ERP: It All Starts With an “E”

I spent a decade working on large scale ERP projects, many of which informed my first book, Why New Systems Fail. It astonished me then—as it does today—that so many organizations of all sizes continue to struggle implementing and maintaining their HR, payroll, financials, and other back office functions. After all, ERP isn’t exactly not “rocket surgery”, and many specific solutions have been with us for decades.

In his recently published a report titled “A Guide for a Successful ERP Strategy in the Midmarket: Selection, Services, and Integration”, Nick Castellina emphasizes the need for an “integrated approach to ERP.” By this, he refers to “the integration of processes, employees, technologies, and business partners.” (I would add data as well, but that’s fodder for another post.) Such integration results in “an organization that is efficient, cohesive, and ready for growth.”