>>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>-- >>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->> --->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--->>>--
The biggest risk of rolling out an ERP across your organization is not picking the wrong platform. It is spending $10 million on one that nobody wants to use. Good UX is what bridges that gap -- and it is something you can apply to almost any ERP, whether you are starting fresh or stuck with a legacy system.
What Is an ERP and Why Does UX Matter So Much?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software helps large organizations manage day-to-day operations by connecting a wide range of business processes into a single structure. At its best, an ERP is a single source of truth -- a central hub for end-to-end workflow and data across the whole business.
But a system that large and all-encompassing is genuinely hard to build and maintain. How do you create a common data structure that works across the entire enterprise? How do you accommodate workflows ranging from finance to engineering to operations? And how do you build a user experience compelling enough that people actually adopt and use your expensive new system?
These are not just problems for digital-native businesses. Industries from meat packing to manufacturing to construction are digitizing their operations through enterprise-wide solutions. We have worked with organizations across all of them, and we have seen the same challenges come up time and again.
Why Are ERPs So Hard to Use?
The Swiss Army Knife Problem
Many ERPs are like Swiss Army knives. They provide a base structure on which apps are built and customized for different parts of the business. The ERP powers each app, which feeds data back into the ERP as things happen across the organization.
These platforms promise everything to everyone. Marketing, operations, HR -- they claim to handle it all within a single structure. Their big selling points are lower cost of ownership and increased productivity and performance.
But anyone who has lost the tweezers or tried to cut something with the scissors from a Swiss Army knife knows they have their limits. Useful in a pinch, but not always reliable, replaceable, or comfortable to use.
The same applies to ERPs. The apps built on top of them are only customizable to a point. Full customization would break the central structure and render the whole thing obsolete.
The Usability vs. Customization Trap
ERPs navigate a constant tension between customization and usability, and most land badly on one side or the other.
ERPs that offer lots of customization tend not to be particularly usable. They offer watered-down UI components designed for the lowest common denominator. The average user struggles to navigate all the configuration options. Sometimes it takes a team of developers fluent in the ERP's specific code just to customize the solution for one part of the business.
ERPs that lead with usability tend to be less customizable. To deliver a strong user experience, they need to maintain control over UI elements throughout the platform -- which limits how much each team can tailor the system to their specific needs. That might work for a smaller business, but it falls apart in a complex enterprise.
So what does a business leader do? Choose a more customizable solution and sacrifice usability, or choose clean UX and limit customization?
Too often, the answer comes down to budgets. The larger the organization, the further removed the leadership team is from day-to-day operations. Executives see the ERP less as a product people need to use and more as a line item in the budget. Some organizations with lower tech maturity may not even have a CTO thinking about these questions at a deeper level.
It can feel like there is no solution that works. Offer too many configurations and you end up with something too complex to use. Offer something clean and comfortable and you risk missing the details that protect your data integrity.
What Does a Better ERP Experience Actually Look Like?
A Task-Based Swiss Army Knife
What is better than a general Swiss Army knife? One built for a specific situation. There are now Swiss Army knives made for hunting, fishing, cycling, and camping -- each with tools designed for the particular tasks of that activity.
That is what an effective ERP should be. You still need a centralized database and some standardization. But what if your HR, Sales, Supply Chain, and other teams each had their own user experience built on top of that centralized structure? Would that not be far more likely to get adopted and used across the business?
Consider the difference in needs:
- A manufacturing line worker needs to see a limited amount of data related to the specific tasks they are trying to do -- inputs and outputs mapped to their workflow so they get the right thing at the right time
- An executive management team needs dashboards and interfaces that let them click in and out of various levels of detail across every function
Trying to build one experience that meets both of those needs results in an experience that meets neither. What matters to all users is that they see the data they need in a way that feels comfortable and actionable. That means something very different to the frontline worker than it does to the management team.
Why Dashboards Are Not the Easy Answer
One of the most common questions we get from clients is how to create an effective dashboard. When faced with the challenge of simplifying a complex environment, dashboards seem like the obvious answer. They are not -- at least not if you are doing them right.
Dashboards are tempting because they put all the data in one place and let the user sort it out. The problem is that most people do not know what they want until they see it. Throwing a bunch of stuff onto a dashboard leads to confusion and frustration.
By cluttering too many options into a limited space, you put the burden on users to figure it out. Unless they are a power user with very clear and repetitive tasks, they are unlikely to do that. Most users do not have the time or technical capability to customize a dashboard. Just because the option is there does not mean people will use it.
Dashboards are one of the most common examples of what happens when you avoid having an opinion about the UX of your product. Would you rather look at an unfocused dashboard or explore an interface that shows roughly 75% or more of what you are likely to need?
In our experience, it is far better to take an educated guess. Build out a basic level of UX that directs specific users to specific data and helps them do specific tasks. You will learn how to refine and improve it over time. But if you overwhelm users with useless information that confuses them, you make adoption that much harder.
How to Use Great UX to Optimize Your ERP
No matter your industry or the ERP you are using, there are opportunities to apply solid UX principles to make it better.
If you are starting fresh: In an ideal world, you have the time and resources to map out the end-to-end experience for all your user personas before you even choose an ERP. You will see your employees' challenges from their perspective and choose a solution that helps overcome them.
If you are working with a legacy system: There is still room for improvement. Take time to understand specific user workflows and identify how you can tweak the UX to fit. Find ways to show people across the business how your ERP can help them, rather than waiting and hoping they discover it on their own.
Either way, do not fall into the trap of thinking there is a one-size-fits-all approach. Take the time to listen to your employees and understand how they do their jobs. Then build custom UX flows on top of that within the confines of your ERP.
You will have more success adapting your ERP to fit your workflows than trying to get your workflows to adapt to the limitations of your ERP. We have seen it time and again. As Elon Musk puts it, "building the machine that builds the machine" is often the ultimate key to business success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest reason ERP implementations fail? The most common reason is poor adoption. Organizations spend millions on an ERP and then fail to invest in the user experience that would make employees actually want to use it. A system nobody uses delivers no value regardless of how powerful it is.
Can you improve UX on an ERP you are already locked into? Yes. Even within a legacy system, there is usually room to map user workflows, identify friction points, and adjust the experience to fit how people actually work. You do not need to start from scratch to make meaningful improvements.
Why do ERP dashboards so often fail users? Most dashboards fail because they dump data in one place and leave users to figure it out. People do not know what they need until they see it, so an overwhelming dashboard creates confusion rather than clarity. A more opinionated interface that surfaces the right data for each user type will outperform a fully configurable one almost every time.
How do you balance ERP customization with usability? The key is to stop trying to build one experience for everyone. Use the ERP's centralized structure as your foundation, then build task-specific user experiences on top of it for different teams and roles. Frontline workers and executives need fundamentally different interfaces -- and they should have them.
When in the ERP selection process should UX be considered? Ideally before you choose a platform at all. Mapping out your user personas and their workflows first gives you a much clearer picture of what you actually need from an ERP. But if you are already committed to a system, UX improvements can still be made at any stage.
Get Educated