Cloud & Infrastructure · Legacy Modernization · Hard · 35-45 min

Replacing a 20-Year-Old ERP

Last updated 2026-07-29

What is this case about?

A manufacturer runs a heavily customized 20-year-old ERP that no vendor will support past three years. Finance, supply chain, and production all depend on it, and prior 'big-bang' replacement attempts at peer firms have failed spectacularly. The board wants a modernization recommendation: replace, re-platform, or wrap-and-extend — with a credible plan that doesn't bet the company.

Where strong candidates start

  • Establish the real driver — vendor end-of-support deadline and accumulated customization debt
  • Lay out the options — full replacement (new SaaS ERP), re-platform/upgrade, or strangler-pattern wrap-and-extend

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