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ERP implementations and late-career users/stakeholders

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Marvin Blackmon Manager| Blackmon Solutions Group LLC Pasadena, Tx, United States

Hello, PMI community!

I’m reaching out to connect with project or change management leaders currently supporting ERP implementations, particularly in the U.S. manufacturing or food and beverage industries. I am especially interested in how late-career employees experience and adapt to large-scale technological changes.

My goal is to understand better how organizations are navigating these dynamics and which strategies are proving most effective in supporting experienced team members (with retirement on their horizons) during major digital transitions. Questions I want to answer include:

• How do mature-age workers perceive the organizational support they receive while participating in complex technological change?

• How do mature-age workers experience the interaction between the technological demands of a complex technological change and their intention to remain in the organization?

If your current project involves this group as key stakeholders or end-users, I’d love to start a conversation. Please respond here or send me a network request. Thanks in advance for your input!

Regards,

Marvin
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Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
Community Champion
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Great topic, Marvin.
From what I’ve seen in ERP programs, late-career users engage much better when change is paced, training is practical, and their experience is respected rather than replaced.

Involving them early, using peer champions, and clearly linking the change to their day-to-day work makes a real difference.

Golam Rob
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Aaron Porter
Community Champion
IT Director| Blade HQ Payson, UT, United States

I've found that you can't lump them all into one bucket, especially when you consider that many "mature-age" workers grew up on technology. I believe that assuming that mature-aged workers will struggle more with complex technological change is outdated thinking that perpetuates a decades-old stereotype. To be clear, I recognize that just because it's a stereotype doesn't mean it's always wrong. However, a lot of the "mature" workforce in developed economies have been around technology for decades, including multiple major platform transitions. Implementing a new ERP can be impactful, but it's not like the transition from paper to digital.

While there are mature-age workers whose struggles may be due to age, the problem could just as easily be change fatigue or poorly managed transformation, and they've been through enough well-managed changes that they know the difference and are more likely to be vocal about it.
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Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
Community Champion
Program Manager| HARPER SRL Santo Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
I like both perspectives here, and they actually complement each other.
The challenge is rarely age itself. Many late-career users have lived through multiple system changes and can spot very quickly when an ERP rollout is poorly thought through. Resistance often comes from change fatigue, lack of context, or feeling that their experience is being ignored.
Where things work better is when organizations slow down the change just enough, keep training practical, and treat experienced users as contributors, not obstacles. Involving them early, listening to their concerns, and connecting the system to how work really happens on the floor makes a big difference.
In short, it’s less about adapting the technology to “older users” and more about managing change with respect, realism, and credibility.
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Mounir Ashour MAJMAA, 01, Saudi Arabia
THANK YOU
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Syed Ashir Riaz
Community Champion
AI-Powered Social Media Strategist
From my experience, late-career users adapt better when they feel respected and supported, not rushed. Clear training, practical guidance, and involving them early in the ERP process reduces resistance. When organizations value their experience and provide patience during change, it positively affects both adoption and retention.

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