New (ERP) Systems are Again Top of Mind

Enough waiting around, the world is still turning.

Since the third week of August, I've seen a distinct uptick in the market looking for new ERPs. 

Here's an anecdotal story.

Got an email 2 weeks ago from a company that saw me on a Vistage Network feed last APRIL describing our process for ERP Selection and Implementation.

You read that right - he saw my post last APRIL (think tariff day-to-day crazy time) - and was finally reaching out in the beginning of SEPTEMBER.

Turns out this company is on Microsoft Great Plains and reading the writing on the wall. And they're not the only ones. Between MS GP losing support in 2029, holding out for 2+ years, and the AI boom, many companies are looking to get a move on now.

Here is what I'm seeing in the market.
1. We want to get off Great Plains before the "Rush"

Microsoft Great Plains will no longer be supported by MS as of 2029. While this may seem like a long way out, in the world of ERP selection/implementation, it really is not. It takes ~1.5-2 years to implement a new system from start to finish (i.e. from the time the company decides they're going to look for something new to when it is implemented and everyone in the organization is using it). I do think that savvy companies will try to get ahead of the "rush" to exit Great Plains and MOVE to get started on that lengthy process in the next 1-2 quarters.

2. We missed the "New Tech" wave during COVID

Companies in general that did not jump on a new system with COVID have been sitting on old systems for an extended period of time due to high interest rates and market uncertainty (election, tariffs, etc.). Between 2023-2025 they've done nothing and if they felt the pain of their old DOS-based F2/F3/F4 systems then, it is really compounding now. With rates dropping, tariffs somewhat stable, and piling up cash reserves; these companies are ready to invest in growth, and we all know that nothing can scale on an outdated ERP.

3. Our Competition is using AI / New Tech better than us

Finally, AI is exploding and many new system providers (Netsuite, Microsoft, industry systems, etc.) are working to build AI capabilities into their software. Companies that move forward with a technology leader will be able to capitalize on these gains sooner than others. That being said, I do think the incumbents (MS, Netsuite, Acumatica, Sage) are at risk of not moving fast enough in this realm, and completely new players (AI native) will become more prevalent as time goes on. Still, the accounting function is likely to be an area of high risk (compliance) and getting it all right will be challenging for new players. That means established software may be leveraged for their robust Finance modules with more "bolt-ons" (integrations) to new AI native use case applications.

So what does AJC Company do to help? 

We help companies understand what they really need and what is possible - then we guide them to finding the right system or family of systems to accomplish their goals. We stick around to ensure that their new software stack is actually implemented and everyone who needs to use it to do their jobs is actually using it, minimizing the risk of paying for software that no one uses (which I lovingly refer to as dumping one's ROI down the toilet).

If this scenario applies to you or a friend, give me a call or forward this newsletter. You might only do one ERP implementation every "so many" years, but we do so many *every* year, and ensure this critical project not only gets started - but also GETS DONE.

Friends don't let Friends ERP Alone.
Contact us TODAY.

"Ambiguity is the Enemy of Execution." 

Disclaimer: No AI LLMs were used in the making of this newsletter so if you think the writing sucks, please keep it to yourself.