A few articles have drawn some amount of attention specifically to the local causes of the success or failure of electronic resource management system (ERMS) implementations. In fact, it seems clear that local conditions will largely determine whether any given ERMS implementation will succeed or fail. This statement might seem obvious, but the truth and consequences of the statement are worthwhile to consider, and Northwestern University Library's recent experience in this context might prove useful for other libraries deliberating change. (Contains 2 figures.)