Business Systems Integration / Management Expert Witnesses: 6

Eric Kimberling, MBA, is one of the most recognized and respected independent Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems expert in the world, giving 100% unbiased advice to clients for more than 20 years. Mr. Kimberling has been quoted in hundreds of articles, including the Wall Street Journal, CIO Magazine and Fortune. He provides keynote speeches at industry conferences and universities worldwide, and continually provides industry thought leadership through his YouTube channel, along with blogs, podcasts, webinars. He is the author of multiple acclaimed books, including, “Lessons from 1,000 ERP Implementations,” “Guide to Successful Digital Transformations,” and others.

Throughout his career, Mr. Kimberling has been called upon to investigate the feasibility of litigation, provide witness testimony and build background reporting for the industry’s highest-profile ERP lawsuits, Waste Management v. SAP, Lyons Magnus, Inc. v. Fujitsu America, Inc.; Partner Services, Inc v. Avanade; Kathy Pishghadamian v. Nicor Gas; Flotek Industries, Inc. v. CD Group, Inc.; Midwest Tape LLC v. ESR Associates, Inc.; and Whaley Food Service Repairs v. Epicor to name a few. Eric is actively involved in implementations and project recoveries, giving him a unique and up-to-date experience with modern enterprise technologies.

Areas of Expertise:

Eric holds an MBA with an emphasis in operational strategy and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He is also Six Sigma certified and a certified practitioner of multiple ERP solutions, including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor and Infor, among others. He has won numerous industry awards for his experience and contributions, including Supply Chain Pro to Know and Best Independent ERP Blog from ERP Focus.

 View Eric Kimberling's Consulting Profile.

Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD, RD, CFS, has senior public and private experience as a Chief Science & Regulatory Officer in the Food Safety Industry. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Food Scientist. With experience in the public and private sectors, Dr. Adams Hutt provides advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, including regulatory compliance, food safety, quality systems management, supply chain, health and wellness, business strategy, product development, and software solutions for management of quality and product development processes. Dr. Adams Hutt was formerly Chief Quality, Food Safety, and Nutrition Officer for McDonald’s Corporation and led Supplier and Restaurant Food Safety teams for YUM! Brands. She was Chief Quality Officer for Coors Brewing Company, led the North America Quality team at H.J. Heinz, and developed next generation Quality programs for the Campbell Soup Company. Dr. Adams Hutt was Assistant Administrator for the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) where she led the development of HACCP as a regulatory tool. She has been an active participant in international programs, and led the U.S Delegation for the Codex Food Hygiene Committee. Litigation Support - Catherine Adams Hutt has high-level training and senior experience in a variety of food related fields, including food manufacturing, food service, food regulations, and nutrition. Her diverse background makes her ideally suited for challenging cases where it is important or helpful to be able to integrate information from a number of different disciplines. Her professional experience is truly unique and her credentials make her unimpeachable. Most of Dr. Adams Hutt's cases are settled before going to trial on the strength of her expert opinion. She has experience with both deposition and trial, understanding the art of the exercise, and works to deliver the optimal results for her clients - plaintiff or defendant. Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Adams Hutt's Consulting Profile.

With more than 27 years of experience in Big 4 consulting, Steve Ditty is a distinguished Software Expert Witness specializing in ERP software litigation, software failure analysis, and expert testimony. His expertise spans enterprise software implementation, project management, and litigation support, making him a key figure in complex ERP lawsuits. As a testifying expert, he has played a critical role in high-stakes disputes across North America, Europe, and Asia. 

Steve has provided expert witness consulting and litigation support for Fortune 500 corporations and public sector organizations, offering expert reports, depositions, rebuttals, forensic software analysis, and trial testimony in major ERP lawsuits. 

As a recognized authority in software litigation, his testimony has been instrumental in ERP failure cases involving SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, NetSuite, and other enterprise platforms. His knowledge of ERP implementation failures, contract disputes, and project overruns makes him one of the most sought-after professionals in software litigation support. 

Areas of Expertise:

Panorama Consulting Group specializes in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems and has multiple testifying experts for failed software litigation. This high-profile firm is called upon to investigate the feasibility of litigation, provide software expert witness testimony, and build background reporting for some of the industry’s highest-profile software lawsuits. They have worked with organizations ranging from multi-national conglomerates to boutique and large law firms, as well as state offices of the Attorney General.

As independent enterprise software experts, Panorama Consulting Group has hands-on experience with hundreds of software vendors. Their firm is not tied to a single law firm or software vendor, allowing them to focus on all types of clients and industries.

