Editor’s Note: This is the third and final article of a series to be packaged into an MDM Case Study. See Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
For Singer Industrial, technology is not about centralizing control — it’s about enabling scale without sacrificing the entrepreneurial DNA of its 55-plus operating companies.
That balancing act is most visible in the company’s largest and most complex initiative to date: migrating its entire platform onto a single ERP system.
It’s a multiyear effort that touches nearly every corner of the business, and it’s foundational to how Singer will operate in the future.
“We’ve built a technology foundation that lets us scale the business without losing what makes our operating companies successful,” Chief Operating Officer Chris Holder says.
That platform — anchored by Epicor Prophet 21 — is designed not to override Singer’s locally empowered operating model, but to strengthen what the company calls “coordinated autonomy.”
From Fragmentation to Foundation
For much of its history, Singer allowed acquired companies to maintain their own technology environments. That included ERP systems, IT infrastructure and local support.
It worked — until it didn’t.
As the company scaled through acquisition, that approach created increasing complexity:
- More than 10 ERP systems across the platform
- Limited system interoperability
- Data silos that slowed decision-making
- Growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities
At the same time, many legacy systems were nearing end-of-life.
That realization — combined with a broader cybersecurity assessment in 2022 — triggered a shift. Singer began building a long-term technology roadmap focused on standardization where it mattered most.
ERP as the Backbone of Scale
That roadmap led Singer to standardize on P21 as its enterprise ERP platform.
The decision wasn’t made lightly.
Singer evaluated multiple systems, prioritized distribution-specific functionality and leveraged early exposure from acquired companies already using P21. But the rationale extended well beyond software selection.
With disparate systems, scaling best practices across all of Singer was nearly impossible.
“We wanted a platform where improvements could scale across the entire organization — not stay isolated in one business,” says Holder, who joined the company in 2017. “When we had more than 10 ERP systems, it just wasn’t realistic to scale anything consistently.”
President Pete Haberbosch — who joined Singer in 2014 via its acquisition of Hampton Rubber — framed that shift in similar terms, emphasizing that coordination, not control, is the goal.
“As we roll P21 throughout the business, that over time is going to be coordinated,” he says, pointing to systems as a clear example of where standardization creates shared value.
Today, after roughly three years of implementation, Singer is nearing full migration — and beginning to see the early benefits.
“One of the biggest outcomes is that 1,500 employees are now working from a common platform and shared language,” Holder adds.
That shared language is already unlocking value:
- Easier cross-company collaboration
- Faster onboarding for employees moving between businesses
- Greater visibility into performance and operations
And the long-term upside is even greater.
“These enterprise efficiencies are going to compound — everything from purchasing leverage to pricing to data visibility,” Holder notes.
“This is a business-led initiative. It’s not an IT project.”
— Chris Holder, COO, Singer Industrial
A Business-Led — Not IT-Led — Transformation
ERP migrations are notoriously disruptive in distribution. Many companies stall other initiatives during implementation or struggle with internal resistance.
Singer has taken a different approach — one that reflects its broader operating philosophy.
“This is a business-led initiative. It’s not an IT project,” Holder emphasizes.
That distinction is critical.
Rather than forcing system changes from the top down, Singer has focused on:
- Aligning ERP decisions with frontline needs
- Prioritizing customer-facing efficiency
- Maintaining open communication with local teams
Haberbosch echoed that mindset in describing Singer’s broader approach to integration:
“Nothing has to be done in 30 days, 60 days,” he says, underscoring the company’s deliberate pacing on system rollouts.
That philosophy has helped mitigate one of the biggest challenges in ERP transformation: resistance from long-tenured employees.
Many of Singer’s operating companies had staff who had used the same systems for decades — in some cases, highly customized or even DOS-based environments. Transitioning those teams to modern, standardized systems required both patience and discipline.
“For teams that have used the same system for decades, that’s a major transition,” Holder acknowledges.
Singer’s approach has been to limit unnecessary customization and stay as close to a core system as possible — avoiding the pitfalls of over-engineering.
