What SAP Doesn’t Want You to Know About ECC, S/4HANA, and Your Real Options
The ERP world is at a boiling point — especially for SAP customers. If you’ve invested heavily in ECC and SAP is already pressuring you to jump to S/4HANA, you’re not alone. But here’s the truth SAP doesn’t want you to know: you don’t have to follow their timeline — or their narrative. You have […]
Is AI in ERP Real — or Just Hype?
In 2025, AI is everywhere—headlines, vendor demos, boardroom discussions. And now, ERP software vendors are jumping into the hype, promising that artificial intelligence will completely transform how businesses run their operations. But is it actually happening? Or are we still years away from truly integrated AI capabilities in ERP? The truth is somewhere in between. […]
Are SAP Projects Really More Prone to Failure? A Closer Look at ERP Implementation Risk
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) failures have long been a source of frustration, finger-pointing, and costly lessons across industries. Over time, one software name seems to appear more frequently than others in discussions of failed ERP implementations: SAP. From troubled supply chain rollouts to customer-facing disruptions, there is no shortage of stories highlighting SAP project struggles. […]
Top 7 ERP Software Selection Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them
By Eric Kimberling, CEO of Third Stage Consulting When it comes to ERP software, companies often think the biggest risk is choosing the wrong system. But in reality? The bigger danger is picking the right software — and then failing in how you select, implement, and integrate it. After working with hundreds of organizations across […]
Tyler Technologies: The Public Sector ERP Powerhouse You Shouldn’t Ignore
What Is Tyler Technologies? A Public Sector ERP Giant Tyler Technologies is one of the leading providers of ERP software specifically built for public sector organizations. While it doesn’t have the name recognition of SAP or Oracle, Tyler powers thousands of municipalities, counties, and state agencies across the United States. Unlike traditional ERP vendors that […]
How ERP Software Almost Killed Gummy Bears: Lessons from Haribo’s SAP Failure
By Eric Kimberling, CEO of Third Stage Consulting Yes, you read that right—ERP software nearly ruined gummy bears. Several years ago, Haribo, the beloved German candy company behind those colorful, chewy bears, ran into a digital disaster during their SAP ERP implementation. The failure wasn’t just an inconvenience—it led to major supply chain issues during […]
5 Powerful Reasons Small Businesses Upgrade from QuickBooks to ERP Systems
Small businesses are the engine of innovation, but many eventually hit a point where their foundational tools—like QuickBooks, spreadsheets, or homegrown systems—no longer support their growth. If you’re at that inflection point, you’re not alone. At Third Stage Consulting, we frequently help small businesses navigate the decision to implement ERP software. But what sparks this […]
How the U.S.–China Trade War Is Reshaping Global Supply Chains in 2025
Tariffs Are Back—And They’re Redefining the Global Economy The U.S.–China trade war is intensifying again in 2025, bringing with it sweeping implications for global supply chains. As tariffs return and economic nationalism ramps up, American companies are facing tough decisions about where and how to manufacture their goods. Industries that have long relied on low-cost […]
Why I Quit the Big Four: A Look Inside My Consulting Career
When I first started my career in consulting, I joined one of the most prestigious firms in the world: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It was the late 1990s, and as a newly minted MBA grad, I couldn’t wait to dive into the world of consulting. Like many others, I believed that working at one of the Big […]
5 Ways to Tell If a Vendor’s Recommendation Is Best for You Or Just Best for Them
When organizations embark on a digital transformation or ERP implementation journey, one of the most common and costly missteps is trusting software vendors too blindly. It’s easy to be dazzled by compelling sales pitches, glossy product demos, and extravagant conference experiences. But behind the polish often lies a hard truth: what’s good for the vendor […]
Digital Transformation Is Dying—And That Might Be a Good Thing
Despite all the hype, massive budgets, and endless headlines in 2025, digital transformation is, quite frankly, dying. And for once, that’s not a bad thing. It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Especially when global spending on digital transformation is expected to balloon past $4 trillion in the next few years. Yet, beneath the buzzwords, the real […]
The SAP Resource Shortage: A Key Factor in Catastrophic Implementations
The world of enterprise software is facing a growing crisis—an alarming shortage of skilled SAP consultants. As businesses scramble to upgrade their legacy systems to S/4HANA before the 2030 deadline, the demand for experienced resources is far outpacing supply. But what does this mean for businesses implementing SAP? And does this shortage contribute to the […]