For stalled, failed or over-budget ERP projects
ERP re-implementation and rescue services for projects that did not land
An independent review first. Then a written recommendation: repair, re-implement, replace or change partner.
You may have a packaged ERP nobody uses properly, a custom ERP whose first vendor left, or a project the board is thinking of cancelling. We look at the code, data, integrations and contracts before we promise anything, and we tell you plainly when stopping or replacing is the better choice. For a new ERP rollout, see ERP implementation services; this page is the deeper route for a project that has already gone wrong.
Start with a free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules.
- Provider
- Timeline Digital, a custom software development company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan
- What we take on
- Packaged ERPs that are not working, custom ERPs another team started, and projects the business is thinking of cancelling
- First step
- A written review of code, database, documentation, data, integrations, adoption, contracts and licences, before any promise
- Track record
- 1,500+ projects for 860+ clients; 1,200+ developers and 85+ management professionals, including group-company employees
- Pricing
- Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. The price is set after the review and the free pilot.
- Ownership
- Source code and documentation we write transfer to you on full payment. Your data stays yours.
Who this is for
- Your ERP project is late, over budget, or live but used only in part, and you want an independent view of what to do next.
- You hold admin access and the licences, or can get them, so a reviewer can see the system as it is.
- You are willing to let the review decide the route, including a recommendation to stop or to replace.
Not a fit
- You want a vendor to work on a platform where you hold no admin access or licences.
- You want a fixed outcome, date or price promised before anyone has reviewed the system.
- You need a vendor-certified partner of record. Timeline Digital holds no vendor partner status or certifications.
Repair, re-implement, replace or change partner?
Four routes, and the review decides which one fits. Most stalled projects need one, sometimes two in sequence.
| Question | Repair | Re-implement | Replace | Change partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When it fits | The design is sound and one or two blockers stopped go-live: data, an integration, training, adoption. | The platform is sound but the design drifted from how the business really runs, or customisation made it fragile. | The platform no longer fits the business, is out of support, or its builder is gone and nothing is documented. | The software is fine but the delivery has failed: missed plans, no accountable owner, work you cannot inspect. |
| What the work involves | Fix reconciliation, finish integrations, retrain by role, rehearse and run the cutover. | Redo process mapping, rebuild or reconfigure modules in phases, migrate the data again with rehearsal loads. | Choose or build the new system, migrate in phases, run old and new side by side, then retire the old one. | Hand-over of access, code and documents, a review by the new team, then a plan the new team signs. |
| What you keep | The existing configuration or code, the data and the work already done. | Your licences or platform, master data, and the documented requirements. | Your data and what the first attempt taught you about your own process. | Your system, your data and your licences; only the team changes. |
| Main risk | Patching a design that was wrong from the start. | Rebuilding without fixing the cause, such as unclear ownership or scope. | Cost and disruption, and a second project that fails the same way. | Lost knowledge in the hand-over, and a vendor who will not release access. |
A short version of this table sits inside our ERP implementation services page, which covers a new rollout from discovery to hypercare. If the platform itself is the problem, the replace route is described under legacy software modernization, and building a new system is covered on our custom ERP software page.
Symptoms, likely causes and what we check first
Use this to describe your project when you contact us. A symptom points to a likely cause; the review confirms it.
| Symptom | Likely root cause | What we check first |
|---|---|---|
| People keep working in spreadsheets next to the ERP | Screens or workflows do not match the real process, or training came too late | Which tasks users avoid, and the gap between the process map and daily work |
| Reports and balances are not trusted | Migrated data was never reconciled, or master data has duplicates and gaps | A sample reconciliation of balances, stock and open items against the source |
| Every change takes weeks and breaks something else | Heavy customisation, no tests, no documentation | Code and database structure, test coverage, who can explain each custom part |
| Go-live has been moved more than once | Scope kept growing, or the cutover was never rehearsed | The approved scope against what was built, and the cutover and rollback plan |
| Integrations fail quietly or need manual re-keying | No named owner per field, no error handling or monitoring | Each interface: direction, owner, volume, failure log |
| The original vendor is slow, gone or holding the code | Unclear contract on access, ownership and hand-over | Contract terms, repository access, hosting credentials, licence holder |
| Costs rise but nobody can say what is left | No agreed scope, milestones or acceptance tests | What exists, what is signed off, what is still undone, in writing |
| Leadership is thinking of cancelling | Trust is gone; the sunk cost clouds the decision | What is reusable (data, requirements, parts of the build) before anything is written off |
The research behind these patterns is in our guide to why ERP implementations fail.
