How To Build Adaptable ERPs
Modern businesses move fast—but many ERP systems don’t. In a recently published article from Forbes, council member and Dynamics Square co-founder Manish Goyal argues that traditional ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems were built for stability and control, not constant change. As markets, regulations, and customer expectations evolve, companies are discovering their ERP platforms can’t keep up. In fact, research from McKinsey & Company shows only about 20% of organizations capture more than half of their expected ERP benefits—often because they treat ERP as a technical project instead of a strategic foundation.
Goyal’s solution is to rethink ERP as composable, configurable, and continuously evolving. Instead of relying on monolithic systems, he points to the idea of composable ERP—an approach championed by Gartner—where modular components can be assembled and reassembled as business needs change. The goal isn’t to eliminate a stable core, but to separate what must stay consistent from what can flex. He also warns against heavy customization. Research from the University of Agder and Deloitte suggests too much custom code increases cost and complexity. Instead, organizations should prioritize configurability—using business rules, APIs, and low-code tools to adapt processes without breaking the system. Most importantly, ERP shouldn’t be treated as a one-time transformation. It should evolve continuously through disciplined governance, cross-functional oversight, and incremental updates. The takeaway is to stop thinking of ERP as a project you “finish.” Start treating it as a platform you continuously refine to keep pace with strategy and change.
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