Greenfield vs Brownfield:
Typical Company Scenario
The Challenge
The company was operating on a heavily customized legacy ERP system that had grown unstable, slow, and expensive to maintain. As business volumes increased and new warehouses were added, the system struggled with real-time inventory visibility, delayed financial reporting, and frequent operational bottlenecks. Management faced a major dilemma whether to go for a full Greenfield implementation involving complete process redesign or choose a faster Brownfield conversion to minimize disruption. The key challenge was to modernize the system without interrupting daily operations, customer deliveries, or cash flow.
- Industry - Wholesale & Distribution
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Project Type -
ERP Migration & Modernization
(Hybrid Greenfield–Brownfield Implementation)
Our Solution
After evaluating system complexity, business urgency, and long-term growth objectives, a hybrid migration strategy was adopted. A Brownfield approach was used for the core system to ensure quick conversion with minimal downtime, while phased Greenfield optimization was applied to high-impact areas like inventory, warehouse operations, and order processing. This approach ensured business continuity while gradually eliminating legacy inefficiencies and preparing the system for future scalability.
Benefits
Key Features
Faster system upgrade with minimal downtime and quicker order-to-delivery processing
Improved inventory accuracy across all warehouse locations
Better financial reporting with enhanced cash-flow visibility
Lower implementation cost with a scalable system ready for future business expansion
Conclusion
This case highlights that choosing between Greenfield and Brownfield is not a one-size-fits-all decision. While Greenfield offers full redesign and long-term flexibility, Brownfield delivers speed and stability. By selecting a hybrid approach, the company successfully achieved rapid modernization without business disruption, while also building a future-ready ERP foundation. The right migration strategy ultimately depends on system complexity, operational risk, and long-term business goals.
