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Operations director and Lake Companies consultant reviewing SyteLine performance metrics at a manufacturing plant workstation

Most SyteLine Partners Stop Caring After Go-Live.

You went live on SyteLine. Your partner collected the final invoice. And then you started managing the system yourself — patching around configurations that never quite fit, running reports that don't match what the floor is telling you, and wondering why the capability you paid for isn't producing the outcomes you expected.

40+ Years as SyteLine Partner | Infor Gold Partner | 800+ Manufacturers Served

The Problem

The ROI gap doesn't look like a system failure. It feels like friction.

Four ways manufacturers know their SyteLine investment has stalled — before they can name the cause.

Your team works around SyteLine, not in it

Reports get exported to Excel because the native output doesn't match how your team actually thinks about the business. Workflows get enforced by managers walking the floor because the system doesn't enforce them. SyteLine is running — but it's not doing the work it was bought to do.

Benchmark Manufacturers typically recapture 15–25% of ERP-related labor cost when workflows are properly configured and users stop maintaining parallel manual processes. Most of that labor is invisible until you map it.

You're using 40% of what SyteLine can do

SyteLine includes native capabilities for scheduling, document control, shop floor data capture, and analytics that most sites never activate — either because the original implementation scoped them out, or because the rollout ran out of budget and never came back to finish.

Benchmark The average SyteLine site uses fewer than half the modules included in their license. Unused capability in APS, shop floor, and quality management represents recoverable ROI that's already been paid for.

Your data exists. Your decisions still don't trust it.

SyteLine holds the data. But if Finance is reconciling in Excel, Operations is building its own reporting, and leadership is making decisions based on whoever ran the export most recently — the data is there but the insight isn't. Somewhere between the transaction and the decision, the signal gets lost.

Benchmark Decision-making delays attributable to conflicting internal data are among the top three reported productivity drains at mid-size manufacturers. The data isn't the problem. The configuration between the data and the dashboard is.

The cloud migration question is hanging over everything

Infor is pushing CloudSuite. Your leadership is asking the question. Your current SyteLine environment has customizations, integrations, and institutional configuration that nobody fully documented. And your current partner's answer is a migration quote — not an honest evaluation.

Benchmark 60–70% of on-premise SyteLine customers report receiving a migration recommendation from their reseller before receiving a full assessment of what the migration would actually require. An honest evaluation starts with understanding your current environment — not a cloud sales motion.
How it works

Before a Lake engagement, your SyteLine ROI is whatever it happened to be at go-live. After, it's actively managed.

Lake Companies doesn't start with a migration proposal or a software upgrade. We start with an honest assessment of your current environment — then close the gap between what SyteLine is capable of and what your site is actually getting from it.

1

The Health Check maps your current environment against what SyteLine should deliver

A Lake senior consultant reviews your configuration, workflow patterns, data quality, and module utilization — not against a standard template, but against what we've seen work across 800+ SyteLine manufacturers. You get a scored assessment with a prioritized gap list, not a sales proposal.

Operations Director gets: Scored diagnostic, prioritized gap list
2

We identify the highest-ROI configuration and process changes — inside your current license

Most optimization opportunities don't require new software. Unused APS functionality, misconfigured shop floor workflows, reporting that could be automated — these are recoverable within your existing SyteLine investment. We scope the highest-value items first, with honest timelines and effort estimates.

Lake Consultant + your team: Define priority list and scope each item
3

Lake consultants implement the changes with your team, not around them 

Unlike go-live implementations, optimization engagements run alongside your active production environment. Changes are sequenced so they don't disrupt current workflows. Your team learns the configured state as it goes live — adoption is built in, not bolted on after. 

Your teams get: Trained and live before the next starts
4

On-Trak keeps your team current as SyteLine evolves 

Infor releases SyteLine updates on a regular cadence. On-Trak is Lake's training platform that keeps your team current — role-based training modules aligned to your specific configuration, updated as the platform changes. Optimization doesn't stop at go-live; it compounds. 

Your SyteLine users get: Role-based training, always current
Typical Results

What manufacturers recover when SyteLine starts working harder

15–25%↓
ERP-Related Labor Rework
 
Recaptured when workflows are properly configured and users stop maintaining parallel manual processes outside SyteLine. Lake internal benchmark across optimization engagements.
3–7
High-ROI Items Per Site
 
Average number of priority gaps identified per Health Check engagement. Most are addressable within the existing SyteLine license.
Days → Weeks
Time to Trusted Reporting
 
From Health Check to first dashboard that Finance and Operations agree on. Most sites have the data — it's the configuration between data and report that's broken.
1st
Schedule Planners Will Follow
 
Not just APS configured — APS producing output your planning team trusts. Most SyteLine sites have the APS module in their license and are not using it.
Ongoing
OnTrak Training Completion
 
Role-based training keeps your team current as SyteLine and CloudSuite Industrial evolve. Adoption isn't a one-time go-live event.
5–7
Business Days
 
Health check turnaround. Scored assessment and prioritized gap list delivered after the 45-minute diagnostic session. Not a proposal — a diagnosis.
The Solution

The Tool Built for This Problem

SyteLine Optimization Services

Post-Go-Live Optimization. Ongoing Training. Real ROI Recovery.

