Enterprise Apps Unpacked

Until recently, industrial AI has mostly been focused on predictive tools and analytics that run on workstations and mobile devices. Now agentic AI is shifting the focus to execution by giving industrial robots more autonomy and making some decisions without human intervention. Yet people could be more essential than ever in making this new age of industrial AI a reality in asset-intensive industries like oil & gas, mining and manufacturing. Frontline workers -- machine operators, maintenance technicians, safety inspectors and warehouse workers -- can respond faster and more effectively to equipment failures thanks to AI-assisted workflows integrated with back-office ERP systems. These connected workers also play a critical role in gathering the data and providing the business context and guardrails that AI requires. In this episode, we explore how industrial AI technology helps coordinate the activities of frontline workers and why humans and AI agents working closely together to convert insights into action is a powerful combination for industrial automation. Featuring: Sundeep Ravande, CEO and Co-Founder, Innovapptive  In today's episode, we'll also cover: How the Innovapptive platform works. The biggest industrial AI challenges. The role of multi-agent orchestration. How industrial AI could evolve in the next five to 10 years. References:  The AI factory model: What CIOs need to know AI use cases in manufacturing Innovapptive's guide to the connected worker Innovapptive case studies To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Human-centered leadership aims to put people first by prioritizing empathy, inclusiveness and employee development. While the approach has roots in the early 20th century, it is still just gaining a foothold in a world where top-down management remains dominant. But now artificial intelligence is emerging as an effective tool for amplifying human-centered leadership. At the same time, human-centered approaches are proving to be the most effective way to encourage AI adoption that meets the goals of individual employees and the business as a whole.     In this episode, we explore how an emerging type of "supermanager" blends savvy use of AI with human-centered leadership, and why developing supermanagers is essential in helping employees adapt to the massive changes brought about by AI. Featuring: Julia Bersin, Director of Research, The Josh Bersin Company       In today's episode, we'll also cover: Why redesigning work around AI requires input from employees who are comfortable experimenting with the technology. Tips on training employees to become "superworkers" by using AI more effectively. AI tools supermanagers use in their own supervisory tasks. References:  Career cure for AI phobia: Be a beekeeper, not a worker bee When building an AI strategy, don't forget the humans Bersin video: The rise of the supermanager To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Can non-technical workers really use supposedly user-friendly low-code/no-code development tools to write and customize software, especially AI applications, for serious business use? Indeed they can -- if they're operating under the auspices of a well-planned citizen developer program that sets realistic expectations, establishes clear guardrails, and provides the right programming tools and training. It's also important to have an effective process for deciding which staff-written AI agents and apps should be productized or added to the organization's internal IT architecture.     In this episode, we explore how citizen developers can jumpstart an organization's AI deployment efforts, the essential elements of a program, who needs to be involved and the challenges to expect. Featuring: Fabien Cros, Chief Data and AI Officer, Ducker Carlisle   In today's episode, we'll also cover: How Ducker Carlisle cut operating costs by 3%. Whether citizen developer programs change the relationship between the business and IT sides. How to decide when a citizen-developed app merits professional development. References:  What is citizen development? Citizen developers are redefining enterprise AI development StackAI low-code tool used by Ducker Carlisle To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Assessments are valuable hiring tools, but they can be challenging to design and implement. Recruiters and hiring managers use them to evaluate whether a candidate has the skills for a specific job, but also to identify cognitive capabilities and behavioral characteristics that are often better predictors of success. Hiring assessments are mostly digitized and conducted over computers, but they tend to be reserved for high-volume recruiting for roles that can be encoded in a few reusable assessments. Now artificial intelligence is making assessments feasible for specialized job openings, including executive positions.   In this episode, we explore the role hiring assessments have traditionally played in recruiting, how AI makes assessments easier to develop and deploy, and why the soft science of industrial-organizational psychology (IO) provides a firmer foundation than resumes and interviews. Featuring: Mike Hudy, Chief Science Officer, Hirevue     In today's episode, we'll also cover: How Hirevue's Assessment Builder software works. The steps taken to mitigate AI bias in the tool. Other ways digital technology is changing IO. References:  What is Hirevue? Learn about skills-based job descriptions, candidate testing Hirevue Assessment Builder To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

AI seems likely to transform more jobs than it eliminates, despite well-founded fears of job loss as companies increasingly adopt AI automation, lay off workers and move others into AI-centric roles. That probably means the best response for workers is learning to use AI to their individual advantage, but in ways that align sufficiently with the goals of their organization, rather than resist AI entirely. In this episode, we explore ways to use AI to automate mundane tasks and boost productivity while developing the innate human skills that are likely to endure through AI's future advancements. Featuring: Sharon Gai, AI speaker and futurist, author of How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy.     In today's episode, we'll also cover: How to identify the right tasks to turn over to AI. Why being an AI "beekeeper" is better than being a worker bee. Who is responsible for upskilling employees. Whether agentic AI standards and technology are mature enough. References:  AI job losses: Transformation expected, not mass layoffs AI upskilling strategies that center workers, not tech Sharon Gai website To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.  

