Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲.

When a cloud ERP company is valued at 10–15x revenue, ask yourself: what exactly is being valued?

It's not the technology. It's not your ROI. It's not the outcomes you were promised in the sales cycle.

It's the lock-in.

The recurring revenue. The switching costs. The multi-year contracts. The data gravity that makes leaving nearly impossible. The entire model is built on the assumption that once you're in, you're staying, whether the platform delivers or not.

And investors love it.

This is one of the uncomfortable truths I unpack in my new book, 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. The book exposes how the enterprise technology ecosystem (vendors, system integrators, and analyst firms) operates as a self-reinforcing machine designed to serve its own economics, often at the client's expense.

𝗠𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂: Has your organization ever felt trapped by a vendor — paying more every year for a platform that hasn't delivered what was promised? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.

📖 Order your copy here: www.amazon.com/Welcome-Machine-Systemic-Failures-T…

#DigitalTransformation #ERP #CloudERP #SAP #Oracle #Microsoft #VendorLockIn #Enterprisetech #CIO #CFO #CEO #SaaS #ERPImplementation #TechLeadership #BusinessTransformation #WelcomeToTheMachine

3 hours ago | [YT] | 19

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫?

In 2000, Blockbuster passed on buying Netflix for $50 million. The executives laughed. We all know how that ended.

I'm starting to wonder if SAP is sitting in the same chair right now. The warning signs are flashing in every direction at once:

🚨 SAP's new April 2026 API Policy quietly bans third-party AI agents from interacting with customer data unless that traffic flows through SAP's own pathways (BTP, Joule, AI Core, Business Data Cloud), all metered under the new AI Units pricing model.

⚖️ Celonis is suing SAP in U.S. court, alleging SAP makes it prohibitively difficult and expensive for third-party process mining tools to access SAP data, while favoring SAP's own competing product, Signavio.

🇪🇺 The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into SAP's ERP support and maintenance practices, focused on how SAP allegedly suppresses competition from third-party support providers like Rimini Street, who can deliver comparable or better support for as much as 50% less than SAP's 15-20% maintenance fees. Customers who try to leave these third-party support providers face contractual barriers, prohibitions, and back-charges if they ever return.

🪦 ECC sunset deadlines designed to corral customers onto S/4HANA whether they're ready or not.

This isn't a vendor confidently leading a market through a transition. This is a vendor using API governance, licensing definitions, and AI policy as three coordinated levers to lock customers and their data inside its own ecosystem.

If you want the unfiltered version of how this machine actually works across the entire enterprise software industry, my new book Welcome to the Machine is the playbook I wish every CIO had on their desk. Order it anywhere in the world here: lnkd.in/gpAzSVWx or use link in my bio.

💬 Is SAP the next Blockbuster, or can they pivot in time? I want to hear from leaders on both sides of the debate.

#DigitalTransformation #ERP #SAP #S4HANA #Celonis

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 54

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

❓ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧❓

🪦 Blockbuster
🪦 BlackBerry
🪦 Commodore 64
🪦 SAP

At first glance, it might feel strange to see SAP on this list. But take a closer look.

Each of these companies was a giant in its time. Each of these companies ignored signs of change. Each of these companies failed to evolve fast enough.
SAP may not be dead yet, but the warning signals are flashing brighter than ever:

🚨 Forcing customers onto S/4HANA with artificial deadlines
🚨 Sunsetting beloved products (like ECC) before many are ready
🚨 Overselling complexity rather than solving real business problems
🚨 Disconnecting from customer needs in favor of internal agendas

And now the pressure is mounting from every direction:

⚖️ SAP's new API policy is restricting how third-party tools access customer data, data that belongs to the customer, not SAP.

⚔️ Celonis is suing SAP, alleging anticompetitive tactics designed to choke off process mining competitors and lock customers deeper into SAP's stack.

🇪🇺 EU regulators are investigating SAP for anticompetitive behavior around cloud migrations, support practices, and ecosystem lock-in.

Just like Blockbuster clung to DVD rentals. Just like BlackBerry doubled down on tiny keyboards. Just like Commodore underestimated the PC revolution.

