After nearly three decades in the ERP industry, I can tell you with confidence: technology doesn’t make ERP projects successful. People do.
Indeed, robust ERP functionality, a scalable platform, and a clear business case are essential. However, user adoption, end-user training, and organizational change management ultimately determine whether an ERP implementation successfully transforms a business or ends up underutilized.
I’ve walked into boardrooms where executives believed success was just a matter of flipping the switch. I’ve seen teams celebrate their ERP go-live as if it were the end of a marathon. But they quickly realized that getting the system up and running was the easy part. The real challenge begins when the users start using it – or choose not to.
If you’re considering an ERP system , and you’re worried about success, I have some insight for you based on my years of hands-on experience. In this article, you’ll learn why your people are the single key factor in your ERP success, and how to work with your team for best results.
- Why Most ERP Implementations Fail
- You Can't Hit the Target Without People Committed to ERP Success
- Resistance to Change Is Natural in ERP Projects
- Making People Part of the Solution During ERP Implementation
- The Power of Trust in ERP Success
- Final Thought: People Are the ERP Strategy
ERP Go-Live Is Not the Finish Line: Why Most ERP Implementations Fail Without People
Time and again, I see businesses pour energy into hitting the ERP go-live date—as if that moment somehow triggers ROI. Go-live is just a technical milestone in ERP implementation. As I often say:
"Change doesn’t happen when the system goes live. It happens when the people buy in."
You can deploy the best ERP software available, but if your employees don’t trust it, use it, or believe in it, you’ve just invested in a costly paperweight.
Post-go-live success is entirely dependent on how effectively the ERP system is embedded into daily operations. That means users must understand not just how to use it, but why. They must see the connection between the new ERP workflows and their job success. When employees feel left out or overwhelmed, they disengage. And disengaged users don’t drive ROI – they derail it.
Without ERP user adoption and comprehensive training, ERP success is unlikely to occur.
Organizations often focus on ERP software capabilities but overlook the fact that the real challenge is behavioral change. This isn’t a systems project. It’s a people project.
Even the most intuitive ERP solutions require structured user adoption strategies. To achieve precision in hitting your business performance targets, you must align your workforce around shared goals, a common language, and optimized processes. It takes more than basic training. It takes commitment, reinforcement, and cultural change.
You Can't Hit the Target Without People Committed to ERP Success
Commitment doesn’t just happen. It’s cultivated. A collective effort and organizational alignment ensure every shot hits the mark.
People don’t just need instructions. They need belief. They need to see how ERP makes their work easier, faster, and more impactful.
You can’t motivate commitment through top-down mandates. You earn it through inclusive planning, transparent communication, and meaningful involvement. When users see how their feedback has shaped the ERP design or how their concerns have been addressed, they take ownership. Ownership breeds pride. Pride drives performance. And performance is what delivers ERP ROI.
Resistance to Change Is Natural in ERP Projects
One of the most misunderstood aspects of ERP implementation is human resistance. It’s not a flaw—it’s a predictable human response. People go through a curve of emotions when faced with change, especially when it alters the tools and processes they rely on every day.
This model, from Bitesize Learning, illustrates the emotional journey your team will experience during an ERP rollout:
The Resistance Phase = Shock, Denial, Anger, and Bargaining. I’ve seen variations in all of these in the faces of many at a kickoff meeting where it’s the first time the staff have been made aware of this impacting change. Each is entering the Change Curve, each at a different stage, and working their way through at their unique speed. Some will not escape the Resistance Phase until stages of proof have been accomplished. However, there is always the possibility that some will never escape this part of the curve.
Depression - Stands alone. This is the turning point, perhaps the valley of despair, where one gets on the bus or decides to walk the path of resistance. It’s the point at which people become promoters or detractors.
Acceptance Phase = Exploration, Decision, and Integration. If management leads effectively and attempts to recruit everyone into the process, most will work their way through the Acceptance Phase. Still, each one will have their own pace through the process until they become a fully on-board promoter.
These are the very real phases that ERP leaders must anticipate and navigate. Ignoring them leads to silent resistance, cultural friction, low morale, and ultimately poor system usage.
It’s essential to acknowledge that resistance is often rooted in fear of losing one's competence, fear of being replaced, or fear of the unknown. If we pretend these emotions don’t exist, they fester. But when we acknowledge them, we open the door to empathy, reassurance, and growth. The change curve helps leadership anticipate employee concerns and provide the proper support at the right time.
