Implementing a new ERP system is a major business change that can reshape how your entire organisation operates. Done well, it creates alignment between people, processes, and systems, unlocking efficiency and clarity across every function. Done badly, it risks disruption, spiralling costs, and missed opportunities. At Optimum PPS, we’ve spent decades helping organisations navigate these business-critical projects. In this article, we draw on that experience to highlight the key success factors behind ERP implementations that deliver real, lasting value.
What is an ERP System?
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a type of software that integrates and automates core business functions such as finance, HR, procurement, manufacturing, supply chain management, and sales into one central system. It provides a single source of truth for data across the organisation, streamlining operations and improving decision-making. For businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets or siloed systems, ERP can bring structure, visibility, and efficiency. However, the success of an ERP system largely depends on a successful implementation.
Key ERP Project Statistics and What They Mean for Your Business
Implementing an ERP system is a significant undertaking that affects many parts of the organisation. It involves careful planning, coordination, and collaboration across departments, teams, and external partners. According to ERP Focus, 60% of ERP projects fail, 57% miss deadlines, and 54% exceed budget. Gartner research predicts that by 2027, more than 70% of recently implemented ERP initiatives will fail to meet their business objectives . However, while challenges are common, from delays and budget pressures to data and process issues, these can often be avoided with the right approach and planning. It is crucial to recognise the importance of ERP implementation and take a proactive approach in ensuring its success.
What are the Key Considerations for an ERP Implementation?
Successful ERP implementation starts with thorough planning and preparation. Organisations that invest time upfront tend to have smoother implementations, better user adoption, and far greater long-term value from their ERP. Here are some key areas to consider:
1. Define the Scope and Goals:
A successful ERP project begins with a shared understanding of what you’re trying to achieve. Defining the scope and objectives early gives you a solid foundation to build on. It sets direction, shapes decisions, and helps everyone involved stay focused on the bigger picture. It also shapes a clear roadmap for the implementation process and allows you to measure the success of the project once complete.
2. Build the Right Project Team
ERP implementation isn’t something that IT can deliver alone. It affects the whole organisation, so your project team should reflect that. Bring together people from across all relevant departments who understand how the business works. A strong, cross-functional team helps bridge gaps, manage risks, and ensure the project stays on track and meets the defined objectives and timelines.
3. Conduct an In-Depth Gap Analysis
A thorough gap analysis is crucial in ERP implementation. This identifies discrepancies between current processes and the ERP system’s functionalities, highlighting areas needing customisation, configuration, or redesign. This helps set realistic expectations, anticipate challenges, and create a strategic implementation roadmap.
4. Plan for Change – Not Just Technology
ERP projects often bring major changes in how people work, and change can be difficult. That’s why it’s important to focus on people as much as processes and systems. A strong change management approach includes clear communication, regular engagement, and tailored training. Involving people early, listening to concerns, and supporting them through the transition make adoption smoother and more sustainable.
Best Practices for ERP Implementation
Drawing on our years of experience leading ERP implementations across multiple sectors, we’ve developed a deep understanding of what drives project success. While each organisation has its own context and challenges, there are common themes that underpin well-executed implementations. The practices outlined below reflect some of the lessons we’ve learnt and offer a framework for delivering successful ERP outcomes.
1. Start with a Clear, Structured Plan
A detailed project plan is the foundation of a successful implementation. This provides a roadmap giving clear direction and guidance throughout the project. It sets out what will be delivered, when, how, and who’s responsible for what. This includes timelines, key milestones, risks, resources, and governance. A clear plan keeps everyone aligned, helps manage expectations, and allows you to spot and solve problems early.
2. Select the right ERP Vendor and Implementation Partner
Choosing the right ERP system is more than just ticking boxes. It should support your current ways of working while offering the flexibility to adapt and scale as your organisation evolves. Selecting the right implementation partner is just as important. Look for a team who brings relevant sector knowledge, has strong experience and expertise, communicates clearly, and works in partnership with your organisation and the vendor to keep the project on track and aligned with your goals.
3. Involve the Right People from Across the Business
ERP isn’t just an IT project. You need input from people across the organisation, especially the teams who’ll be using the system day-to-day. Their insight into how things work is essential for designing processes that are practical, efficient, and fit for purpose. Involving them early also helps build buy-in and smooths the path for change.
4. The Importance of Data Migration and Integration in an ERP Project
Data migration is one of the more complex parts of an ERP project and one that’s often underestimated. It involves reviewing, cleaning, and reformatting existing data to make sure it works seamlessly with the new system. Planning early and involving technical experts and business leads helps avoid delays and data quality issues later. You’ll also need to consider how the new ERP will integrate with other systems, like finance, HR, or CRM, to ensure everything works together smoothly and efficiently.
5. Test the ERP System
The success of your ERP system depends not just on how it’s built but on how it’s tested and adopted. Testing should go beyond basic functionality checks. It needs to cover real, end-to-end business processes. That includes things like processing a full sales order, managing inventory movements, or running payroll, exactly as your teams will do in day-to-day working situations. This helps spot gaps, errors, or configuration issues early, when they’re easier to fix before go-live. Include business users in testing to validate whether the system meets the operational needs of each area.
6. Tailor Training to your People and their Roles
Different teams use the system in different ways, and your training should reflect that. Break it down by role, process, or department so people get the knowledge that’s relevant to how they work. Focus on practical, hands-on guidance rather than just theoretical overviews. When users understand how the system supports their specific areas, confidence builds quickly and ensures a smoother transition to the new system.
7. Managing the Cutover / Go-Live
Switching to a new system can feel overwhelming at first, especially as people adjust to new processes and ways of working. To make things easier, it’s a good idea to review your team’s current workload and plan the go-live period carefully. This helps create space for staff to ask questions, get comfortable with the new system, and make sure everything is working as it should.
8. Continuous Improvement after Implementation
Go-live is just the start of your ERP journey. Once the system is in use, it’s important to monitor performance, gather user feedback, and track KPIs to spot areas for improvement. Regular reviews help identify where processes can be refined, where users might need extra support, and how the system can adapt as your organisation evolves. Treating ERP as a continuous improvement journey, rather than a one-off project, helps you get the most long-term value from your investment.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Implementing an ERP system represents one of the most important investments an organisation can make, not just financially, but also in terms of time, resources, and leadership focus. When executed effectively, ERP implementation can drive long-term operational efficiency and improve the quality and speed of decision-making.
However, ERP implementations are complex, involving internal coordination, external vendors, multiple workstreams and significant change. Optimum PPS can provide the leadership, structure and support to mitigate those risks and keep the project on track.
We bring deep experience, hands-on project management, and a practical approach that ensures each phase of your implementation stays on track, aligned to business priorities, and delivered at pace.