What is Business Intelligence?
Over the years, organizations have invested billions of dollars in new ERP systems and other enterprise technologies. However, most fail to extract better information, decision-making, and overall business value from these investments. We recently wrote about a common dynamic along these lines: most organizations fail to achieve the last mile of digital transformation. They focus […]
ERP and Your Golf Game
I was recently speaking with a business leader who is contemplating a new ERP system, and he mentioned that it was as confusing as buying a new golf driver. As I let that thought marinate, I realized the similarities between golf and ERP are astounding. Consider the following five similarities as you embark on your […]
If ERP Software Vendors Were Beers
Why not, they go well together. But what beer will you choose? Choosing a beer should be easier than choosing a new ERP, but there are some striking similarities between the two. With the growing availability, scalability, complexity and ease of integration across enterprise platforms, we are hearing more and more confusion on what actually […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Most Important Roles on ERP Implementations and Digital Transformations
When planning for an ERP implementation or digital transformation, most people seem to intuitively understand the importance of a good project manager. They typically also understand how important the CIO or IT Director’s role is. These are two examples of roles that are very important to the success of any digital transformation. Surprisingly for many, […]
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 […]
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 […]