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ERP transformations fail not because of technology, but because organizations treat go-live as the finish line rather than the starting point. The most successful ERP initiatives focus on enabling people to adopt change and deliver sustained business value long after implementation.
Research shows that organizations employing targeted ERP change management approaches increase their chances of successful implementation by 35%. Yet many ERP leaders still focus primarily on technical milestones, overlooking the operational, people, and process barriers that determine long-term success.
Drive Target Outcomes
ERP success isn't measured by technical deployment; it's measured by business results. Too often, organizations declare victory at go-live without defining what success actually looks like or how they'll achieve it. What leaders can do:
- Define what success looks like by setting clear targets, such as measurable adoption rates, expected ROI, or improved planning accuracy, in collaboration with functional areas like finance or HR.
- Champion postimplementation stabilization by allocating resources to support issue resolution, employee adaptation, and value tracking in the weeks and months following deployment.
- Establish governance that reinforces the expected outcomes, with metrics that measure behavioral change and accountability both before and after go-live.
Address Barriers to Success
ERP leaders must proactively identify and manage the root causes that often derail ERP adoption. The earlier these are addressed, the more likely the initiative will succeed.
- Conduct a stakeholder analysis and change impact assessment to identify which groups will be most affected, how much change they’ll undergo, and what support they'll need to transition smoothly.
- Include supporting functional roles such as help desk staff and ERP trainers in the stakeholder mapping process to ensure change management plans are comprehensive.
- Engage peers across departments to assess and monitor organizational readiness, ensuring support and resources are available at key transition points.
Engage Employees
Long-term ERP success depends on employee buy-in. Change leaders should involve employees early, not just during training but throughout planning, testing, and rollout. Clear, tailored communication makes a difference.
Messages should be adapted to stakeholder roles and delivered through preferred channels. Beyond updates, share real examples of how ERP will improve day-to-day work. Keep the feedback loop open and reinforce the purpose behind the change. The goal is to build shared ownership, not just compliance.
How Crowe Can Help
At Crowe, we support organizations in managing ERP transformation beyond go-live. We help define strategic outcomes, anticipate barriers, and engage stakeholders, ensuring your ERP investment translates to long-term business value.