"Physical" AI – artificial intelligence embodied in devices like robots, drones and self-driving cars – could be nearing a tipping point, thanks to recent advancements in large language models and agentic AI. The convergence of physical and agentic AI is giving machines the ability to sense their environment, make decisions and take action. Practical business applications are already emerging. They're a major focus of research and development at SAP as the ERP market leader investigates how smart robots and other physical AI devices can work with enterprise applications to make businesses more intelligent and automated. In this episode, we examine trends in physical and agentic AI, how they're transforming industrial automation, and the risks and challenges of implementation. Featuring: Yaad Oren, Global Head of Research and Innovation at SAP and Managing Director of SAP Labs U.S.     In today's episode, we'll also cover: The role of software in physical AI's emergence as a serious business tool. Why 2026 represents a tipping point in physical AI's capabilities. Examples from SAP Labs. References: Smarter robots: Agentic and physical AI converge in business Physical AI explained: Everything you need to know SAP article about physical AI partnerships  To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Real-world deployments of agentic AI have so far been limited in scope, despite strong interest in using the technology to automate many of the business processes now handled by people. One reason for the slow deployment of agents is the challenge of multi-agent orchestration: the ability of AI agents to communicate with each other and coordinate their activities across enterprise applications, workflows and even corporate firewalls. There is growing recognition that developing a framework for multi-agent orchestration is essential for deploying agents on a large scale across the entire organization. In this episode, we explore the main elements of a multi-agent framework, the problems it is meant to address, who is responsible for developing it and where to find ready-made frameworks and tools. Featuring: Peter Hesse, Partner, 10Pearls     In today's episode, we'll also cover: Why the tendency of agents to work in harmony can make them less resilient when their scale expands. How a framework can support AI transparency and traceability. Using "policy as code" to enforce AI consistency and trust. References:  AI agent frameworks: A guide to evaluating agentic platforms Real-world agentic AI examples and use cases 10Pearls blog post on building enterprise AI agent frameworks To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Direct materials sourcing is a critical process in product design, engineering and manufacturing. That was never more apparent in 2017 when Tesla began to ship the Model 3, its first electric vehicle meant to be affordable for middle-income buyers. The company had set two ambitious and unprecedented goals: building an EV for a base price of $35,000 and completing the development cycle in three years, half the typical turnaround in the automotive industry. The compressed timeline put tremendous pressure on employees to source quality parts economically and on time while keeping up with the tight design and production schedules. But Tesla was working at a disadvantage. Much of its sourcing and procurement was still done manually, and an IT gap existed between the product lifecycle management system, where engineering and design were managed, and the ERP. In this episode, we explore the impact inefficient procurement can have on profit margins, how a direct materials sourcing platform can close the technology gap for manufacturers, and the role played by AI. Featuring: Spencer Penn, Co-founder and CEO, LightSource    In today's episode, we'll also cover: Why mastering the bill of materials is so important in sourcing's financial impact. How LightSource works, who uses it and where it fits in the product lifecycle. Lessons learned from Penn's experiences managing engineering finance at Tesla. References: LightSource on procurement's overreliance on email and spreadsheets Tesla misses Q3 goals due to "production bottlenecks" Automotive supply chains can benefit from sourcing alliances: Here's why. To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Agentic AI is the hottest trend in ERP. It promises to infuse enterprise applications with AI that anticipates users' needs, communicates with them in natural language and handles more of the tedium of working in ERP systems. SAP is one of the leaders of the push for agentic AI. It has aggressively added special-purpose AI agents and development tools for building custom agents and beefed up its data platforms to accommodate AI's needs. But in practice, building agentic AI that works across SAP and non-SAP systems is challenging, and it often requires outside help from a consulting firm or system integrator. In this episode, we explore the practical realities of implementing AI applications on SAP systems, including the design process, development tools and integration challenges. Featuring: Gianluca Simeone, Vice President, CTIO and GenAI Leader, Capgemini    In today's episode, we'll also cover: Keys to successful agentic AI projects. Integration tools and standards for SAP AI. Whether non-programmers can use low-code development tools to play a meaningful role in agentic AI design. The status of multi-agent orchestration protocols. References: SAP pitches role-based Joule assistants as ERP work partners Agentic AI explained: Key concepts and enterprise use cases Simeone explains procure-to-pay project in SAP video To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Controversies over artificial general intelligence (AGI) mostly come down to two big issues: whether it's possible to make computers that are as smart as humans, and whether doing so is worth the risk of AGI somehow turning against its creators. But what if AGI is not only feasible, but actually dependent on humans, and could ultimately be the ideal collaborator? The head of an AI research lab asserts that a human-machine symbiosis will be necessary if AGI is ever to attain the "embodied" intelligence of humans: the creativity, intuition and values that go beyond the computational intelligence of today's machines. In this episode, we explore how this human-machine symbiosis would work in practice, how it could change enterprise applications, and its implications for human intelligence. Featuring: Nik Kairinos, Co-founder and Chief AI Architect, Fountech AI    In today's episode, we'll also cover: How the human-machine symbiosis could solve AI bias and hallucination problems. The risk of humans behaving more like machines. Why making jobs more efficient with AI could spur job creation. References: Ultimate guide to artificial intelligence in the enterprise What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? Fountech AI newsletter To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Artificial intelligence is starting to transform buy-now, pay-later options and other types of embedded lending by taking over many of the steps of credit approval. It can speed up the information processing, analysis and decision-making of online lending, improve its accuracy and profitability, and ultimately make credit available to more consumers and businesses. But AI lending also carries the risk of bias against minority groups, and borrowers and lenders must feel they can trust the AI to make fair, fiscally sound decisions. Many banks already have digital infrastructure for online lending and use it to offer loans on websites and retail payment terminals, but they're reluctant to add AI until the regulatory and risk management issues are resolved.      In this episode, we explore how embedded lending platforms work, who uses them, and the benefits and challenges of automating the lending process with AI. Featuring: Yaacov Martin, Co-founder and CEO, The Jifiti Group    In today's episode, we'll also cover: Jifiti's digital lending platform. Why embedded lending might be of interest to non-bank enterprises. The future of digital finance.   References: Injenico, Jifiti partner to offer payment options Digital payments to exceed $33.5 trillion by 2030: report Yaacov Martin article on bank readiness for AI lending Academic study on the rise of digital finance To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Fraud is among the most common abuses of information technology. Defined as intentional deception to gain an unfair advantage, fraud is increasingly common in talent management, especially recruiting, and has only gotten worse with the easy availability of AI. For example, AI enables job applicants to misrepresent their qualifications by falsifying resumes and cover letters and tweaking them to match job descriptions. One study showed that the technology levels the playing field so much that companies are less likely to hire the most qualified candidates and more likely to choose the least qualified ones. It's a growing problem for HR departments and hiring managers. In this episode, we explore the types of HR-related fraud, the role technology plays and strategies organizations can use to minimize its impact.  Featuring: Brian Sommer, Founder and President, TechVentive    In today's episode, we'll also cover: How applicants use AI to cheat on tests. What technology vendors are doing to address fraud. Why holding focus groups with job seekers can improve the recruiting process and provide insight into how people use AI.   References: How HR leaders can spot and stop fake job applicants Ultimate guide to recruitment and talent acquisition Academic study on how AI distorts recruitment To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

