Implementing ERP: blame it on the user

There was an interesting discussion going around on the Dutch IT-websites regarding the failures of ERP implementation projects. It was started by a senior SAP-manager who was quoted that if an implantation goes wrong, it's always the customer to blame. You can imagine the polemics that raised this quote. Let me add my 5 cents to it by taking a 360 degrees look at it.

Yes, the customer is always to blame

ERP was mend to be a standard implementation of business functions: one size fits all. Typically organizations have grown into unique, incomparable and one of a kind organisms. At least so they say and mostly they also act as such. So who gives in? The organization will adapt to the format given by the ERP or the ERP will be adapted (customized) to fit the given organization. I have never seen the first option! People tend to over rate the necessary uniqueness of their business processes. As a results the start compromising on the true added value of an ERP and spend huge amounts on customization. And because they didn't start with a proper process analysis first, the cost will occur out of the blue. Yes, the customer is to blame.

No, the ERP-vendor is to blame

"Cumbersome installation routines, outdated user interfaces, inconsistent modules slow response times, unhelpful help text, missing overview of the business process, one eyed consultants lead blind users." All comments regularly heard form user communities. ERP solutions have been focused too long on functionality richness and technological issues, making the user experience a secondary thing. Only lately there is much more attention on wizards, desktop integration and process templates to overcome this. But this will help only the new implementations of tomorrow: costly updates, conversions and re-testing worry most of the organizations using ERP more than anything else. Yes, the ERP-vendor is to blame.

No, the implementation party is to blame

No ERP implementations without a truckload of expensive specialist that seem to float an organization forever. Send to one training these consultants are sold as experts, making mistakes as everybody would trying to keep up with the complexity of things at hand. Let alone that we have time for the user and the organization. Lack of quality and the paid-by-the-hour mentality do not help to guide the users to best, simplest and cheapest implementation. And by making it so complex and costly to maintain, they create themselves an outsourcing opportunity on the side. Yes, the consultancy firms are to blame.

All of the above is true so all of the above can be resolved. Organization that should apply a process oriented analysis of the impact of what they want and what it will cost. ERP implementations should be embedded in overall change processes. ERP-vendors need to continue to hide complexity and technology by putting the user experience central. The version strategy must be flexible and update management should be automated. Consultancy firms should think business process and organization before they go for turn-key implementations of ready-to-run components. And last but not least if an ERP component does not make a business transaction cheaper, quicker or better: don't invest at all in it.
Sounds like there is light at the tunnel for all of us; also for the Senior SAP Manager who gave me inspiration to write this blog!

hans.van.nes@results2match.com