Leaders shared their biggest ERP challenges — and what stood in the way of progress had less to do with technology and more to do with people, process, and planning.
Here are the Top 10 things AI can’t fix in your ERP implementation, drawn directly from those discussions.
Many organizations are frustrated with their current implementation partners. They’re tired of one-size-fits-all solutions, limited accountability, and partners who don’t understand their business. The takeaway from Summit? Technology is only as good as the team behind it.
Look for partners who act as long-term collaborators, not vendors. The right relationship is built on transparency, shared accountability, and continuous improvement — not a one-time deployment. Successful ERP programs evolve through ongoing governance and open communication between business and technology teams.
Decades of customizations, add-ons, and outdated integrations have left many organizations stuck. GP and AX2012 systems still run core business processes, but the fear of disruption keeps modernization on hold. You can’t automate your way out of legacy debt — it takes careful planning and a roadmap that balances stability with innovation.
Start with a clear understanding of what works and what doesn’t. A phased migration approach helps reduce risk and preserves operational stability while moving critical components to the cloud. Build a roadmap that balances modernization goals with business continuity to ensure progress doesn’t mean disruption.
[Download the GP to BC Playbook]
[Download the AX to D365 Guide]
Data quality remains one of the biggest obstacles to ERP success. Inconsistent, duplicated, or incomplete data makes every project harder than it needs to be. Clean data is the foundation for transformation — and that requires governance, ownership, and discipline long before go-live.
Treat data as an asset, not an afterthought. Establish ownership and governance early, and standardize integration frameworks across ERP, CRM, and legacy systems. Organizations that invest in data quality upfront see smoother implementations, faster adoption, and fewer downstream issues.
Even the best technology can’t fix weak security practices. Companies are increasingly aware of vulnerabilities in multi-company and multi-tenant setups, but few have the right governance models in place. Building secure cloud infrastructure isn’t a one-time exercise; it’s an ongoing responsibility.
Security must be embedded from day one. Adopting a Zero Trust approach, aligning with global standards like ISO 27001 and GDPR, and continuously monitoring for compliance helps protect both operations and reputation. Make security a core design principle — not an add-on.
New technology doesn’t create change — people do. Many Summit attendees shared stories of resistance, lack of communication, and low user adoption that derailed projects. The most successful ERP transformations focus as much on culture, training, and communication as they do on configuration.
Change is successful when users feel informed, supported, and empowered. Develop a communication and training plan that starts before go-live and continues afterward. Focus on role-based learning and clear messaging about why the change matters to build buy-in across the organization.
ERP systems are only as strong as the business processes they support. Too often, implementations reflect outdated or disconnected workflows that don’t match how the organization actually operates. Modernization starts by revisiting your processes — not just replacing your software.
Map out current-state processes before selecting or configuring technology. Identify inefficiencies and define future-state workflows that align with business goals. Technology should adapt to how your organization operates today and where it needs to go — not the other way around.
Without clear leadership, ERP projects drift. Attendees repeatedly pointed out that ownership across Finance, IT, and Operations is often fragmented. Real success requires a defined champion — someone who drives accountability, alignment, and decision-making throughout the journey.
Establish a governance structure early, with representation from every major business function. Define who owns decisions, who manages risk, and how success will be measured. Governance isn’t bureaucracy — it’s the mechanism that keeps transformation on track.
Many organizations aren’t getting full value from their D365 investments. Tools like Power BI, Power Apps, and other native integrations remain underused simply because teams aren’t aware of what’s available. The opportunity is huge — but it starts with education and a clear roadmap for adoption.
Make continuous improvement part of your ERP culture. Evaluate the full Microsoft ecosystem regularly — Dynamics, Power Platform, Azure, and beyond — to identify tools that can automate manual work and unlock insight. Incremental adoption drives sustained transformation.
From manufacturing and mining to property management and nonprofit sectors, every industry faces unique ERP challenges — and a generic solution rarely fits. Operations leaders need systems that reflect how their teams actually work, while IT leaders focus on scalability, integration, and control. The organizations moving fastest are those tailoring their systems and workflows to their specific operational realities.
Start with your industry’s nuances. Use prebuilt templates or accelerators where they fit, but focus on tailoring processes to your operational reality — not forcing conformity. Balance standardization with the flexibility needed to support specialized workflows.
AI might dominate the headlines, but for most organizations we spoke with, it’s not the main focus — yet. Conversations at Summit centered on getting the fundamentals right: cleaning up data, tightening security, improving integrations, and finding the right partner alignment. Curiosity about AI is growing, but readiness still starts with the basics.
