ERP Software Customization: The Ultimate Sin of Enterprise Software?
Customization of software doesn’t have to be a controversial topic. It’s reasonable to assume all but the simplest companies will need some customization to the software they’re purchasing. The amount of customization, however, can be a salacious topic worth dissecting further. As we advise clients, customize selectively and typically only the secret sauce of what […]
Is It Time to Thank Your ERP Vendor?
We certainly like to bash them. It’s fun, easy to do, and they usually deserve it. But every now and then software vendors actually do go out of their way to make your business better. And when that happens, they deserve credit. I know, the first thought going through your mind is “isn’t that what […]
Five Common (and Inaccurate) Myths of ERP Systems
ERP implementations and digital transformations are plagued with failure points perpetuated by ERP software industry hoaxes. Some of these are self-serving, while others are based on In this blog we’ll talk about five myths, and it’s my hope that’s there’s a couple that will be covered you haven’t thought of. At Third Stage Consulting we’re […]
What Is the Most Common Cause of Digital Transformation and ERP Failure?
Digital transformation and ERP failures are caused by a number of things. Poor project management, lack of internal alignment, and poor organizational change management are just a handful of reasons by transformations so commonly fail. Behind these and other common symptoms lurks a deeper root cause: lack of independence and objectivity. Simply put, ERP vendors […]
10 Steps to ERP Implementation Success
Despite decades of history and lessons learned, most organizations still haven’t figured out how to achieve ERP implementation success. In fact, our research over the years shows that most implementations still fail – despite lessons from history and advancements in technology. (For more on this, see our 2020 ERP and HCM Report). The more things […]
The Convergence of ERP Configuration and Customization
The words configuration and customization can be equally challenging to understand. As related to ERP software – the challenge comes from the fact that every software company builds and defines their software a little differently. Configuration typically refers to the ability of a software to natively perform a certain function. A general way to think […]
Identifying Employee Resistance in your Digital Transformation
When heading into a digital transformation, the concept of resistance becomes a real threat. Resistance can come at the user level, manager level and in some cases even the executive level. Before jumping into the deep end and blindly communicating what is happening and why change is good to the masses, we strongly recommend first […]
Top 10 Recommendations for ERP / HCM / SCM Implementations in the 2020s
It wasn’t long ago that we shared our top predictions for 2020. What a difference a few months can make. Instead of envisioning how they might leverage blockchain, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and other strategic technologies, many organizations are instead dealing with a new reality. For some, resources are constrained due to illness or […]
The New Realities of HCM and ERP Implementations in a Changing World
Just a few weeks ago, we were consulting to clients and writing about self-actualization and optimization digital strategies we recommend for ERP and HCM implementations in the 2020s. In light of current events that have transpired since then, many of those strategies are already becoming obsolete. What a difference just a few weeks can make. […]
Project Governance: The Guardrails for Your ERP or HCM Implementation
ERP failures and pitfalls are not due to chance. Like a car that runs off the roadway, common challenges result from not having the proper guardrails in place. Organizations and teams often think that hiring a strong project manager or one of the big ERP systems integrators will be enough to prevent some of the […]
How to Estimate ERP and HCM Implementation Time
ERP and HCM implementations often take longer than expected. In fact, this happens more often than most in the industry would like to admit. The fact of the matter is that change is hard, and the difficulty of change involved in any ERP or HCM implementation takes time. Forget about cloud solutions, easy-to-use user interfaces, […]
Motivating your CORE ERP Project Team
We have previously discussed the importance of a CORE team in completing a successful ERP, HCM or other enterprise application implementation. This is the team of individuals at the project level that takes responsibility for ensuring the project plan is carried through, deals with consultants and vendors and funnels critical decisions to the executive steering […]