The 3 Most Common ERP Performance Failures (And How to Fix Them)
ERP performance problems drain revenue and slow teams down. Here are the three most common causes, along with a practical path to restoring speed, accuracy, and confidence.
ERP problems don’t always scream. Sometimes… they whisper
ERP issues don’t usually show up with alarms or flashing alerts. Instead, they slip in quietly. Maybe a report is late, a team slows down, or someone creates a spreadsheet workaround that eventually becomes the norm. It seems minor at first, but it can turn into a big problem.
Over time, these small inefficiencies add up. You lose time, waste money, and execution slows down. For companies with $10M to $100M in revenue, facing these ERP problems is almost expected.
The good news is that most ERP breakdowns fit into just a few categories. Once you identify them, you can fix them, and the return on investment can be significant.
Let’s look at what usually goes wrong, what it costs, and how you can fix it for good.
1. The integration headaches that drain revenue
High-growth brands usually rely on a network of systems. Shopify or Amazon drives demand. NetSuite handles accounting and inventory. A 3PL ships the product. And a tool like Celigo ties it all together.
At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
When one of those connections breaks, chaos follows. Orders get stuck. Inventory data becomes unreliable. Your team shifts from scaling to firefighting. And while the stress is visible, the real cost often isn’t.
Take one retailer we worked with. They were losing 2% of annual revenue—$400,000 on a $20M business—because Amazon and Shopify orders weren’t syncing with NetSuite. Their team just called it “system issues,” but it was really a revenue leak.
Contrast that with Softies, a DTC brand that cleaned up its order flows. By stabilizing their integrations and cutting 10 manual order-entry roles, they unlocked $2.3M in new revenue and saved over $500K annually.
When integrations break, the ripple effects hit every team:
Finance gets unreliable numbers
Ops loses trust in inventory data
Customer support gets buried in tickets
Leadership starts making decisions in the dark
Fixing this starts with visibility. You need to run a real diagnostic: map out your data flows, find where things are breaking, and link those issues to business outcomes. Then, rebuild your system based on how your business actually works today, not how it was first set up.
With a scalable integration strategy, you can protect revenue, save time, and grow without adding more staff.
2. Reporting that’s slow, outdated, or flat-out wrong
Let’s be honest: reporting problems aren’t just a finance issue. They affect every team and every major business decision. When ERP reports are late, messy, or inconsistent, the whole company feels the impact.
We’ve worked with businesses where the month-end close took more than 10 days. That kind of delay isn’t just frustrating. It’s expensive. In one case, we helped a client reduce it to 4 days, saving more than $57,000 in annual productivity costs.
Why does this happen so often? Usually, the root causes are pretty clear:
Messy or inconsistent data coming from upstream systems
NetSuite modules that aren’t configured correctly
Bloated transaction volumes that overwhelm the system
When leaders stop trusting the data, they start to hesitate. Inventory purchases get delayed, forecasts become less accurate, and strategic plans turn reactive. In short, everything slows down.
The solution isn’t to work harder; it’s to clean up your data environment. This means tightening data flows, reviewing accounting structures, and automating routine tasks such as reconciliations and report preparation.
SMYTHE is a great example. They were spending hours manually reconciling Shopify data. We automated that flow and saved them more than $10,000 annually. But more importantly, their team started trusting their data again… and that trust translated into better, faster decisions.
3. Manual workarounds are costing you more than you think
When ERP systems can’t keep up, people fill in the gaps. Someone builds a spreadsheet, another person manually fixes a field, and everyone insists it’s just temporary.
But six months later, it’s the new normal.
Manual workarounds kill profitability quietly. Here’s how:
Time gets wasted on tasks that should be automated
Orders move more slowly, delaying revenue and cash collection
Labor costs rise for low-value work
Human error increases and impacts customers and partners
In many product companies, up to 15% of orders need human intervention. If you process 20,000 orders a year, that’s more than $62,000 wasted on time alone.
It gets worse when teams start to see the system as fragile. They stop trying to improve it, and minor optimizations feel risky, so manual work continues.
That’s why automation needs to be intentional. Begin by mapping your end-to-end processes. Find the repeated manual steps that take a lot of time and don’t add strategic value. Once done, rebuild those flows in NetSuite and your integration tools so they run automatically.
Don’t just assume things are better. Instead, track the impact with real numbers… error rates, time saved, and revenue gained. Automation builds efficiency and confidence at the same time.
Why these ERP problems keep happening
If it feels like you’re constantly battling the same ERP headaches, you’re not alone. These issues aren’t unique to your company. We’ve seen them across dozens of industries… from eCommerce and retail to wholesale and manufacturing.
Most ERP challenges come down to the same root causes:
The system was built for where your business was, not where it is now
Your internal ERP owner left or is stretched too thin
Integrations were duct-taped instead of being properly designed
Reporting was built around short-term needs, not long-term architecture
Your vendors focused on tasks instead of business outcomes
The result is a system that works most of the time, until it suddenly doesn’t.
