News & views

One of the interesting things about working across different ERP transformations is realizing that the technology is often the least surprising part. Systems behave more or less the way systems behave. They require configuration, testing, data, integrations, training, and a healthy tolerance for meetings with acronyms. What varies dramatically is the organization surrounding the technology, and I have become increasingly convinced that an ERP implementation is one of the most effective organizational stress tests a company can put itself through. We usually assess ERP readiness by looking at technology, resources, data, timelines, scope, and whether the organization has enough people […]

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I have heard the phrase “resistance to change” so many times over the years that I rarely questioned it. A new system is introduced, people start pushing back, and somewhere in a meeting someone inevitably concludes that we have a change management problem. The diagnosis usually arrives remarkably quickly, followed by familiar prescriptions involving more communication, more training, and perhaps another town hall explaining why everyone should be excited about the transformation. Meanwhile, some of the people actually doing the work are sitting there thinking that enthusiasm is wonderful, but it still takes them twice as long to complete Tuesday’s […]

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One of the things that has always fascinated me about integration meetings is that you can leave the room feeling surprisingly optimistic while unknowingly creating tomorrow’s problems. Everyone has contributed and every concern has been addressed: the meeting ends on time, action items are assigned, and there is a quiet sense that real progress has been made. If someone had wandered into the room during the last five minutes, they probably would have assumed the integration was in excellent shape. Then, a few months later, people begin asking why the expected value hasn’t materialized. Over the years, I’ve started to […]

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I have always admired people who restore old homes. Not the television version where someone walks through the front door, knocks down three walls, installs a kitchen the size of a small airport, and declares the house “modernized.” I mean the people who spend hours carefully restoring the original hardwood floors, repairing old stained-glass windows, or bringing century-old brickwork back to life. They understand something that is surprisingly easy to forget. Just because something is old or different doesn’t mean it needs replacing. Sometimes the goal isn’t to make the house look new. Sometimes the goal is to preserve the […]

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I stumbled across this painting while visiting Halifax and found myself standing in front of it much longer than I expected. For those of who know me, know that I am an art enthusiast who takes great joy in interpreting art as it fits my current situation. In this case, I should probably apologize to the artist because I’m almost certain my interpretation has very little to do with what they intended. Then again, perhaps that’s the beauty of art. We all bring our own experiences with us, and sometimes the painting says more about the person looking at it […]

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