ERP Implementation: What you
can learn from the
Squid Game ⭕🔺🟥 Series

The Squid Game

The popular drama series revolving around the main character Gin-hun is about people who have all got into serious financial difficulties - for a variety of reasons. They are taken to a secret location where they have to compete against each other in a series of children’s games - whoever loses in a game is “disqualified”. The winner will receive prize money of several million euros.

1) Act quickly without Hesitation

Most of the games in Squid Game are linked to a countdown that runs down mercilessly. For example, the game “Red light, green light” or the Dalgona candy game.

While the participants in “Red light, green light” have five minutes to cross the finish line, the task of the Dalgona candy game is to remove a predetermined shape from a sugar plate within ten minutes.

In order to win the two games, the participants also need to be quick. Of course, none of them want to make a mistake - the stakes are too high. But those who allow themselves to be ruled by this fear and hesitate too long will end up losing the game.

The idea can also be applied to your ERP implementation - which is a very costly affair. Many companies tend to hesitate when it comes to high investments. However, digitalization is constantly leading to new changes - to which you should always react as quickly as possible and yet in a well-considered manner in order not to be left behind by your competitors. So don’t hesitate too long when it comes to deciding on your ERP implementation.

Only then will you have sufficient time for your project preparation. In addition to deciding on the project approach, this also involves the responsibilities within the project and, of course, the strategy.

2) The right Strategy with the Goal in Mind

Speaking of strategy. At first glance, it looks as if Gin-hun’s team, which consists of three women and an old man, has no chance against the supposedly stronger opponents and could actually give up beforehand. Their opponents think so too, and are accordingly confident of victory. But they rejoice too soon!

In the end, the old man develops an ingenious strategy that enables the team to defeat their opponents despite their physical inferiority.

You also need a well thought-out strategy for your ERP implementation that is tailored to the requirements of your team and your company. Microsoft, for example, introduced the “cloud first” strategy a few years ago. At the time, this was still a rather progressive approach.

In addition to the strategy, a clear target focus is also crucial - in the short, medium and long term.

3) An Implementation Team that sticks together and complements each other

Just as important as the strategy is the team that puts it into practice. What good is the best plan if there is no one to put it into action?

The different strengths of the team members become clear over the course of the series. The old man, who everyone sees more as a burden, shines again and again with his life experience. Gin-hun, on the other hand, is a good leader who shows strength in difficult situations. And Sang-woo rescues the team from an almost hopeless situation by coming up with a brilliant idea at the last minute.

In the ERP project, too, it’s not just the skills of the individual team members that matter in the end, but also that they are team players - and support each other, because successful collaboration is ultimately the key to a successful ERP implementation.

And it needs strong leaders like Gin-hun who motivate the team and encourage them to keep going even in the most critical moments. This is because the change that comes with an ERP implementation often leads to an emotional rollercoaster ride in which employees have to find their way through different phases one after the other. This can quickly overwhelm many of them.

If your managers are aware of this, they can make the process easier for employees by providing them with targeted support.

Focusing on
the People And anchoring Changes in the Long Term

4) Competent Partners with Experience and Expertise

Finally, the glass stepping stones game requires either incredible luck or a trained eye.

The participants have to cross a gorge in a certain amount of time. The “bridge” provided for this purpose consists of individual stepping stones. The catch: every second stone is not made of safety glass, but of window glass, which cannot withstand the weight of a person.

One of the players actually used to work in a glass factory. He is therefore able to tell the difference between window glass and safety glass with the naked eye. Not only does he benefit from his expertise, but so do all the other players who try to cross the gorge after him.

It is equally important that you choose a competent partner for your ERP implementation who can support you in the best possible way with their specialist knowledge and project experience. They will also help you to define your goals and develop your implementation strategy.

And how do you find it? In the past, the traditional way was always a tendering process, but this is now outdated. Since a lot of information is freely available online thanks to digitalization, you can also select your ERP partner on your own initiative. To make a good pre-selection of possible partners, you can use a list of questions as a guide, which you can of course expand as you wish.

How to become the Winner in the “ERP Game”

What should you take with you for your ERP project?

Act generously yet thoughtfully with a long-term strategy and clear goals. Look for a team that works well together and is motivated - with team members who complement each other. And choose a partner who will provide you with valuable support in the form of extensive expertise and experience. If you take these insights from Squid Game to heart, you can also emerge victorious from the “ERP Game”. 😊