ERP Isn’t Too Big for You. You’ve Just Been Approaching It the Wrong Way

Talk to a smaller municipality about ERP, and the hesitation is almost immediate.

It feels too big. Too complex. Too resource intensive.

And on the surface, that makes sense.

Smaller teams are already stretched. People are wearing multiple hats. The same individuals responsible for day to day operations are expected to contribute to a project that touches finance, HR, payroll, and more.

It can feel out of reach.

But the reality is, the need for ERP doesn’t change based on size.

Smaller municipalities still need better reporting. Better processes. Better visibility. The problem isn’t whether to move forward. It’s how to do it with limited capacity.

What we’ve found is that the approach needs to shift.

In larger organizations, there may be enough capacity to build requirements, evaluation criteria, and procurement materials internally. Smaller municipalities rarely have that luxury. Asking a team of two or three people to build everything from the ground up, while still doing their day jobs, is where things start to break down.

So instead, we bring structure to the process.

Pre built requirements. Proven templates. Clear starting points based on similar projects. Instead of building everything, the team focuses on reviewing and shaping what’s already there.

That alone reduces the effort significantly.

We also narrow the focus of the market.

The ERP landscape is broad, but most of it isn’t relevant. There’s little value in exploring solutions that are well beyond budget or far more complex than what’s needed. Focusing on what fits the organization’s size and reality makes decision making much more manageable.

Another challenge that comes up consistently is council buy in.

ERP is not a visible investment. It doesn’t have the same impact as a new arena or a road project. That makes it harder to prioritize. Part of the process is helping councils understand why it matters and what the long term impact is if systems aren’t modernized.

Without that, projects often stall before they even begin.

One of the most helpful dynamics we see with smaller municipalities is how much they rely on their peers. They want to know who else has done this. What worked. What didn’t. They are not trying to be first. They are trying to be confident in the decision.

So we connect them with other municipalities of similar size who are going through or have recently completed similar work. Those conversations reduce uncertainty and give teams a clearer picture of what to expect.

ERP isn’t easier for smaller municipalities. But it is absolutely doable with the right approach.

Less from scratch. More guided. More focused on fit.

When that shift happens, the project becomes manageable, and the outcome is just as impactful.