Expert ERP Consultant Paul Kjer

Independent ERP Leader

I’m Paul Kjer, and my career has been at the forefront of enterprise systems, evolving alongside them. My journey has given me a unique perspective: I bridge deep technical expertise in ERP with a strong understanding of how technology impacts users, implementation teams, and organizations. With 12 years dedicated to ERP and 36 years as a consultant advising hundreds of clients, I recognize the transformative power of technology and its very real impact on people’s daily work. To me, success is both operational and human.

Leading Impossible ERP Projects to Success

ERP specialist uniquely qualified to lead high-stakes ERP implementation and turnaround projects

Mission: Maximize the Benefit, Minimize the Damage

I have seen careers derail and personal lives suffer when massively complex projects falter.

Two Kinds of Cost Behind every promising enterprise technology initiative there is the potential for chaos – not just in budgets and timelines, but in the human damage these projects can inflict. I have seen careers derail and personal lives suffer when massively complex projects falter. What became clear was that while technical solutions were abundant, a truly comprehensive and integrated framework that addressed both rigorous technical success factors and the critical human dimensions of leadership, management, capability, and change were lacking.

Guiding Principles

Integrity

Integrity is the foundation of trust and leadership. My advice is objective, my actions transparent, my focus is on your best interests.

Mindfulness

I approach every challenge by questioning assumptions and a reflection on root causes and potential solutions.

Empathetic Honesty

Truth, delivered with respect. Clear, candid opinions, framed with an understanding of your team’s context and a focus on moving you forward. Honesty without the brutality.

A Multi-Dimensional Leadership Path

My career has evolved, growing with experience, education, and the enterprise technology industry. Take a look at the key dimensions of my journey below.

The Ordeal, the Climb, the Pivot, the Pig, and the Pillars

My ERP expertise results from a deliberate choice I made after decades of experience, personal insights, and a mission to transform how complex projects succeed.

Ordeal

My career began with a project that would shape everything that followed — a multi-year, multi-country, multi-million-dollar initiative involving multiple teams and cultures. I loved this challenge and thrived. What made it unforgettable wasn’t just the scale — it was the sense of purpose, the relationships forged under pressure, and the rewards that came from navigating complexity. I didn’t know it then, but this project would leave an indelible mark on me.

In addition to technical challenges there was a continual barrage of IT political hurdles to overcome … Paul's optimistic outlook, people & organisational skills plus his notable creativity, self-motivation and dedication were characteristics I easily recall. Paul Beckman, Cargill

Climb

Like many young professionals, I believed the natural path was upward — more responsibility, bigger titles, broader scope. And I climbed. I led large service groups, shaped strategy, and delivered results across industries. But I had drifted from the kind of challenge that energized me — the kind that demanded not just leadership, but deep engagement, systems thinking, and the kind of relationships forged by fire.

Paul Kjer was the very first Manager I had when I completed college and stepped into the IT world. I must say I could not have had a better person than Paul to demonstrate how a good Manager / Leader / Mentor can impact a team and set in motion the beliefs Matt Kline

Pivot

In 2013, I made the conscious choice to pivot specifically to ERP projects, and I was willing to take a step backward to take two steps forward. I knew ERP would offer the kind of work that early project offered, not just the technical challenge, but the relationships and the sense of purpose. ERP wasn’t just a technology challenge – it was a multi-dimensional challenge. It brought me back to the kind of work where I felt most useful — where strategy meets execution, where people, process, and purpose converge.

Paul Kjer was a great addition to the Dynamics AX implementation at Braun. He contributed in many different ways, including digging in on a challenging data migration effort. He built good relationships within our finance and accounting department, became a trusted resource, and I would recommend him. Natalie Pueschner, controller

Previous Project Managers

I was the partner project manager at APi Inc. – a $4B construction company, on what turned out to be (for me) a three-year assignment. On my first day, I was handed a list of 13 names – the project managers who had failed before me. APi had a project team of over 50 people, rolling out a Tier 1 ERP solution to 40+ independently managed subsidiary companies. I succeeded where the previous PMs had failed, proving that even ‘impossible’ ERP projects can be successful. For me, it validated my pivot to ERP. I was a Pig in Mud.

