I recently came across this article from Gartner that claims “more than 70% of recently implemented ERP initiatives will fail to fully meet their original business use case goals. As many as 25% of these will fail catastrophically.”

In my experience, those numbers are high, but not unexpected. Granted, the customers surveyed by Gartner are likely much larger corporate entities than I have experience with, but I’m still surprised by the size of the numbers.

Over the course of my nearly 40-year career at a software company specializing in utility billing, I was involved in a handful of failed implementations. Each of these failed implementations fell into one of two categories, which I’ll explain below.

Management mandated change

In the first category, management selected new software without involving users in the decision-making process. As could be expected, the users were not happy to be forced to switch from software they were comfortable with and accustomed to. I can assure you – if users don’t want software to work, it won’t work!

No support from management

The other scenario involved users who were part of the decision to select new software but resisted when the inevitable bumps in the road arose. When this happens, it is management’s responsibility to remind the dissatisfied individuals of the reasons for the decision to change software and why it’s important to press on. In the failed implementations, management abdicated that responsibility.

How do you solve this?

Obviously, the solution to both examples is for management to fully involve users of the system during the selection process and to remind them of the reasons for a software change when issues arise.

Another option is to involve a consultant in the implementation process. This is where someone with my experience proves beneficial. Having an advocate who understands the implementation process from start to finish, from both the vendor and customer perspectives, and can anticipate potential complications, is invaluable for a smooth software conversion.

Are you contemplating a change?

Will your office be implementing new software in the near future? If you will, please contact me to learn how I can work with you to ensure the process goes smoothly.

Are you undecided about changing billing software? If so, please give me a call at 919-673-4050 or email me at gary@utilityinformationpipeline.com to learn how a business review could bring clarity to your decision.

© 2026 Gary Sanders