Author: Eric Kimberling

Eric is recognized globally as a leading voice in digital transformation and ERP strategy. Over the past two decades, he has helped hundreds of organizations – including Nucor Steel, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Kodak, Coors, Boeing, and Duke Energy – define their technology roadmaps, modernize complex operations, and deliver real business value from large-scale transformation initiatives. As Founder and CEO of Third Stage Consulting, Eric leads an independent, technology-agnostic advisory firm focused on helping clients navigate the shift from traditional ERP to more flexible, AI-enabled Digital Enterprise Operations (DEO) models. His work spans ERP selection, implementation quality assurance, organizational change, and operating model design across a wide range of industries and geographies. Eric is also a prolific thought leader, known for his pragmatic takes on AI, cloud, and enterprise software trends, as well as his firm’s benchmark research and frameworks for de-risking transformation. He is dedicated to helping executive teams cut through vendor hype, make confident investment decisions, and successfully reach the “third stage” of their digital evolution.

QAD in 2025: What Manufacturers Should Know (Strengths, Gaps, and How It Fits)

If you’re a midsize manufacturer evaluating ERP options, QAD will likely land on your shortlist. Long known for its manufacturing depth, QAD is in the midst of a major refresh, pairing a rebuilt core ERP with an AI layer (“Champion AI”) and a connected-workforce platform (Redzone). Below, we break down what QAD is, where it […]

How to Rescue a Digital Transformation Gone Sideways

Big tech projects rarely derail overnight. They drift, one “green” status report at a time, until costs balloon, milestones slip, and confidence fades. The good news: you can recover. Here’s a pragmatic playbook distilled from dozens of remediation engagements and expert-witness investigations. The 5-Step Rescue Framework 1) Admit there’s a problem (end the “all green” […]

The Dark Side of Consulting (and How to Protect Your Transformation)

After 25 years in enterprise tech and consulting, I still love the work, but I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a dark underbelly. Too many projects get steered by hidden incentives, internal politics, and narrow viewpoints that put vendors first and clients last. Here’s a candid look at the patterns I’ve seen, and […]

Top 10 Enterprise Tech Trends for 2026 (and What to Do About Them)

2026 won’t be “business as usual.” AI, new operating models, and customer pushback are reshaping the enterprise stack faster than any time in the last 25 years. Here are the 10 shifts that matter, and practical moves to make now. 1) ERP’s monopoly is over Why it’s happening: Implications: Treat ERP as a transaction backbone, […]

2026 Might Be the Year to Not Start a Digital Transformation

There’s a loud drumbeat in tech right now: Move to cloud, rip out legacy, implement AI, modernize everything, now. Sometimes that’s right. But as an independent, tech-agnostic advisor, I’ll also say the quiet part out loud: in 2026, many organizations will get a higher return by not launching a big-bang transformation, and by taking smarter, […]

Executive Alignment: The Hidden Reason Digital Transformations Slip, and How to Fix It

When digital transformations run long and blow past budgets, it’s rarely because the software can’t do the job. It’s because the organization isn’t aligned. From the executive steering committee to frontline teams, misalignment grinds progress like sand in a well-oiled machine. Here’s what misalignment looks like, why it happens, and a practical playbook to get […]

Tyler Technologies in the Headlines: What Recent Lawsuits Mean for Public-Sector Digital Transformations

Tyler Technologies is one of the most widely used GovTech providers for cities, counties, and states. It suits power courts, public safety, tax, records, and more, often earning “safe bet” status in procurements. But recent lawsuits and controversies are a reminder that even established vendors carry risk, and that public agencies need strong governance, contracts, […]

Zimmer Biomet’s $172M SAP Failure: What Went Wrong, and How Your Enterprise Can Avoid the Same Traps

A global medical device manufacturer, Zimmer Biomet, embarked on an SAP S/4HANA program intended to deliver $100–$200M in annual benefits. Instead, the company alleges post–go-live disruptions, revenue decline, market cap impact, layoffs, and is now seeking $172M in damages from its provider. Whether you run SAP today or you’re planning an S/4HANA move, this case […]

5 Things Every CEO Needs to Know Before Leading a Digital Transformation

If you’re a CEO or senior exec steering a digital transformation (or any major change), the technology is the easy part. The hard part is making clear choices about the business you want to run, getting your house in order, and leading your people through the messy middle. After advising hundreds of leaders, here are […]

The 2026 Enterprise Tech Shortlist: 10 Platforms to Anchor a Modern Digital Transformation

Evaluating technology for 2026 looks very different from five years ago. The old habit of picking one monolithic ERP and forcing every process into it is fading. In its place: composable ERP and platform-first thinking; data, decisions, and workflows stitched together across multiple applications, with AI layered where it truly helps. Below is Third Stage […]

Digital Transformation in Europe: Why the Rest of the World Should Be Paying Attention

If you’re leading a digital transformation in 2025, you should be watching Europe. Even if you’re not based there, what’s happening across the EU and UK right now is shaping how big tech will behave, how cloud will be regulated, and how organizations will think about risk, modernization, and control over the next few years. […]

How Amazon Actually Delivers Fast, Cheap, and at Scale(And What the Rest of Us Can Learn)

If you’ve ever ordered something from Amazon at 10pm and had it show up on your porch the next afternoon for basically nothing, you’ve probably had the same thought everyone else does:“How is that even possible?” It’s easy to assume it’s just volume and money. But Amazon’s speed and cost advantage isn’t just about size. […]