Making People Part of the Solution During ERP Implementation
So, how do we ensure ERP users help—not hinder—the ERP implementation process?
- Involve employees early in ERP planning: People support what they help build.
- Train users for their specific roles: General ERP training doesn’t work. Role-specific, hands-on instruction does. Executive Leadership must insist that this be accomplished, and Departmental Leaders must drive it downstream.
- Celebrate quick wins: Recognize teams and individuals who adopt and embrace the new ERP system.
- Address resistance transparently: Don’t shame it, listen to it, and respond with empathy.
- Keep ERP communication consistent: Transparency and feedback loops build trust and drive adoption.
Bringing employees along requires time, intention, and consistency. I’ve seen super users become internal champions when given proper support. I’ve also seen organizations fail to scale ERP adoption because they underinvested in onboarding and overestimated enthusiasm. As noted by the ERP Software Blog, more than half of ERP failures are driven by poorly managed change and a lack of user involvement. That’s not a software flaw—it’s a leadership gap.
The Power of Trust in ERP Success
One essential yet often overlooked factor in ERP success is trust. Trust in the system, trust in leadership, and trust in the process.
Users need to believe the ERP solution will make their jobs better. They need to trust that the workflows and data are reliable, and that they won’t be set up for failure by incomplete or poorly designed systems. At the same time, employees must have confidence in leadership—that the ERP decision was carefully evaluated, strategically sound, and aligned with the company’s long-term goals.
Stephen M.R. Covey said it best in his landmark book The Speed of Trust:
“The first job of a leader—at work or home—is to inspire trust. It’s to bring out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardships, and to create an environment in which high‑trust interaction inspires creativity and possibility.”
Covey also describes how low trust acts like tax-slowing decisions, breeding doubt, and increasing costs. High trust, on the other hand, creates what he calls a trust dividend—accelerating collaboration, clarity, and execution. In ERP projects, this couldn’t be truer.
When users trust leadership, they are more willing to adapt. When they trust the ERP platform, they are more likely to embrace it. When trust is embedded across teams, everything moves faster—and with greater impact.
ERP success doesn’t just run on code and workflows. It runs on trust.
If I can offer a paraphrase, “Where there is low trust, progress slows things down to a crawl. Where trust is high, everything happens faster.”
A Real-Life Lesson on Trust
Nearly thirty years ago, I encountered a business in Portland, Oregon, Northwest Textbook Supply. They were perhaps the second ERP implementation I had ever been involved in. Their president’s name was Elmer Sealy. Over the years, Elmer and I, along with others in his organization, became fast friends.
I never asked Elmer how he was raised, but one thing I know for sure: Someone taught him about the importance of having everyone in the organization trust his leadership decisions. When they first decided to deploy a new ERP system, Elmer did something I have never seen another CEO or president do. He traveled to each of their locations, one in Portland, OR, and one in Salt Lake City, UT, and held all-hands meetings to announce this life-changing decision. He invited them to accompany him on the journey, assuring them that this was necessary, beneficial for everyone, and that no one would lose their job as a result.
Every staff person could ask questions, and he would explain himself to his staff. He hung around, making himself available for private meetings to hear anyone’s concerns. His transparency and openness generated trust! His people were on board and quickly transitioned to the new ERP system. As you can tell, I have never forgotten this real-life demonstration of a leader who understood the power of people in a high-trust environment.
Final Thought: People Are the ERP Strategy
After 30 years of ERP implementation experience, here’s what I believe: ERP software doesn’t change businesses. People do.
Your ERP platform won’t unlock its full potential until your employees unlock theirs. Train them. Trust them. Involve them. Empower them.
Because they are the secret sauce.
And if you get that part, right? Everything else falls into place—from data quality and process efficiency to true digital transformation.
When you have the right ERP partner, they will help you not just with your technology but with the big transition your employees need to make. That’s crucial to Stellar One’s mission support. We walk with your people every step of the way, using not only years of ERP knowledge, but also extensive understanding of business processes.
Want to see it in action? Check out Stellar One’s partnership with Modloft. This member success story shows the results of our commitment to being there for a team, both during our Free Implementation and beyond.