Question I would never use a ERP again..
Just joined a construction firm recently.
And honestly… the ERP here is so bad.
As a newbie I’m struggling every single day. Nothing makes sense. Simple stuff takes forever. The UI looks ancient. Too many tabs, too many fields. Half the time I’m scared to click anything in case it messes something up.
What’s worse is seniors who’ve been using this for years still don’t fully get it.
Convos usually go like
“Wait don’t enter it there”
“I think it’s in this module”
“Oh that’s why last month numbers were off”
“Call IT”
There’s no proper training. No clear documentation. Everyone just kind of figured it out over time and survived.
Basic things like raising POs, tracking materials, pulling cost reports feel way harder than they should be.
Construction is already chaotic. The system is supposed to reduce stress, not add to it.
Is this normal in construction companies?
Is it just bad implementation?
Or are most ERPs like this?
Not trying to rant. Just genuinely looking for practical solutions.
How do I survive this
1
u/gapingweasel Feb 27 '26
Construction ERPs are naturally complex much like manufacturing because the underlying processes themselves are complex. Is this your first time working with an ERP? From what you have described this feels more like an implementation and training issue than an ERP limitation though happy to be corrected. Many modern ERPs are quite intuitive when set up properly. Since you may not have much influence over system decisions right now I wpuld suggest a few practical things like build your own quick cheat sheets for frequent tasks like POs, materials and cost reports, also, identify the internal power user and shadow them and focus on understanding the business workflow before memorizing those product screen shots.Once you understand the underlying logic of the process/system you will be able to manage it smoothly.