Start an ERP Recovery Conversation With Facts
A business development director can qualify an ERP recovery opportunity by separating the operating problem from an early solution.
An ERP recovery conversation earns credibility when it begins with the operating problem and the decisions holding work up. A missed milestone can come from weak process ownership, an unresolved finance decision, a supplier dependency, or a reporting problem. The business development director should establish which facts are confirmed before offering a diagnostic engagement.
Ask the executive to describe the impact in plain terms. Which work is delayed? Who owns the decision that would unblock it? What evidence does the steering committee use today? Then ask what the current systems integrator is responsible for and when that contract changes. These questions help distinguish a need for outside diagnosis from a request to replace a provider quickly.
In a first call, the COO says, “We are two milestones behind, and every meeting becomes an argument between Finance and IT.” The director replies, “I hear a delivery issue and a question about decision authority. Which milestone is blocked today, and what decision does it require?” The COO explains that Finance has not agreed whether process redesign belongs in the current phase. The director says, “That gives us a useful starting point. I would want the program sponsor, Finance, and IT to review the documented scope and the decision path together before recommending work.”
The director can then propose a diagnostic session led by the sponsor, with a short agenda: current milestone facts, scope boundaries, decision owners, and evidence still needed. Send the agenda for confirmation and name the attendees who can authorize follow-up. Review the call afterward by checking whether every proposed activity connects to a stated problem and an accountable owner.
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