Implementing an ERP system is a complex and difficult endeavor as many people who have gone through this process will attest. According to Gartner, between 55% and 75% of ERP projects fail or do not meet their objectives. This is HUGE!

There may be multiple reasons for this sad situation. Having personally participated in numerous implementations that have been mostly successful, I’d like to bring up a particular facet that should not be ignored: methodology.

Too often, stakeholders do not spend enough resources on documentation. “We’ll do it later”, they say. That pretty much never happens. Documentation is nevertheless crucial to a successful project.

Just like a project plan is but one methodology deliverable, there’s more to documentation than just user guides.

A good methodology, such as Sure Step from Microsoft or our own VokMTD, encompasses a series of steps and documents that support project execution, ensure quality, crystalize knowledge and enable future autonomy for the customer.

For example, our methodology includes the following steps: diagnosis, planning, analysis, design, development, deployment, and operation. Each of these phases includes a list of deliverables that promote the successful execution of the project.

The key when leveraging a good methodology is to apply the right dosage for the context at hand. Too many documents can cripple a project’s momentum, not enough and you are working blindly.

After all, no one would dare build a house without a plan, yet we are willing to spend a ton of resources implementing an ERP system without documented requirements, functional specifications, test scripts or user guides, to name a few.

You can learn more about ERP implementations in my book available on Amazon:

Click here!

Please don’t hesitate to write if you have questions or comments.

Cordially,

Sylvain.

 

Last updated: May, 2025