Paul is a leader of leaders, and while his individual successes are evident what is more impressive is the success of those around him and those he has influenced throughout his career.
In the Army there is a phrase... 'Would share a foxhole with them?'. When it comes to Paul not only would I share the foxhole but I would take comfort in the fact that he was next to me. David Fritzinger, client project manager

Pillars

At APi, and in multiple ERP projects since, I recognized that the systemic problems of chaos, misalignment, and ‘human cost’ were rampant. To consistently solve these deep-seated challenges, I couldn’t just manage; I had to build a better map. This is what led me to create the Eight Pillars ERP Success Framework and the Adaptive 7 ERP Project Methodology – proprietary, evidence-based systems designed to make the complex navigable and ensure sustained success.

Paul brings a unique blend of structural discipline and emotional intelligence to project delivery. He is one of the few PMs who truly understands both the technical and human sides of ERP success. Jessie Swartz - solution architect

Today, I don’t chase titles; I chase challenge.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

Leadership is “a process whereby an individual influences a group of people to achieve a common goal” - Peter Northouse

The Power of Influence vs. Authority

At 27, I was a solution architect for a high-stakes, global, enterprise commodity trading system at Cargill. This was a politically charged project, with teams and installations across different divisions in different countries. The executive sponsor of the project asked me if I felt I had enough authority. I replied that I didn’t have any authority, but I had influence, and I didn’t need authority.

The primacy of influence in leadership

Paul is an exceptionally wise and talented leader, and it was a pleasure to work with him. He is one of the most thoughtful people I've ever worked with and for. Paul has a gift for working with customers too, in his ability to connect with them and understand their situation. Dan Tanner

Proving the Power of Engagement

Born Information Services was a technology consulting company renowned for success – demonstrated by explosive growth, client and employee satisfaction, and profitability, I managed three key divisions: a business unit, a branch, and the enterprise technology practice. In these roles, a large part of my compensation was based on employee satisfaction.

Scalable, people-centric leadership

Whether managing a project, team, or a business unit, Paul is a leader that people want to follow. He is caring, but tough when the situation calls for it. Dale Holmgren

Driving Agile and Growth

An elite software development division of Wipfli, SpiderLogic had offices in the U.S. and India. We used an agile approach to deliver internet-based business applications through cutting-edge technology. My roles in business development and as the U.S. service line leader accelerated my expertise in agile, offshore development, and cutting-edge technology.

Adapting and leading through changes

Paul is one of those rare individuals who has the capacity to take the complicated and make it understandable to the client. His delivery and ability to ask the right questions and clearly understand the needs of client is without peer. Paul is the best person to have on your team. Terry Peters

Where the Wheel Hits the Road

There are leaders that work at the level where the wheel hits the sky. I work where the wheel hits the road. This is the level where work gets done, and it’s where I prefer to work. At this level, you need a combination of leadership skills and expertise. The Eight Pillars Framework resulted from my desire to develop an unparalleled level of expertise.

Leadership + Expertise

"He is an exemplary technical talent with an eye for detail. His depth, and breadth of knowledge, in many areas related to Information Technology is astounding sometimes... He is among the best managers/leaders I have worked for in my 36 year career. Gene A. Wright

Formal Mastery

MA in I-O Psychology (2022)

Harvard University, Extension School

Focus on leadership, organizational change, and motivation

Winner of The Harold V. Langlois Award
For exceptional academic accomplishment and promise as a manager.

Certifications

PMP
Certified Scrum Master
Microsoft SureStep

Certificates

Project Management St. Thomas University
Leading People and Teams University of Michigan
Software Product Mgt Univesity of Alberta

BA in Business, Math, and Computer Science

Thought Leadership

Methodologies and Frameworks

Eight Pillars of ERP Success
Adaptive 7 Methodology
The ARC Framework

Author of this site and related IP

Technical Editor

Mastering Microsoft Dynamics 365 Implementations

by Eric Newell, 2021, Sybex

News 3X/400 (Duke Comm.)

"Building on a Solid Foundation"

Managing uncertainty in technology projects.

"Charting a Path to Success"

WBS, Gantt, PERT, and CPM Charts for Project Managment

Applied Leadership

Workday Program Management

Eight Pillars ERP

Client-side program management for two-phase, three-year PSA implementation

VP of ERP Transformation

Aescendex

ERP service strategy for a technology consulting startup.
Managed a D365 F&O implementation for a manufacturing company.

Project/Engagement Manager

Stoneridge Software Consulting

Delivery and P&L accountability for a portfolio of dozens of D365 implementations.

Principal Project Manager

APi Inc – with Stoneridge

Partner-side project manager for a three- year D365 F&O project.

Other Roles and Projects

Several Companies

Many projects over many years as a project manager and scrum master.