15 ERP implementation mistakes15 ERP implementation mistakes to avoid
Most ERP failures are delivery failures, not software failures. Here is where they start, and what to demand on each.
Scope and commercial integrity
1
A sales team with no stake in the outcomeDemand sellers who stay involved after signing and are measured on outcomes.
2
A flimsy scope that was never vettedDemand a scope built from real discovery, every deliverable named before signing.
3
A price cut with no cut to the workAny discount comes with a written scope reduction. Nothing removed is a red flag.
4
A critical third-party product nobody vettedAn add-on product earns the same reference-and-vetting scrutiny as the ERP itself.
5
Legacy data problems never diagnosedData migration is a day-one topic: data examined and risks named before signing.
Methodology and who owns what
6
The methodology was never explainedDemand a plain-language walkthrough before kickoff: what you own, and when.
7
Test scripts written around the old systemAbsorb training first; test the new workflows, with your partner reviewing.
8
Recreating every old customizationDemand the standard way first. Rebuilding ports old problems into the new platform.
Team and schedule integrity
9
Trainees staffed on your live projectDemand a named, experienced team. Ask who is assigned and their track record.
10
A go-live date set by someone who doesn’t own itThe date is set with the delivery team, from real complexity, never from above.
11
No accountability for day-to-day progressA named sponsor and project manager, fixed cadence, live issue log, escalation path.
12
A schedule that ignored predictable riskHurricane season, your busy season: build contingency in, not assumed away.
Relationship and conduct
13
Tolerating abuse of the implementation teamSet engagement norms up front. Pressure is legitimate; abuse derails the team.
14
Not knowing the naysayers before work beginsName likely resisters at kickoff and plan for each. Adoption is where value is won.
15
Waiting for a meeting to raise an issueAnything touching time or money is raised the moment it’s known.
The mistake behind all the mistakes
Treating an ERP implementation as a software installation. It changes how nearly every piece of work gets done, in the office and in the field. The technical work is the easy half; the human change decides whether go-live succeeds.
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