Dynamic pricing is an increasingly popular agentic AI application that showcases AI's advantages over humans in certain tasks. In seconds, AI can analyze customer histories and external data to optimize price quotes without turning off customers. Such labor-intensive work can take salespeople minutes to complete, and they often have biases that cause them to miss opportunities. AI-driven dynamic pricing tools perform the analysis quickly and dispassionately, which is helping to make salespeople more productive and boosting profits.   In this episode, we explore an electrical distributor's use of an Infor ERP dynamic pricing tool, the work that went into developing and deploying it, the challenges, and lessons learned. Featuring: David Magee, CTO and CISO, Turtle    In today's episode, we'll also cover: Turtle's revenue and margin improvements from using the tool. Why optimizing prices is so important for large distributors. How the Infor AI goes beyond analytics. The role of Infor's data science team. References: Infor offers process mining, automation in CloudSuite ERP Infor debuts AI agents to tackle industry specific tasks Case study on Infor website To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

While ERP cloud migration promises numerous benefits, including cost savings, leading-edge features, broad accessibility and ease of use, it also carries substantial risks. This is especially true of moving the accounting and financial management modules of on-premises ERP to the cloud. A poorly executed move can break an organization's financial processes and expose sensitive data, raising significant financial and regulatory risks. But establishing internal controls early in the ERP planning process can be an effective safeguard. In this episode, we explore the kinds of controls that are most effective, who is responsible for them, the steps in developing controls, and where they fit in enterprise application ecosystems. Featuring: Laura Bellinger, audit and assurance partner, David Rains, audit and assurance principal, Deloitte accounting, controls and reporting advisory.   In today's episode, we'll also cover: How AI helps automate the process. Why cloud-driven financial transformations are a good time to improve existing controls. The role of consulting firms like Deloitte in setting up internal controls. References: Deloitte article by Bellinger and Rains What is risk management? Importance, benefits and guide What is digital transformation? Everything you need to know To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

The affordable connected sensors made possible by the internet of things seem tailor-made for supply chain management. IoT sensors are ideal for collecting and transmitting the data that companies need for numerous supply chain processes, from traceability and procurement to inventory optimization and logistics. But has IoT lived up to its initial growth spurt and hype of a decade ago? Recent indications are that it is beginning to show clear value and positive ROI at companies that have implemented IoT in their supply chains. In this episode, we examine trends in IoT in general and in supply chains, the challenges of deploying IoT, and why widely available AI is boosting IoT's practicality as a business tool. Featuring: Subodha Kumar, Distinguished Chair and Professor of Statistics, Operations, Data Science and Information Systems, Temple University In today's episode, we'll also cover: Which IoT use cases provide the quickest wins. Where IoT fits into the broader ecosystem of supply chain software. The future potential of AI-enabled IoT in supply chains. References: Walmart deploys sensors to boost inventory tracking, AI efforts Guide to supply chain management Journal article co-written by Kumar on IoT in intralogistics To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

The evidence that AI can eliminate jobs is piling up. Amazon said recently it would lay off 14,000 corporate workers in an effort to become more nimble. The cuts weren't directly tied to AI, but the CEO previously said the workforce would shrink as Amazon continues to embrace AI. Target and UPS announced similar layoffs. Meanwhile, software vendors announced reductions that were explicitly caused by AI. For example, Salesforce cut 4,000 customer support positions weeks after its CEO said AI was already doing nearly half the work. In this episode, we examine AI's impact on jobs from the worker's point of view, with insights from people who maintain AI data centers, test the accuracy of search engines and use AI to automate some of their tasks. Featuring: Shannon Wait, Senior Organizer, Alphabet Workers Union-CWA In today's episode, we'll also cover: Efforts to unionize workers to protect them from AI's negative effects. Federal and state legislation regarding AI and jobs. Whether AI will be beneficial to jobs in the long run. References: Amazon to cut 14K roles in effort to stay 'nimble' AFL-CIO report, "Artificial intelligence: Principles to protect workers" AWU-CWA report: "Ghost workers in the AI machine" To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP.