Focus on readiness, not hype. Build a strong foundation of clean, governed data, secure systems, and connected platforms. Once these fundamentals are in place, AI can add real value — not just experimentation.
At this year’s Community Summit, the conversations weren’t about chasing the next big thing — they were about doing the fundamentals right. Modernization doesn’t happen overnight. It takes strategy, leadership, and consistent focus on the basics that make technology work.
If your organization is ready to move from ideas to impact, explore our latest resources — including practical migration guides and real-world success stories — to see what effective modernization looks like in action.
AI is a powerful tool, but the biggest obstacles in ERP implementations are not technology problems. They are people, process, and planning problems. Issues like poor data quality, unclear leadership, broken business processes, and misaligned partnerships require human judgment, organizational discipline, and strategic thinking. AI can enhance an ERP system once the fundamentals are in place, but it cannot fix a lack of governance, accountability, or a clear business vision. Getting the basics right is what makes or breaks an ERP project.
Many organizations are frustrated with partners who deliver one-size-fits-all solutions, provide limited accountability, and do not truly understand the business. Technology is only as good as the team behind it. The right ERP partner acts as a long-term collaborator, not just a vendor who disappears after deployment. The relationship should be built on transparency, shared accountability, and continuous improvement. Successful ERP programs evolve through ongoing governance and open communication between business teams and technology teams, not through a single handoff.
Data quality is one of the biggest obstacles to ERP success. Inconsistent, duplicated, or incomplete data makes every phase of the project harder, from configuration and testing to go-live and daily operations. If your data is messy going into a new system, you will get messy results coming out. AI and analytics tools are only as good as the data they work with. Businesses that invest in data governance, establish clear ownership, and standardize integration frameworks early in the process see smoother implementations and fewer problems after launch.
ERP systems are only as strong as the business processes they support. Too often, implementations reflect outdated or disconnected workflows that do not match how the organization actually operates. Simply replacing old software with new software does not fix broken processes. Before selecting or configuring technology, businesses need to map out their current workflows, identify inefficiencies, and define future-state processes that align with their goals. The technology should adapt to how your organization works, not the other way around.
Without clear leadership, ERP projects drift. Ownership across finance, IT, and operations is often fragmented, with no single person driving accountability and decision-making. Real success requires a defined champion who keeps the project aligned with business goals, resolves conflicts, and ensures every department stays engaged. A governance structure should be established early, with representation from every major business function. When no one owns the project, decisions get delayed, priorities conflict, and the implementation suffers from a lack of direction and accountability.
Every industry faces unique challenges, and a generic ERP configuration rarely fits them all. Manufacturing companies need systems that reflect production workflows, quality management, and supply chain complexity. Property management firms require lease tracking and tenant communication tools. Nonprofits have specific compliance and reporting needs. The organizations moving fastest are those tailoring their systems to their specific operational realities rather than forcing their teams to conform to a standard template. Use prebuilt templates where they fit, but always customize for your industry.
Migration from a legacy ERP should be approached with a clear roadmap that balances modernization goals with business continuity. Start by understanding what works and what does not in your current system. A phased migration approach helps reduce risk and preserves operational stability while moving critical components to the cloud. Avoid trying to migrate everything at once. Prioritize the workloads that deliver the most business value first, then expand from there. This way, progress does not come at the cost of disrupting your daily operations.
While AI dominates the headlines, most organizations are still focused on getting the fundamentals right. Conversations with business leaders consistently center on cleaning up data, tightening security, improving system integrations, and finding the right implementation partner. AI is a valuable enhancement, but it cannot deliver results if the foundation underneath it is weak. Businesses that rush to add AI features before their data is clean and their processes are solid end up with tools that produce unreliable outputs. Get the basics right first, then layer in AI strategically.
ERP success does not end at go-live. Without ongoing governance, systems gradually fall out of alignment with business needs. Data quality degrades, workarounds emerge, and the value of the investment erodes over time. Successful organizations establish a governance framework that includes regular reviews of system performance, data quality audits, user feedback loops, and continuous process improvement. This means having dedicated people responsible for maintaining the system, managing changes, and ensuring that the ERP continues to deliver value as the business evolves.
Intwo acts as a long-term collaborative partner rather than a one-time vendor. They work with businesses across manufacturing, retail, real estate, distribution, and professional services to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP solutions tailored to each organization’s specific operational realities. Intwo focuses on getting the fundamentals right, including data quality, process alignment, governance, and partner accountability, before layering in advanced capabilities like AI and analytics. Their ongoing managed services ensure that the ERP continues to evolve and deliver value long after the initial deployment is complete.
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