Introduction: The Horror Stories Are Real
"We spent LKR 8 million and 18 months. The system doesn't work. We're back to Excel."
"Our team hates it. Productivity is down 40%. We're bleeding customers."
"The vendor disappeared after go-live. We have a broken system and no support."
These aren't hypothetical. These are real Sri Lankan businesses who implemented ERP and failed catastrophically.
55%
Implementations fail to meet objectives
74%
Go over budget (avg 25%)
56%
Take longer than planned
But Here's the Good News:
Almost every failure is preventable. The mistakes are predictable, documented, and avoidable. This guide shows you how.
The 8 Common Implementation Mistakes
Mistake #1: Poor Planning and Inadequate Requirements Gathering
⚠️ The Mistake:
Rushing into implementation without documenting processes, requirements, or success criteria. "We'll figure it out as we go."
✅ How to Avoid:
Phase 0: Pre-Implementation Planning (2-4 weeks). Document current state, design future state, create requirements document. Don't start until signed off.
🇱🇰 Real Example: Colombo Distributor (35 employees)
Mistake: Started Monday, no requirements gathering. Discovered custom consignment model Month 2. Cost: LKR 1.5M wasted, 4 months delay.
Mistake #2: Inadequate Executive Sponsorship
⚠️ The Mistake:
Treating ERP as "IT project." CEO delegates to IT manager. No change management. No communication. "Just go live and people will adapt."
✅ How to Avoid:
CEO publicly champions project. Change management plan (communication + training). Budget 15-20% for change management. Leadership can't be delegated.
🇱🇰 Real Example: Kandy Manufacturer (60 employees)
Mistake: CEO delegated, workers refused tablets. Production stopped 3 days. Recovery: CEO went to floor, explained WHY. 95% adoption 2 months later.
Mistake #3: Scope Creep and Over-Customization
Adding features mid-implementation. "While we're at it, let's also..."
⚠️ Consequence: Original 4 months → 10 months. LKR 3M → LKR 5.3M (77% over budget)
✅ Solution: Change control process. Say "Phase 2" to everything except core. Lock scope.
Mistake #4: Insufficient Testing Before Go-Live
1-2 days testing. "We'll fix issues in production."
⚠️ Consequence: System crashed go-live. LKR 800K lost in 2 days downtime.
✅ Solution: 2-3 weeks testing (unit, integration, UAT). Test with real data. Go/No-Go decision.
Mistake #5: Poor Data Migration Strategy
Migrating garbage. "Let's just import everything."
⚠️ Consequence: 8,000 customers (200 active). Reports useless. "Shiny system is a junkyard."
✅ Solution: Clean data BEFORE migration. Only import active records (last 2 years). Test migration.
Mistake #6: Choosing Wrong Vendor
Cheapest quote wins. No reference checks.
⚠️ Consequence: Cheap LKR 3M became expensive LKR 5M (hired 2nd vendor to fix).
✅ Solution: Check 3 references. Quality over price. Clear contract with SLAs.
Mistake #7: Inadequate Training
1-hour demo. "Users will figure it out."
⚠️ Consequence: 50% never log in. Revert to Excel. LKR 5M nobody uses.
✅ Solution: 2-3 days role-based training. Quick guides. Super-users. Week 1 on-site support.
Mistake #8: No Post-Implementation Support
Go-live is "The End." Vendor leaves. No ongoing support.
⚠️ Consequence: Issues arise, no one to call. System degrades. Back to chaos in 6 months.
✅ Solution: Month 1 hypercare. Quarterly reviews. 15-20% budget for Year 1 support.
Success Checklist: Avoiding All 8 Mistakes
Before Implementation
- 2-4 weeks requirements gathering
- Requirements document signed off
- CEO visibly committed
- Change management plan created
- Vendor references checked (3+)
- Contract clear (scope, timeline, SLAs)
- Scope locked (no changes without approval)
- Data cleanup started (4-6 weeks before)
During Implementation
- No scope creep (change control enforced)
- CEO attends weekly steering
- Users informed, concerns addressed
- Training scheduled (role-based)
- 2-3 weeks testing allocated
- Data migration test completed
- Quick reference guides created
Before Go-Live
- Testing complete (all critical bugs fixed)
- UAT sign-off (users confirm works)
- All users trained (2-3 days each)
- Documentation available
- Super-users identified and trained
- Trainer on-site Week 1
- Go/No-Go decision formal
- Rollback plan ready
Post Go-Live
- Daily check-in Week 1-2
- All issues logged and resolved
- User feedback gathered
- Support plan defined (Month 1-12)
- Monthly optimization reviews
- ROI tracking (actual vs projected)
Conclusion: Implementation Success Is Achievable
55% of ERP implementations fail. But yours doesn't have to.
Plan Thoroughly
2-4 weeks upfront
CEO Leads
Not delegates
Test Rigorously
2-3 weeks testing
Train Extensively
2-3 days per role
Success = Planning + Leadership + Budget + Discipline
Don't be the horror story. Be the success story.
Use Our Interactive Implementation Checklist
Track your progress through all 75+ implementation steps. Check off items as you go, save your progress, and ensure nothing is missed.
📋 Launch Implementation ChecklistIncludes: 4 phases • 75+ checklist items • Progress tracking • Printable report
📚 Related Articles
How to Calculate ROI for ERP
Justify your investment before implementing.
Cloud vs On-Premise: Choose Deployment
Make the right infrastructure choice.
ERP Modules Explained
Choose the right modules before implementation.
7 ERP Myths Debunked
Overcome objections before starting.
Planning ERP implementation? Contact us for a free implementation readiness assessment.
About ChaosHub: We help Sri Lankan businesses avoid implementation disasters. Real lessons from real failures—so you don't repeat them.