Six areas, reviewed before any promise
The review comes before any commitment on route, date or price. What we recommend, and what is achievable, depends on what is found.
Code and database
For a custom ERP: structure, dependencies, customisations, security basics and how hard it is to change. For a packaged ERP: configuration, custom fields and scripts, and what was bolted on.
Documentation
Requirements, process maps, data dictionaries, test records, hand-over notes. What was never written down is listed so it can be written.
Data quality
Duplicates, gaps, units, opening balances and open transactions, checked on a sample against the source before any migration is planned.
Integrations
Every connection to accounting, payroll, e-commerce, point of sale, banks and carriers: who owns it, what flows, what fails.
User adoption
Who uses which module, who avoids it and why, how training was done, and where users still work outside the system.
Contracts and licences
Who holds the licences and admin rights, what the earlier agreement says about code, hosting, hand-over and support.
The review ends in a written recommendation that you can use with us, with another provider or with your own team. No result is assumed in advance, and we do not publish rescue statistics or case studies because the outcome depends on each system.
Packaged ERPs and custom ERPs another team started
The review differs by system type. The commitments below match what we say on our implementation page.
A packaged ERP that is not working
We audit the configuration a previous partner left, then configure, migrate and integrate the packaged ERP against your process map, where the vendor allows it. Licences are bought from the vendor or its reseller. Timeline Digital holds no vendor partner status or certifications, so where a vendor requires a certified partner we work alongside that partner on migration, integrations and training.
Sometimes the fix is fewer customisations, cleaner master data and role-based training rather than a new product; the review shows which.
A custom ERP another team started
We start with a technical review of the code, database and documentation, stabilise what runs, document what was never written down, then complete, extend or modernise the system. If the earlier build cannot be rescued economically, we say so and explain what from it can be reused.
Continuing the build is described on custom ERP software; comparing builders is covered in best custom ERP development companies.
Understand, Plan, Select Technology, Pilot, Build and Scale
The same five steps run every project. In a rescue, the first two decide whether the rest should happen at all.
- Step 1
Understand
The review above, plus interviews with the people who use the system. Output: a written account of what works, what does not and why.
- Step 2
Plan
A written recommendation: repair, re-implement, replace or change partner, with phases, risks, cutover and rollback points. Outcomes depend on what the review finds.
- Step 3
Select technology
Keep the platform, change it, or move parts to custom modules around it. Hosting, access and licence questions are settled here.
- Step 4
Free pilot
We build 2 to 3 key modules as working software, free of charge, for example the ones the first attempt could not get right. Your team tests them.
- Step 5
Build and scale
After you approve the pilot: phased build, rehearsed data migration, role-based training before acceptance testing, cutover, then SLA support.
Delivery is remote from our Islamabad headquarters, with scheduled video meetings in your working hours. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 Pakistan time (PKT, UTC+5). The full explanation of the process is on how we work.
Keeping your data and your business safe while it is fixed
Nothing here is a guarantee. It is the method we follow so a rescue does not create a second failure.
Before we touch anything
- We ask for a full backup and, where the system allows it, a read-only copy of the current system and database before any change, to reduce the risk to live data.
- Access is limited to what the review needs, logged, and removed when the work ends.
- The people who own the data rule on cleansing questions; we do not delete records on our own judgement.
- Where an NDA is needed, it can be signed before you share sensitive details.
