¶ … successful or unsuccessful ERM implementations by conducting a review of literature on the subject. Management consultant Wayne Wilson (2006) cites the Standish Group's Chaos Report which discusses findings on information technology (IT) project success rates. Only 15% of more than 13,000 projects that they surveyed could be classified as out-and-out failures, while 34% were considered unqualified successes. The remaining 51% experienced problems with cost overruns, time overruns, as well as projects that were not delivered with the right functionality to support the business.

Wilson proposes five steps to help ensure that ERP software projects are implemented on time and on budget, along with the business benefits expected:

Choose the right solution, software and hardware with a reputation for performance and reliability.

Partner with professionals, experts who are qualified to offer implementation services.

Plan properly to achieve project profitability by committing the necessary resources (people, time, and money) early on in the project.

Resist scope creep, the tendency to allow frequent and unplanned changes to the...

They cite several statistics that underscore the importance of carefully planning and managing ERP implementation. At the time of their study, 70% of Fortune 1000 companies had or would have installed ERP systems. The market for ERP systems was projected to reach U.S.$15.8 billion in 2008. Survey results from 36 companies showed the following critical factors affect successful ERP implementation: feasibility of ERP systems, critical evaluation of ERP systems, effective project management capabilities, human resource development, business process reengineering, cost and budget issues for IT infrastructure, consulting services, and top management support. It should be noted that Wilson, Ehie, and Madsen identified several critical factors in common.
Ehie and Madsen (2005) offer additional conclusions about ERP implementations. They recommend that the ERP implementation not be viewed as just an IT solution, but…