40 years of SyteLine depth means we know what your configuration should look like — and we can close the gap between where you are and where you should be.

Lake Companies has been implementing, configuring, and optimizing SyteLine environments for 40 years. We're not a generalist ERP firm that also handles SyteLine. This is the only platform we work in — and we've seen every configuration failure, every adoption gap, and every missed capability across hundreds of Midwest manufacturers. The SyteLine Health Check is how we start. The engagement that follows is how we close the gaps.

  • SyteLine Health Check: structured 45-minute diagnostic with scored assessment and prioritized gap list delivered within 5–7 business days
  • Configuration remediation: unused APS, broken shop floor workflows, mis-configured reporting — fixed within your existing license, without a migration
  • On-Trak training platform: role-based SyteLine training aligned to your specific configuration, updated as the platform evolves — not generic ERP education
  • Proprietary Trak-Suite products: Shop-Trak, Doc-Trak, Fact-Trak, and APS-ME extend SyteLine's native capability in areas where the platform alone isn't enough
  • Senior consultants with manufacturing operations experience — not just ERP configuration experience
  • The only SyteLine partner in the Midwest who has built a proprietary training platform and four dedicated shop floor products because we know exactly where SyteLine's native capability ends and where manufacturers need more.
Where to Start

Optimization First — or Extend the Platform?

Most existing SyteLine customers have two categories of opportunity: configuration and workflow gaps that can be closed inside the current license, and capability gaps that require extending the platform with a Trak-Suite product. The Health Check tells you which category your highest-value gaps fall into — and in what order to pursue them. You don't have to choose before the assessment.

1
Start with the Health Check if… You're not sure what's wrong — you just know the system isn't delivering what it should. Or you inherited a SyteLine environment and have no documentation of how it was configured. The Health Check is a diagnostic first, a scoping conversation second. You'll know exactly what the highest-ROI items are within a week.
S
Go directly to a Trak-Suite product if… You already know the gap: shop floor visibility is broken, document control is manual, analytics are unreliable, or scheduling can't be trusted. If you can name the problem, you can start on the solution without a Health Check first. The product hubs for Shop-Trak, Doc-Trak, Fact-Trak, and APS-ME each have their own assessment and calculator to help you confirm fit and scope.
The Bigger Picture
Shop-Trak + Doc-Trak + Fact-Trak + APS-ME
Each Trak-Suite product extends SyteLine in a specific direction. Shop-Trak adds real-time shop floor visibility. Doc-Trak adds controlled document delivery. Fact-Trak adds live analytics. APS-ME adds trusted scheduling.
 
See the full Trak-Suite story →

What a Lake optimization engagement looks like. No vague statements about "partnership."

A Lake SyteLine optimization engagement starts with a diagnosis and ends with measurable, documented outcomes. We don't start implementation before we've completed the assessment. We don't scope work before we know what the work actually is.

1
 
Diagnostic & Prioritization
Days 1–10 

A Lake senior consultant conducts the SyteLine Health Check and delivers the scored assessment. You and your team review the gap list and prioritize by ROI impact and effort. No work begins before this phase is complete.

  • SyteLine Health Check completed (45-minute session)
  • Scored assessment with gap findings delivered within 5–7 business days 
  • Prioritization session: top 3–5 items ranked by ROI impact and implementation effort 
  • Engagement scope and timeline confirmed before Phase 2 begins
2
 
Configuration & Workflow Remediation
Days 11–60, varies by scope

Lake consultants implement the prioritized changes alongside your production environment. Each item is scoped, built, tested, and adopted before the next begins. Changes are sequenced to avoid workflow disruption. 

  • Configuration changes implemented and tested in staging before live deployment
  • User training delivered at the point each change goes live — not at the end of the project
  • Each implemented item documented in your SyteLine configuration record
  • Results validated against the gap finding before the item is marked complete
3
 
On-Trak Onboarding & Ongoing Cadence 
Day 60+

Your team is enrolled in On-Trak with role-based training modules aligned to your specific configuration. Quarterly check-in calls with your Lake account manager review utilization, surface new opportunities, and track whether implemented changes are holding. 