👉 SAP risks the same fate if they keep prioritizing lock-in over listening.

Our team at Third Stage Consulting Group sees it every day: clients being pushed into massive, risky transformations not because it makes business sense, but because vendors want to meet their own goals.

Technology should serve your business. Not the other way around.

That's why independent guidance matters more than ever, and why I wrote my new book to expose what's really happening behind the curtain.

📘 Grab your copy of "Welcome to the Machine," an unfiltered look at how enterprise software vendors really operate, and how to protect your organization from becoming their next cautionary tale 👉 amzn.to/4wd8uY6

💬 What do you think?
⚔️ Is SAP steering toward the same mistakes as Blockbuster, BlackBerry, and Commodore?

🔮 Can they pivot in time, or is the lock-in playbook already writing their ending?

#DigitalTransformation #ERP #SAP #S4HANA #Celonis #EnterpriseSoftware #TechStrategy #IndependentConsulting #BusinessTransformation #Leadership #BusinessTrends #TechTrends #WelcomeToTheMachine

2 days ago | [YT] | 106

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗬

Today, this “case” goes public.

Not as a real lawsuit, but as something just as important. A clear-eyed look at how the ERP and digital transformation industry actually works, and what organizations can do about it.

An actual industry-wide lawsuit is not realistic. The system is too complex, too global, and too interconnected. But understanding how that system operates is very realistic. That is where organizations start to take back control.

Over the last several years, I have worked with companies across the world navigating ERP implementations, digital transformations, and AI initiatives. The same patterns continue to surface:

➡️ Misaligned incentives between vendors, consultants, and customers
➡️ Technology decisions driving business strategy instead of the other way around
➡️ Sales cycles that prioritize closing deals over setting realistic expectations
➡️ Delivery models that shift risk to the customer
➡️ A broader ecosystem that reinforces these behaviors

Many of the biggest failures are not just caused by vendors or consultants. They are also driven by internal customer issues:

➡️ Lack of executive alignment
➡️ Unrealistic expectations and timelines
➡️ Weak governance and accountability
➡️ Resistance to change
➡️ Overreliance on external parties to make critical decisions

This is not just a series of isolated issues. It is a system. A machine.

That is exactly why I wrote 𝘞𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚.

The goal of the book is not just to point out what is broken. It is to give organizations a practical roadmap to navigate the environment more effectively.

Inside the book, I break down:

➡️ How the industry ecosystem is structured and why it often works against customers
➡️ The hidden incentives that shape vendor and consultant behavior
➡️ Common failure patterns across hundreds of transformations
➡️ How to build a strategy that aligns technology with business outcomes
➡️ Practical ways to regain control and reduce risk

This is about shifting control back where it belongs: to the customer.

📅 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 is available worldwide today.
Order your copy now in electronic, paperback, or hardcover formats and start taking control of your digital transformation 👉 lnkd.in/gpAzSVWx

If you are leading a transformation or about to start one, this is meant to give you a clearer view of the terrain and a more effective way to navigate it.

The industry is not going to change overnight.
But organizations that understand how it works can perform better within it.

#DigitalTransformation #ERP #CIO #AI #BusinessTransformation #Leadership #ChangeManagement #EnterpriseTechnology #TechStrategy #Innovation #Consulting #ProjectManagement #DataStrategy #FutureOfWork

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3 days ago | [YT] | 212

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

This book ships everywhere in the world beginning today! Order it in paperback, hard cover, and kindle versions.

Use the link in my bio to order now.

I’m excited to hear what you all think of this one!

#techindustry #consulting #big4 #software #welcometothemachine

4 days ago | [YT] | 137

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

Spreadsheet guy is back from a 14-day beach holiday - just in time to crash demos for a new ERP system.

Watch for the new video tomorrow.

#erp #digitaltransformation #spreadsheets #SpreadsheetGuy

6 days ago | [YT] | 192

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 🤖

The ERP industry is broken, and most companies don't realize it until it's too late.

