Does an ERP vendor’s fiscal year matter in the discount you get as a customer? Absolutely. Oracle’s fiscal year ended in May, and Oracle’s salespeople are notorious for pressuring customers into signing deals with significant discounts prior to year-end under the notion that the discount will disappear after the year-end. Customers need to take into
ERP software system
Three Issues to Focus On When Negotiating a Software License Agreement
Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating software license agreements is challenging. In this video, Taft Chicago partner Marcus Harris breaks down three issues to focus on during any review or negotiation of a software license agreement
Three Issues to Focus on When Negotiating a Software License Agreement
Harris to Speak at 2022 Digital Stratosphere Conference
Taft Chicago partner Marcus Harris will be one of the featured speakers during the 2022 Digital Stratosphere Conference Live Online Edition, Feb. 8-10, 2022. Harris will present, “Digital Transformation and Contracting” on Feb. 9 at 2:00 pm EST. This event offers insight from the industry’s leading experts for organizations embarking on a digital transformation.
For…
Harris to Speak at iTechLaw’s 2021 World Technology Law Conference
Taft Chicago partner Marcus Harris will be a featured panelist during iTechLaw’s 2021 World Technology Law Conference. Harris will speak on “Tips & Tricks for Successfully Negotiating Your ERP Contract,” an interactive session that will address key ERP contractual provisions, common vendor tactics, and strategies for negotiating a contract that increases the likelihood of implementation…
What to Consider When Restarting ERP Projects During and After COVID-19
Despite COVID-19 shutdowns, re-openings, and partial re-closings in some parts of the state, Illinois manufacturers of all sizes are grappling with serious management decisions. Many halted the implementation of planned installations or upgrades to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system or deferred part of their project when the pandemic began. Now, they are trying…
Six Missteps Smaller Companies Must Avoid with an ERP Project
Since their inception, ERP software systems have historically been used almost entirely by large organizations: major corporations, financial institutions, federal and state government agencies, and similar behemoths with complex structures and massive operations.
Over the last few decades, ERP vendors have focused aggressively on the small to medium-sized business market. Today, a growing number of…
Reducing the Risks of Being the Next ERP Failure
Failed ERP software system implementations and integrations happen frequently and the problems are legion. However, there are ways that organizations can avoid their own failures. In a recent Taft Technology Insights post, we discussed how to avoid a failure if restarting a deferred integration during COVID-19.
We are frequently retained by companies whose projects…
Six Ways Users Can Control Their ERP Integrator
If ERP software system integrators were as smooth at integrating new or upgraded projects as they are at selling, it is likely they would be involved in fewer court disputes with users. Often, disputes happen because senior management hands off responsibility for the effort to the integrator rather than owning it as an integral part…
Preventing an ERP Project Manager From Failing
When the integration and implementation of an ERP software system starts going off the rails and all sides begin pointing fingers at each other, often many of the user’s fingers point at the vendor’s project manager.
In a way, this is understandable, even before the root causes behind the looming failure are known. The project…

Avoiding Problems With an ERP Restart During COVID-19
Many organizations are looking at ways to restart ERP projects that were deferred when the pandemic forced widespread lockdowns. Whether a company was in the midst of upgrading a legacy system or had been on the verge of moving forward on their first ERP software system, we suggested five ways senior executives can fast-track an…