At cutover
- Each migration is rehearsed in a test environment and reconciled against the source, repeated until balances reconcile or the differences are explained and signed off.
- Old and new systems can run side by side for a defined period where the process allows it.
- A go or no-go checkpoint and a rollback decision point are agreed in writing before the switch.
- Cutover is planned around month-end and your trading peaks, and the plan keeps the business running on the old system until the checkpoint is passed.
Data migration has its own page: ERP migration services. Moving a working ERP to the cloud is explained in our guide to cloud ERP migration.
Six controls that stop the next project failing the same way
The next vendor repeating the failure is the most common worry. These are the controls we put in writing.
One accountable owner
A named person on your side with the authority to decide, and a regular steering meeting where decisions are written down.
Approved scope and change control
The scope is written and approved. Anything outside it is reviewed and agreed before extra work begins, so cost and delivery changes are visible in advance.
Pilot before commitment
Two or three key modules are built first, free, so you see working software before the full project is agreed.
Acceptance by your users
Key users test against real scenarios and sign each phase off. Training by role starts before acceptance testing, not after go-live.
Documentation as you go
Process maps, data dictionary and test records are produced during the work, so the next person is not left guessing as the first team left you.
Written gates
Go-live waits for reconciled data, completed training and a rehearsed cutover. We show the gates in writing so you can hold us to them.
Choosing between advice and delivery is covered in ERP consultant vs ERP developer. If you need extra hands inside your own team, see hire ERP developers.
How the free pilot works
Timeline Digital starts an ERP rescue with a free pilot. You contact us, and we agree 2 to 3 key modules, for example the ones the first attempt could not get right. We build them as real, working software, free of charge, and your team tests them. The full project starts only after you approve the pilot, and the final agreement is made after that.
See working software before you commit to the full project.
You contact us
Tell us what stalled, which ERP it is and what you need it to do. We learn your requirements and how your organisation works today.
We agree the key modules
Together we choose 2 to 3 key modules that prove the solution, for example the ones the first attempt could not get right.
We build, you test
We build those modules as real, working software, free of charge. Your team uses the pilot.
You decide
The full project starts only after you approve the pilot. Then we agree the scope, milestones and the final agreement.
How a rescue is priced after the review
Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. A rescue price cannot honestly be set before someone has looked at the system.
What moves the price
The condition of the code and data, the number of modules and integrations, whether licences and access are in order, and how much can be reused.
How it is set
We analyse your requirements and the review findings, build the free pilot, and after you approve it we agree the scope, milestones and commercial terms in writing.
How changes are handled
Any change request outside the approved scope is reviewed and agreed with you before extra work begins.
Questions buyers ask about a stalled or failed ERP
Can a failed ERP implementation be saved?
Sometimes, and only a review can tell. Data, requirements and parts of the build can be reusable even when go-live failed. We review code, data, documentation and contracts first, then recommend repair, re-implementation, replacement or a change of partner in writing. Outcomes depend on what is found.
How long does an ERP re-implementation take?
There is no fixed timeframe: the schedule for your ERP re-implementation is set from your requirements in the Plan step. A free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules comes first, you test it, and the full project starts only after you approve it. Long-term support under a service level agreement (SLA) follows launch.
Who should lead a rescue: the original vendor, a consultancy or a new partner?
The original vendor knows the system but may share the cause of the failure. A consultancy helps while the decision is open: keep, repair or replace. A new partner suits the build and migration once the route is chosen. Many projects use two of the three, and we can work alongside the original vendor.
Who owns the code and data after a rescue?
Source code, designs and documentation we write transfer to you on full payment, as set out in the agreement. Your data stays yours throughout. Code written by the previous vendor is governed by your agreement with them, so we check that contract during the review before any work starts.
Can you work alongside the original vendor?
Usually, if they give us the access we need. We agree who owns which part, such as their module or our integration, and put the hand-over steps in writing. Where a packaged vendor requires a certified partner for some work, we work alongside that partner. We hold no vendor partner status.
Will we lose our data during a re-implementation?