There's little doubt that AI is starting to eliminate jobs. Recent headlines confirm it. The trend presents a special risk to the manufacturing sector just as baby boomers retire in droves and more companies seek to build up their workforces and reverse the decades-long preference for cheap overseas labor. But there are positive aspects to AI's impact on manufacturing jobs. Many workers are learning to use it to do their jobs more effectively and prepare themselves for an AI-centric future. Companies are training AI to do work that might not get done at all amid the labor shortages. In this episode, we explore how using AI to capture and encode the skills of factory workers who are leaving the workforce could keep manufacturers in business, counteract the baby boomer brain drain and make industrial jobs more attractive to young workers. Featuring: Alex Sandoval, CEO and Co-founder, Allie Systems In today's episode, we'll also cover: How Allie's AI, analytics and data platform helps manufacturers monitor and optimize production processes. Why the software's AI copilot can also serve as a knowledge-transfer and training tool. Where AI fits in companies' existing learning management and training systems. References: How manufacturers are reskilling factory workers for AI adoption 5 challenges of using AI in manufacturing An overview of Allie's manufacturing software To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

ERP sustainability software mostly focuses on data collection and reporting requirements of environmental, safety and governance (ESG) policies and typically isn't intended to control the business processes that impact the physical environment. But other digital technology has been used for years to monitor and optimize resource use. Now IoT sensors are increasingly paired with digital twins and AI, and linked with ERP and other enterprise applications, to form a complete digital ecosystem for environmental sustainability.            In this episode, we explore digital sustainability technologies, their benefits and challenges, and whether more use of the technology will be a net benefit for addressing climate change. Featuring: Peter Weckesser, Chief Digital Officer, Schneider Electric In today's episode, we'll also cover: New capabilities enabled by generative and agentic AI. The sustainability technologies that have the quickest ROI. Schneider Electric's work to optimize resource use in AI data centers. References: ESG strategy and management: A guide for businesses Tech a double-edged sword in race to sustainability Next-gen energy: Reimaging the grid of tomorrow (Peter Weckesser) To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

The internet transformed corporate learning from a paper-based, in-person process to one that is largely delivered in digital form, on demand from nearly any device or location. More recently, generative AI has provided learning and development (L&D) teams with a tireless assistant that can crank out educational content in minutes. Now AI-powered search is sparking another transformation as employees increasingly use it to find quick answers while they work, learning gradually in ways that suit their personal styles. In this episode, we examine the evidence for the trend, what L&D professionals should do differently, and how the search technology could affect legacy software, especially learning management systems. Featuring: Josh Bersin, Founder and CEO, The Josh Bersin Company In today's episode, we'll also cover: How AI-powered search changes the way learning content is designed and delivered. Whether using AI search for training could alleviate worker's fears of being replaced by AI. What Bersin has learned about the emerging search trend from his company's Galileo AI assistant for HR professionals. What new developments in AI-assisted search from vendors like Google and Anthropic mean for the corporate learning trend. References: Workplace learning: A complete guide for businesses What is GenAI? Generative AI explained Galileo Learn, Bersin's AI-driven HR training tool To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

Generative and agentic AI are rapidly infiltrating enterprise software. But both are prone to data management issues that can hobble their effectiveness and lead to AI hallucinations and faulty decision-making that carry significant risks for businesses. In this episode, we examine an innovative approach that aims to solve these data problems by basing AI models on standard, industry-specific business processes and compliance guardrails while using agentic AI to automate data orchestration across enterprise applications.   Featuring: Geraldine McBride, CEO, MyWave In today's episode, we'll also cover: Why MyWave's agentic AI doesn't require perfect data. Developing process models for 27 industries. How SAP Joule copilot and MyWave agents work together. How the agents can help migrate on-premises SAP ERP to S/4HANA Cloud. References: MyWave video case studies What is agentic AI? Complete guide Agentic AI governance strategies SAP sits Joule at the helm of apps, data "flywheel" To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

Procurement has become a strategic priority with significant impact on the bottom line. It's a data-intensive process that requires communicating with large numbers of suppliers, products and services – the kind of complex, transaction-heavy workflow that is uniquely suited to being automated with generative and agentic AI. In this episode, we examine how AI can make procurement more effective and efficient, where it fits in the procurement technology landscape and how it assists – but doesn't replace – humans in the loop. Featuring: Keith McFarlane, CTO, Globality In today's episode, we'll also cover: How the Globality cloud platform works. The capabilities of Glo, the platform's AI agent. Where the biggest cost savings are. The importance of getting procurement workers to trust AI. References: McFarlane explains why agentic AI may herald a golden age for procurement 10 real-world agentic AI examples and use cases Globality CEO on agentic AI and the future of procurement What is GenAI? Generative AI explained To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

AI's growing ability to take over human tasks has many people worried about losing their jobs. Some companies are addressing these concerns by educating employees on how to instead use AI as a helper that frees them for more creative work and adds value. In this episode, we explore ways to encourage AI use without mandating it, the kinds of training that work best and how to develop a curriculum that covers different experience levels and jobs. Featuring: Joe Depa, global chief innovation officer, EY In today's episode, we'll also cover: EY's massive program for training its 400,000 employees in AI. Which parts of the business are partly automated with AI. Ways to gauge the effectiveness of AI training. References: What is GenAI? Generative AI explained The AI skills gap and how to address it Workplace learning: A complete guide for businesses How to implement generative AI for 400,000 employees To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.  

