Scalable IT and ERP solutions support rapid acquisition growth 

Client background

A newly established acquisition-focused organization in the water systems manufacturing space approached Baker Tilly at the earliest stages of its journey. With just two employees and recent funding, the company’s purpose was clear: identify, acquire and consolidate manufacturing businesses to build a scalable portfolio. 

The business challenge

After completing its first acquisition, the company was preparing for rapid expansion and needed foundational systems and support to match its ambitions. The client engaged Baker Tilly for two distinct, yet mission-critical projects during its growth phase. 

Initially, the CFO sought support in evaluating and selecting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. While a shortlist of potential solutions had already been developed, the client wanted to ensure their final selection would meet not only immediate needs but also scale with future acquisitions. The client needed an unbiased, structured approach to vendor evaluation that could stand up to scrutiny and ensure alignment with long-term strategic goals. 

Several months later, the CEO reengaged Baker Tilly as the organization prepared for additional acquisitions. This time, the task was broader: identify a managed service provider (MSP) that could deliver consistent, secure and scalable IT support across a growing portfolio of businesses with varying levels of infrastructure maturity. With limited internal IT experience, the client needed a trusted advisor to help define requirements, assess capabilities and lead a rigorous evaluation process. 

Strategy and solution

In both engagements, Baker Tilly applied a tailored, objective scoring methodology designed to eliminate bias and support informed decision-making. For the ERP evaluation, our team expanded the client’s existing vendor list and facilitated interviews and scoring sessions across key criteria, including critical functional requirements, future-state alignment, vendor support and cost-efficiency.  

Through this system, the team identified the ERP solution that offered the strongest strategic value—ultimately leading the client to select a platform that had not initially been in their top three. The CFO later credited this approach with avoiding a costly misstep, and the board praised the selection process as one of the most well-researched and thoughtful they'd seen. 

For the second engagement, Baker Tilly led a comprehensive IT capabilities assessment to help select an MSP equipped to support a multi-site, rapidly expanding organization. The team leveraged a similar scoring rubric to guide interviews and evaluations, ultimately recommending an alliance with national reach and a strong local presence. Key considerations included security consistency, infrastructure standardization and end-user support. The chosen provider was well positioned to deliver foundational IT services while flexing to meet the demands of future acquisitions. 

Across both projects, Baker Tilly’s structured, transparent approach not only resulted in high-confidence decisions, but also reinforced the client’s trust—positioning us as a strategic advisor during a pivotal period of growth. The CFO described the experience as a standout example of value-added partnership and has since become an advocate for Baker Tilly’s services.