Putting Your Neck on the Line: Lessons From Buying Enterprise Software (and Why Aftermarket Wins)

Recommending enterprise software isn’t just a technical decision—it’s a personal one. Few people understand that better than Mick Naughton, now a Client Executive at Syncron, who previously sat on the buyer’s side of the table in Pricing and IT leadership roles.

In this blog, Mick shares what it really feels like to take ownership of a high-stakes software investment, how the aftermarket presents one of the clearest business cases in today’s economy, and what he wishes he’d known when making those career-defining decisions.

When I worked in pricing and IT at a global manufacturer and distributor, recommending enterprise software felt like one of the riskiest parts of the job. On paper, the process looked simple: evaluate vendors, compare features, build a business case. In reality, it was anything but.

If the software didn’t deliver, it wasn’t just the project at stake—it was my name and reputation.

Now that I’m on the other side of the table as a Client Executive at Syncron, I help leaders make the same decisions I once struggled with. And I never forget what it felt like to say, “This is the software we should bet on.”

Here’s what I learned and why I believe aftermarket is one of the strongest investments a company can make.

Why Software Decisions Feel So Personal

Enterprise software isn’t a small purchase. These are multimillion-dollar investments that affect workflows, people, and performance across the organization.

When I was a buyer, every recommendation meant:

• Justifying ROI to Finance
• Addressing IT’s concerns around integration and security
• Reassuring Operations the system wouldn’t disrupt production
• And ultimately, taking responsibility for whether it worked

That kind of pressure makes the decision personal. It’s not just a technology decision; it’s a career one.

Why Aftermarket Makes the Case Easier

If you’re in manufacturing or distribution, one part of the business where the software case becomes much clearer is in the aftermarket.

Why? Because the economics are hard to ignore:

• Aftermarket services consistently deliver higher margins than new equipment sales
• Even when it represents a smaller share of revenue, aftermarket often drives a larger share of total profit
• During downturns, service and parts demand stays steady making it more resilient

In short, aftermarket is where margin lives. That makes it a logical and defensible place to focus software investment.

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Here are a few takeaways I now share with customers:

1. Build the case together.
Don’t go it alone. Work closely with your software partner to model ROI using your real data—not generic benchmarks. It builds credibility and helps stakeholders see the upside.

2. Involve stakeholders early.
The earlier finance, operations, service, supply chain, and IT are part of the process, the less resistance you’ll face later. One project I worked on excluded field service techs from the pilot. That decision came back to bite us.

3. Define success metrics upfront.
It’s impossible to prove value if you don’t agree what “success” looks like at the start. Get alignment on KPIs before you sign.

4. Start small, then scale.
Pilots are powerful, especially when they’re tied to specific outcomes. Prove value in one region or workflow before rolling out more broadly.

5. Treat the vendor as a partner.
The best outcomes I’ve seen come when vendors are fully engaged, not just in selling, but in co-building the case, co-presenting to leadership, and staying accountable to outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Recommending a major software investment will probably always feel like putting your neck on the line. But when you focus on the aftermarket, involve the right people early, and build a data-driven case together, you dramatically increase your odds of success.

At Syncron, we understand that because we’ve walked in your shoes. That’s why we don’t just sell software. We help customers make smart, confident investments in the most profitable part of their business.

The full version of this article also appears on Mick’s LinkedIn page, where he’s continuing the conversation with peers across the industry. Check it out here and join the discussion.