After decades of watching billion-dollar implementations collapse under the weight of vendor hype, consultant conflicts of interest, and leadership failures, I wrote the book I wish every executive had before signing on the dotted line.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 pulls back the curtain on the ERP ecosystem, exposing the playbooks vendors don't want you to see, the consulting traps that drain your budget, and the organizational mistakes that derail even the best-funded projects. More importantly, it shows you how to break free.

Swipe through for a sneak peek at Chapter 1 👆

Pre-order your copy at a discount. Use the link in bio 🔗

#ERPImplementation #DigitalTransformation #Enterprisetech #CIOLeadership #BusinessTransformation

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1 week ago | [YT] | 231

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

Just got my advance copy of my new book, which is officially a released on May 1. This is my third book, but by far my favorite and the one I’m most proud of. It exposes the inner workings of the enterprise technologies space, including the way it is built to tilt the playing field in favor of vendors and away from customers.

If you are a buyer or participant in this industry, this is a must read book. Pre-order it now for a 30% discount via this link: amzn.to/4mJ9G0H

#ERP #DigitalTransformation #Technology #consulting #WelcomeToTheMachinet

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 97

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 😄

You just spent $2M and 18 months implementing a new ERP system.

And somewhere in your organization, Spreadsheet Guy is still running the business out of a Excel file he built in 2014.

He’s not wrong that he can give leadership the reports they want. At least for now.

But what happens when Spreadsheet Guy leaves? Or when the business scales beyond what any spreadsheet can handle? Or when an auditor asks for a single source of truth and gets 47 different versions of the same file?

This is one of the most underrated reasons ERP implementations fail to deliver ROI:

👉 The system gets deployed. The old habits don’t change.

Technology adoption isn’t a technical problem. It’s a change management problem. And change management doesn’t end at go-live — it starts there.

If your organization is struggling with ERP adoption post-go-live, the answer isn’t more training sessions. It’s understanding why people are reverting to the old way, and removing the friction that’s driving it.

We’ve seen this story play out dozens of times. The good news is that it is fixable.

Watch an example of Spreadsheet Guy in action:
youtube.com/shorts/ARO3De02Io...

What’s your Spreadsheet Guy story? Drop it in the comments 👇

#ERPImplementation #ChangeManagement #DigitalTransformation #ERP #Enterprisesoftware #ERPAdoption #ProcessImprovement #SpreadsheetGuy

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 39

Digital Transformation with Eric Kimberling

𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛: 𝗠𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲
(the completion of a trilogy)

A few years ago, I started on a mission to write the definitive guide to digital transformation without pulling any punches.

Three books later, that mission is almost complete.

→ Book 1: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 — How to define your digital strategy and roadmap before you ever select a vendor or hire a consultant

→ Book 2: 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 — How to navigate the pitfalls, risks, and failures that derail most transformations once they're underway

→ Book 3: 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 — The one that goes deepest. The one I've been building toward all along.

𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 is about the system behind the failures. It's about how the entire industry is built to be self-serving - and at the expense of customers.

Not just why individual projects go wrong, but why the entire industry is structurally designed to profit from your struggle. The vendors. The consultants. The analysts. The economic incentives. The conflicts of interest hiding in plain sight.

This book covers what the other two couldn't fully address: the machine itself and how to navigate and fight back against it.

→ Why 55–75% of digital transformations fail (and why that number hasn't changed in 30 years)
→ How vendors, system integrators, and analysts are financially aligned against your best interests
→ The real story behind forced cloud migrations, the 18-month lie, and the knowledge hostage
→ What the most successful organizations do differently and how you can too

It's direct. It's honest. And it is the most important thing I've written. The release is coming next month.

💬 Comment "MACHINE" below and I'll send you the introduction to the book right now.

More details to follow. Stay tuned.

#WelcomeToTheMachine #DigitalTransformation #ERP #CloudERP #EnterpriseSoftware #BusinessTransformation #ChangeManagement #Consulting #TechnologyStrategy #ProjectManagement #Leadership #DigitalStrategy #NewBook #BookLaunch #ThirdStageConsulting

1 month ago | [YT] | 28