Smolin noted that some manufacturers will start with under 500 parts version of E-Z-MRP, priced at $2995, and grow into new unlimited version, priced at $9800. Beach Access Software credits $2995 for customers who later choose to upgrade. Other small manufacturers who presently have more than five hundred part will start right away with E-Z-MRP Unlimited version.

Companies are often wary of employing freelance trainers when setting up a new project or contemplating a 'roll out' operation or ‘change' scenario. There are however distinct advantages to using freelance as against permanent resources, and some of these are outlined as follows.

1. Financial Although initial costs (hourly/daily rate) of freelance trainers may seem expensive, this has to be set against fact that there are no costs of in house benefit packages, no pensions commitment, no payment for holidays or sick time etc. Also, cost is fixed, purely for term of contract, and can be budgeted into overall project. Once project (and contract) are completed, there are no ongoing employment costs or costs of redundancy etc.

2. Skills Often a client does not have requisite expert skills in house that are required to produce training quickly and effectively for a new project or roll out. It is often more cost effective to employ a freelancer who has these skills, than waiting for existing employees to gain sufficient depth of knowledge and expertise.

However, as part of freelance contract, client should arrange that freelancer transfer those skills required to permanent employees for ongoing maintenance of project after contract has finished.

3. Focus on project Permanent employees often have their own personal priorities. They are concerned with day to day 'office politics', enhancing their career and promotion prospects etc. Combine this with time spent on company activities, such as meetings etc. and in most companies actual applied working time of average employee is only about 50% of their time at work.

Freelance workers have no interest in company politics, career chasing, internal meetings etc. and tend to focus 100% on project they are working on. The freelancer has a fixed deadline, i.e. end date of contract and will normally always ensure that work is completed to project milestones.

4. Commitment A freelancer is only as good as their last project. They tend to gain employment mostly by referral and it is in their interest therefore, to always do as good a job as possible on each project. There is no advantage to freelancer in spinning out project unnecessarily, as this would reflect on future opportunities.

This means that you tend to get 100% commitment throughout project, as a freelancer will tend to avoid all distractions and try to complete project ahead of milestones where possible. After all, there is normally no 'overtime' pay for freelancer and therefore no advantage in making work last any longer than necessary.