Digital twins – virtual representations of real-world things – are a hot topic, and they're becoming more capable with the addition of AI and geospatial awareness. In this episode, we explain how AI-enhanced spatial digital twins work, how they're being used today, what it takes to deploy them, and their potential uses. Featuring: Eric Liu, founder and CEO of TwinMatrix Technologies In today’s episode, we'll also cover: How spatial twins differ from other digital twins Challenges to broader deployment How low-code/no-code tools could "democratize" spatial twin development References: What is a digital twin? Advantages and disadvantages of digital twin technology How digital twins can help support sustainability Debunking the myth: Digital twins are more than just 3D models To learn more about enterprise applications, check out Search ERP. To watch the video version our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube channel, @EyeOnTech.

What separates successful enterprise technology implementations from costly failures? Here on Enterprise Apps Unpacked, we’ll do a deep dive into strategies that actually deliver results. Every other Monday, veteran IT journalist David Essex interviews corporate leaders, industry experts and vendors—the people who are truly in the know—about important developments in ERP, HR and supply chain systems and the other applications that run the business. For business and IT leaders, these conversations cut through the chatter to help them make smart decisions about how they buy, deploy and use enterprise software.   Episode 1 drops on August 11, 2025 at 5am ET. Rate and review the podcast to tell us how you like this new content. Find us on YouTube at Eye on Tech or explore our written work on Search ERP.  

SAP has faced numerous challenges in recent years, but three big ones stand out: moving its on-premises products to the cloud; convincing customers to adopt its current ERP platform, S/4HANA Cloud; and meeting the unprecedented demand for artificial intelligence by developing practical AI applications. SAP touted significant progress on all three fronts at its annual Sapphire conference, which was held on consecutive weeks this month, first in Orlando and then in Madrid. It repositioned S/4HANA Cloud ERP as a mix-and-match, AI-infused "business suite" – a throwback to the brand name of its previous ERP flagship. It augmented its primary data platform, Business Data Cloud, with prebuilt, composable applications that combine data products with AI and simulation features. And it embedded the Joule AI co-pilot in more business processes across the application suite, making it more autonomous and omnipresent as a user-friendly interface to ERP. The result, SAP claimed, is an integrated "flywheel" of AI, data and apps that feed off each other to accelerate digital transformation. While reaction was generally positive, it was leavened with the wait-and-see attitude that is typical after the ambitious promises and glitzy presentations of a software conference. SAP still has integration and data management work to do if the components of the business suite – especially cloud platforms like Ariba and Concur that it acquired – are to work seamlessly together.   In the podcast, three Informa TechTarget editors offer their analysis of Sapphire developments and observations from the Orlando and Madrid events: Jim O’Donnell, news director at SearchSAP; Brian McKenna, enterprise applications editor at London-based ComputerWeekly; and industry editor David Essex. Other topics discussed include: how far SAP has progressed in its AI, cloud and S/4HANA migration efforts     interviews with SAP executives and partners at the conference why integration with SAP’s digital adoption platform, WalkMe, could make Joule more autonomous and personalized Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

An emerging technology called spatial computing combines virtual reality and augmented reality to enable location-aware digital interaction with the real world. It has big potential, but practical applications have been slow to arrive. A new offering from Dassault Systèmes, a French maker of 3D design software, could begin to change that. Called 3DLive, the new app, expected in summer 2025, integrates the vendor's 3DEXPERIENCE product development and collaboration platform with the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality AR/VR headset to create a "virtual" twin of a product -- an immersive, information-rich type of digital twin created in 3DEXPERIENCE -- that appears to exist in the user's physical space. The headset's cameras, sensors and tracking technology collect real-time data and allow the twin to interact with the physical world. Dassault Systèmes claims the result is a scientifically accurate virtual twin that companies can use to test a product's viability. For example, an engineer could use it to confirm -- in actual size -- that a new piece of industrial equipment will fit in the available space or estimate the effect of heating and cooling systems. Besides product development, the technology has other applications, including team collaboration, workforce training and knowledge sharing. In the podcast, Tom Acland, CEO of Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXCITE brand, explains how 3DLive works, shares some likely use cases and gives his take on where spatial computing could go in the future. Acland, based in London, has held the CEO role since 2020 and has a background as co-founder or manager at various startups, including COBI.Bike, which developed IoT mobility systems for bicycles and was later acquired by Bosch eBike Systems, where Acland served as product owner. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: how virtual twins differ from digital twins Dassault Systèmes' engineering partnership with Apple new capabilities enabled by virtual twins' interaction with their environment    Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

For two glorious years, generative AI held sway as the AI darling among ERP vendors. But impressive as Gen AI might be, it's mostly limited to generating content and not really capable of the process management and decision making needed to reach the holy grail of AI: Fully autonomous artificial intelligence. That level of technological innovation is the promise of so-called agentic AI: smart "agents," such as AI-driven chatbots and robotic process automation (RPA), that can perform tasks autonomously, make decisions and learn from experience. In recent months agentic AI has become the new vanguard of AI innovation in business applications. Major vendors, among them Salesforce, Oracle and SAP, have eagerly rolled out agentic AI to their customers. In the podcast, Brian McKenna, enterprise applications editor at Informa TechTarget's London-based ComputerWeekly, reports on the latest AI trends and shares his takeaways from conferences he attended this month: the Salesforce TDX 2025 developer conference in San Francisco, followed by Oracle and NetSuite conferences in London. McKenna covers business applications, information management and cybersecurity topics for ComputerWeekly. He holds a degree in History and English from the University of Glasgow and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: the strong similarities between the agentic AI approaches of Salesforce and Oracle NetSuite's more cautious approach to agentic AI how these AI offerings compare to those of SAP, the ERP market leader Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

