Yet another victim of ERP

In today's markets companies need to act swiftly and decisively. If they don't their competitors will and they will be left at the starting line.

With that in mind I read with some interest this recent article over an ongoing failure of an SAP implementation, and it's contribution to the poor financial results of a lumber company.

ERP, a left over from the 1980's, has definitely run its course and the world is still waiting for a capable successor to emerge out of the technological advances of the past decade. Unfortunately the gravy train is huge. Analysts, clients, people wanting to buy their way into the skills market via implementation, and companies trying to do what their peers do.

An appalling way to manage the funds their shareholders have placed in their care.

When you think about it hard enough it is hard to understand why ERP is still such a large market space.

• It takes 12 - 18 months to do.

• It costs an arm and a leg.

• It is never open. You are signing a deal to be on a continual drip from the vendor selling you the product.

• It requires substantial infrastructure

You would have to have rocks in your head.