Most ERP implementations don't fail because the software was the wrong choice. They fail for two very
human reasons: the team underestimates how much time and attention the transition actually takes (people
still have day jobs, vacations, and holidays while they're supposedly running a project), and the
initiative never gets real buy-in from the stakeholders who need to champion it to their own departments.
We see both of these on troubled projects far more often than any software or vendor issue. Below is what
actually causes that, and what closes the gap.
Tap each card to see how it plays out on a real project.
1
Underestimated Effort
Tap to flip
Teams treat the transition like a side project. Employees still have a day job,
still take vacation, still get holidays off, and the implementation timeline rarely accounts for
any of it. Underestimating staffing needs is one of the most common causes we see behind missed
deadlines and rushed testing.
2
Missing Stakeholder Buy-In
Tap to flip
The project succeeds or stalls on whether leadership is actually bought in, and
whether they communicate that commitment down to their own teams. Without it, end users quietly
route around the new system instead of adopting it. This is exactly what
design workshops
are built to prevent.
5 More Patterns That Sink ERP Projects
These show up almost as often as the two above. Tap one to expand it.
If a customization was only ever discussed verbally, there's nothing for developers or end users
to hold each other to. That's exactly the gap a
functional specification document
is meant to close.
Manufacturing, construction, and field service all break out-of-the-box ERP workflows in different
ways. See what we found specific to
manufacturers
and
construction field operations.
A successful go-live isn't the finish line. Projects that stop investing the day the system turns
on tend to drift back into workarounds within a year, which is why
ongoing optimization
is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
How Much Risk Is Your Project Carrying?
Click anything below that's true for your project right now.
No one has calculated how many hours your internal team can realistically give each week
Executive sponsors haven't personally explained to their teams why this project matters
You're planning one single go-live date for every module and every location
Your customizations exist as verbal agreements, not a written functional spec
Data migration and testing are scheduled for "whenever there's time"
No one on your team has run an ERP implementation before
How We Help You Avoid It
Every pattern above maps to a specific part of how we run implementations.
More than most companies expect. A significant share of ERP projects miss their original timeline,
budget, or scope, and the causes are consistent across industries: poor change management,
underestimated staffing, and rushed testing, not the software itself.
Usually, yes, if it's caught before go-live or shortly after. That's the specific purpose of our
Project Rescue Design
service: stepping into a stalled or troubled implementation and rebuilding the plan around what's
actually salvageable.
Almost always process. The software itself is rarely the reason a project fails. It's underestimated
effort, weak stakeholder buy-in, missing requirements documentation, and go-live strategy that
account for the vast majority of troubled implementations.
Genuine executive buy-in that gets actively communicated down through the organization. Projects
with engaged sponsors who champion the change to their own teams consistently outperform projects
where leadership approved the budget and then went quiet.
As early as the concern shows up. A feasibility study before the project starts is the cheapest
fix available. A rescue engagement mid-project is still possible, but it costs more the longer a
misaligned plan stays in motion.
Don't Let Your ERP Project Become a Statistic
Whether you're planning ahead or already off track, we'll help you build the plan that actually gets you to go-live.
Louise Brewster is an Acumatica Consultant at Business Consulting Leaders, bringing over 20 years of executive-level experience driving business transformation with a specialized focus on mid-market ERP technologies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Bentley University. Outside of work, Louise enjoys traveling, staying active, and spending quality time with family and friends.
