Let's be honest about something uncomfortable: the ERP implementation industry has a stretch-the-truth problem.
Not outright lies, exactly. More like... optimistic oversimplifications. Convenient omissions. Things that sound great in sales presentations but fall apart in reality.
After 15+ years implementing Odoo ERP across Australian manufacturing, distribution and renewable energy businesses, we have seen cilents given the same rosy promises that lead to the same predictable disasters.
So here is what some implementation partners won't tell you, but we will, because we would rather have happy clients who succeed than disappointed ones who got sold a fantasy.
Lie #1: "This will make everything easier immediately"
What they say: "You will see productivity gains from day one!"
The truth? For the first three months, everything will be harder. Your team will be slower. Tasks that took 30 seconds will take 5 minutes while people figure out the new system. Your best employees, the ones who had perfected workarounds in your old system, will be genuinely frustrated.
This isn't a sign something is wrong. It is the learning curve every single business goes through.
Lie #2: "Two days of training is enough"
What they say: "We will train your team on Tuesday and Wednesday, you will be live on Thursday!"
The truth? Sure, we can teach someone where the buttons are in two days. We can show them how to create a sales order, receive stock, and process an invoice.
But actually understanding how to use the system for your specific workflows? Handling returns with partial credit notes. Managing consignment stock from three different suppliers. Processing back-orders when stock arrives in tranches. Dealing with the customer who wants special pricing on bulk orders but split delivery.
That takes months of practice, real-world scenarios, questions, mistakes and gradual mastery.
Lie #3: "Just get executive buy-in and you're set"
What they say: "Make sure the CEO and CFO are on board!"
The truth? Executive buy-in is necessary but nowhere near sufficient.
You know who actually needs to be engaged from day one? Sarah in dispatch. The warehouse supervisor who has been here 15 years and knows exactly which suppliers are reliable, which products always have stock issues, and which customers need special handling.
The admin person who processes 200 orders a week and has mental shortcuts for everything. The accounts person who reconciles supplier statements and knows where all the edge cases hide.
These aren't "users to be trained", they are stakeholders whose entire working day will fundamentally change. And if they are not on board? They will find creative ways to avoid using your expensive new system.
Lie #4: "We will handle all the technical stuff, don't worry about it"
What they say: "You focus on running your business, we will handle the implementation!"
The truth? This sounds great until you realise you are the expert on your business and we are the experts on the software. Neither of us can do this alone.
We can't build you a system that handles your unique supplier arrangements, customer pricing structures and operational workflows if you don't explain them to us. In detail. With examples. Multiple times.
And "it is complicated" isn't an answer. Complicated is fine, we just need to understand it.
Lie #5: "It will be a smooth cutover"
What they say: "We have done this hundreds of times, it will be seamless!"
The truth? Despite meticulous planning, testing and preparation, something unexpected will happen on launch day.
A supplier will send a format you have never seen before. A customer will place a complex order that hits three edge cases simultaneously. Your internet will drop during peak period. Someone will discover a workflow that nobody mentioned in six months of scoping.
This isn't pessimism or poor planning. It is 15+ years of implementation experience teaching us that real-world usage always reveals things testing doesn't.
Setting reasonable expectations
Every disaster we have seen (and we have seen plenty, both our mistakes and competitors' ongoing ones) traces back to unrealistic expectations set during the initial consultation process.
When clients understand the real challenges, the learning curve, the time commitment, the importance of frontline engagement, the need for contingency planning - they succeed. They budget appropriately. They plan realistically. They set proper expectations with their teams.
The alternative? Tell clients what they want to hear, win the contract, then watch them panic when reality doesn't match the pitch. We were guilty of that before. Know what happened? Stressed clients, rushed implementations, unhappy teams and relationships that ended at go-live instead of lasting for years.
What this means for your business
If you are considering ERP implementation, ask your potential partners:
- "What happens in month one when productivity drops?"
- "How long should we budget for the learning curve?"
- "Who from our team needs to be involved, and how much time will it take?"
- "What's your plan when something goes wrong on launch day?"
- "What does support look like 3 months after go-live?"
If they give you reassuring but vague answers, be sceptical. If they give you honest but uncomfortable answers, you are probably talking to the right people.
Digital transformation is messy, challenging and genuinely difficult. It disrupts comfortable workflows, requires learning new skills, demands time from your team and needs patience from everyone involved.
But when approached honestly, with realistic expectations, proper stakeholder engagement, robust contingency planning and ongoing support, it will transform how your business operate.