ERP implementation can take ages to complete and the process can be delayed by faulty planning and execution. Experts’ opinions vary on the time they estimate for fully implement an ERP system. Some conjecture that, on average, ERP implementation is a nine-month effort from start to finish, depending on the size of the organization. A 1999 survey by the Stamford, CT-based Meta Group, however, reported that the average time it takes to implement ERP application systems is 23 months.

According to the Meta Group study, ERP system implementation takes an average of two and a half years from project initiation to achieve a quantifiable return on investment for an ERP system. 90% of those quantified benefits are the result of a cost reduction, according to the study.

According to Paul Allen of Project Management Institute, 80% of new software applications and 67% of reengineering efforts are abandoned or fail to meet deadlines or the projected cost benefits. To avoid being included in these statistics, you need to recognize that an implmenting ERP affects all areas of an organization and requires a large amount of planning to be successful. Read more »