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Summary – Complex processes, redundant data entry and lack of traceability slow digitalization and delay ERP ROI if deployment stays rigid. The traditional method causes delays, budget overruns and disconnected specs, while an agile approach breaks the project into sprints, continuously aligns backlog with business needs and ensures iterative migrations and testing to reduce defects and boost adoption. Solution: combine strong governance, a modular microservices/API architecture and agile management led by an expert integrator for audits, tailored automations, phased training and ongoing support.
When processes become too complex, manual entries multiply, and traceability is lost, an enterprise resource planning system becomes the solution to unify data and streamline operations.
Recognizing that the success of a deployment depends on more than just the choice of tool, the implementation approach is crucial to quickly deliver business value and reduce risks. Between the traditional sequential method and the agile approach, which should you choose for a controlled and scalable ERP project? This article deconstructs the drawbacks of Waterfall, the advantages of agility, the importance of a modular architecture, and the key role of the integration partner.
Limitations of the Waterfall Method for an ERP Project
The rigidity and linear phase progression lead to delays, budget overruns, and business stakeholder dissatisfaction. Late deliveries often create a mismatch between the defined scope and the actual needs emerging during the project.
Rigidity of the Specification Phases
The Waterfall method relies on an initial exhaustive documentation phase before any development begins. This approach may seem reassuring, but it fails to account for the inevitable evolution of business requirements over time.
In practice, the initial requirements gathering often remains incomplete: certain constraints or regulatory changes surface once the project is underway. This leads to numerous change requests, which either slow progress or inflate the scope without adjusting the schedule.
Technical teams then find themselves caught between a fixed timeline and shifting specifications. This misalignment creates a domino effect: development delays, multiple revisions, and extra testing—all of which weigh heavily on the budget and team morale.
Poor Alignment Between IT and Business Objectives
Without frequent checkpoints, the project’s original vision quickly diverges between decision-makers and operational teams. Each group interprets the specifications in its own way, resulting in discrepancies during user acceptance testing.
End users, consulted only at final validation, often discover incomplete or ill-fitting modules. They then submit their needs in a fragmented manner—often as urgent tickets—disrupting the developers’ schedule and workload.
Management must urgently arbitrate poorly anticipated priorities, leading to compromises on core functionalities or solution quality. In the end, the ERP meets neither business expectations nor the required performance standards.
Compromised Data Management and Traceability
In a Waterfall project, initial data collection is often considered secondary and pushed to the end of the cycle. This approach harms the quality and consistency of the reference data used by the ERP.
When data migration occurs too late, anomalies appear: duplicates, heterogeneous formats, undocumented processes. These defects are detected during testing, requiring tedious manual corrections and a full revalidation.
The lack of traceability between legacy systems and the ERP complicates history tracking and transaction auditing. Compliance and quality officers struggle to justify data reliability, hampering adoption and scaling of the solution.
Example: A mid-sized Swiss industrial company launched its ERP project according to a strict Waterfall schedule. By the testing phase, over 40% of supplier data was inconsistent. Manual correction delayed go-live by six months, illustrating the impact of late data handling and insufficient traceability.
Benefits of an Agile Approach for an ERP
Agility enables the regular delivery of functional modules and the collection of business feedback at each sprint. It secures priorities by continuously aligning progress with strategic objectives.
Functional Increments and Continuous Feedback
Rather than waiting for a full-scale delivery, the agile approach breaks the project into successive deliverables. Each increment provides a testable, usable, or demonstrable feature for the business.
This method encourages rapid validation of hypotheses and integrated processes. Business teams identify discrepancies earlier and can redirect development before correction costs become prohibitive.
By adopting two- to four-week sprints, the project maintains a steady, transparent pace. Each demo becomes an adjustment point, ensuring consistency between the solution and real needs.
Dynamic Backlog Prioritization
The backlog becomes the central management tool, listing and ranking user stories by business value and risk level. This granular view makes it easier to decide which features to deliver first.
Decisions are made continuously based on observed performance and changing context. A regulatory update or new commercial opportunity can be integrated without disrupting the entire schedule.
This flexibility prevents resource waste on developments that become less strategic. It ensures a constant focus on what creates the most value, both on the surface and in depth, for the company.
