Frequently asked questions

What does Hodenote do?

Hodenote is a supply chain consulting and AI enablement practice. It untangles mid-market supply chains and then tunes the systems the client already owns so they stay clear.

The work falls into four practices: supply chain strategy and network design, ERP supply chain tuning, AI and automation fitted to an existing stack, and analytics and data engineering. It is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and works remotely across North America and Europe.

Do I need to replace my ERP to fix my supply chain?

Almost never. Most of what companies want from a new system is already reachable in the one they have, once the planning parameters, replenishment logic and master data are right.

Plenty of problems turn out to be process problems, and most of the rest are configuration problems. Being able to build something is not a reason to build it — the cheapest fix is usually the system you already pay for.

What does an engagement cost, and how is it priced?

Diagnostics run $8,000 to $15,000, quoted flat before any work starts. Where a given engagement lands in that range depends on how many sites, systems and SKUs are in scope.

Defined builds are quoted flat too, never hourly. You know the number up front, and if the scope grows that is a new conversation and a new number rather than a surprise invoice.

The usual entry point is the two-to-three week diagnostic.

How long does a typical engagement take?

The diagnostic runs two to three weeks. What follows depends on what it finds — a configuration fix inside an existing ERP is short; a network redesign followed by a build is not.

Engagements are scoped to end when the problem is solved rather than when a retainer runs out.

Who owns the software and models you build for us?

You do. Deliverables, documentation and source code are assigned to you outright and live in your repository.

Where the work builds on tooling Hodenote already owns, you get a perpetual, royalty-free license to keep using it — so nothing left behind can ever be switched off. That split is deliberate: a practice that assigned away its own tooling could not use it for the next client, and any firm promising otherwise has not thought it through.

What size companies do you work with, and in which industries?

Mid-market manufacturers and distributors, scale-ups building supply chain capability for the first time, and agencies or consultancies that subcontract supply chain depth.

Industry experience spans manufacturing, electronics, e-commerce, distribution, pulp and paper, and engineering.

Can you work as a subcontractor under our agency's brand?

Yes. Consultancies and agencies subcontract Hodenote for supply chain depth they do not keep on staff — white-label, under your brand, on your paper.

What is the difference between S&OP and IBP?

Sales and operations planning balances demand against supply on a monthly cycle: what are we going to sell, can we make and move it, and what do we change if we cannot. It is owned by operations and commercial teams and usually runs a rolling horizon of a year or less.

Integrated business planning extends that same cycle to include the financial plan and strategic initiatives, over a longer horizon, owned by the executive team. The practical test is whether the meeting ends in a decision the CFO is bound by. If it does not, it is S&OP regardless of what it is called.