Avoiding Death by 1,000 Papercuts in Digital Transformation
Here’s the situation: you currently use a legacy ERP system that has been in place for over 20 years. When your customer places an order, you enter them into a field called “work order” in your ERP system. Everyone within your organization refers to these as “work orders” in their daily discussions. Fast forward a […]
Business Integration: A Key Ingredient for a Successful Digital Transformation
We recently wrote about the dark side of digital transformation and how there are inherent risks in today’s digital landscape. As it turns out, there is a key ingredient to mitigate these risks. Business integration is the key ingredient for a successful digital transformation. Simply put, business integration combines the operational, organizational, and technical components […]
Is It Time to Fire Your SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics System Integrator?
In my 12 years as an ERP expert witness and digital transformation specialist, I’ve seen more transformation failures than I’d like to admit. With the news of recent failures (the SAP failure at Lidle, SAP problems at Haribo, National vs. Wipro lawsuit, etc.), it seems that the industry is becoming numb to the realities of […]
The Biggest Challenges with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Transformations
Like most digital transformations, implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 has challenges that need to be overcome. Unlike other digital transformations, there are several challenges with Dynamics 365 implementations that are unique to this particular solution. Here are a few of the challenges to keep in mind when embarking on your Microsoft Dynamics 365 transformation: The maturity […]
How to Save $5M On Your ERP Implementation Costs
ERP implementations and digital transformations more often than not cost more money than expected. However, there is a secret recipe to save a ton of money on your ERP implementation costs. The Hidden $5M Costs of an SAP ERP Implementation To set the stage for this common-sense solution, below is an excerpt from a manufacturing […]
Lessons from the SAP Transformation Problems at Haribo
The last year has been a difficult one for digital transformations and ERP implementations. After high-profile digital transformation failures at Lidl and National Grid, we now have news of SAP transformation problems at Haribo. Long story short: Haribo is a German candy manufacturer that manufactures gummy bears and other candies. In late 2018, they began […]
Digital Transformation Mandates for CXOs in 2019
As 2018 winds down and we look to the future, it is a good time to reflect on what we can do to be more effective in the coming year. The past year was a great one. On one hand, enterprise technology evolved in a significant way to help deliver potential breakthrough enterprise capabilities. On […]
What Causes Digital Transformation Failure? The Little Things.
When we read about recent digital transformation failures such as those at Lidl and National Grid, it may seem like these disasters happened overnight. But what exactly causes digital transformation failure? One of our guest contributors (Sam Graham) recently wrote a piece about how to avoid ERP failure. It’s an excellent article that is worth […]
Is Your Digital Transformation Creating a Cybersecurity Threat?
Cybersecurity is a hot topic. Despite this, most don’t consider that their digital transformations may be creating a cybersecurity threat. Recent security breaches at Under Armour, Target, Marriott, and other well-respected companies have caught the attention of CIOs. After all, if large companies with world-class resources at their disposal experience such breaches, what does that […]
The Risks of Deploying SAP S/4HANA
SAP S/4HANA is a viable ERP solution Before discussing the risks, it is important to address the good news. S/4HANA is a viable product, with a very high rating in the top ERP systems of 2019. In addition, there are a number of lessons learned from successful SAP S/4HANA implementations. SAP has a robust software […]
You Are Underestimating Organizational Change Management in Your Digital Transformation, and Here’s Why
There are two things I love most about speaking at conferences. First, I learn a ton from other presenters. Second, I always learn from my own presentations, both through audience engagement and in my own internal processing of topics as I present. Last week’s Digital Stratosphere conference in Denver was no exception. I learned more […]
Digital Transformation Lessons from the Digital Stratosphere Conference
We recently hosted people from around the world at our Digital Stratosphere ERP conference. I have attended nearly 100 conferences in my career – and I have designed and facilitated approximately 25 ERP Boot Camps over the years – but this was by far the best event that I have attended or been a part […]