With proper planning and help from qualified business solutions consultants, companies can enjoy a tremendous amount of success from their ERP installations. More organizations are realizing this now than ever before.

According to a study conducted by Panorama Consulting, the majority of businesses feel positively about their current ERP solutions. Of 172 survey respondents, 86 percent said they were satisfied with their ERP solutions and 60 percent said they were pleased.

However, that doesn't mean projects don't come with their own set of problems. Of those who said they weren't pleased, some went as far as to say their projects were a failure, but most simply didn't know the status of their system. This can be concerning for business owners. If ERP users don't know if their software is working for them, how will they ever enhance the value of their solution?

Eric Kimberling, Panorama Consulting managing partner, gave a statement on the findings and indicated that poor or unknown statuses likely stem from issues related to installation. He also suggested that project overruns are unsurprising.

"ERP project fatigue can affect even the strongest teams," Kimberling said. "When durations stretch and scope increases, it can be tempting to stop working towards goals established in the beginning of the initiative or to change the definition of success as 'getting the system up and running. Independent third-party consultants can provide invaluable assistance by properly planning the initiative, conducting audits and measuring results back to the business case to ensure that the ERP system provides maximized returns."

They key is to get everyone on the same page and to ensure projects stay on point as much as they possibly can. That's where consultants come into play. Working with ERP consulting firms to ensure their projects are on point and that everyone has a similar set of expectations, companies can go a long way toward ensuring the success of their systems.