Why Project Staffing for ERP Implementations Are Evolving—and How You Can Make the Shift
Modern ERP systems promise significant benefits to organizations: streamlined operations, data-driven decisions, and long-term scalability. But getting from outdated systems to a future-ready ERP platform is a complex journey, and, for many companies, the roadblocks aren’t just technical. They’re human.
What the research says
Gartner has stated that more than 70% of recently implemented ERP initiatives will fail to fully meet their original business use case goals, and as many as 25% of these will fail catastrophically.
TechTarget recommends companies limit the scope of ERP projects to manageable sizes so that milestones can be reached within desired timeframes. This allows functionality to be added in phases rather than relying on an massive all-or-nothing project that could end in a catastrophic failure.
According to TechTarget, another lesson from failed ERP implementations in the past is that many companies only replace their ERP every 10-15 years. At that point, not only has the ERP technology advanced, but other business systems have as well. Communications between systems have become more complex, and many of the technical resources that were part of the previous ERP implementation are no longer available.
Because implementing a new ERP represents a significant investment of time, effort, and qualified staff, Gartner advises companies to have a clear strategy that addresses the question on the minds of every key stakeholder: “What’s in it for us?”
As organizations face staffing shortages, tight timelines, and shifting business priorities, the traditional ERP implementation model struggles to keep up. It’s time for a new approach that meets today’s challenges with flexibility, partnership, and practical execution.
The reality: “We know we need ERP, but we’re short-staffed”
Companies understand the need for digital transformation. Legacy systems are holding teams back, and cloud-based ERP solutions offer the tools needed to compete. But when it comes time to implement, a familiar dilemma emerges: Taking on a major project when the finance, operations, and IT staff are already stretched thin and focused on daily responsibilities.
Asking these individuals to take on the demands of an ERP implementation, without additional support, can result in delays, burnout, and missed milestones.
Why old strategies don’t always work anymore
Historically, companies have tackled this problem by hiring a temporary internal project manager to coordinate between their teams and the implementation partner. That worked in many cases, but today’s ERP platforms are more interconnected and often require institutional knowledge that a temporary hire simply doesn’t have.
Without insights from someone with a deep understanding of the company’s operations, systems, and business processes, project momentum can stall—especially when critical decisions arise.
A smarter, more flexible model for ERP success
Organizations are increasingly finding success with new strategies that reduce pressure on internal teams while maintaining project continuity. These include:
1. Backfilling operational roles to free up experts
Rather than hiring a temp to lead the project, companies are backfilling the day-to-day roles of key team members—like a controller or operations lead—so those individuals can focus on the ERP implementation. This solution frees up subject matter experts with institutional knowledge to stay closely involved in the project without sacrificing essential business functions.
2. Leveraging partner resources to fill gaps
Implementation partners can assist with essential daily tasks that might otherwise bog down internal teams that are actively supporting the ERP implementation effort. Junior consultants and developers can handle data migration, testing, or reporting setup—especially when clients don’t have time or expertise to manage those deliverables. This accelerates progress and prevents bottlenecks.
3. Building a phased implementation roadmap
One of the most impactful shifts in recent years is moving away from “all-at-once” ERP rollouts and toward phased implementations. By identifying a minimum viable product (MVP) for go-live, businesses can get up and running quickly and then implement additional features, such as automation, custom workflows, and advanced reporting, into subsequent phases that follow shortly after. This approach helps teams adapt to change gradually, reduces risk, and allows for more intelligent resource allocation over time.
4. Delivering what’s needed now, training later
Many organizations want powerful tools like Power BI reports, dashboards, and custom analytics from day one—but may not have the time or internal skillset to build or learn them immediately. A practical alternative is to have the essential assets developed by the implementation partner, with training scheduled for a later phase after go-live, when teams have more capacity. This balances speed and autonomy, delivering value without overwhelming users upfront.
Bringing it all together
Today’s successful ERP implementations don’t just rely on quality software; they rely on thoughtful planning, strong collaboration, and flexible execution. Companies that thrive during ERP transformation are those that:
- Free up the right internal stakeholders by backfilling where needed
- Collaborate with partners to offload technical or time-consuming tasks
- Take a phased approach that prioritizes critical functionality first
- Match training timelines with real-world availability and readiness
Thinking about your ERP journey?
It’s time to rethink what ERP implementation success looks like and build processes that reflect the demands of the modern workplace. A flexible, phased approach backed by the right support can help you achieve faster time-to-value with less disruption.
Let’s discuss how ArcherPoint by Cherry-Bekaert can help you implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in a way that works for your people, your timeline, and your goals