Why 70% of ERP Projects Bleed Red--And how you can beat the Odds.
- Evan J Schwartz
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
It’s not your fault, and you’re not alone.
If your company’s core business isn’t software, you can’t reasonably expect your team to carry the muscle memory of a seasoned ERP integrator. You build products, deliver services, or manage supply chains—not giant transactional platforms for a living. Yet the moment you sign a new-system contract, you’re suddenly responsible for hundreds of design choices, data rules, change-control gates, and morale swings. The learning curve is brutal, and that’s why Gartner reports that roughly 70 percent of ERP implementation projects overspend, miss their go-live dates, or fail to meet business objectives.
But failure isn’t destiny—lack of a proven roadmap is. Over the next few minutes, I’ll explain why projects implode, introduce a framework that turns chaos into clarity, and hand you a free Vision-Statement worksheet to jump-start success.
The Hidden Physics of ERP Failure
Undefined Vision → Infinite Scope
When the executive team can’t articulate why the investment matters, every feature request feels equally urgent—scope balloons, timelines slip, morale tanks.
Vendor-Led Discovery → Vendor-Sized Gaps
Your integrator knows the software, not your tribal processes. If you can’t show them today’s “swivel-chair” steps, they can’t design tomorrow’s automation.
Hope-Based Change Management
Users will not magically adopt a new workflow because it’s “better.” They need to see personal benefit, early wins, and a clear finish line.
Enter the Customer Journey Roadmap
After three decades steering ERP implementation projects across manufacturing, logistics, and SaaS platforms, I distilled the battle scars into a ten-phase playbook called The Customer Journey. Each phase—Before You Buy, Project Kick-Off, Discovery & Design, Build, UAT, CRP, Pilot, Lessons Learned, Roll-Out, and Maintenance/Support —comes with templates, AI prompts, and live coaching so you can:
Turn fuzzy goals into a two-sentence Vision Statement backed by non-negotiable KPIs.
Expose process gaps before vendors quote the wrong effort.
Utilize generative AI and workflow automations to reduce discovery time and uncover hidden integrations.
Measure morale and earned-value in real time so you never drift into the red.
Projects that follow this path arrive at go-live with fewer change requests, lower overtime, and a team that still enjoys working together.
Why the Vision Statement Is Mission-Critical
Think of your Vision Statement as the North Star that investors, integrators, and operators all steer by. It should:
Name the Pain in business terms (e.g., “Invoice cycle time exceeds cash-flow tolerance”).
Declare the Commitment (“This is a commitment to transform O2C from eight days to two while doubling customer-satisfaction scores”).
Set Non-Negotiables—three KPIs that must be met or the project pauses.
Without that anchor, risk conversations become emotional, and scope-trade decisions devolve into power plays.
Free Worksheet: Craft Your Vision in 30 Minutes
To help you start strong, I’m sharing the very worksheet clients use in Phase 1. It walks you through:
Quantifying pain dollars (your “why”).
Drafting a two-line commitment statement.
Choosing three non-negotiables that defend ROI.
Next Step: Invest in Clarity Before You Invest in Code
If you’re even thinking about an ERP upgrade—or you’re knee-deep and feeling the creep—don’t become another Gartner statistic.
Spend 20 minutes with me on a free strategy call, and we’ll pinpoint the single biggest unknown in your plan and map how the Customer Journey framework fills it.
Hope and excitement should lead your digital transformation, not fear. Let’s ensure your project lands in the success column—right where it belongs.
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