Example: A Swiss financial services firm adopted an Agile approach to deploy its order management modules. After three sprints, users validated the automated approval flow, achieving a 30% reduction in processing time during the pilot phase—demonstrating the benefit of quick feedback and evolving prioritization.
Edana: strategic digital partner in Switzerland
We support companies and organizations in their digital transformation
Modular Architecture for an Evolving ERP
A modular architecture based on microservices and APIs ensures ERP scalability and resilience. Progressive integration of modules limits risks and simplifies maintenance.
Microservices and APIs for Interoperability
Breaking the ERP into autonomous microservices allows each component to be deployed, updated, and scaled independently. APIs expose clearly defined, documented business functions.
This granularity offers technical agility: an incident in one service doesn’t affect the entire system, and teams can apply updates without heavy coordination. Open-source tools support this approach, avoiding vendor lock-in.
An API-first strategy guarantees seamless integration with third-party solutions: CRM, BI, payroll, or procurement systems. Standardized exchanges reinforce data flow consistency and flexibility in choosing technology partners.
Middleware and Progressive Integration
Middleware acts as a data bus, orchestrating exchanges between the ERP, existing applications, and new interfaces. It centralizes data transformation and synchronization.
Integration doesn’t happen all at once. You start by connecting priority modules, then extend the functional scope as needs evolve. This phased approach limits high-risk cutover periods.
Each phase includes end-to-end testing before proceeding to the next, ensuring reliability and traceability of intersystem transactions. The middleware thus becomes the guardian of overall consistency.
Modular Go-Live Strategy
Instead of a “big bang,” the ERP goes live in self-contained module batches: inventory management, billing, procurement, or human resources. Each batch can be switched over independently.
This strategy reduces dependency effects and aligns with the business teams’ pace, allowing them to train and adapt processes before each rollout. The risk of a full-system interruption is therefore contained.
In case of a malfunction, selective activation of modules makes rollback or isolation of the faulty feature easier, ensuring continuity of critical operations.
Example: A Swiss logistics company adopted a modular go-live for its ERP. The inventory module went live first and was validated in two weeks, then the billing module was added without disrupting customer service. The approach cut overall transition time by 50%.
Role of the ERP Integration Partner
An expert integrator guides process redesign, builds a prioritized backlog, and supports change management to ensure a sustainable deployment. Their backing guarantees team upskilling and long-term ERP stability.
Process Audit and Backlog Construction
The first step is to map current workflows and identify friction points using a successful agile project management framework. The audit paves the way for defining precise user stories and key success indicators.
The resulting backlog combines technical tasks and business requirements with impact and risk scores. It serves as the roadmap for sprint planning and project performance measurement.
An experienced partner knows how to adjust this backlog on the fly based on feedback and obstacles encountered, ensuring constant alignment with strategic objectives.
Custom Automations and Change Management
Customizing automations—interfaces, workflows, validations—increases user adoption by simplifying daily operations. Each automation is tested and deployed within a sprint.
Simultaneously, change management prepares teams: training begins with the first increments, documentation evolves progressively, and skill-building sessions take place. Resistance is addressed continuously, reducing the project’s cultural impact.
The partner organizes regular workshops and coaching sessions, ensuring each employee masters deployed features and adopts new processes without disruption.
Training, Support, and Long-Term Assistance
Training isn’t limited to go-live: it accompanies every new ERP version. Tailored materials, tutorials, and webinars facilitate quick adoption of enhancements.
Long-term support covers corrective, evolutionary, and preventive maintenance. With monitoring tools and dashboards, the partner anticipates incidents and proposes ongoing improvements.
This collaborative model is built for the long haul, ensuring the ERP remains aligned with the business roadmap while integrating relevant technological innovations.
Hybrid ERP Method for Greater Value
A modular architecture based on microservices and APIs facilitates integrations and scalability. To maximize value and limit risks, an ERP deployment must combine the discipline of solid governance (data, security, compliance) with the flexibility of an agile approach (sprints, feedback, prototyping).
Ultimately, success relies on an integration partner who audits processes, builds a prioritized backlog, deploys custom automations, manages change, and provides continuous support. This combination ensures tangible benefits at every stage.
Whatever your situation, our experts are here to define the most suitable methodological framework, oversee implementation, and guide your teams toward operational excellence.
