And why mid-sized companies need to rethink their approach right now.
ERP systems are considered the stable backbone of modern enterprises. They're supposed to unify processes, create transparency, and enable growth. But the reality in many mid-market projects tells a different story: high complexity, rigid structures, and expensive customizations that burden the system for years.
How is it possible that modern technology is ready and available – yet so many ERP projects still stall?
The answer is surprisingly simple: Because we're trying to achieve modern transformation on monolithic systems.
The Real Reason Why So Many ERP Projects Fail
Many companies invest enormous sums in new systems, yet the same pattern emerges time and again:
- Management talks about strategy and efficiency
- IT discusses modules and interfaces
- Business departments worry about their daily operations
- And in the end, everyone talks about their own problems
An ERP project becomes a conglomerate of expectations, concerns, and compromises. And at its center sits a technical foundation that was never built to respond flexibly.
But all these challenges have one thing in common: They amplify in a monolith – and dissolve in a modular approach.
Modularity Is More Than Architecture. It's a Paradigm Shift.
Many talk about "modular projects." But few actually use modular software.
True modularity means:
- Apps instead of function blocks – small, focused, clearly defined instead of gigantic feature monsters
- Install instead of configure – who wants to have 30+ fields explained, understand them, and then configure them?
- Exchangeable building blocks instead of core modifications – does the wheel really need to be reinvented?
- Small, independent updates instead of major releases – continuous improvement instead of weeks of standstill
And that changes everything.
Why?
Because complexity no longer needs to be managed centrally – it becomes distributed and controllable.
Small Apps = Small Risks = High Velocity
A monolith is like an oil tanker: stable, but sluggish. Every course correction requires time, planning, and enormous resources.
An app stack, on the other hand, resembles a fleet of small boats:
- easily maneuverable
- independent of each other
- quickly modernizable
- modularly exchangeable
The effect:
- Less testing effort
- Fewer dependencies
- Faster innovations
- Fewer consulting hours
- More clarity for users
Modernization no longer becomes a mammoth project – it becomes a continuous improvement process.
The Question Every Company Must Ask Itself
What happens when the big monolith MUST be adapted?
Many mid-sized companies know the answer all too well:
- Weeks of preparation
- Risk of regressions
- Extended downtime planning
- Countless coordination meetings
- Enormous test cycles
- High costs
It's a heavy transport operation. Slow, expensive, risky.
And what happens in a modular system?
An app gets updated. An app gets added. An app gets replaced.
Fast. Safe. Scalable.
Modularity Is the Foundation for True Scalability
Scalability doesn't just mean:
- more data
- more users
- more processes
Scalability means: The system grows with the company – without having to be reinvented every time.
A modular ERP stack enables exactly that:
- Start with the core
- Selectively activate apps
- Replace instead of rebuild
- Parallel development instead of bottlenecks
This creates an ERP landscape that not only works today but can still respond agilely five years from now.
The BEYONDIT Approach: Deliverable Driven Consulting x Modular Stack
At BEYONDIT, we combine two things:
1. A Clearly Deliverable-Driven Consulting Approach
We steer projects through outcomes, not meetings.
2. A Modular, Scalable ERP Architecture
We use apps like building blocks – small, testable, exchangeable.
This combination creates something mid-sized companies urgently need:
- Transparency
- Speed
- Future-proofing
- Lower risks
- Minimal dependencies
In short:
Digital transformation becomes not just possible – but finally manageable.
The Future of ERP in Mid-Sized Companies Is Modular
Monoliths have had their time. But requirements are changing faster than a monolithic system can respond.
Modular architectures are the logical answer.
They bring:
- Flexibility without chaos
- Individuality without risk
- Growth without standstill
- Modernization without massive effort
And that's exactly why now is the right time to rethink.
A Provocative Question to Close
Why maintain a monolith for years when you could instead build a system that flexibly adapts to the future?
If you'd like to discuss this or evaluate the modular ERP approach for your company – let's talk.
The future is modular. And it starts now.
