The $10M ERP Diet: Why 7 Beats 70 Every Time

How one Oil & Gas company learned the hard way that bigger doesn’t mean better in ERP transformation.

The $10 Million ERP Implementation Problem

A mid-size Oil & Gas operator invested $10 million in a new ERP system — and still couldn’t produce reliable financials.

They had:

• 70+ consultants

• 5 vendors

• 3 PMOs

• …and zero alignment

By month 18, morale had cratered, deliverables were late, and Finance was still closing in Excel.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The Myth of “More” in ERP Transformation

The issue wasn’t the ERP technology — it was project bloat.

The initiative ballooned with steering committees, change orders, and “alignment workshops” that aligned no one. Every week, more people were added to “fix” the problem — which only made it slower.

When 70 people are “collaborating,” no one is accountable.

This is the hidden cost of overstaffed ERP implementations — complexity disguised as progress.

Enter the 7-Person Strike Squad

At Ellevate Solutions, we take a radically different approach to ERP success.

We believe seven sharp, accountable people can outperform 70 consultants any day — when they’re aligned, agile, and outcome-driven.

Our ERP Optimization Playbook doesn’t start with software. It starts with structure:

People – Do they understand their role, ownership, and accountability?
Process – Are we solving the right business problem?
Systems – Does the tech enable performance, or just complicate it?

We move fast. We communicate clearly. We measure progress weekly.

That’s how ERP transformation should work.

The Agile ERP Difference

Traditional ERP projects follow waterfall logic — long, rigid, expensive.

We use an agile ERP methodology that’s:

• Iterative and transparent

• Built on real-time feedback

• Focused on visible weekly progress

• Co-owned by Finance and Operations

No bloat. No bureaucracy. No 300-page decks that no one reads.

Just accountability, clarity, and outcomes.

The $10M Lesson

When we conducted ERP 2.0 readiness work for that same client, here’s what we found went wrong:

• Misaligned financial and operational hierarchies

• No ownership of systems or data

• Consultant churn leading to change fatigue

Had they started with the Ellevate Method — a finance-led, agile ERP approach — they likely would’ve spent half the money and delivered results the first time.

The Bottom Line

ERP transformation isn’t a technology project — it’s an alignment project.

And when it comes to alignment, efficiency, and results —
7 beats 70 every time.

Ready to Flip the Script on Your ERP?

• Download the ERP Pause Playbook — uncover the red flags before your project stalls.

• Book an ERP Readiness Assessment — learn how Ellevate’s agile approach helps CFOs and COOs cut cost, risk, and time to value.