Building a Successful ERP Steering Committee

Executive governance is one of the strongest predictors of ERP success. Here's how to structure a steering committee that actually functions.

The ERP steering committee is the executive governance body that provides strategic oversight, resolves escalated issues, approves scope changes, and ensures the implementation remains aligned with business objectives. On successful projects, it's one of the most valuable mechanisms in the governance structure. On failing projects, it typically doesn't function effectively — or doesn't exist.

Composition

The steering committee should include: the executive sponsor (typically CFO or COO), functional leaders from finance, operations, and IT, the project manager, and — for smaller organizations — possibly a board member or advisor. The implementation partner's senior leadership should attend in an advisory capacity but should not be voting members.

Meeting Cadence

Monthly steering committee meetings are appropriate for most implementations. During critical phases — go-live preparation, major milestone decisions — bi-weekly meetings may be warranted. The steering committee should never go more than 30 days without meeting during an active implementation.

What the Steering Committee Should NOT Do

The steering committee is a strategic governance body, not an operational project team. It should resolve escalated issues and make scope decisions — not manage day-to-day project tasks. Blurring this line creates governance confusion and slows decision-making.

The Meeting Agenda That Works

Effective steering committee agendas follow a consistent structure: status against milestone plan, budget status, risk register review, escalated issues requiring decision, and upcoming decisions anticipated. "Update from the team" is not an agenda. A structured agenda with clear decision points is.