It's been said that the main job of a chief information officer is "keeping the lights on" – making sure an organization's IT systems are up to date, reliable and running smoothly. But CIOs of software vendors sometimes play an additional role as early users of products under development. The approach is often called Customer Zero, "drinking your own champagne" or "eating your own dog food," and advocates say it can improve innovation and quality control in products and services and boost customer satisfaction. In the podcast, Sumit Johar, CIO of Blackline, a Los Angeles-based maker of cloud-based accounting and finance software, shares his experiences with the Customer Zero method. He also discusses the role of machine learning and generative AI in Blackline's internal IT automation and digital transformation efforts, the insights that were gained and how they affect product development. Johar was previously CIO of Automation Anywhere, a provider of AI-based robotic process automation, and mobile security vendor MobileIron, now part of Ivanti. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: the business processes where AI has the biggest impact why AI poses a threat to compliance and security but also offers solutions whether increased use of AI will cause significant job loss how employees can prepare themselves to stay ahead of the AI curve Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

A case can be made that for the past decade and a half, SAP has been almost entirely focused on two things: getting customers to adopt its next-generation ERP platform, S/4HANA, and shifting its development efforts from on-premises systems to the cloud – and getting customers to follow. Now, with the calendar turned to 2025, the December 31, 2027 deadline -- when SAP says it will stop supporting legacy on-premises ECC and R/3 systems, in effect requiring most customers to upgrade to S/4HANA -- looms uncomfortably near. A Gartner survey shows most have yet to make the move. SAP enters the new year having struggled through a 2024 that presented its own challenges. The vendor underwent major personnel shakeups as three C-level executives left the company, legendary cofounder Hasso Plattner retired, and 10,000 employees were moved into strategic initiatives – primarily AI -- or left after being bought out. SAP customers and industry analysts will be looking to see if SAP can stabilize its management structure and re-establish trust with its employees. At the same time, SAP will face more pressure than ever to show progress on getting customers to move to S/4HANA and the cloud. In this podcast, Jim O'Donnell, senior news writer at Informa TechTarget's SearchSAP website, joins host David Essex to discuss last year's developments and their impact on SAP and its customers going forward. They also analyze the effectiveness of the Rise with SAP and Grow with SAP programs in guiding customers on a path to S/4HANA Cloud, and what SAP must do to right the ship and show more progress in moving customers to S/4HANA and the cloud. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: the impact of SAP'S promise to limit major innovations to the two cloud versions of S/4HANA how confusion over S/4HANA migration could benefit competitors like Oracle and Workday whether SAP might extend the 2027 deadline Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget   Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

ERP vendors have been eager to ride the generative AI wave, and it has become commonplace for them to assert that machine learning and other types of AI will revolutionize the way people interact with business applications and data. AI is already enabling natural language data queries and commands and starting to take over workflows that cross ERP modules. Chatbots are evolving from simple logic machines to become "smart" agents capable of communicating and making decisions like humans. The user interface will become so automated and abstracted from the underlying applications, proponents say, that users will rarely need to interact directly with back-end systems. John Bates, CEO of Bonn, Germany-based SER Group, sees the next generation of software UIs as centering on the documents and other digital content that are the lifeblood of commerce. He says "sentient" documents will soon be developed that are self-aware enough to communicate what they are and the information they contain.  As documents become essentially conscious, they will be able to initiate actions, remove language barriers and glean fresh insights from enterprise data. Sentient documents will be the foundation of anticipatory UIs that can figure out what users need and execute processes for them, often before they have to ask. In the podcast, he explains how sentient documents and anticipatory interfaces will work and the important role of AI. Bates earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Cambridge University in 1994, after which he became a tenured professor leading research on distributed computing. He has held executive positions at Progress Software and Software AG and founded startups in algorithmic trading and the internet of things. He joined SER Group, which sells an enterprise content management platform called Doxis, in 2022, and is the author of the book, Thingalytics: Smart Big Data Analytics for the Internet of Things. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: why today's AI hasn't achieved true intelligence, despite the claims of AI advocates how the European Union's strict privacy regulations could stifle innovation the importance of agentic AI in processing digital content why people's enthusiasm for natural language interfaces is fading Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, Informa TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

ERP increasingly serves as the hub of organizations' environmental sustainability strategies. But so far, it has mostly been used to standardize and automate the collecting and reporting of environmental, social and governance (ESG) data for customers, investors and regulators. There's a growing sense that ERP can be put to greater use if it's more closely integrated with enterprise technology that has a direct impact on sustainability, such as supply chain visibility, logistics and asset management, to effect real change. This more ambitious vision of IT-driven sustainability calls for digital transformation of business processes and presents daunting development and integration challenges. So ERP vendors have set up partnerships with the professional services and Big Four accounting firms Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC to make it a reality. One prominent example is EY's partnering with SAP to help customers implement sustainability through their SAP systems. In this podcast, EY partner Marsha Reppy shares her experiences and insights on the challenges of sustainability and assesses where companies stand on the maturity curve. Reppy heads EY's sustainability consulting practice for the Americas, having joined the firm in 2006 after five years at Deloitte. She has worked for more than 20 years helping consumer products and retail companies with their digital transformation initiatives through technologies like analytics, AI and intelligent automation, and has extensive experience working with SAP systems. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: what sustainability means in practice for organizations the biggest technical challenges of sustainability EY's role in the SAP partnership Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK  

