There is a myth that shows up in almost every steering committee review and budgeting session. People believe that once you pick a new platform, the rest will fall into place.
The pitch always sounds good. Modern UI. Cloud readiness. Dashboards everywhere. It feels like progress. But seasoned CIOs who manage IBM i environments know the truth. Implementation cycles for complex systems routinely stretch to 2–7 years. Saying it out loud does not make you pessimistic. It makes you accurate.
The bridge between myth and reality becomes clear once you see the actual workload required to replace decades of integrated logic. If you lead an IBM i organization, you inherit depth, stability, and custom logic that has kept the business running for decades. None of that lifts and shifts.
Why ERP and Core System Implementations Take 2–7 Years
The answer is not incompetence; it’s complexity. Before configuration begins, most teams spend 6–24 months in assessment alone. They audit interfaces, data structures, custom code, and undocumented workflows. Each stage exposes work that must be rebuilt from the ground up.
What Makes IBM i Modernization Uniquely Slow?
IBM i environments tend to be highly stable and deeply customized. Many organizations rely on RPG logic developed twenty or thirty years ago. Often, the programmer who wrote it has long since retired.
Modern ERP platforms cannot reproduce that logic out of the box. The current team needs to re-express, test, and take ownership of the business rules. Any replacement effort should assume a reconstruction, not a migration.
The Hidden Roadblocks That Stall Implementations
Across every stalled project I have reviewed, the same patterns repeat.
Customizations That No One Fully Understands
These often span multiple generations of developers. The logic works, so it stays in place. Recreating it requires interviews, reverse engineering, and careful testing. Understanding the legacy system is as critical as learning the new one.
Data Structures That are More Complex Than Leadership Assumes
IBM i files contain multiple record formats, logical dependencies, batch workflows, journaling, and decades of history. Data conversion alone can add one to two years. Cleanup cannot wait until the go-live window. It must begin early.
Integrations That Multiply Risk
Teams must rewrite every interface: EDI, WMS, shipping, HR, tax, and custom quoting. None of it carries over. Each integration becomes a mini-project with its own timeline.
Business Rules That Live Inside People or Code, Not Documentation
That creates friction during workshops and discovery. Teams spend months rediscovering institutional logic. Documenting workflows earlier reduces rework later.
Staffing Constraints That Vendors Underestimate
Internal champions still have day jobs. Vendor teams assume they can dedicate half their time. Most cannot. Resourcing must be realistic from day one.
Vendor Messaging That Oversimplifies the Workload
It’s not malicious, just incentive-driven. The discovery phase often reveals the true scope. A little healthy skepticism can protect your timeline.
The Cost of Running Two Systems for Years
Long implementations force organizations to maintain two platforms. They pay both vendors and support both user bases. It also means updating two sets of reports and reconciling two data paths.
This dual-operating mode is where budgets expand quickly. A project quoted at $500,000 often ends up costing $2 million or more. That’s because you have to account for consulting, internal labor, testing, training, and parallel operations.
The Risk CIOs Rarely Talk About: Organizational Fatigue
Complex projects drain momentum. Champion burnout becomes real. Decision fatigue increases. Power users lose patience. Executive sponsors question whether the timeline is realistic. Each missed milestone reduces credibility.
That creates a slow erosion of confidence inside IT. That means you must pace your modernization to protect your people, not only your systems.
One Midmarket CIO’s Breaking Point
About 10 years ago, I worked with a midmarket organization that was entering year 4 of a large ERP replacement. They started confidently. Their vendor showed clean screens and promised a smooth transition.
But by year two, interviews uncovered custom logic that no one had documented since the late 1990s. The data conversion team realized the files contained multiple record formats that the new system could not interpret without restructuring. Integrations with shipping and tax systems grew into twelve separate subprojects.
Their internal champions continued juggling daily operations, which limited their availability for workshops and testing cycles. By year four, the organization was paying for two systems, two reporting models, and two sets of consultants.
The CIO finally asked a question I have heard countless times: “Are we modernizing or surviving?” That moment shifted the program. They stabilized their IBM i platform, paused the ERP rollout, and began modernizing in small, controlled steps.
Within two years, they rebuilt analytics, automated workflows, and restructured their data. The full replacement resumed later, but with a clarity and readiness the first attempt never had.
Stabilizing Your IBM i First Changes Everything
Teams that avoid multi-year stalls tend to follow the same pattern. They move to a stable managed IBM i environment early and secure PTF currency, predictable DR, modern backups, and monitoring. That creates breathing room. Internal staff stop firefighting and regain time to plan.
Modernization Roadmaps Beat Replacement Rush
A big-bang ERP strategy front-loads risk. Having a roadmap breaks it down into manageable phases. Many teams begin with API enablement, analytics, workflow modernization, and data hygiene. These initiatives build maturity and confidence. They also reduce surprises when a full replacement eventually begins.
Aligning Modernization With Organizational Readiness
Technology is not the primary constraint. People are. Every implementation requires process redesign, cross-team commitment, and sustained decision-making. CIOs who align pace with readiness succeed more often than those who push for transformation before the organization is ready.
Your Questions Answered
Why do IBM i replacements take so long compared to other platforms?
IBM i systems often contain decades of accumulated logic and integrations that newer platforms cannot replicate automatically. Rebuilding that logic takes interviews, reverse engineering, and careful testing. That makes timelines longer than organizations expect.
Can modernization happen without replacing the entire system?
Yes. Many organizations modernize through APIs, analytics, workflow improvements, and data cleanup. These efforts improve usability and integration without forcing a disruptive full replacement.
What is the biggest source of timeline risk during ERP replacements?
Data conversion and integration rebuilding. Both expose hidden dependencies, undocumented formats, and complex business rules. These tasks often extend timelines by months or years if not addressed early in the project.
How should CIOs prepare internal teams for modernization?
Start by protecting staff bandwidth. Champions need time to participate in discovery, workshops, and testing. Clear role definitions and realistic time commitments prevent burnout. Preparation also includes documenting workflows and cleaning data before the vendor arrives.
What should a modernization roadmap include?
A strong roadmap includes API enablement, analytics improvements, workflow redesign, integration rationalization, security updates, and data hygiene. These steps increase readiness for eventual system replacement. Phasing the work reduces risk and keeps teams aligned.
Is it worth stabilizing IBM i before starting modernization?
Yes. Stability reduces operational noise. A well-managed environment provides predictable performance, DR readiness, monitoring, and technical hygiene. That creates the space required for teams to focus on modernization rather than firefighting.
A Predictable Path to Modernization
Do you want a modernization plan grounded in reality instead of optimism? We can help you build one that protects your team, your timeline, and your IBM i stability.
