The Devil’s Triangle of a Successful ERP Project

What is the Devil’s Triangle? Fast Cheap Good?

The "Devil's Triangle" of "fast, cheap, good" is a phrase that refers to the trade-off between three important factors when it comes to delivering a product or service. Essentially, it means that it's difficult to achieve all three factors at the same time.

For example, if you want something to be fast, it's unlikely to be cheap. If you want it to be cheap, it might not be good. And if you want it to be good, it probably won't be fast. So, you have to make a choice and trade off one of the three factors.

It's like a devil's triangle because you can't have it all and you always have to compromise on one aspect.

Looking at the Variables for an ERP Project

It may be helpful to dive a bit deeper in each of the three aspects before you make the selection of your preferred variables for your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project. After all, you must be able to understand the contribution of each of these aspects to your success.

Fast ERP

Fast. You can deploy modern, cloud-based ERP and CRM software in a matter of minutes. Today’s solutions can configure themselves and they are even able to convert the data. But that is just the technology! The human side is a different story. With a completely different timeline. Implementing the processes, introducing new ones and inspiring (or sometimes convincing) employees takes way more time. Not to mention the impact of a disruptive business model, where you might want to rethink all your current processes. It doesn’t take long to implement ERP or CRM badly. But implementing a solution successfully simply takes time.  

The desire to implement fast is often a result of delaying difficult decisions. You can prevent this by taking your important decisions consistently on time.

Cheap ERP

Cheap. It’s obvious that nobody wants to pay more for a successful project than strictly necessary. But does that justify the constant search for the cheapest way? Some of the most popular attempts we see are selecting a solution with limited prospects for continuity, insufficient time for the project preparation, making savings on the budgets for organizational change, selecting the wrong key-users and poor communication. But as with everything in life, quality comes with a price.  

Good ERP

Good is of course the basis of every project's success - noone wants a bad ERP system as this is the software that will manage your entire business. As such, this should really be the leading theme in all the discussions you will have and decisions you will make. It’s a great help when you’re able to make this project the most important one in your organization. And to agree that no other projects will be started during the implementation.

Probably the best advice that we can give you is to focus on just one of these three elements. And that is Good! After all, the implementation of your new solution forms the basis for your future business success. And that is crucial for attracting and retaining both customers and employees. So don’t be tempted to rush or to make it cheap just for the sake of time or money budgets.

Faster and Cheaper?

With that being said, if you are choosing a quality ERP system, it is very often the case that businesses are buying on their journey of growth, and thus do not need everything that a good system has to offer. That does not mean that you should necessarily drop capability in the system for a cheaper option. With Accelerated Business Central, for example, you will receive the same market leading ERP system, but with a templated installation that allows you to have reduced startup costs and implementation time – moving you closer to the center of that circle.

Compromise but don’t just accept the excuse!

Whilst we understand that the logic is there on the triangle, it does not mean to say that you have to take all the negatives lying down. The reality is that the traditional ERP project has a reputation for being a long and drawn-out task with spiraling costs. But ERP systems have been around for decades, and through experience and learning, we know it doesn’t have to be this way.

ERP without the traditional pains

If you are after quality but do not want to be taken on a never-ending ride, can this be achieved with a bespoke ERP implementation? The answer is yes! For example, we have worked over the years to develop a process based on Microsoft’s “Sure Step Methodology” for implementing ERP, to have a refined and robust project. This, coupled with a fixed scope, fixed price guaranty means that not only will you get a market-leading ERP system, but you will get it at a price that you were expecting and in a sensible timeframe.

If this sounds like the level of “Devil’s Triangle” compromise that means that you get the system you need, why not give our team a call?