David Starkings looks at implementation and adoption success, sharing a framework for building digital competence
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems represent significant investments for organisations, yet their implementation success rates remain concerningly low. Despite advances in technology, approximately 60% of ERP projects fail to deliver their anticipated benefits. The primary cause isn’t technical issues but rather human factors – specifically, inadequate digital adoption strategies that leave employees struggling to embrace new systems and processes.
Frustration often leads to system rejection and a return to legacy processes, undermining the very transformation the organisation sought to achieve
Digital adoption is no longer something to think about after an ERP system goes live—it’s a critical success factor that needs to be built in from day one. Too often, businesses focus on the technical rollout, only to find employees struggling to adapt, leading to slow adoption, errors and frustration.
But where do organisations go wrong, and how can they turn adoption into a seamless, strategic advantage?
The human element: Why ERP implementations struggle
Technical functionality alone doesn’t guarantee ERP success. When employees cannot effectively navigate new systems, productivity plummets, workarounds proliferate and data quality suffers. These issues create ripple effects throughout the organisation:
- Finance teams struggle to close monthly books efficiently
- Supply chain operations experience delays and disruptions
- Customer service representatives cannot access needed information
- Management lacks accurate reporting for decision-making
The resulting frustration often leads to system rejection and a return to legacy processes, undermining the very transformation the organisation sought to achieve.
Get the timing right
Successful ERP adoption requires reframing how organisations approach implementation. Rather than viewing training as an event that occurs immediately before go-live, digital adoption must begin at the project’s inception. By involving employees from the outset, organisations provide sufficient time for staff to process planned changes and recognise personal benefits they stand to gain.
Early involvement offers multiple advantages:
- Users develop a sense of ownership and greater willingness to accept changes
- Employees can voice concerns and contribute valuable insights during planning
- Staff feel valued and become motivated to learn
- Early adopters often become champions who spread enthusiasm among colleagues
This approach transforms resistance into engagement by making users active participants rather than passive recipients of change.
Performance support: Meeting users at their moment of need
Traditional training approaches often fail ERP implementations because they rely heavily on pre-implementation instruction that users quickly forget when faced with real applications. Research on the forgetting curve suggests learners lose up to 90% of training content within a week without practical application.
Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) address this challenge by providing contextual support precisely when users need it. These tools deliver guidance directly within the ERP application itself, offering:
- Step-by-step instructions for completing tasks
- Interactive learning options within the workflow
- Process documentation and business rules
- Contextual help that adapts to the user’s current activity
This performance support approach maintains productivity while building competence organically through daily use. Users gain confidence knowing assistance is always available, encouraging them to explore system capabilities beyond basic functions.
Creating safe learning environments through testing and simulation
One of the biggest blockers to ERP adoption? Fear.
Nobody wants to be the person who accidentally corrupts financial data or messes up inventory records. This fear leads to hesitation, slows down adoption, and keeps employees from exploring the system’s full potential.
Comprehensive learning environments offer a solution by providing realistic but consequence-free spaces for employees to experiment. These environments allow staff to:
- Practice completing common tasks without impacting live data
- Explore different approaches to solving problems
- Build confidence through repeated successful interactions
- Get familiar with the system before receiving it
Learning and Development teams can enhance these environments by creating guided scenarios that simulate real-world situations. These simulations bridge the gap between abstract training and practical application, accelerating competence development while reducing anxiety about the transition, with knowledge checks along the way to reinforce the retention.
Beyond completion metrics: Measuring adoption success
If your ERP adoption strategy only tracks training completion rates in the LMS, you’re missing the bigger picture.
More useful metrics include:
- Reduction in support tickets related to basic functionality
- Decrease in process completion times as users become more efficient
- Improvement in data quality as users understand proper input requirements
- Increase in utilisation of advanced features beyond basic transactions
- User confidence ratings gathered through periodic surveys
By tracking these indicators, L&D professionals can identify specific areas requiring additional support and demonstrate the concrete business impact of their adoption initiatives.
Case study: From resistance to embracement
A manufacturing organisation implementing SAP S/4HANA initially faced significant resistance from its workforce of 5,000 employees. Many had used the legacy system for over a decade and viewed the change as unnecessary disruption. The organisation’s traditional approach, classroom training two weeks before go-live, proved inadequate, with productivity dropping dramatically following implementation.
When they rolled out phase two, they took a different approach:
- Employee representatives joined planning sessions 12 months before implementation
- A digital adoption platform provided in-application guidance
- Simulation environments allowed consequence-free practice
- Champions from each department received advanced training
- Adoption metrics tracked actual usage patterns, not just training completion
The results demonstrated the value of this approach:
- 40% reduction in support tickets compared to phase one
- Productivity returned to pre-implementation levels within three weeks (versus three months)
- Employee satisfaction with the system improved by 65%
- Business processes were executed correctly from day one, maintaining data integrity
Building digital competence as a continuous process
Perhaps the most significant shift in approach involves recognising that digital adoption is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process. As ERP systems continuously evolve through updates, enhancements and expansion to new business areas, organisations must foster a culture of continuous learning.
This requires:
- Regular communication about system changes and enhancements
- Continuous refreshing of performance support materials
- Recognition of digital competence achievements
- Communities of practice where users share tips and solutions
- Feedback mechanisms enabling users to contribute to system improvements
By embedding these practices, businesses create sustainable digital competence that extends beyond any single implementation project.
Final thoughts: it’s about more than just getting the system live
Successful ERP adoption represents far more than technical proficiency; it requires a thoughtful approach to human learning and adaptation. Learning professionals play a crucial role in bridging the gap between technological potential and practical reality.
By involving employees early, providing contextual support, creating safe learning environments, measuring meaningful outcomes and fostering continuous improvement, organisations can transform ERP implementations from technological events to meaningful business transformations.
The result is not just a functioning system, but a digitally competent workforce prepared to leverage technology for competitive advantage.
David Starkings is UK Technology Adoption Consultant at tts digital adoption solutions
