ERP Success
Based on decades of experience and the most comprehensive, data-driven taxonomy of ERP success and failure factors ever compiled.
ERP Implementation, Rescue, & Change Management Consulting
Why Do So Many ERP Projects Fail?
It is surprisingly difficult to know what you need to do to get an ERP implementation right, considering the stakes. It’s not for lack of effort or investment, yet failure rates remain stubbornly high.
The Bad News
Most ERP implementations begin with an incomplete understanding of the key factors critical to success.
This knowledge gap is the primary reason industry success rates remain so low.
The Good News
Collectively, there is enough information available to know what is needed for success. There are hundreds of white papers, case studies, and academic papers.
Gathering and making sense of this information became the Eight Pillars Project.
Paul Kjer
Enterprise Technology Veteran
The Eight Pillars of ERP Success
As an ERP consultant, I saw projects blindsided by ‘unknown unknowns.’ It was clear that standard playbooks were incomplete. The industry was missing a comprehensive, useful framework for what must go right. I launched this project to create one.
A Complete View
I started with a blank sheet of paper for a ground-up approach. Drawing exclusively from credible academic and consulting resources from the past ten years, I analyzed real-world outcomes to create an exhaustive list of every Critical Success Factor (CSF) and Critical Failure Factor (CFF) documented in modern ERP history. The raw data was a disorganized collection of duplicates and overlapping concepts – not a useful framework.
A Comprehensible View
To make that disorganized collection useful, it needed structure. The Eight Pillars Project used affinity mapping to cluster all related factors into eight core categories—the Eight Pillars
A Useful View
After establishing the general categories, I used affinity mapping again within each category to define subcategories, repeating the process until I had a detailed taxonomy for each category at an ‘actionable’ level of detail.
The primary reason I gathered so many sources is that I needed enough detail to get this granular view.
Explore the Eight Pillars
Dive into the detailed taxonomy, core insights, and actionable steps that turn each pillar into a roadmap for success.
Senior Leadership for ERP Success
Knowledge is critical, but execution is everything. I work where the wheel hits the road.
With a foundation of extensive education, relevant certifications, and decades of experience in enterprise technology, I provide the hands-on leadership required for the most challenging ERP projects.
Leadership for Challenging Projects
Move beyond standard project management. Get expert leadership that integrates the Eight Pillars framework to ensure your ERP implementation is a success.
Expert Project Rescue & Turnaround
When an ERP project is failing, you need more than a report. I use the Eight Pillars as a rapid diagnostic framework to find root causes, not just the symptoms, then provide the leadership to execute a realistic recovery plan.
Evidence-Based Change Leadership
Real ROI comes from user engagement. My approach to change is a grounded in a master’s in industrial-organizational psychology. I use proven, evidence-based models to build actionable plans to drive adoption.
