Implementing a centralised ERP system means choosing a shared foundation to manage the company’s business processes. One solution, harmonised rules, a consolidated vision. On paper, everything is designed to ensure that users work in a consistent and aligned way. But in practice, behaviours vary widely.
From one site to another, from one department to the next, employees don’t follow the same steps, don’t interpret the screens the same way and don’t make use of the available features in the same manner.
So why does this gap persist, despite having a single tool?
1. One system, multiple interpretations
An ERP system gives all users access to the same interface, but each person uses it with their own frame of reference: business culture, experience level, local terminology, working logic.
A purchase order screen might seem obvious to a seasoned buyer, but totally confusing to a new back-office employee.
This variety of interpretation results in different workflows, workarounds or recurring mistakes. Since few users express their uncertainty openly, these inconsistent practices take root over time.
💡 Tip: Work with field teams to identify screens that cause confusion. A few simple observations often reveal frequent misunderstandings that lead to inconsistent usage.
2. Implicit knowledge leads to diverging usage
In many teams, certain actions are learned informally, passed on verbally from colleague to colleague. These become informal micro-processes. As a result, two users on the same ERP may complete the same task in very different ways.
The lack of clear, visible guidance in the tool leaves space for these silent variations. The more complex the ERP, the bigger the gap between what was designed and what actually happens.
💡 Tip: Make key steps visible and accessible within the tools users interact with. Practical guides, visual models or tips integrated into the interface are far more effective than distant documentation.
3. Identical screens, but different reference points
In an ERP system, fields, buttons and menus are visible to all, but their meaning isn’t always clear to everyone.
What should be entered in “cost centre”? Is the “internal reference” mandatory? Should the project code be typed manually or does the system generate it automatically?
If these questions aren’t answered immediately, users guess, make mistakes or abandon the task.
Without clear reference points in the interface, users create their own habits, sometimes entirely contrary to expected processes.
💡 Tip: Use a pedagogical approach directly within the interface. Tooltips, examples and reminders placed at the right moment and in the right place support learning. They go unnoticed by experts but are essential for less experienced users.
4. Too little help when users need it
When a user gets stuck, they don’t always refer to documentation. More often, they interrupt a colleague, send an email or try to move forward using trial and error. If help doesn’t arrive quickly, they find a workaround.
This lack of immediate assistance is one of the main reasons for inconsistent usage. Everyone gets by with what they have, and autonomy becomes a source of disparity instead of a means of standardisation.
💡 Tip: Multiply subtle but accessible help points in the tool itself. Even experienced users sometimes need a quick clarification. If the right information is there, they’ll apply the right process straight away.
5. Uneven autonomy in complex processes
Some users become confident with the tool very quickly. Others need support at every stage, especially if they only use the ERP occasionally.
This difference in speed and ease leads to inconsistent data quality, forgotten fields, incomplete entries and partial use of features.
The longer or more complex a process is, especially when it involves multiple screens or actors, the more visible these disparities become.
💡 Tip: Analyse the most time-consuming workflows or those that generate the most support tickets. This will help you identify the steps where less confident users tend to struggle and where contextual help can reduce these gaps.
Conclusion
A centralised ERP system does not guarantee consistent practices unless the causes of divergence are addressed at the source: different interpretations, lack of in-screen guidance, limited support at key moments or uneven autonomy.
By redesigning user support based on real usage, interface-level interaction and timing, companies can reduce these gaps significantly.
It’s not the ERP system that should adapt to each user profile, but the help, support and training surrounding the tool that must reflect real user contexts. This is how to bring practices closer together, without making the system rigid.
👉 To go further on this topic, discover ERP: why best practices are not automatic