Supply chain sustainability is an ambitious strategy for managing the environmental, social and corporate governance impacts of product sourcing, manufacturing and delivery. But the inherent complexity of supply chains makes it difficult to ensure that each component in a product, from raw materials to subassemblies, finished goods, packaging and transportation, meet the environmental and labor regulations of countries and international organizations.   Companies have long used information technology to manage their supply chains, but most still struggle to achieve adequate visibility into the practices of their suppliers. In recent years, the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement has brought new pressures from shareholders, customers and regulators for companies to collect and report data on their sustainability practices. Artificial intelligence shows promise for helping organizations make sense of the enormous amounts of data needed for supply chain sustainability and for meeting increasingly strict ESG requirements. RobobAI (pronounced "robo buy"), a vendor of spend analysis and procurement management software based in Sydney, Australia, is applying its AI-driven analytics platform to supply chain sustainability. In this podcast, CEO Julian Harris explains how RobobAI works and how it monitors risks, such as raw materials from suppliers sanctioned for modern slavery. He also describes ways it supports diversity by, for example, identifying opportunities to employ indigenous labor. A native of Wales, Harris held executive leadership positions at several IT service companies before co-founding RobobAI in 2017. He is also chairman of Search365, a company with offices in Australia and Singapore offering AI, analytics and search products for the financial services and government sectors. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: where RobobAI fits in ERP and supply chain management software architectures how it can improve supplier visibility by analyzing spend data from multiple ERP systems and other data sources how Coca-Cola uses RobobAI to improve visibility into its suppliers where the ESG movement stands today Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget Subscribe via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TakQHezOu42MCKSQRigDv Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/erp-confab/id1669762576 Subscribe via YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5OdmBrO1LpmcDea2Zb-8mNQt0nLg-3SK

Every major ERP vendor has strived to move its on-premises applications to the cloud and entice its customers to follow. Most still struggle to replicate the capabilities of their legacy ERP systems in software as a service (SaaS), and new products built in the cloud from the ground up tend to appeal more to first-time buyers. Cloud migration remains the industry's biggest challenge. Oracle, which in most assessments ranks second to SAP in global ERP market share, appears to be winning the fight for SaaS ERP leadership among vendors with long histories in on-premises ERP. Its Fusion Cloud ERP is the most complete multitenant SaaS suite, bolstered in recent years with dozens of AI apps and a new user interface. What's more, Oracle underpins its applications with AI-infused Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and cloud versions of its flagship Oracle Database. It claims to be the only vendor with the complete cloud "stack," from foundational infrastructure to databases and business applications. At its annual CloudWorld user conference this month in Las Vegas, Oracle wrote a new chapter in its cloud story with a raft of product introductions, including Oracle Database@AWS, which enables customers to access its AI-based Autonomous Database on Amazon Web Services, the leading public cloud. Oracle also unveiled new generative AI agents for Fusion Cloud ERP and supply chain applications, among other notable features. In this podcast, Holger Mueller, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research, shares his assessment of what the CloudWorld developments mean for Oracle's cloud strategy and its customers, and where they leave Oracle in its rivalry with SAP. Before joining Constellation Research in 2013, Mueller spent over two decades in consulting and product development, including stints at Oracle, SAP and Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO). His research focuses on next-generation apps, human capital management and the future of work. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: What the addition of the Redwood UI to Oracle NetSuite means for the popular SaaS ERP platform for SMBs Why Oracle's rapidly rising, multi-billion-dollar investment in its own data centers shows how serious it is about using OCI to deliver AI to customers Recent board departures at SAP, which leave it with perhaps the least experienced board since the company's founding Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

Warehouses have long been the center of some of the most sophisticated information technology. RFID tags and readers, warehouse control systems, automated conveyors, voice picking and mobile devices are all commonly used to move goods and manage inventory with greater efficiency and precision. Nowadays, the emphasis is on adding more autonomous technology that takes over some of the drudgery and risk from warehouse workers. Robots and artificial intelligence play an increasingly important role in warehouse operations.    One company on the leading edge is London-based Dexory, which makes what it calls a warehouse intelligence platform that combines stock-scanning robots, analytics software, AI and digital twins. The vendor claims the system provides 99.9% inventory accuracy and significantly improves warehouse efficiency. In this podcast, Dexory CEO Andrei Danescu explains how the platform improves warehouse visibility, automation and efficiency, as well as its broader implications for supply chain management and logistics. Before co-founding Dexory (previously BotsAndUs) in 2015, Danescu held engineering roles in the automotive industry. He developed autonomous vehicle technology for Jaguar Land Rover and was a trackside systems engineer for a Formula One racing team, responsible for sensors, telemetry systems, data analytics and other technologies. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: how the COVID-19 pandemic changed logistics whether AI and robotics threaten the jobs of warehouse workers the potential of warehouse data intelligence to further the long-sought goal of end-to-end supply chain visibility Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

Artificial intelligence and digital twins are probably the two most hyped information technologies of the 2020s. Yet both are already delivering practical benefits in fields ranging from industrial design and manufacturing to customer service and healthcare. They are especially powerful when used together, with each helping to improve the other. Digital twins – virtual representations of real-world entities or processes – can supply the structured and comprehensive data AI needs for machine learning while AI adds analytical and predictive capabilities and automation that make digital twins more effective. Technology vendors and researchers have been exploring ways AI-enabled digital twins can improve healthcare by, for example, virtualizing pharmaceutical trials, tailoring heart monitors to individual hearts or optimizing medical procedures. Some even envision someday building a digital twin of a patient. In this podcast, Gary Shorter, head of AI at IQVIA, explains the challenges and potential of pairing digital twins with AI in healthcare. IQVIA provides data analytics technologies and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: Why digital twins of patients are probably a long way off Benefits of more narrowly focused digital twins of hearts, eyes and other organs Ways AI and digital twins are being used now Technology segments that are driving development of digital twins in the life sciences Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

