Three Mistakes Businesses Make are related to Enterprise Software.

I've worked in the world of software for over 20 years. That is weird to write…

I've worked on many aspects of software projects from being a developer to being the purchaser of enterprise software.

Here are 3 mistakes I see happen time and time again when it comes to businesses selecting an ERP project.

1. No Business Process Analysis

So many businesses have an idea about what they want. Businesses should perform a detailed analysis of the business processes before the search for software begins.  It makes it much easier to determine if software is the right fit when you have these things in place.

They expect the vendor to help them. The vendor's job is first to sell the software.

Most cases, they will assure you the software can handle the requirement. They are probably right but the implementation may create more work. 

Vendors will analyze your business for 1 to 5 days. This is ok, if there is a clear understanding of the processes.  When you are unsure, things are missed.  The chance of project failure rises. As a reminder, the project implementation rate is at 70%.

2. Do not allocate enough internal resources

What typically happens is the project is added to the responsibility of people who are already very busy. This process is hard and time consuming. It is important to have dedicated staff that can advocate on the company's behalf.

3. Rush the process

We are so used to having everything fast. Enterprise software will become the backbone of operations. It is important to take your time and explore your options. You don't want paralysis analysis but you should at least do a deep dive with at least 3 software options before making the final software selection.

These are the 3 biggest mistakes I see businesses make when embarking on an ERP Project. Avoiding these mistakes do not guarantee a successful implementation but the chances of success increase dramatically when following these steps.

If you catch yourself, making any of these mistakes.  Stop immediately and regroup.

Until Next Time…