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TUXIAN ERP Implementation Notes — Loving ERP Isn’t Easy

2017-08-05

After a hundred ERP projects, here are some lessons — offered to help more companies. Why do companies fail to gain full benefit from ERP, or even see implementation fail?

Common Causes of Failure

Base data not organized, inaccurate or insufficient before kickoff; too many errors to reflect reality.
Employees lack ownership — often only IT staff drive the project, making progress very hard.
No feasible implementation plan; delays drag on until staff lose enthusiasm.
Key staff turnover leaves newcomers unfamiliar, stalling the project.
Staff unwilling to drop habitual ways, preferring to modify ERP to fit old methods.
Insufficient staff education and training.
The most serious issue: senior leadership does not prioritize it.
Poor ERP selection — vendor offered no intelligent, labor-saving solution (e.g., barcode/QR flows).

Ten Pieces of Advice

Full leadership support — ERP touches everyone; leaders must understand and back it.
Value data accuracy with clear accountability — inaccurate data only makes computers produce wrong answers faster.
Set clear ERP goals and measure system performance against them.
Don’t put inexperienced people in key roles — leverage your backbone talent.
Don’t cut training budgets — training costs far less than the price of neglect.
Seek expert help; going alone costs more than hiring experience.
Don’t port manual workflows straight into the computer system.
Be both unhurried and urgent: plan tedious must-dos calmly, but keep urgency to avoid endless delay.
Build company-wide participation so users take ownership.
ERP is not a cure-all — it brings many benefits but can’t fix everything.