ERP Implementation 2021
Which Consulting Partners Foster ERP Success?

How much strategic guidance will we need, up front and throughout the engagement?

Will this implementation be part of a larger business transformation?

How much change management and/or training will we need?

How complex will our implementation be
(e.g., organization size and scope, ERP modules being implemented, number of external resources needed, type of work needed from resources)?

Accenture and Huron Strategically Guide Clients through Transformation, Consistently Drive Positive Outcomes

Accenture and Huron stand out for delivering talented consultants and strategic partnership, which drive strong implementations and outcomes across implemented ERP solutions. Accenture, whose clients include some of the largest health systems in the US, is often described as being invested in their clients (e.g., sharing financial risk) and as being critical to an implementation’s success. Outcomes include efficiency, organizational transformation, and cost savings. Respondents also mention that training from the firm supports end-user satisfaction and adoption. A couple of clients experienced bumps caused by individual consultants or unclear expectations; these issues were resolved once brought to Accenture’s attention. All interviewed Accenture clients would choose the firm again. Huron receives praise for their high level of partnership and leadership. Multiple respondents mention the firm’s deep bench and say consultants guide them in transforming organizational processes and becoming more efficient. A couple of clients feel Huron could have better understood their organization early in the process. Only one of the seven interviewed clients is dissatisfied overall (this is a Workday implementation; notably all other Workday clients are highly satisfied).

Avaap (limited data)—who historically focused on Infor but is now also a Workday partner—is newer to tackling more complex ERP implementations. (They are also measured for ERP implementation leadership and ERP staffing—see corresponding sections.) Client feedback is mixed. Satisfied clients report that resources possess strong software knowledge and flexibility. The two dissatisfied clients (both Infor projects) cite poor project management, consultants who lack experience, and issues with how the software was built out during the implementation.

Deloitte Missteps across ERP Solutions Lead to Dissatisfaction and Frustration; Occasional Workday Misses from KPMG Create Inconsistency

Cross-industry firm Deloitte receives mixed reviews from ERP implementation clients. A small number of respondents are satisfied with the firm’s knowledge, experience, and change management skills. The majority of interviewed clients are dissatisfied. Across ERP solutions, clients report issues such as lack of planning or guidance, trouble with the tactical implementation of strategy, lack of trust, nickel-and-diming, and inconsistency in resources’ skills. These problems resulted in unmet timelines and expectations. A couple of respondents note that rework after the project required hiring additional consultants. KPMG, a large global financial firm, is often seen by ERP implementation clients as able to provide best practices and strategic guidance and assist with organizational transformation. Just under half of interviewed clients, however, have experienced problems that reduced their satisfaction. Clients implementing Oracle are more likely to feel KPMG meets their expectations. Many of these satisfied respondents feel the firm is a partner who helps drive results with expertise and guidance on the Oracle software. Misses on KPMG’s Oracle projects are rooted in clients wanting more proactive communication about timelines and issues. On Workday implementations, KPMG more often missed expectations. In these cases, there were issues replacing a few resources who lacked needed knowledge. Often, the firm brought in executive resources to try to mitigate these problems, which helped in some cases.

PwC, also a large global financial firm, generally satisfies clients, though with a few misses. Most respondents (especially those implementing Oracle, along with a couple using Workday) see PwC as a partner who shares guiding principles, meets deadlines, and helpfully pushes organizations to follow best practices—leading to successful processes and outcomes in the long run. Clients who had a poor experience (mostly Workday projects) feel the firm was learning the software alongside them and also mention issues with unmet timelines and expectations early in the project. In these cases, PwC was often able to get the project back on track after complaints from the organization.

Avaap, Bails & ROI Bring Best Practices, Exceeding Expectations 

Compared to the more transformation-focused engagements described above, ERP implementation leadership engagements are of low to moderate complexity. Most respondents in this category implemented Infor, with a handful implementing other ERP solutions.

Avaap, Bails, and ROI Healthcare Solutions, all validated mostly for Infor implementations, consistently perform well. High satisfaction among Avaap’s implementation leadership clients—six of the seven report exceeded expectations—is driven largely by consultants’ Infor expertise and best practices. As one client put it, Avaap brings in high-quality consultants who always meet deadlines. No respondents report nickel-and-diming, and most feel the price is fair for the services delivered. The one dissatisfied client in this study cited decreasing responsiveness from the firm as the project went on. (Avaap is also measured in this report for ERP business transformation and ERP staffing—see corresponding sections.) Bails is seen as a trusted partner by many interviewed clients. They exceeded expectations for nearly all respondents by providing consultants who worked to understand client organizations, solved software problems, helped with process/workflow change management, and had extensive strategic expertise related to payroll and financials. Areas for improvement reported by clients include more proactive guidance, more supply chain knowledge, and more help with organization-wide transformation.

ROI Healthcare Solutions, a healthcare services firm with a dedicated ERP practice and experience with Infor’s CloudSuite product, is seen by most interviewed clients as a partner who works to truly understand client organizations before creating a strategic implementation plan. Clients whose expectations were met but not exceeded still report satisfaction with their engagement. Respondents say that on the rare occasion consultants don’t work out, ROI Healthcare Solutions is quick to replace them. (ROI Healthcare Solutions is also measured for ERP staffing—see below.)

Chartis Group and Impact Advisors—New to ERP Implementation—Show Early Success

Chartis Group and Impact Advisors, though experienced in many other consulting areas, are newer to implementing ERP software systems. An early look at these firms shows positive client experiences across multiple ERP solutions. Interviewed Chartis Group clients (limited data) praise the firm for having strong subject-matter experts who offer best practices, deliver on time, and are well versed in change management. As a result, one organization mentioned they felt comfortable letting Chartis Group take the lead, and others report achieving organizational efficiencies and cost savings. One client would have liked stronger recommendations from Chartis Group and feel the firm can be expensive. Clients of Impact Advisors (limited data) say the firm is a true partner and challenges them in positive ways. The firm is seen by respondents as strategic, skilled at project management, fair in pricing, and good at coming in on budget.