ERP and Your Golf Game
I was recently speaking with a business leader who is contemplating a new ERP system, and he mentioned that it was as confusing as buying a new golf driver. As I let that thought marinate, I realized the similarities between golf and ERP are astounding. Consider the following five similarities as you embark on your […]
Who Are You Voting For? Key Decisions for Your Digital Strategy
Many countries throughout the world are approaching election season. As we often see in US politics, elections are often controversial and divisive with no clear-cut “right” answers. Similarly, decisions related to digital strategy are also divisive and controversial with no clear-cut answers. Software vendors and systems integrators often peddle their products and services with “best […]
If ERP Software Vendors Were Beers
Why not, they go well together. But what beer will you choose? Choosing a beer should be easier than choosing a new ERP, but there are some striking similarities between the two. With the growing availability, scalability, complexity and ease of integration across enterprise platforms, we are hearing more and more confusion on what actually […]
ERP Software Customization: The Ultimate Sin of Enterprise Software?
Customization of software doesn’t have to be a controversial topic. It’s reasonable to assume all but the simplest companies will need some customization to the software they’re purchasing. The amount of customization, however, can be a salacious topic worth dissecting further. As we advise clients, customize selectively and typically only the secret sauce of what […]
Is It Time to Thank Your ERP Vendor?
We certainly like to bash them. It’s fun, easy to do, and they usually deserve it. But every now and then software vendors actually do go out of their way to make your business better. And when that happens, they deserve credit. I know, the first thought going through your mind is “isn’t that what […]
Five Common (and Inaccurate) Myths of ERP Systems
ERP implementations and digital transformations are plagued with failure points perpetuated by ERP software industry hoaxes. Some of these are self-serving, while others are based on In this blog we’ll talk about five myths, and it’s my hope that’s there’s a couple that will be covered you haven’t thought of. At Third Stage Consulting we’re […]
Independent Review of SAP S/4HANA
When considering potential ERP systems, SAP S/4HANA is on the short-list of many organizations. As one of the top ERP systems in the market, SAP has become a go-to option for larger and mid-size organizations.
What Is the Most Common Cause of Digital Transformation and ERP Failure?
Digital transformation and ERP failures are caused by a number of things. Poor project management, lack of internal alignment, and poor organizational change management are just a handful of reasons by transformations so commonly fail. Behind these and other common symptoms lurks a deeper root cause: lack of independence and objectivity. Simply put, ERP vendors […]
The Most Important Roles on ERP Implementations and Digital Transformations
When planning for an ERP implementation or digital transformation, most people seem to intuitively understand the importance of a good project manager. They typically also understand how important the CIO or IT Director’s role is. These are two examples of roles that are very important to the success of any digital transformation. Surprisingly for many, […]
10 Steps to ERP Implementation Success
Despite decades of history and lessons learned, most organizations still haven’t figured out how to achieve ERP implementation success. In fact, our research over the years shows that most implementations still fail – despite lessons from history and advancements in technology. (For more on this, see our 2020 ERP and HCM Report). The more things […]
The Convergence of ERP Configuration and Customization
The words configuration and customization can be equally challenging to understand. As related to ERP software – the challenge comes from the fact that every software company builds and defines their software a little differently. Configuration typically refers to the ability of a software to natively perform a certain function. A general way to think […]
Identifying Employee Resistance in your Digital Transformation
When heading into a digital transformation, the concept of resistance becomes a real threat. Resistance can come at the user level, manager level and in some cases even the executive level. Before jumping into the deep end and blindly communicating what is happening and why change is good to the masses, we strongly recommend first […]