RSMUS.comLessons from the field on keeping ERP projects moving
When a NetSuite implementation misses its date or blows the budget, the cause is almost never technical. It is a small set of patterns we see on nearly every troubled project. Spotting them early is the difference between a clean go live and a year of rework.
Customizing before the system is understood
The most common pattern. Teams move to customize NetSuite before anyone has run a full cycle on the standard configuration. Legacy workflows get rebuilt instead of replaced, and the project takes on debt that compounds for years.
What this costs you:
- Longer development and testing cycles
- Implementation cost that climbs well past the original number
- Upgrades and maintenance that get harder every release
The discipline is simple. Run the business on standard first. Perfect it later, once the team actually knows what the system does.
Unclear ownership and slow decisions
An ERP project is thousands of decisions stacked end to end. When ownership is unclear, decisions stall. When decisions stall, the project stops moving, and the timeline does not care that you have not picked yet.
Warning signs we look for:
- Too many reviewers, no clear decider
- Settled topics getting reopened
- Authority for finance, operations, and reporting decisions left undefined
The successful projects name the decision owners for each area before the work starts. Not after.
Data that is not ready to migrate
Data is the second biggest source of delay. Inconsistent customer records, half built vendor masters, and years of unused data turn testing into a guessing exercise.
The reality is that not all historical data is worth bringing forward. The projects that move fastest are the ones that decide upfront what data has to come over, what gets archived, and what gets left behind.
Underestimating the internal effort
NetSuite implementations are not something you hand to a partner and walk away from. Finance, operations, and leadership have to be in design sessions, validation, testing, and training. When that effort is underestimated at kickoff, the project falls behind in week three and never catches up.
Setting realistic expectations on internal time is one of the most undervalued moves a sponsor can make.
How RSM keeps these from happening
Our delivery approach is built around the four patterns above. Clear governance, proven configuration baselines, and realistic effort planning, applied from kickoff, not from the first time the project goes sideways. The result is faster decisions, less unnecessary customization, timelines that hold, and fewer surprises after go live.
If you are planning a NetSuite implementation and want a realistic view of where projects slow down and how to avoid it, we can help you start with clarity instead of assumptions.
Paul Miller
Paul Miller serves as Director for RSM US LLP. With over nine years of experience in technology and services, Paul has contributed to establishing value-driven consulting practices and executing innovative go-to-market strategies in previous roles at Outreach and NetSuite. Motivated by a commitment to fostering client relationships and empowering teams, Paul's focus remains on delivering measurable business outcomes while navigating dynamic industry landscapes.