Top Reasons for Failed Business Central Manufacturing Projects

I recently recorded a video that I posted on YouTube on what I listed as the 6 main causes of a manufacturing ERP Implementation.

You can find the Video on YouTube HERE or watch it below

Here's a very brief Summary

Misaligned Modes of Manufacturing 

This is extremely common (and I mention it a lot in the video) but when there is a failed Business Central manufacturing project.  It can be either the partner consultant or internal consultants / business analysts who get this wrong. When the wrong mode of manufacturing is applied it is often a disaster. 

Sometimes this happens because the customer has an existing ERP where this mistake was made, now carrying that forward into Business Central.  It can also be from a consultant or internal analyst who has done "manufacturing" before in a different mode, and doesn't realize that they can't cookie-cutter the same solution.

Customizing the System to Avoid Learning

This is also very common.  It can stem from the misalignment I mention above. When the internal staff of the customer either refuse to follow best practices, or are not taught those best practices, this can happen.  This usually results in a Business Central manufacturing implementation where you can't use all the out of the box features. I have seen situations where customers can't use MRP or Multi-Currency because the customization was so extensive.  

Unserious Project Team

For those customers who fall into this category, you can see that the failed Business Central manufacturing project was implemented (usually) by one or two people and the rest of the team ignored it.  The broader team of users is unhappy with the implementation and it causes the leadership to see it as failed.  Any ERP project is a big change management task, and people within the organization need to take it seriously and engage or it will fail.

Having the Wrong People

You might think this is the same as the previous point, but there is a subtle difference.  A company can take the project seriously, and assign a lot of resources to it.  If they assign the wrong people, then you can have a failed Business Central manufacturing project even if the overall business took it seriously.  You can have the wrong people by either having way too many people (therefore making it very hard for there to be leadership) or you have junior or subordinates rather than the decision makers.  

An Arbitrary Go-Live Date

This is an absolute killer in an ERP project.  It is one of the most frequent causes of either failed or painful/costly go-lives.  If the leadership sets a go-live date and makes a statement such as "whether we're ready or not" then you have an arbitrary go-live date.  In this case, it's more often that you aren't ready than you are.  Going live with an ERP when not-ready will incur massive costs for the business, way more costs than just being patient.

No Executive Involvement

Someone from an executive level in the business needs to be involved in an ERP project.  If there is no executive leadership, this can definitely lead to failed Business Central implementation projects.

Conclusion

If you are setting out on a Business Central manufacturing implementation, or you are an existing customer who is unhappy with how the implementation went I hope this document helps you.