Followup on ERP Thread: How I Plan To Do ERP
This is a follow up to an earlier thread about a custom firetruck manufacturer who went bankrupt because of a bad ERP implementation. I mentioned that this was a great area of opportunity and was the focus of my start-up. After a little discussion and debate, I received several emails asking what I was up to. As promised, here goes...

First a little of my background. I have built a career working on roughly 30 clients' ERP systems. They ranged from $1 million in annual revenues up to about $100 million with a several more in the Fortune 1000. Many different industries were represented, mostly in manufacturing, distribution, and retail. I also wrote several modules for ERP software vendors.

My "typical" assignment went something like this: We bought this extremely expensive state-of-the-art ERP system that our auditors insisted we get (and probably received a kick-back for). We got the thing up and running, but it doesn't do business the way we do, so we are hurting. It must do <requirement>. We do have the source code (at least someone was thinking). We want you to get <requirement> to work. As long as I had the source code, I was always able to satisfy their requirements.

I realize that my view may be a little skewed because I only got calls from clients in pain, but in all those years:

- I never saw a Class A ERP Implementation.

- I never met anyone who saw a Class A ERP Implementation.

- I am still shocked by how expensive software and services are.

- I am still shocked by how utterly poor the software is.

- I am not surprised by how ineffective ERP (and enterprise software in general) is.

Because the software is so complex (sometimes for good reason, often not), the general concensus is that it's too hard to write your own; you must buy a package. Since the software is already written and field tested in other businesses, then you should be way ahead. But you're not. Here's why.

No two businesse are exactly alike. Often not even close. The very act of survival requires many businesses to differentiate themselves to find a competitive edge. This differentiation is often in an area already standardized by their packaged software. So it doesn't work. And can't. I've seen it over and over again, in every function of the business. The nomenclature for SKUs, customers, vendors, you name it, the method of processing orders (sales, work, purchasing), accounting methods, unique ways of marketing, selling, pricing, branding,... I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It could be anything, and as soon as it's in a function controlled by your standardized software package, you have a choice: do it their way with their software or do it your way without the software. Or call someone like me.

Then there's the elephant in the living room problem: the software is loaded with bugs to begin with, complicated to use, and difficult, expensive, and time consuming to implement.

After living this life for too many years, I have developed several beliefs:

- If a business is satisfied with a process, then the software should be made to support the process, not the other way around.

- Quality software has an extremely solid base, is well written, and easily maintained.

- Good software requires little or no training, documentation, or procedures, and is ALWAYS easy to use.

- The current state of packaged enterprise software is almost the exact opposite of everything that I believe in.

- Many business people are dying for what they really want while tolerating what they have.

- Current web-based technologies (and people like us) have finally made the unthinkable possible:

CUSTOM ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO.

25 years ago, everyone laughed when the engineers from Wang, DEC, HP, and Qantel put ERP on mini-computers. It'll never run, they said. It did. Then they laughed when the next generation of engineers got it to run client-server. But that ran, too. Now they'll laugh when a nut like me starts telling my customers that they don't need to buy an ERP package anymore. They can roll their own with modern technology and people like those on this board. Between AJAX, web apps, new languages, frameworks, and platforms, and the people who know how to use them, it is now becoming more effective to write your own.

The critical path will once again be the analysis phase - determining exactly what to build. This has always been and will probably continue to be the weakest link; so few know how to do it well.

So here's what I'm doing. I'm NOT writing an ERP package. I'm building a platform and methodology upon which a small but very effective "tiger team" of analysts and developers can roll out a custom enterprise solution for any small or mid market business. A solution without compromise, better than any "lowest common denominator" software package available, even in their SIC code. Something that can be delivered in weeks or months, not years, and can be priced competitively and reasonably.

I welcome feedback on what I've just presented here, but please don't tell me it's stupid or won't work. I've already heard plenty of that. I'd rather not share much detail in a public forum like this one, but would be glad to continue this discussion with anyone who'd like to.