Summary of Findings from the 2019 ERP Report
A few weeks ago, we released the 2019 ERP Report. Unlike similar studies of years past, this one digs deeper into the statistical root causes of success versus failure – and the findings are very eye-opening. Overview of the 2019 ERP Report The study examines ERP implementations over the last 20 years, with a particular […]
Don’t Even Consider Software License Fees for Your ERP Long-List
We still find organizations to be highly focused on the potential license costs of software as they first embark on an ERP evaluation and selection process. They only want to include a specific tier of software in their long-list with the assumption that software gets more expensive as you move towards Tier 1.This assumption is […]
Digital Transformation and ERP Implementation Readiness: Why It’s So Important to Your Initiative
Most people think that there are two distinct stages in a digital transformation. First you pick the right technology, then you implement it. But this traditional view misses what is the most important stage: implementation readiness. When we ask ourselves why digital transformation failures are increasing, most problems can be traced back to before the […]
Misalignment: The Secret Killer of Digital Transformation Initiatives
The real cause of digital transformation and ERP failures isn’t what you might think. When we hear about SAP failures at Lidl, the ERP challenges at Haribo, and other digital transformation failures, it’s easy to blame the obvious problems: We over-customized the software Our system integrator charged us too much and took longer than planned […]
Planning a Digital Transformation: Perspectives from the User Community
We have recently talked to a number of organizations who are either upgrading or replacing their systems and have a number of staff members who were around for the initial implementation. In asking for their perspectives on change and system adoption, we have heard some common themes from users on how they view technology implementation. […]
The Trojan Horse Approach to Organizational Change Management
I recently wrote about how organizational change management is dead. The premise of this article is that traditional change efforts, frameworks, and approaches fail time and time again, so something needs to change if we are going to be more effective at managing change. These failed change efforts are creating a vicious circle of continuous […]
Creating the Perfect RFP for an ERP Software Evaluation
Years ago, selection and advisory firms would push the importance of documenting an ERP Request for Proposal (RFP) when completing a software selection. In recent years, however, many organizations have moved away from formalizing this process. The reasons for this are many, specifically that software vendors have nearly perfected the art of manipulating these documents. […]
Determining Your ERP Total Cost of Ownership
One of the first questions we are asked when discussing an ERP initiative with a new client is “how much is this whole thing going to cost us.” The easy and accurate answer is: “we have no idea at this time.” Unfortunately, executive committees and board members generally won’t accept this answer and need to […]
Money Talks: How Economic Incentives Bias Digital Transformations
As AC/DC once said: “come on, come on, listen to the money talk.” Nowhere is this truer than in the digital transformation space. Money drives so much of what does or doesn’t happen in our industry. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always align with the long-term interests of those most impacted by technology: the companies using it. […]
Digital Transformation and Your Gym Membership
Managing a gym can be a profitable business. People sign up for memberships with the intention of “getting in shape.” However, once “in shape” they can’t simply call it a day and cancel their membership. Staying in shape takes continuous visits to the gym and can never really stop. The same could be said for […]
The Unsung Heroes of Digital Transformation
When we think about SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, or digital transformation success, we often focus on the system integrator. But the potential unsung heroes of your successful digital transformation are sitting right within your four walls. Don’t get me wrong: choosing the right SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics system integrator is an important decision. But your […]
Selecting your SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Implementation Partner
There are plenty of articles and blogs circling the internet, providing tips and best practices for selecting the appropriate ERP software, and with good reason. Choosing the wrong system can be devastating for a business. What is not so highly covered, however, is the importance of selecting the right SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP, or […]