That’s why we believe in a structured, repeatable approach. We've seen it work with all of our clients, and it leads to faster results, fewer surprises, and clearer ROI.
How to fix your ERP without blowing it up
The best part? You don’t need to rebuild everything from scratch. In most cases, the foundation is solid so you just need to realign it to today’s business.
Here’s the four-step approach we use with nearly every client:
1. Run a quantified diagnostic
Start with the facts. Our clients on AlturaCare start with a comprehensive system HealthCheck that shows where things are failing, how much it's costing, and where the biggest returns are. It also helps get leadership aligned around fixing it.
2. Align systems with how you operate today
Your ERP should match how your business actually runs today, not how it was first set up. That means aligning it with your current financial setup, inventory flow, sales channels, and how your teams really work.
3. Rebuild automation around scale
Eliminate as much busywork as you can. Focus on automating tasks… like forecasting, reconciliation, and order fulfillment. The goal is to keep operations running smoothly even as your business scales—preferably without adding more people.
4. Build in continuous improvement
Your ERP isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it system. The best-run companies treat it like a living asset that evolves with the business. That’s why they rely on embedded partners rather than one-and-done consultants.
What happens when you get ERP right
When your ERP starts supporting the way your team actually works, everything gets easier. Month-end gets wrapped up faster. Orders move with fewer errors. Revenue climbs without hiring more people. Costs drop. Teams spend less time putting out fires and more time moving the business forward. And leadership gets the visibility they need to make smart decisions.
That’s when your ERP stops holding you back… and starts helping you grow.
What could that look like for your business? Take a look at our NetSuite Optimization Services. And if you need data to help make the case internally, Gartner’s ERP benchmarks are a great place to start.
Growth shouldn't come with operational chaos. Let’s fix what’s slowing you down so you can scale faster, smarter, and with more confidence.
See what your ERP can really do. Book a call with us today and start uncovering the ROI you have been missing. Ready to run faster and scale smarter? Talk with our team about AlturaCare and get a plan built around your business.
NetSuite Optimization Self-Audit: Identify performance gaps in 30 minutes
Is your NetSuite running at full speed — or slowing your team down? In just 30 minutes, this self-audit will help you find the bottlenecks in your system and fix them before they impact your bottom line.
If your NetSuite feels slower, clunkier, or more manual than it should, you’re not alone. Many growing companies hit a wall after their initial NetSuite implementation. Processes that once worked fine start dragging. Reports take longer to run. Teams rely on workarounds, and leadership loses visibility into what’s really happening across the business.
The good news? Most of these problems can be spotted quickly with the right framework. This 30-minute self-audit will help you identify where performance gaps are costing you time, money, and momentum.
Step 1: Evaluate your financial close process
If your month-end close is taking longer than five days, it’s a red flag. Review your journal entries, reconciliations, and approval chains. Ask: which parts could be automated or simplified? Many clients have reduced their close from ten days to four just by optimizing NetSuite workflows and approvals.
Step 2: Review automation and workflow uptime
Automation is only powerful when it’s reliable. Check for failed workflows, scripts, or integrations. If your automation uptime isn’t near 99%, you’re spending too much time firefighting instead of forecasting.
Step 3: Assess integration stability
Shopify, Amazon, 3PL, EDI—if any of these connections break, your business slows down. Audit your integration logs for recurring Celigo or API errors. Even a 2% failure rate can mean hundreds of delayed or lost orders a month.
Step 4: Measure reporting and visibility
How quickly can finance and operations leaders get answers to basic questions? If dashboards lag or data requires multiple exports, it’s time to tighten your data pipelines. A well-optimized NetSuite delivers real-time visibility across your entire business.
Step 5: Examine user experience and training
A powerful system is only as effective as its users. If your team relies on manual steps or can’t find what they need, productivity stalls. Review permissions, saved searches, and training resources to make everyday tasks easier.
When a self-audit isn’t enough
Sometimes, the gaps you uncover go deeper than expected. That’s where AlturaCare comes in. Every new AlturaCare engagement begins with a comprehensive HealthCheck, a deep, data-driven analysis that pinpoints exactly where inefficiencies are hiding and builds the roadmap to fix them. From there, our team stays hands-on to keep your NetSuite performing at its best, month after month.
Take the next step
Don’t wait for inefficiencies to become bottlenecks. Download the 30-Minute Optimization Checklist to pinpoint your biggest opportunities and see what’s possible when your systems are seamless.
Download your 30-Minute Optimization Checklist and uncover what’s slowing you down.
6 early warning signs your NetSuite implementation needs help
If your NetSuite system feels more like a burden than a business advantage, it may be signaling deeper issues. From workarounds to unreliable reports, here are six early warning signs your NetSuite implementation needs attention—and how optimization can help you stabilize, scale, and see measurable ROI fast.
Misaligned tiles.
Misaligned systems.
Same problem.
