ERP Projects Don’t Start With Software — They Start With People

Alex at FitGap

23 Nov 2025 — 4 min read

A few years ago, I was part of a sales team preparing to pitch Dynamics 365 Finance to a potential customer.
We were polishing the demo environment, aligning talking points, and getting ready to showcase functionality.

Then the sales director walked in, looked at us, and said something that changed how I see ERP implementations forever:

“Before we think about the system, we need to understand the people.
Who signs the check? Who influences them? Who could block us? Who is afraid of this project?”

At that moment, I realized something I had never been taught in any training, certification, or methodology:

ERP projects don’t start with systems — they start with psychology.

If you want the broader “big picture” of what ERP transformation really demands (governance, ownership, finance dynamics, and the human layer), start here:
👉 https://www.fitgapfinance.com/erp-transformation-practical-guide/

1. The First Step of Any ERP Project: Mapping the Human Landscape

Before the first requirement is gathered, before any process workshop begins, the real game is already underway.

The sales director explained the personas we needed to identify:

The Decision Maker

The person who signs the budget.
(If you want a deeper view on how leadership shapes ERP decisions, see:
👉 Real-Life ERP Implementation Lessons)

The Champion

The one who wants the project to succeed.

The Skeptic

The one who thinks the organization managed just fine without an ERP.

The Blocker

The person who sees the new system as a threat — sometimes because it exposes manual workarounds or eliminates informal control.

The Middle Manager

Caught between top-down pressure and bottom-up fear.

The End Users

The people who will live in the system daily — and whose anxiety is often underestimated.

The IT Lead

Focused on governance and stability.

👉 D365 Finance Security & Governance Approach

The Finance Lead

Wants clarity, accuracy, and structure — especially during the critical first months after go-live.

Understanding these personas often matters more than understanding the feature list.

2. Everyone Talks About ERP “Scope,” but No One Talks About Human Politics

Here’s what no methodology, certification, or vendor demo ever admits:

ERP decisions are political.
ERP resistance is emotional.
ERP adoption is psychological.

The conflicting pressures start immediately:

The Decision Maker wants transformation
Middle management wants stability
End users want simplicity
Finance wants control
IT wants governance
The integrator wants scope discipline

These pressures collide long before the system is configured.

This is why ERP implementations often struggle — not because of functionality, but because of misaligned human agendas.

For technical examples of where human and system tensions collide, see:
👉 ERP Data Migration Traps

3. The Sales Director’s Lesson That Changed Everything

During that pre-sales meeting, the sales director said something I’ll never forget:

“If we don’t understand the people, the best demo in the world won’t matter.”

He was absolutely right.

Because:

If the Decision Maker doesn’t feel confident → the project won’t get funded.
If the Champion doesn’t feel empowered → the project loses momentum.
If the Skeptic doesn’t feel heard → alignment collapses.
If the Blocker doesn’t feel safe → resistance begins.
If users don’t feel supported → adoption fails.

ERP success is always human first, technical second.

For a system-level example of misunderstandings causing chaos, read:
👉 Ledger vs Subledger in D365 Finance

4. ERP Is Not a Technology Project — It’s an Identity Shift

ERP forces organizations to confront questions they usually avoid:

Why do we do things this way?
Who really owns this process?
Who is gaining visibility?
Who is losing informal control?
Which manual workarounds will disappear?
Who feels exposed by standardization?

ERP changes power structures, clarity, accountability, and visibility.

And people react — emotionally, politically, socially.

It’s natural.
It’s predictable.
And it must be understood.

5. What I Wish More Organizations Understood

Here is the truth most leaders only realize too late:

ERP failures rarely happen because of the software.
They happen because of humans.

The real checklist for ERP success isn’t about modules or configurations.
It’s about:

Mapping human power structures
Understanding fears and motivations
Spotting unspoken agendas
Building champions early
Communicating honestly
Supporting people through uncertainty
Bridging IT and Finance expectations
Creating clarity instead of pressure

Every ERP transformation is a human transformation.

If you ignore that, no system will ever work as intended.

6. The FitGap Philosophy: Business + Systems + Humans

FitGap Finance has always focused on business-first ERP guidance —
but business is made up of people, not flowcharts.

If you ignore the human dimension, you end up with:

Configurations no one follows
Workflows no one uses
Reports no one trusts
Security roles no one understands
Training no one absorbs

ERP systems don’t fail because of functionality.
They fail because organizations ignore the human layer that makes the functionality work.

If you want more context on how technical decisions and human behavior collide, see:
👉 D365 Finance Reporting Gaps

Conclusion: Start With the Room, Not the System

Before the functional workshops, before the demos, before the solution design, gather your team and answer the real questions:

Who signs the check?
Who influences them?
Who needs reassurance?
Who is afraid?
Who will quietly resist?
Who can help us succeed?

Because ERP projects don’t fail for technical reasons.

They fail when organizations ignore the human side of transformation.

For the full reference guide that ties together governance, ownership, finance dynamics, and human resistance, see:
👉 https://www.fitgapfinance.com/erp-transformation-practical-guide/