About 4bluefeet: The Origin of Assurance

Why the name 4bluefeet?

The name stems from people who have 'cold feet' about moving to their first ERP system or who are burdened by a legacy system that is no longer fit for purpose. (We can confirm that 'ERP Socks' was less catchy...) But seriously, indecision to move forward could be harming your company, held back by legacy processes. We are here to help: independent and experienced

The 4bluefeet Methodology 

The genesis of 4bluefeet lies in over a decade of cleaning up complex ERP failures. For 10+ years, my primary function was project recovery. I was the expert brought in after the failure—the individual called upon to rescue and repair broken ERP implementations across organisations ranging from VC-backed start-ups to multi-billion-pound enterprises. Through this relentless cycle, I learned the root cause of every failure first-hand: poor requirements, detrimental vendor lock-in, and the chronic lack of an objective, front-loaded strategy. This continuous need to fix preventable, costly mistakes is precisely why I created the 4bluefeet methodology. In short we look at how you currently work, redesign how you could work, and design a system and process that supports that improved way of working.

Our Mission: Protecting Your Capital Expenditure

As the Principal Consultant, my role is to provide vendor-agnostic assurance with a singular purpose: to protect your capital expenditure and permanently eliminate the need for costly future recovery efforts. We don't sell software; we sell selection certainty and successful adoption. We achieve this by embedding the proven 4bluefeet 6-Step Assurance Process before your transformation even begins.

We Solve Three Core Executive-Level Problems:

Our entire methodology is grounded in the prevention of high-stakes failure.

Project De-Risking: We eliminate the root causes of failure by implementing our battle-tested methodology to define your Target Operating Model (TOM) and ensure clear strategy and contract alignment from Day 1.

Strategic Alignment & Solution Architecture: We translate complex operational needs into technical reality across high-stakes sectors, ensuring the solution fits the business.

• Logistics & Supply Chain: 3PL, Warehousing (WMS), and Transport Management.

• Commerce: E-commerce, Retail Wholesale, Fulfilment Houses.

• Manufacturing: Discreet and Batch Manufacturing.

• Specialised Sectors: Agriculture, Cooperative management, and high-tech farms (Full Season Management).

Measurable ROI & Adoption: Our focus moves beyond technical deployment to achieving operational excellence. We ensure the business realises the intended value through carefully designed Change Management and robust process architecture.

The 4bluefeet 6-Step Assurance Process (Preventing Costly Failures)

Our methodology is the preventative shield that replaces the need for future recovery efforts.

1. Strategy & Discovery: Defining the true Target Operating Model and business case.

2. Requirements Capture: Delivering the final, measurable Business Requirements Document (BRD).

3. Vendor & Selection Assurance: Executing vendor-agnostic RFP and due diligence.

4. Contract & Commercial Negotiation: Securing advantageous terms and contract clarity.

5. Solution Architecture: Finalising the functional and technical blueprint.

6. Adoption & Governance: Embedding Change Management and project oversight.

If your organisation requires a proven, impartial partner to get selection right the first time, or if you need an expert to get a troubled project back on track—that is the core function of 4bluefeet.

Benjamin Deakin 

Principle consultant