Maintaining your legacy ERP system can sometimes feel like living in an old farmhouse; although the bones are good, the layers of fresh paint you’ve applied and DIY projects you’ve completed over the years don’t quite work together cohesively. And as your needs change over time, the rigid layout and quirks of the old house get in the way.

When businesses get to this point with their ERP software, they are bogged down with technical debt but lack the flexibility to continue making necessary changes. Traditionally this has left them with one option: a complete replacement of the ERP system.

This “rip and replace” approach is the equivalent of demolishing the old house and rebuilding it from scratch with the same blueprint. It’s not only costly and disruptive, but often unnecessary.

ROI reality check

What it really means to replace your ERP

A new ERP implementation is a multi-million-dollar project that can take years to complete. The true cost goes beyond software licensing to include implementation, training, and lost productivity during the transition.

The extensive downtime often required to replace an ERP system leaves your team unable to perform essential tasks. This can impact customer satisfaction, supply chain operations, and overall business performance. What’s more, those same employees will need significant time to learn and adapt to the new system.

Even after investing a massive amount of money and time into an ERP replacement, many organizations struggle to achieve their expected ROI. More often than not, the new ERP just replaces the old problem set.

Because ERP software was designed to be a standardized, monolithic solution for businesses in every industry, eventually it will fail to deliver real ROI when it comes to your company’s specific use cases and niche processes. A new ERP vendor won’t solve this issue—you need a new solution entirely.

90 %

of ERP implementations fail to deliver their expected ROI.

41 %

of enterprises fail to achieve more than half of the expected benefits.

Innovating without replacing

Enter: The era of the platform

Modern, enterprise-grade platforms give businesses another option to enhance and modernize legacy ERP systems without ripping and replacing.

Platforms work alongside your ERP, extending its functionality. They allow you to build new applications, automate processes, and connect with your ERP and other systems seamlessly.

Legacy ERPs often have years of tailored customizations. Rather than losing these optimizations by replacing the whole system, rebuild custom objects and processes on a platform.

Augmenting with a modern platform extends the life of your company's ERP investment, while also:
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Saving time and money

With standard enterprise application suites and a composable delivery model, you don’t need to start from scratch on a platform. Build a solution to address your most pressing business needs today, while offering limitless customization for the future. The result? Best-in-class platforms can be up and running in weeks, without any ERP downtime.

Time Money
Cloud Scalability
Driving scalability

Unlike traditional ERP, which often impedes growth, platform solutions enable businesses to scale operations by with modern technologies such as AI, IoT, and advanced analytics, without overhauling the ERP system.

Cloud Scalability
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Enhancing flexibility

Empower business teams to innovate independently. With no-code platforms, non-technical users can create and adapt applications as needs evolve, reducing dependence on IT. These applications can be deployed in weeks--not months—all without disrupting operations.

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Addressing technical debt

Rather than replacing your ERP, no-code tools allow you to modernize specific processes. Build scalable, maintainable applications to replace outdated customizations. At upgrade time, any packaged applications and their customizations inherit new advancements automatically. This prevents your business from being locked into outdated technologies and saves you the time and expense of rebuilding customizations.

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Replacing your ERP isn’t the only way to overcome bottlenecks, technical debt, and rigidity. By augmenting your legacy ERP with a no-code platform, you can unlock faster innovation, reduce costs, and improve scalability without the disruption of a full replacement.

Rethink the rip-and-replace mindset and embrace a smarter, more efficient path to digital transformation.

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