“Many companies implement large ERP systems only to find that the employees have drifted away from the software and back onto spreadsheets. As a result, investment in ERP software, process re-engineering, and training is lost within two years. ERP becomes a huge burden instead of the solution. The system must be configured and the processes need to be reengineered so that they match. If this is done properly, then the ERP system can be used to run the business. It is vital to provide training to employees and to enforce discipline to keep the staff using the software, preventing personnel from reverting back to spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are not integrated and data is not shared or visible to the rest of the company.”
—
Demers & Sathyanarayanan, 2003; Penn State University SCM 860, 2009