No outcome can be guaranteed, but the process is built to protect it. We take a backup and read-only copy first, plan the migration after checking data quality, rehearse it in a test environment and reconcile balances against the source each time. Cutover has a go or no-go checkpoint and a rollback point.
How do you stop a rescued ERP project failing again?
We counter the usual causes with a named owner on your side, approved scope with change control, a pilot first, a rehearsed cutover and training that starts early. All of it is agreed in the Plan step, so the second attempt is run differently. See why ERP implementations fail.
Can you fix a packaged ERP that nobody uses properly?
We can often configure, migrate and integrate a packaged ERP where the vendor allows it, starting with an audit of the existing configuration. You buy licences from the vendor or its reseller. Timeline Digital holds no vendor partner status or certification, and some changes may need a vendor-certified partner.
When should we stop an ERP project instead of rescuing it?
Stop when the business case no longer holds: the process the ERP serves has changed, the platform cannot support what you need, or the cost of repair approaches the cost of replacing it. The review tests these points first and gives a written recommendation, including advice to stop if that is the honest answer.
How much does ERP rescue or re-implementation cost?
Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. The price is set after the review and the free pilot, from the condition of the code and data, the modules, integrations and licences involved. Any change outside the approved scope is agreed before extra work begins.
How does the free pilot work?
You contact us and we agree 2 to 3 key modules, for example the ones that failed. We build them as working software, free of charge, and your team tests them. The full project starts only after you approve the pilot, and the scope and final agreement are made after that.
Guides for this decision
In-depth, practical reading for teams planning this kind of project.
- Guide · 9 min readWhy ERP Implementations Fail: 12 Causes and How to Avoid ThemERP implementations fail because of the project, not the software: unclear scope, weak sponsorship, late data cleanup, heavy customisation, thin testing and under-trained users. This guide sets out 12 recurring causes, the early warning sign for each, and the practical step that prevents it, so you can spot trouble before go-live.Read the guide
- Guide · 8 min readERP Consultant vs ERP Development Company: Who Should You Hire?ERP consultants advise, implementation partners configure a package, and development companies build software. This guide compares the roles, their independence, engagement models and which one fits your situation.Read the guide
- Guide · 10 min readERP Change Management: How to Get Staff to Actually Use the New SystemAn ERP only pays back when people run their daily work in it. This guide sets out a practical change plan: a stakeholder map, champions, role-based training, named process owners and the adoption measures that show whether it is working.Read the guide
- Guide · 10 min readCloud ERP Migration Risks and Rollback Planning: A Risk Register and Exit PlanMost cloud ERP migration advice lists benefits. This guide lists what goes wrong: data, integrations, customizations, performance, licensing, security and people, with a risk register, a table of reversible and irreversible steps, and a rollback plan you can adapt.Read the guide
- Guide · 11 min readERP Data Migration Checklist: Cleansing, Mapping, Cutover and ReconciliationAn ERP data migration checklist is a working document, not a reading list. This one gives copyable tables for scope, cleansing, field mapping, trial loads, reconciliation, the cutover run-sheet and go/no-go criteria, with an owner and evidence column for each line.Read the guide
- Guide · 10 min readERP Implementation Partner Red Flags and Go-Live GatesAn ERP partner may push you live too early if the date is fixed before discovery, training is an afterthought or data is not reconciled. This guide lists the red flags, four readiness gates, training needs by user group and the contract terms that make the gates enforceable.Read the guide
Tell us what stalled, and see 2 to 3 modules working first
Send the ERP you use, where the project stopped and who built or configured it. We reply with what we would review first and the modules we would pilot, or an honest note that stopping or replacing fits you better. A mutual NDA can be signed before you share sensitive details.
Start with a free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules.
About this page
Published by Timeline Digital. No rescue results, statistics or case studies are claimed here, because each outcome depends on what the review finds. Timeline Digital holds no vendor partner status or certifications.
Author
Usama Asif
CEO and CTO, Timeline Digital.
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