Managing Tariffs Starts with the Right Questions—And the Right System to Answer Them
Tariffs aren’t just a finance problem—they’re a moving piece of your supply chain, pricing, and profitability. And for mid-sized businesses managing inventory, these changes hit hard and fast.
Many teams are left trying to track complex cost impacts with spreadsheets, disconnected systems, or ERPs that simply weren’t built for this kind of volatility.
That’s where this checklist comes in.
These seven questions will help you evaluate whether your current ERP is giving you the clarity, control, and agility you need to handle tariffs confidently—or whether it’s time to rethink your approach.
1. Can our ERP automatically calculate and apply tariffs to landed costs?
- Are duties, freight, and tariffs included in our inventory valuation?
- Or are we stuck tracking these costs outside the system?
If your ERP doesn’t reflect the full cost of goods in real time, your margins may be misleading—and your pricing off.
2. Do we have real-time visibility into how tariffs impact profitability?
- Can we track margin shifts by SKU, vendor, or country of origin?
- Are finance and purchasing using a shared source of cost truth?
Without a clear line of sight into tariff-driven cost changes, decisions get delayed—and profits take the hit.
3. Can we model “what-if” scenarios for supplier and country changes?
- Does our system allow side-by-side cost comparisons between vendors?
- Can we simulate tariff impacts before we make a sourcing change?
The ability to plan proactively can turn tariff shifts into a strategic advantage—not a financial surprise.
4. Are tariff data points—like HS codes and origin country—tracked inside the ERP?
- Can we store and access this information at the item or PO level?
- Are we ready for customs documentation, audit requests, or compliance checks?
Scattered or missing data creates risk. Your ERP should make traceability easy.
5. Can we quickly update pricing or workflows when tariff costs change?
- Is it simple to reflect tariff increases in item pricing or sales quotes?
- Do we have alerting or workflows when cost thresholds are exceeded?
Reacting slowly to tariff changes can result in unplanned losses—or unintentional pricing errors.
6. Does our procurement team have access to accurate, tariff-inclusive data?
- Can they make informed decisions without relying on finance or IT?
- Is landed cost visible at the time of purchase?
When tariff data is buried or delayed, your buyers can’t make the right calls—fast enough.
7. Is our ERP flexible enough to handle ongoing tariff volatility?
- Can we easily add new vendors, currencies, or costing rules?
- Can we adapt without custom development or system overhauls?
Your ERP should support change—not slow it down.
If some of your answers raised red flags, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck.
As tariffs continue to shift, your ERP shouldn’t be something you work around—it should be the tool that keeps you ahead.
GoldFinch Cloud Solutions offers Salesforce-native ERP and Accounting solutions built specifically for inventory-heavy businesses managing complexity like tariff volatility—with clarity, control, and confidence.
Visit goldfinchcloudsolutions.com to learn more.
