ERP Project Rescue – Engage Phase: Rebuilding Communication to Save Your ERP 

ERP projects rarely fail due to a single technical glitch—they fail silently. When communication collapses, frustration replaces collaboration, and no one feels ownership, a project becomes humanly disconnected. 

After a deep diagnostic in the Research phase, the second step in our R.E.S.C.U.E. framework is Engage. This phase isn’t about sending more emails or meetings—it’s about rebuilding broken bridges between leaders, users, and support teams. 

When called to rescue a struggling ERP project, we often hear: 

• “The system doesn’t do what we asked.” 

• “There are performance issues.” 

But these are typically symptoms of deeper issues. The Engage phase targets the invisible forces that sabotage ERP efforts: 

• Distrust between functional and technical teams. 

• Frustration from unmet deadlines and broken promises. 

• Information silos where departments guard turf instead of collaborating. 

• Leadership fatigue, when overwhelmed managers begin reacting rather than leading. 

Engage means stopping inertia, bringing the right people together, and facilitating the difficult discussions everyone has avoided. 

At KALM Consulting, we view the Engage phase as reconstruction of the human infrastructure behind your ERP effort. We don’t assign blame—we create alignment. 

Our method is based on facilitated, safe spaces for dialogue: 

🧭 Map the Influence Network 

We identify formal leaders (Project Managers, Directors), but also the informal influencers—key users and technical champions whose support is essential for progress. 

🌪 Facilitate a Productive Catharsis 

We lead workshops that allow tension and misunderstandings to surface in a structured, constructive environment. This emotional release is often the key to unlocking project paralysis. 

🧩 Align and Document Commitments 

We guide teams through redefining roles, clarifying responsibilities, and aligning ERP expectations. These agreements are visually documented, forming a shared roadmap and point of reference. 

📡 Restore Communication Channels 

To prevent issues from being buried again, we help design fast, effective communication routines. This phase uses active listening, neutral facilitation, and a solution-focused mindset. 

Many well-documented studies by leading consultancies underline that the majority of ERP projects fail to meet their objectives: 

• Research by Gartner indicates that between 55% and 75% of ERP implementations either fail outright or fall short of their intended goals.

• Panorama Consulting reports that around 50% of ERP initiatives fail on their first attempt, and most exceed their budgets by 3–4×, while 43% extend beyond original timelines

📌 Key Drivers Behind ERP Failure: 

• Poor planning and underestimating complexity: Many ERP projects end up running as much as 30% longer than originally planned because the initial scope and requirements were not thoroughly defined.
• Lack of leadership and change management: When executive sponsors are not actively engaged and change management is not well-structured, adoption rates drop and project objectives become misaligned.
• Insufficient testing and training: In troubled implementations, training and user adoption often receive less than 10% of the total ERP budget, leaving teams unprepared to fully leverage the system.

Together, these findings reinforce that human and organizational issues—not the technology itself—are more often at the root of ERP breakdowns. 

👇 The Rushed Implementation 

A large multinational in the food industry compressed a 48-month ERP rollout into just 30 months to meet a regulatory deadline. Inadequate testing and poor user training led to system errors, unfulfilled orders, and revenue losses in the hundreds of millions. The main issue: misaligned leadership priorities and unrealistic timelines. 

👟 The Forecasting Collapse 

A global apparel and footwear brand invested hundreds of millions in a new ERP-driven supply chain system. Integration glitches caused inventory chaos—some products overstocked, others unavailable—resulting in massive lost sales and a sharp drop in stock value. The problem: disconnect between IT and business operations, and insufficient pilot testing. 

🏬 The Over-Customization Trap 

A major European retailer spent years customizing their ERP to match old internal processes instead of adapting workflows to best practices. Over time, the system became so complex and costly to maintain that the project was abandoned entirely. The root cause: resistance to change and lack of governance over customization requests. 

✈️ The Scope Expansion Disaster 

A large government agency launched an ambitious ERP program intended to replace dozens of legacy systems. Costs ballooned past the billion-dollar mark, and years later, only a fraction of the original scope had been delivered. The culprit: scope creep, lack of accountability, and failure to align decision-makers around realistic objectives. 

By re-establishing trust and team alignment, Engage addresses root ERP failure causes: 

• Distrust and silos fall away as people talk, align, and co-own decisions. 

• Low adoption and resistance become manageable when formal and informal leaders participate. 

• Frustration and fatigue are vented and structured into productive commitments. 

• Lack of accountability is replaced by clearly defined roles and shared expectations. 

While Engage doesn’t rewrite ERP code, it transforms the project environment. Outcomes include: 

• From silos to synergy: a unified team with shared ERP goals 

• Restored trust: people feel safe challenging, creating, and collaborating 

• Clarity and accountability: roles, decisions, and expectations transparent 

• Emotional readiness: renewed commitment for technical work ahead 

You’re not just fixing communication—you’re preparing your people to fix the system. 

1. Use influence mapping to ensure informal leaders are involved. 

2. Moderate open workshops (catharsis sessions) with ground rules to keep dialogue constructive. 

3. Visualize commitments using shared tools (roadmaps, dashboards). 

4. Establish short feedback loops post-workshops to reinforce trust and progress. 

5. Track early wins—celebrate team alignment early to build momentum. 

You can have top-tier ERP software, but if your team doesn’t collaborate, communicate, and commit, the project will fail. Software can’t automate trust or enforce human alignment. 

Engage is where you heal the team so you can heal the project—realign, reconnect, and relaunch toward ERP success. 

Book a free 30-minute session with an ERP Rescue Specialist from KALM Consulting. Let us help you rebuild trust, regain focus, and restore your ERP implementation’s momentum.