ERP Turnaround

Your ERP programme isn't delivering what it was supposed to.

That sentence applies at different points on the same journey — before go-live, during delivery, and after go-live when the system works but the organisation hasn't changed around it. The situation is different at each stage. The cause is almost always the same.

"ERP programmes don't fail because the technology is wrong. They fail because the organisation continues behaving as if nothing has changed — and nobody addresses it until the cost is very high."
Where are you right now?

The situation differs. The cause is the same.

Select where you are on the journey. Each stage has a different presenting problem — but the root cause is almost always the same.

Before

Planning / mobilising

Highest-value moment to engage

The ERP is planned or about to start. Confidence is high. The SI is being selected or contracted. This is the highest-value moment to engage Optume — before commitments are locked in and before assumptions about organisational capability have been built into a business case that will be hard to revisit.

During

In delivery · drifting

Most urgent scenario

The programme is underway. Costs are rising. The SI is billing on T&M regardless. Nobody is saying out loud that the business case is at risk — but the CFO is starting to ask questions. The leadership team is exhausted. Every week of delay compounds the cost.

After

Go-live · no results

Performance improvement hasn't materialised

The system is live. But six to eighteen months later the performance improvement hasn't materialised. Workarounds have appeared. Data quality is inconsistent. The organisation is using the new system — but operationally it hasn't changed. The benefits in the business case are hard to point to.

Why it happens — at every stage

The root causes are consistent.

ERP programmes are treated as technology projects. The capability required to deliver the change — and to operate the organisation in the new way — is underestimated, underfunded, or addressed too late.

"A transformation that improves performance but weakens control has failed. We keep both in view throughout."
  • Transformation capabilityLeadership bandwidth, programme governance, decision speed, change capacity — underestimated from the start.
  • Operating capabilityProcess discipline, data governance, middle management alignment, behavioural change — addressed too late or not at all.
  • Regulatory and compliance integritySector requirements, data controls, audit trail — often deprioritised under delivery pressure. A programme that weakens control has failed, regardless of go-live date.
How Optume works

Reality Check first. Recovery second.

We never propose a recovery plan before establishing what actually went wrong. The Reality Check runs in 2–3 weeks in ERP situations — accelerated because of the urgency. Then you decide. The Recovery engagement follows the gate.

Stage A — Always First

Reality Check™

£25k–£60k · 2–3 weeks (accelerated)

What is really wrong. Why. Capability gaps. Regulatory position. What it will take to recover. The decision document for the CFO and board.

  • Root cause established — not assumed
  • Capability gaps mapped against what recovery requires
  • Regulatory and compliance position assessed
  • Credible recovery path defined
  • Decision document for CFO and board
Accelerated to 2–3 weeks because of urgency. Every week of delay in an ERP programme compounds cost.
Leadership Decision
Stage B — Only After the Gate

ERP / Programme Recovery™

£80k–£250k · 4–12 weeks · only after gate

Governance reset. Operating model realignment. Capability uplift. Recovery delivered. Compliance maintained. Performance tracked against what the Reality Check defined.

  • Programme governance reset — decision rights, escalation paths, accountability rebuilt
  • Operating model realignment — organisation redesigned to match what the system requires
  • Capability uplift — closing the gaps identified in the Reality Check
  • Regulatory and compliance integrity maintained and evidenced throughout
  • Recovery roadmap — sequenced, owned, tracked to performance outcomes

Angela Albiston and Martin Barker lead ERP engagements. 20+ years of ERP recovery across MS Dynamics, SAP, NetSuite, Oracle and Workday. Chartered Accountant rigour — we understand what the CFO needs to see, not just what the project board is reporting.

"We restore the organisation's ability to deliver the performance improvement the ERP was supposed to create."

That's a different job from fixing the system — and it's the one that actually matters. Talk to us about your programme — 30 minutes, no pitch.

Talk to us about your programme →