October is here — the season of pumpkins, cobwebs, and mysterious late-night project calls.
While most people are decorating their homes with skeletons, ERP Project Managers are busy exorcising their own ghosts: scope creep, zombie timelines, and phantom data.
So grab your pumpkin spice latte, light a metaphorical campfire, and let’s share a few ERP horror stories every PM knows too well…
The ERP Horror Stories
The Ghost Stakeholder
They appeared at the Kickoff… and then vanished into thin air. No sign-offs. No feedback. But like any good ghost, they’ll reappear months later asking, “Wait, when did we agree to this?”
Spell of Protection:
Keep a paper trail, over-communicate, and make sign-off ceremonies your holy water.
The Zombie Timeline
You slay it. You re-baseline it. And just when you think it’s gone for good… it rises again — hungry for more hours and pushing weekends into its undead domain.
How to Survive:
Plan realistically, track dependencies like your life depends on it, and never underestimate a timeline with unfinished business.
The Vampire Scope
It starts small. A “tiny tweak” here. A “quick enhancement” there. And then suddenly, it’s draining your budget, your energy, and your will to live.
Garlic Tip:
A strong change control process is your best friend. And remember — “Just one small change” is the most dangerous incantation of all.
The Phantom Data
You thought your data was clean… until migration night. Suddenly, old records crawl out of the shadows, duplicates multiply like gremlins, and fields you’ve never seen before start haunting your imports.
Survival Charm:
Start cleansing early. Cleanse again. And then — cleanse one more time. Ghost data fears discipline.
The Wicked Witch of Training
On paper, training looks like a breeze. In reality? Confused users, login issues, and “Where’s the save button?” echoing through the night.
Magic Potion:
Hands-on sessions, repeatable content, and champions who can help guide their peers. A well-trained team is your best broomstick.
The Mirror of UAT
UAT doesn’t lie. It reflects every missed requirement, hidden assumption, and half-tested scenario. And sometimes… it’s scarier than Go-Live.
Defense Spell:
Test early. Test often. Don’t wait until the full moon.
The Costume Party Go-Live
On Go-Live day, everyone arrives in their best “We’ve got this” costume. Behind the smiles: caffeine, adrenaline, and whispered prayers to the ERP gods.
Trick (and Treat):
Strong cutover planning, a rollback strategy, and lots (and lots) of snacks.
Final Words from the Crypt
ERP implementations may be scary… but that’s what makes them legendary.
Behind every ghost, vampire, and zombie timeline is a team of brave souls — project managers, functional leads, tech wizards, and business champions — making the impossible happen.
So this Halloween season, here’s to everyone fighting ERP monsters in the dark:
- May your data stay clean.
- May your scope stay contained.
- And may your timelines stay buried where they belong.
Happy Spooky Season, Team 👻🎃
— Your friendly neighborhood 180 Systems