One of the ugliest ERP project legal battles in memory came to an end in May, when SAP

Waste Management originally sued SAP for fraud in March 2008 over an allegedly failed implementation of its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software. The company claimed it suffered significant damages, including more than US$100 million it spent on the project, as well as more than $350 million for benefits it would have gained if the software had worked as intended.

SAP made a one-time cash payment to Waste Management under the confidential settlement's terms.

The saga's quiet end bore little resemblance to the colorful fray that played out in pre-trial proceedings.

Waste Management claimed SAP used a "fake" product demonstration to trick it into believing its software was a good fit.