Why ERP Implementation Fail and How to Avert it

  • 28 August 2019
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Nearly every business who has implemented an ERP system expect magical benefits will fall into place instantly. They expect this enterprise-ready software will drastically transform their business functions such as sales, procurement, production, supply chain and other vital functions. Without any doubt, SAP Business One is a time-tested ERP with its own set of benefits but you need to implement it strategically and give some time to see tangible benefits happening.

Generally, companies can hold all of these issues liable for their ERP implementation failure. 

  1. No detailed plan or vision, agreement or SLAs defined
  2. No initiator as to lead the project from beginning to end
  3. Management is not convinced of implementing ERP and its benefits 
  4. ERP is conceived as an expensive investment 
  5. Companies have carried out implementation owing to peer pressure

Get on the road to success

It is imperative to contemplate and crystalize the benefits you intend to achieve with SAP Business One. You should state your business aim clear to the ERP software partner. This will keep them engaged and in focus, which includes framing a timeline and appointing the respective team members for meeting the said targets and expectations.

Additionally, getting to the road to success also includes:

  1. Include all the key stakeholders to make your project succeed 
  2. Illustrate the benefits to key executives and department heads respectively. Obtain their key points and ensure their existing pain points are well addressed with SAP Business One 
  3. Conduct deep research while scouting an SAP Business One partner. Browse his website, social media profiles, watch the case studies and so on. 
  4. Make sure you include a baseline idea of project costs so that you can state the same to the management team and expected savings and ROI from the ERP implementation.

With that settled, move on to the next vital steps and ensure the best outcome. Your key steps should include:

  1. Identify the vital functions and key features your ERP will have—which specific functionality or add-ons this ERP should have.
  2. Ascertain whether you will upgrade your existing ERP, migrate it or implement a new one altogether? 
  3. Know what you want to achieve. For instance, bills of materials counting. You should aim to see that functionality or add-on in your ERP.

In between road to success, there may be two probable bottlenecks to successful ERP implementation.

One issue that you can witness when you bring ERP into place is cultural change. There would be many people in the organization who would want to questions as to why they need to do things in a different manner and style now. With strong conviction about this amazing ERP, you should be able to manage that requests and illustrate the benefits to them convincingly. 

Another real concern which is of course an advantage to any business is that ERP centralizes everything. With ERP in place, all work processes have been automated. As a result, there is no need to do manual and herculean tasks. Employees time is saved considerably and they need not have to do repetitive and error-prone tasks. The key message here is that the advanced ERP can replace the tasks or even jobs of some local staff, which are now well executed and carried out by the next-gen ERP.

The Conclusion

ERP such as SAP Business One or any other ERP is by no means a magic wand. You need to give some time and implement it the right way to see the lasting benefits of this amazing ERP. Companies who have implemented new ERP systems or have already installed ERP are reaping great business benefits sooner or later. The key is to engage the right ERP software partner like Uneecops than can guarantee project success. Uneecops is India’s top SAP Gold Partner and recently been awarded the “Partner of the Year – APJ” for driving its exceptional customer success.

Nidhi Batra

About the author

Nidhi Batra is a marketing and brand communication professional with 10 years of experience working in the dynamic B2B marketing environment. She strategizes, writes, reviews a variety of content for demand generation and sales support activities. Having a Master’s in English from Delhi University, she knows how to navigate her readers on insightful journeys with her SAP published blogs and thought leadership content.