You have some valid points, but there is another side to the equation. ERP is not only necessary in big organizations, but also in smaller ones. One could start

You have some valid points, but there is another side to the equation. ERP is not only necessary in big organizations, but also in smaller ones. One could start serving the middle market. There are thousands of smaller companies that would kill to have ERP systems installed, but cannot afford them. There is tremendous scope for start-ups here and the market can be penetrated. One needs to think out of the box and study the problem. Most organizations see the need for ERP, when their business expands or when it is running through problems. By that time, their processes are not well defined and that 'confusion' in turn is passed in a sort of convoluted way into the software. At this stage most of them are in need of a good Business Consultant rather than software! Most Businesses are still run in a 'fuzzy' way. ERP systems impose rigidity and inflexibility. The new generation software would free business from these constraints. - They would be mostly web based. They will be made of 'websites'that can talk to each other. No need for EDI systems. RSS feeds for materials anyone? - They would be evolutionary in nature as their proliferation will attract further development and cross-fertilization of good features. - They would cost 1/100th of what existing systems sell for. I think there is a great business opportunity here.