Over the last 20 years, I have had the good fortune of being involved with over 1,000 different ERP implementations. My role varied from being a project manager, program manager, expert witness, executive steering committee member, organizational change lead, business process lead, project recovery consultant, third party oversight consultant, and a host of other roles.
More recently, I’ve moved from being deeply involved in less projects to being more broadly involved in more projects. For example, I’ve been on the executive steering committees over 100 ERP implementations just during the last two years alone. This broad and deep experience has given me a unique perspective in a number of different roles.
During this variety of implementation experience, I’ve come to the realization that there are a number of common patters among projects that are successful – as well as those that fail. It’s interesting to see how similar successes are and how similar the failures are as well. Success and failure isn’t due to luck, but rather due to solid planning, execution, and use of proven best practices.
Some of the most common best practices and lessons include:
- Failure can be avoided
- Have a clear digital strategy to start
- Let your business drive technology
- Be realistic
- Implementation is more important than software selection
- Recognize that there are no silver bullets
- Take your time and control the project tempo
Watch the video below to hear more context and hear my analysis of each of these seven points:
In addition, I published a white paper outlining the 20 best practices for a successful ERP implementation or digital transformation. This guide is a must read for any CIO, project manager, or project team member about to embark on this type of journey.
Eric is recognized globally as a leading voice in digital transformation and ERP strategy. Over the past two decades, he has helped hundreds of organizations – including Nucor Steel, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Kodak, Coors, Boeing, and Duke Energy – define their technology roadmaps, modernize complex operations, and deliver real business value from large-scale transformation initiatives.
As Founder and CEO of Third Stage Consulting, Eric leads an independent, technology-agnostic advisory firm focused on helping clients navigate the shift from traditional ERP to more flexible, AI-enabled Digital Enterprise Operations (DEO) models. His work spans ERP selection, implementation quality assurance, organizational change, and operating model design across a wide range of industries and geographies.
Eric is also a prolific thought leader, known for his pragmatic takes on AI, cloud, and enterprise software trends, as well as his firm’s benchmark research and frameworks for de-risking transformation. He is dedicated to helping executive teams cut through vendor hype, make confident investment decisions, and successfully reach the “third stage” of their digital evolution.
