Executives in manufacturing firms have valid concerns about creating disruptions in their organization by replacing or updating a functioning enterprise technology product such as an ERP solution. If that solution is poorly implemented, the business may suffer further from budget overruns, project delays or business disruptions. The worst case scenario is a break in business continuity, resulting in lost revenue and perhaps lost customers.
C-level executives are familiar with the cautionary tales provided by well-publicized failures in ERP implementations: The State of Washington’s community colleges have reportedly been trying to get a new ERP system functioning properly since it was supposed to go live in 2012. A series of internal and vendor issues have caused a cascading list of setbacks which have characterized the effort since its launch.