This book was written in the belief that companies should actually benefit from implementing ERP systems.Some companies, having bought and implemented an ERP system, view it as a transaction management system and are happy with it as long as it fulfils that function. However; many are dissatisfied with what they have. It's difficult to put a figure on this, as the term 'dissatisfaction' is not precise, but a survey by the analysts Nucleus Research showed that 60% of companies that have bought what is the most expensive ERP system on the market today regret doing so and would not buy it again (just how happy the remaining 40% are was not reported). Obviously one major reason for this unhappiness is that many ERP systems are badly implemented despite the substantial fees being paid to ERP providers and management consultancies for advice, consultancy and project management (the ERP market was worth $25 billion in 2016 but to that must be added probably another $50 billion or so for these implementation services).But this book does not directly address those failed or failing implementation, as another book in the series ("The ERP repair kit") does so in detail. Rather, it is about missed opportunities. It investigates why, even if a system has been competently implemented, many companies, knowingly or unknowingly, are not getting the results, advantages and paybacks that they should. It does not concern itself with finger-pointing because when an ERP implementation fails or underperforms, it is usually the fault, in one way or another, of everyone who was involved. For every company that blames the quality of training they received, there is an ERP supplier who blames the customer for cutting back on training to save money. For every customer who complains about the quality of advice and consultancy they received, there is a consultant who complains that good advice was ignored because it didn't match what the customer wanted to hear. So no blame game. Just a review of what companies can do to get measurable value from their ERP system in order to make a real difference to their operations, and their bottom line.This book considers four different types of ERP user company. Each has its own view of what ERP actually is and whether or not they are satisfied with it. Companies that feel happy with their system will still find useful things in this book, as even they may be missing opportunities.So; the four types of company that this book is aimed at are:1.Those that think that ERP is an accounting system and are generally happy with it,2.Those that think that ERP is an accounting system but are disappointed in it,3.Those that view their ERP system (correctly) as a company-wide system, there to serve all departments equally, and are happy with it, and4.Those that view their ERP system (correctly) as a company-wide system, there to serve all departments equally, but don't feel that they are getting the benefits they expected.