Your NetSuite system should be the heartbeat of your business operations, giving you visibility, accuracy, and control across finance, inventory, and fulfillment. But for many growing companies, the reality looks very different.
When troubleshooting consumes more team resources than data analysis or workflow improvements, it’s a strong indication your NetSuite implementation needs a strategic reset. Here’s how to recognize the early signs before minor issues turn into costly setbacks.
1. You’re relying on too many workarounds
Departments relying on their own “manual fixes” signal that the efficiency promised by NetSuite is slipping away. Workarounds—like spreadsheet reconciliations or manual journal entries—usually mean your system isn’t configured for your current processes.
Over time, these shortcuts create reporting blind spots and inconsistent data. If you’re constantly double-checking numbers or switching between systems to confirm accuracy, it’s time to evaluate your setup.
2. Month-end close is still a marathon
NetSuite should accelerate your close, not prolong it. If your finance team still takes more than a week to reconcile accounts and produce reports, something’s off.
We helped one client cut their month-end close from 10 days to just four by eliminating redundant processes and optimizing their workflows. The result? More time for strategic analysis and fewer late nights balancing the books.
3. Integration errors are eating into revenue
Sync failures or persistent Celigo flow errors can cost your business revenue almost immediately. Even a small percentage of failed transactions can lead to thousands in lost sales or delayed shipments.
For example, a 2% integration failure on $20M in annual revenue can mean $400,000 in preventable losses each year. A stable, well-optimized integration framework keeps your sales channels, warehouses, and accounting data moving seamlessly.
Ready to fix those integration errors before they cost you more revenue? Explore our NetSuite Rescue services to stabilize your systems and prove ROI fast.
4. Your internal team is stretched thin
Many companies lose or overextend their NetSuite admin, leaving operational gaps. Without the right technical oversight, your implementation drifts, and issues pile up.
Workflow improvements fall by the wayside once ticket management becomes routine—and that’s a clear indicator it’s time to scale up your NetSuite support. A proactive partner can help you stabilize, automate, and scale—without adding headcount.
5. Reporting feels unreliable… or impossible
If leadership questions every report or waits days for numbers, your NetSuite instance isn’t providing the clarity it should. Broken data flows, disconnected modules, and outdated configurations all contribute to unreliable results.
Your ERP should act as your single source of truth. When it doesn’t, decision-making slows, and opportunities pass by. Our experts can help rebuild confidence in your reporting foundation.
See how SMYTHE improved reporting and integration performance through automation.
6. You’ve been live for over a year, but results have plateaued
When measurable gains in speed, efficiency, or visibility stall after a year on NetSuite, the issue isn’t the platform’s capability—it’s because your business has outpaced your system’s configuration.
At Altura, we help implementations get back to peak performance through targeted optimizations that align technology with business goals. From automation tuning to reporting cleanup, our clients see measurable ROI—often in weeks, not months.
Why act now?
Every extra week spent troubleshooting is lost time, delayed decisions, and unrealized revenue. The sooner you optimize, the faster your business can grow—confidently, efficiently, and without disruption.
What to do next
If any of these signs sound familiar, don’t wait for them to turn into major disruptions. A strategic optimization can transform your system from a maintenance headache into a measurable growth driver.
Start by exploring our NetSuite services. Want to learn more about the platform itself? Visit NetSuite.com to see how a well-tuned implementation can support your next stage of growth.
If you’re ready, book a call today. We’ll chat about how far your ERP can really take you.
Top 5 benefits of integrating ecommerce & NetSuite
When eCommerce and NetSuite operate in sync, operations scale smoothly instead of straining under order volume. This post explains how integration improves accuracy, speed, and visibility across fulfillment, inventory, and finance—giving mid-market brands the efficiency edge they need to grow.
These are the top 5 ways integrating your BigCommerce or Shopify, ecommerce Store to NetSuite will transform your Operations and Accounting.
Orders placed on your website will be automatically imported into NetSuite. Products that are dropped shipped from vendors will have the Purchase Orders automatically created and sent to the preferred vendor. As a sweetener you can use the Shippers API and your ID to pull your order shipment information from your vendor and update the order fulfillment and shipping information.
Your fulfillment and shipping information including Advanced Shipping Notice will export from NetSuite into your Ecommerce Platform to keep your customer support team and customer informed on the shipping updates.
All of your Product Detail updates can be syndicated to your site. No more updating all of the sites individually.
Payout Reconciliation streamlines the reconciliation process by auto-matching the payment gateway settlement transactions against the NetSuite outstanding transactions (such as payment, cash sale, cash refund, customer deposit, or customer refund). It also provides you details about the unreconciled items, transactional, and non-transactional fees charged by the payment gateway.
All of your inventory levels for products will stay synchronized between your distribution centers and 3PLs. This eliminates stockout situations, speeds re-orders, and maximizes customer success.
Celigo's Integration Applications for Ecommerce makes doing all of this easy. You can get on our schedule to get this configured and then cross this off the list before Summer and you'll be the envy of all of your friends in the National Retail Federation this holiday season.