driven businesses, making it essential to select an ERP that aligns with the unique demands of service-based operations. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top ERP Systems for service-centric industries In 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEczEhiG_Po Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

August 19, 2026Episode 89558 min

WBSP895: Scale Growth by Understanding Campfire AI-Native ERP and How It Eliminates the Month-End Grind and Automates Finance, an Objective Panel Review

Send us Fan Mail Finance organizations are under increasing pressure to deliver faster insights and support better decision-making, yet many still depend on fragmented systems, manual reconciliations, and static reporting that prolong month-end close cycles and delay financial visibility. As a result, AI-native ERP represents more than a technology upgrade—it fundamentally changes how finance teams operate, report, and scale. In this episode, we explore what AI-native ERP reporting looks like in practice, including capabilities such as multi-entity consolidation, multi-currency reporting, custom financial dimensions, and real-time drill-down to transaction-level detail. We also examine how AI agents are streamlining the financial close by automating accrual drafts, identifying missing journal entries, and orchestrating structured close activities, helping finance teams reduce manual effort while improving accuracy and accelerating reporting. In this episode, Sam Gupta from ElevatIQ is joined by Hank Sun from Campfire where they discuss how Campfire AI-Native ERP can eliminate the month-end grind and automate finance. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/campfire-ai-native-erp-how-it-eliminates-the-month-end-grind-and-automates-finance/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Hank Sun, CPA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-sun/%20 Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.