Litigation Support: The experts at Panorama Consulting Group work for both plaintiffs and defendants, software vendors and system integrators, and their customers. Their differentiator is using a team-based approach to provide expertise beyond just the testifying expert, which is cost-effective and efficient for their clients. They have multiple software expert witnesses available for provision of reports, depositions, and testimonies.

Allegations Addressed:

View Panorama Consulting Group's Consulting Profile.

Summary

Stephen (Steve) T. Hopper, P.E., is Founder and Principal of Inviscid Consulting. Over four decades serving the supply chain industry, Steve has helped his clients plan and streamline their warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and logistics operations by driving down costs, boosting capacity, improving service levels, mitigating risk, implementing effective supply chain solutions, emphasizing safety, and enhancing the performance of their supply chain resources: people, processes, inventory, facilities, equipment, material handling and storage systems, automation, transportation assets, and supply chain information technology (IT). Steve has advised 200+ clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations. He has also served as an expert witness on dozens of cases involving supply chain operations in the US, Canada, and Australia and has advised private equity and venture capital investors.

Industry Experience

• 3PL / Outsourced warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and logistics
• Apparel / Footwear
• Building materials
• Consumer goods
• Direct-to-consumer / Ecommerce / Catalog
• Food / Beverage / Grocery
• Furniture
• High-tech / Electronics
• Industrial / Automotive / Aerospace
• Mining / Drilling
• Pharmaceutical / Health and life sciences
• Rentals
• Retail
• Reverse logistics / Returns
• Wholesale / General distribution

Supply Chain Solutions Expertise

• Warehouse management systems (WMS)
• Warehouse control systems (WCS)
• Warehouse execution systems (WES)
• Slotting and order picking systems
• Transportation management systems (TMS)
• Labor management systems (LMS)
• Order management systems (OMS)
• Voice and automatic identification systems
• Equipment, automation, robotics, and software used for handling, packaging, storing, and transporting materials
• Logistics network design tools
• Other supply chain solutions, automation, equipment, and related tools

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE), The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• Licensed, registered Professional Engineer (P.E.)

Rosemary Coates, President of Blue Silk Consulting, is a seasoned executive with an MBA and 35+ years of experience in Chinese Sourcing and Manufacturing, Global Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Manufacturing, Importing/Exporting, and ERP Systems Consulting.

Prior to BSC, Ms. Coates was a Senior Director at SAP, the Supply Chain Practice Leader at KPMG Peat Marwick and at Answerthink, and a Regional Manager at Hewlett-Packard. Ms. Coates has consulted with global and domestic clients, VCs, and PE firms on operations systems and processes. She has considerable international experience and has worked for extended periods in Asia and Europe.

Ms. Coates' experience spans a broad range of industries including High Technology, Software, Chemicals, Health Care, Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Food Distribution, Transportation, Publishing, Retail, and Oil and Gas. She has extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing and outsourcing in Asia, Europe, and the US. She has written five Amazon.com books including Best Seller, 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China, and Legal Blacksmith: How to Avoid and Defend Supply Chain Disputes, and  42 Rules for Superior Field Service, and Negotiation Blueprint for Buyers, and The Reshoring Guidebook 

Ms. Coates is also the Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute and a member of the Board of Directors at the University of San Diego Supply Chain Management Institute. She teaches Global Supply Chain Strategy at UC Berkeley. She is a Licensed U.S. Customs Broker. She earned a BS in Business at Arizona State University and an MBA at the University of San Diego. She resides in Silicon Valley. 

Rosemary Coates: Supply Chain Management Overview

Litigation Support - As an Expert Witness, Ms. Coates has assisted attorneys in their understanding of relevant Supply Chain Operations and Practices in sourcing, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, inventory, and Chinese Imports. She has worked on legal cases for the past 10 years, writing reports, giving depositions, and testifying at trial.

Case Opinions:

• Chinese Products
• Import / Export Management
• Counterfeit Imports
• Project Management for Enterprise Software
• ERP Software Consulting Implementation Failures and Runaway Projects
• China Sourcing and Manufacturing
• Securities
• Sales Channel Distribution and Compensation
• Supply Contracts
• Inventory Tax
• Global Manufacturing Operations, Contract Manufacturing, CMS, EMS
• Transportation and logistics, 3PLs and Freight Forwarders, Freight Shipping

Areas of Expertise:

View Rosemary Coates' Consulting Profile.