About Us
Meet Lorin Schrader, Founder of Trail Guide
Meet Our Founder
Lorin Schrader began his career as a mechanical engineer in aerospace manufacturing, where he learned how much of a company’s performance is decided on the shop floor. Over the years he worked on rotorcraft and aircraft engine components, and he moved from engineering into finance and operations, becoming a financial analyst, an Operational Controller, and then Plant Manager at a leading aerospace titanium investment casting facility.
Seeing a plant from the engineering, finance, and operations chairs gave him a view most ERP consultants never get: how the way a system is set up shows up in scheduling, costing, inventory, and the daily decisions of the people running the floor.
The challenges aerospace faced during the pandemic, combined with his process expertise, led him to shift into helping manufacturers implement ERP systems. He has since led ERP implementations, working hands-on with platforms including Infor Visual Manufacturing, Acumatica, and Microsoft Dynamics AX, before founding Trail Guide Consulting Group.
How Trail Guide Works
Trail Guide is a boutique, independent firm. We take no vendor commissions and have no software to sell, so our advice is aimed at one outcome: your project succeeding.
We sit on your side of the table during implementation, keeping your vendor accountable, protecting your timeline and budget, and making sure the system fits how your operation actually runs. Engagements are flexible: use us when you need us and scale back when you don’t, with no long-term contracts.
Want to talk through your project? Schedule a free 30-minute call, read our FAQ, or see Our Values.