  • All SyteLine users enrolled in On-Trak with role assignments matching their job function
  • Training completion tracked against tier certification thresholds
  • Quarterly account review: utilization metrics, new gap identification, optimization roadmap updated
  • New Infor releases reviewed for impact on your configuration — communicated proactively, not discovered accidentally

What You Won't Deal With

  • No migration proposal before a diagnosis. If your current partner's first response to "we're not getting value from SyteLine" is a cloud migration quote — that's a sales motion, not a diagnosis. Lake starts with the Health Check. You won't receive a scope of work until we've reviewed your environment and confirmed what the actual gaps are.
  • No rip-and-replace risk. Optimization works inside your current SyteLine environment. We're not replacing your ERP, your instance, or your integrations. Changes are additive and sequenced — you're not asked to take a system offline or accept downtime to capture the improvement.
  • No black-box configuration. Every change Lake makes is documented in your configuration record. If you ever change partners, change IT teams, or hire a new SyteLine admin, you have a complete record of what was changed, why, and when. No institutional knowledge held hostage.
  • No "train and abandon" onboarding. On-Trak isn't a library of videos — it's role-based training aligned to your specific SyteLine configuration, updated as Infor releases changes. Your team stays current without relying on a consultant to explain every update. You're not dependent on calling Lake every time Infor ships a release.
  • No scope creep without your sign-off. Lake doesn't add items to an engagement without a conversation. Every additional item identified after Phase 1 is presented, priced, and approved before any work begins. You control the scope. The engagement doesn't grow without your agreement.
Typical Timeline
30–90 days
Phase 1 diagnostic and scored assessment delivered within 10 business days. Phase 2 configuration timeline depends on the number and complexity of prioritized items — most sites complete their top 3–5 items within 60–90 days. On-Trak enrollment begins at Phase 2 go-live and runs on an ongoing cadence.
Questions we hear the most

Real questions from SyteLine customers evaluating whether to change anything.

Still have questions?

Talk to someone who's run these implementations.

Talk to an Expert →
We implemented SyteLine three years ago and it's working fine. Why would we engage Lake?

"Working fine" and "working at full capacity" are two different things. The average SyteLine site uses fewer than half the modules in their license. If your planning team is still in Excel, your Finance team is reconciling exports, or your shop floor data is captured after the fact rather than at the source — SyteLine is working, but it's not working hard. The Health Check takes 45 minutes and either confirms you're in good shape or surfaces specific, actionable gaps. If there's nothing to fix, we'll tell you that.

Our current partner handles SyteLine support. Why would we switch or add a second relationship?

You don't have to switch to get value from a Health Check. Many Lake optimization engagements run alongside an existing support arrangement — the Health Check surfaces gaps your current partner may not have prioritized, and Lake implements the specific items in scope. Whether you migrate the full support relationship is a separate decision. We're not asking for that conversation in the first call.

What's the difference between a Lake optimization engagement and just calling Infor support?

Infor support resolves platform defects — bugs, errors, system issues. They don't assess whether your configuration matches your operational workflows, whether your users are adopting the system correctly, or whether you're using modules you're paying for. Lake's optimization work happens in the configuration and process layer — not the support ticket layer. If Infor support is fielding tickets from your team regularly, that's often a signal that configuration or training is the underlying issue.

We've been told we need to migrate to CloudSuite Industrial. Is that true?

Infor is actively pushing CSI migration to every on-premise SyteLine customer. Whether migration is right for your site depends on your current environment: the complexity of your customizations, your integration footprint, your IT capacity, and your timeline. Lake will give you an honest evaluation — including scenarios where migration makes sense and scenarios where optimizing your current environment first is the better move. The Upgrade Readiness Guide covers the questions to ask before you commit to a migration scope.

The people who implemented our SyteLine are gone. Nobody here knows how it was configured.

This is one of the most common situations we encounter. The Health Check is designed for exactly this scenario — we assess what's actually in the environment, not what was supposed to be there. The configuration documentation Lake produces becomes the institutional record your team didn't have before. You leave Phase 1 with a documented baseline regardless of whether you proceed with Phase 2.

How do we know Lake's recommendations will actually deliver ROI and not just more consulting hours?

The Health Check deliverable is a scored assessment with prioritized gaps — not a proposal designed to maximize scope. We identify the highest-ROI items first, and the engagement is structured to implement those items before expanding to others. Every item is documented, tracked, and validated against the gap finding before it's marked complete. If the result isn't measurable, we shouldn't be doing the work — and we'll say so during prioritization.

We're not ready to make any decisions. Is there something useful we can do without committing to an engagement?

Yes. The 10 Signs Your SyteLine ROI Has Stalled checklist takes 10 minutes and gives you a concrete scorecard — no form required, no follow-up call unless you want one. If the checklist surfaces something you want to explore, the Health Check is the natural next step. Nothing about the Health Check commits you to Phase 2.

What Happens Next

Ready to find out what your SyteLine investment is actually worth?

No sales pressure. Choose the path that matches your timeline.

Book a SyteLine Health Check

Ready to Talk
45-minute structured diagnostic with a Lake senior consultant. You'll receive a scored gap assessment and a prioritized list of optimization opportunities within 5–7 business days. Not a sales call. Not a demo. A diagnosis — and if there's nothing worth fixing, we'll tell you that too.