Coordinated Autonomy, Applied to Technology
The ERP initiative also reflects how Singer interprets coordinated autonomy in practice. Technology, unlike sales or operations, falls more heavily on the “coordinated” side of the spectrum.
In practice, that means:
- Standardized infrastructure
- Unified systems where scale creates value
- Shared cybersecurity protocols
At the same time, Singer avoids rigid mandates — especially during acquisitions. Timelines are tailored to each business.
“We don’t impose a fast conversion mandate,” Holder explains. “We want integration to be structured, thoughtful and value-driven.”
This approach mirrors what Haberbosch describes more broadly as balancing coordination with trust — ensuring that technology strengthens alignment without undermining local leadership.
Data: From Siloed to Strategic
One of the biggest beneficiaries of ERP standardization is data.
Historically, Singer relied on business intelligence tools layered across multiple ERP systems — a workaround that required significant effort to maintain.
“We made it work, but it required significant manual effort and wasn’t scalable,” Holder says. “Our data today is in a very good spot from where we were historically.”
Now, with a unified ERP and centralized data infrastructure, the company has achieved a step change in visibility.
The improvements are tangible:
- Faster access to real-time data
- Standardized definitions across the organization
- Integrated CRM and BI tools
That foundation is enabling better — and faster — decision-making across pricing, inventory and purchasing.
“Better data helps sharpen our decisions and helps us move faster,” Holder notes.
Still, Singer is careful not to over-index on data alone.
“We always try to make sure it doesn’t replace judgment,” he adds.
AI: From Curiosity to Application
Beyond ERP and data, Singer is beginning to explore the next frontier: artificial intelligence.
The company recently launched an internal AI innovation contest, inviting employees across the organization to propose use cases.
“We went and ran a contest to bring ideas up — even if you don’t know how to do it,” Holder says.
The response was significant:
- ~20 internal teams submitted ideas
- Several concepts are now in production
- A second round of the contest is underway
The initiative reflects Singer’s belief that innovation should come from the field — not just corporate IT.
“The best ideas come from the people closest to the customer and the work,” Holder says.
Cybersecurity as the Foundation
Underpinning all of Singer’s technology investments is a strong emphasis on cybersecurity, which is often secondary in a distributor’s digital transformation journey, because, let’s face it, it’s far less exciting than evaluating AI tools and making big picture decisions.
In fact, cybersecurity was the catalyst for the company’s broader transformation and was the first thing it addressed before embarking on the ERP consolidation project.
“It’s not a question of whether we need to be disciplined — we have to be,” Holder says.
Since 2022, Singer has:
- Standardized cybersecurity infrastructure across the platform
- Implemented enterprise-grade equipment
- Established geographically separated data centers
- Conducted penetration testing and system audits
Cybersecurity is now a standing agenda item in leadership discussions — a signal of its importance at the highest levels of the organization.
The Role of AEA Investors
The New York City-based firm played a key role in initiating the company’s technology roadmap — including early cybersecurity assessments and long-term planning that have proven critical.
“They helped us build a long-term roadmap focused on creating a durable platform, not just incremental upgrades,” Holder says.
Beyond capital, AEA has facilitated collaboration across its roster of companies through a CIO council, enabling Singer to share insights and learn from peers facing similar challenges.
Building for What’s Next
As Singer nears completion of its ERP rollout, the focus is shifting from implementation to optimization.
With a unified system, standardized data and growing AI capabilities, the company is positioned to:
- Scale best practices faster
- Improve margin through pricing and purchasing insights
- Enhance customer service through better information access
But perhaps more importantly, it has built a technology foundation that aligns with its broader strategy.
In a distribution landscape where many platforms equate scale with centralization, Singer is taking a different approach — using technology to connect its businesses, not control them.
The result is a model where autonomy remains intact, but is amplified by shared capabilities.
What’s Next: The full Singer Industrial Case Study
As we have with our previous six MDM Case Studies rolled out since 2024, this three-part article series will be packaged along with an executive summary and closing takeaways commentary into a formal report that will be free for Premium readers to download in their dashboard.
