ERP is more than just automating HR or finance. These systems shape how a university runs day to day, how departments communicate, how staff access information, and how students manage their experiences.
The problem is, ERP projects are still treated like technical upgrades. They’re not — they’re institutional. They affect how people work, how they collaborate and what students actually experience.
I saw it happen. A student trying to fix a financial aid issue got sent to three different offices. Each one had a different version of her record. No one could give her a straight answer. The systems weren’t broken, just disconnected. And that’s all it takes to lose trust.
This kind of fragmentation isn’t unusual. And it’s not just a tech problem as much as it’s a coordination problem.
Sure, modern ERP systems can unify data and processes. They can save time and reduce manual work. But software alone won’t solve the bigger issue. People have to understand it, trust it and actually use it.
That’s where things often fall apart. A lot of departments still rely on spreadsheets or even paper, not because they’re stuck in the past, but because they were left out of the planning. If a new system doesn’t feel useful or intuitive, they’ll find ways around it.
Leadership needs to stop thinking of ERP as just an upgrade. It’s a long-term strategy. That means treating it like a shared effort, not something IT just installs and walks away from. Talk to people early, show them how their work will actually get easier, and then listen when they say what’s not working.
When the system goes live, that’s not the finish line. It’s the start. IT leaders need space for feedback, changes and continued improvement.
ERP modernization is expensive, and no one’s denying that. But sticking with outdated systems comes at a cost too: wasted time, frustrated staff and students who quietly give up and leave.
The universities that get this right will be the ones that stop seeing ERP as just software, and start seeing it as core infrastructure for how the whole institution works. ERP isn’t just a tool — it’s a decision about how a university shows up for its people.
Tirumala Chimpiri is a senior programmer analyst at Stony Brook University and chair of the IEEE Computer Society, Long Island Section.
