Digital Transformation and ERP Implementation Readiness: Why It’s So Important to Your Initiative – Third Stage Consulting Group

Most people think that there are two distinct stages in a digital transformation. First you pick the right technology, then you implement it. But this traditional view misses what is the most important stage: implementation readiness.

When we ask ourselves why digital transformation failures are increasing, most problems can be traced back to before the implementation even began. In troubled implementations, project teams pick software and jump straight into implementation without having a clear blueprint and roadmap for where they’re heading. Challenges and symptoms that transpire later on can be tracked back to a lack of focus

As we’ve pointed out in other articles about what to do before beginning your SAP S/4HANA implementation and Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation readiness, skipping the readiness phase of your project is a critical mistake. Yet system integrators such as Deloitte, Accenture, and Capgemini will often rush you into making this mistake.

Cliff diving into your digital transformation

We often refer to this phenomenon as cliff diving into your digital transformation. When you jump head first without a clear blueprint and plan, you take unnecessary risks, create needless chaos, and spend too much time and money on your initiative. The meter is running at a high rate while you work through the chaos and work to get alignment.