Some organizations don’t fail at ERP because of bad software, weak vendors, or poor technology.
They fail because they’ve mastered the art of never going live.
Here’s how they do it—step by step.
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1. Customization & The Moving Goalposts
Why use what’s already there when you can keep adding more?
Every meeting becomes a wishlist session: “Let’s add this,” “Let’s change that,” “Can we also have…”
And just when something is finished, new requirements appear.
Deadlines don’t slip here… they vanish.
Instead of leveraging proven ERP best practices, these companies try to reinvent the wheel—until the wheel is so big, heavy, and complicated that it never moves.
2. All or Nothing
Partial deployment? Forget it.
Even if the finance module is ready to save 40% of processing time, they’ll wait until HR, inventory, CRM, and manufacturing are also perfect.
Because in their world, it’s either flawless or nothing at all—which usually means nothing at all.
The tragedy here is that ERP is designed for phased rollouts. Quick wins build trust, show value, and accelerate adoption. But companies stuck in “all or nothing” mode never reach the “something” stage.
3. Feature First, People Last
Spend all the time debating fields, forms, and functions—and almost no time preparing the people who will actually use them.
Because who needs adoption when you have features, right?
This is where projects quietly die. An ERP system without user buy-in is like a plane without passengers: technically impressive, but going nowhere.
4. Process addiction
Insist that the ERP bends 100% to old processes, even the outdated ones.
Forget the fact that you bought an ERP to improve them—change is for other people.
Instead of adapting workflows to industry best practices, these companies demand that the ERP mimics every spreadsheet, every signature step, and every unnecessary approval. The result? They import inefficiency into a brand-new system.
5. ERP is for IT, Not for Us
Keep business leaders, department heads, and end users out of the loop until go-live day.
Then wonder why no one uses it.
When ERP is treated as an “IT project,” it inevitably fails. ERP is a business transformation initiative. Without leadership buy-in and user involvement, adoption becomes an uphill battle.
6. Training? We’ll Figure It Out
No need for training plans, change management, or onboarding.
Just drop the system in people’s laps and watch the magic… not happen.
ERP success isn’t about system features—it’s about user confidence. Companies that neglect structured training and ongoing support quickly realize that “we’ll figure it out” really means “we’ll never use it.”
7. The Eternal Test Phase
Run “final testing” over and over until years pass.
By then, the original requirements are outdated anyway—time to start over!
Testing is critical, but some organizations weaponize it as an excuse to delay. Each round of testing adds new scenarios, new exceptions, and new “must-haves,” until the project drowns under its own weight.
The Moral
ERP success isn’t about building the perfect system—it’s about getting a usable system live and improving from there.
Partial deployments, user involvement, and real adoption matter more than endless customization and “perfect” specs.
If you recognize your company in the list above… it’s time to break the cycle.