Introduction: The Horror Stories Are Real
"We spent LKR 8 million and 18 months. The system doesn't work. We're back to Excel."
"Our team hates it. Productivity is down 40%. We're bleeding customers."
"The vendor disappeared after go-live. We have a broken system and no support."
These aren't hypothetical. These are real Sri Lankan businesses who implemented ERP and failed catastrophically.
55%
Implementations fail to meet objectives
74%
Go over budget (avg 25%)
56%
Take longer than planned
But Here's the Good News:
Almost every failure is preventable. The mistakes are predictable, documented, and avoidable. This guide shows you how.
The 8 Common Implementation Mistakes
Mistake #1: Poor Planning and Inadequate Requirements Gathering
⚠️ The Mistake:
Rushing into implementation without documenting processes, requirements, or success criteria. "We'll figure it out as we go."
✅ How to Avoid:
Phase 0: Pre-Implementation Planning (2-4 weeks). Document current state, design future state, create requirements document. Don't start until signed off.
🇱🇰 Real Example: Colombo Distributor (35 employees)
Mistake: Started Monday, no requirements gathering. Discovered custom consignment model Month 2. Cost: LKR 1.5M wasted, 4 months delay.
Mistake #2: Inadequate Executive Sponsorship
⚠️ The Mistake:
Treating ERP as "IT project." CEO delegates to IT manager. No change management. No communication. "Just go live and people will adapt."
✅ How to Avoid:
CEO publicly champions project. Change management plan (communication + training). Budget 15-20% for change management. Leadership can't be delegated.
🇱🇰 Real Example: Kandy Manufacturer (60 employees)
Mistake: CEO delegated, workers refused tablets. Production stopped 3 days. Recovery: CEO went to floor, explained WHY. 95% adoption 2 months later.
Mistake #3: Scope Creep and Over-Customization
Adding features mid-implementation. "While we're at it, let's also..."
⚠️ Consequence: Original 4 months → 10 months. LKR 3M → LKR 5.3M (77% over budget)
✅ Solution: Change control process. Say "Phase 2" to everything except core. Lock scope.
Mistake #4: Insufficient Testing Before Go-Live
1-2 days testing. "We'll fix issues in production."
⚠️ Consequence: System crashed go-live. LKR 800K lost in 2 days downtime.
✅ Solution: 2-3 weeks testing (unit, integration, UAT). Test with real data. Go/No-Go decision.
Mistake #5: Poor Data Migration Strategy
Migrating garbage. "Let's just import everything."
⚠️ Consequence: 8,000 customers (200 active). Reports useless. "Shiny system is a junkyard."
✅ Solution: Clean data BEFORE migration. Only import active records (last 2 years). Test migration.
Mistake #6: Choosing Wrong Vendor
Cheapest quote wins. No reference checks.
⚠️ Consequence: Cheap LKR 3M became expensive LKR 5M (hired 2nd vendor to fix).
✅ Solution: Check 3 references. Quality over price. Clear contract with SLAs.
Mistake #7: Inadequate Training
1-hour demo. "Users will figure it out."
⚠️ Consequence: 50% never log in. Revert to Excel. LKR 5M nobody uses.
✅ Solution: 2-3 days role-based training. Quick guides. Super-users. Week 1 on-site support.
Mistake #8: No Post-Implementation Support
Go-live is "The End." Vendor leaves. No ongoing support.
⚠️ Consequence: Issues arise, no one to call. System degrades. Back to chaos in 6 months.
✅ Solution: Month 1 hypercare. Quarterly reviews. 15-20% budget for Year 1 support.
Success Checklist: Avoiding All 8 Mistakes
Before Implementation
- 2-4 weeks requirements gathering
- Requirements document signed off
- CEO visibly committed
- Change management plan created
- Vendor references checked (3+)
- Contract clear (scope, timeline, SLAs)
- Scope locked (no changes without approval)
- Data cleanup started (4-6 weeks before)
During Implementation
- No scope creep (change control enforced)
- CEO attends weekly steering
- Users informed, concerns addressed
- Training scheduled (role-based)
- 2-3 weeks testing allocated
- Data migration test completed
- Quick reference guides created
Before Go-Live
- Testing complete (all critical bugs fixed)
- UAT sign-off (users confirm works)
- All users trained (2-3 days each)
- Documentation available
- Super-users identified and trained
- Trainer on-site Week 1
- Go/No-Go decision formal
- Rollback plan ready
Post Go-Live
- Daily check-in Week 1-2
- All issues logged and resolved
- User feedback gathered
- Support plan defined (Month 1-12)
- Monthly optimization reviews
- ROI tracking (actual vs projected)
Conclusion: Implementation Success Is Achievable
55% of ERP implementations fail. But yours doesn't have to.
Plan Thoroughly
2-4 weeks upfront
CEO Leads
Not delegates
Test Rigorously
2-3 weeks testing
Train Extensively
2-3 days per role
Success = Planning + Leadership + Budget + Discipline
Don't be the horror story. Be the success story.
Use Our Interactive Implementation Checklist
Track your progress through all 75+ implementation steps. Check off items as you go, save your progress, and ensure nothing is missed.
📋 Launch Implementation ChecklistIncludes: 4 phases • 75+ checklist items • Progress tracking • Printable report
📚 Related Articles
How to Calculate ROI for ERP
Justify your investment before implementing.
Cloud vs On-Premise: Choose Deployment
Make the right infrastructure choice.
ERP Modules Explained
Choose the right modules before implementation.
7 ERP Myths Debunked
Overcome objections before starting.
Planning ERP implementation? Contact us for a free implementation readiness assessment.
About ChaosHub: We help Sri Lankan businesses avoid implementation disasters. Real lessons from real failures—so you don't repeat them.
