Should companies adapt to ERP's, or the other way around?

First what is a ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning, a business management system that integrates all facets of the business, including planning, manufacturing, sales, and marketing. As the ERP methodology has become more popular,software applications have emerged to help business managers implement ERP in business activities such as inventory control, order tracking, customer service, finance and human resources

Evolution

In the beginning the programs were tailor made. These functional systems facilitated the work of a single department or function. These systems grew as a natural expansion of the capabilities of systems of the first era. These new functional areas added features and functions to encompass more activities and to provide more value and assistance. The problem with functional applications is their isolation. The clients end with several databases and data fragmentation.

The question

There is no exact under. To avoid these isolated islands, companies should have some discipline and should respect the organization purposed by specialists / consultants. They have more experience. On the other hand, which company is different, and nowadays these ERP’s are easily customized, so very near the reality of their clients.