Ever since generative AI's debut in late 2022, ERP vendors have raced to embed its human-like communication, research and analytical capabilities into their software. Besides responding to customer demand for AI, they're keen to use the technology to make their complex systems easier to use and more responsive. At its annual Sapphire 2024 conference in Orlando, Florida, the biggest ERP vendor, SAP, made generative AI the focus of almost every major product announcement, stage presentation and demo. It also announced AI partnerships with Nvidia, Microsoft and Google and significant enhancements to its Rise with SAP program, which is designed to ease the transition to SAP's newest ERP platform, S/4HANA Cloud. In this podcast, TechTarget Industry Editor David Essex and News Writer Jim O'Donnell discuss the major developments at Sapphire and what they mean for SAP and its customers. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: SAP's plans to make its Joule generative AI assistant the new user interface to its business applications the surprise announcement that SAP is buying WalkMe, a digital adoption platform, for $1.5 billion dollars how the role of implementation partners such as Deloitte, EY and PwC in S/4HANA migration is evolving SAP's advocacy of an ERP "clean core" as a foundation for multitenant SaaS applications where the Sapphire announcements leave SAP in the generative AI race against ERP competitors Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

As the largest ERP vendor, SAP makes the software that runs much of the world's business. And whenever SAP makes a major change in its product portfolio, its customers often must scramble to adapt. No change in the past two decades has had more impact than SAP's decision to replace its popular ERP Central Component (ECC) software and related Business Suite applications with S/4HANA, a new generation of ERP that only runs on SAP's HANA in-memory database. SAP is also pushing customers to change deployment models by moving off Business Suite and the first incarnation of S/4HANA – both of which run on premises – to cloud versions of S/4HANA. More recently, the technological tsunami from the 2022 introduction of generative AI is transforming the SAP product portfolio yet again. Since 1991, Americas' SAP User Group (ASUG) has strived to help members through such changes with networking events, education and research on SAP products while serving as their advocate with SAP. ASUG claims to be the world's largest SAP user group with 130,000 members across North America. In this podcast, ASUG CEO Geoff Scott shares member feedback and his personal take on SAP S/4HANA, cloud migration and generative AI with TechTarget Industry Editor David Essex and News Writer Jim O'Donnell. Scott, who has been ASUG CEO since January 2014, came from senior IT roles that involved implementing and managing enterprise applications from SAP, Oracle and other vendors. He was CIO of TOMS, a footwear and apparel maker, and JBS, a global meat processor and distributor. Prior to that, he was a senior IT manager at Ford, after being CIO of Edcor Data Services and a consultant at PwC. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: what to expect from the upcoming Sapphire conference in Orlando, which ASUG co-sponsors with SAP the success of the Rise with SAP and Grow with SAP services for moving to S/4HANA how ASUG manages its relationship with SAP to keep customer concerns front and center Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

E-learning technologies, such as online courses, instructional videos and augmented reality apps, are in hot demand at corporations. Much of that demand is driven by the sheer number and complexity of the software applications employees must learn to use. It's a massive training and onboarding challenge, one that many organizations are addressing with a digital adoption platform (DAP), a layer of software that works inside applications to guide users through their daily tasks. The market for DAPs is growing, according to research firms Gartner and IDC. Companies are using DAPs to streamline employee onboarding, speed up training, foster compliance and even handle some tech support. DAPs are also becoming important tools in digital transformation initiatives. In this podcast, Krishna Dunthoori, founder and CEO of Apty, explains how DAPs work and how organizations are using them. Apty, founded in 2018, specializes in making DAPs to ease the adoption and use of enterprise applications, including Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday and Microsoft Dynamics ERP. Dunthoori was previously founder and CEO of Excers Inc., which provides professional services for project portfolio management and enterprise software implementation. Before that, he was a solutions architect at the World Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.   Other topics discussed in the podcast include: using DAPs in change management where DAPs fit in learning and development strategies Apty's plans to add generative AI to its platform Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

For years, artificial intelligence has helped to improve customer service by making automated chatbots more intelligent and enabling voice-controlled phone menus. But now the human-like communication abilities of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are helping contact-center agents find quick answers for customers. And despite AI's reputation as a soulless automaton, the newest generation of AI could instead help humanize customer service by letting agents spend less time searching for information so they can be more attentive to the feelings and needs of customers. In this podcast, Brian McKenna, senior analyst of business applications at TechTarget's Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), shares the results of a recent ESG survey in which IT professionals revealed their contact-center challenges and technology plans. He explains the most common use cases of AI in customer service, names some of the leading vendors and gives his take on where the top-line business benefits will be.   McKenna is based in the London office of TechTarget, where he helps to direct ESG's analyst services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, covering business applications, information management and cybersecurity topics. Until recently, he was the longtime business applications editor at TechTarget's ComputerWeekly. He holds a degree in History and English from the University of Glasgow and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: whether generative AI threatens contact center jobs where contact centers fit in overall IT spending the risks of using AI in customer service Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

Organizations are quickly realizing that AI -- especially generative AI with its human-like creative and analytical capabilities -- raises legal, ethical and managerial issues that must be addressed before it can be deployed responsibly. Workers also need extensive training in developing and using generative AI chatbots, text generation and other applications to ensure the technology supports and amplifies human talent and potential instead of eliminating jobs. In this podcast, Balakrishna D.R. (who goes by Bali), executive vice president and head of AI and automation at Infosys, a global IT services and consulting firm, shares his extensive experience in implementing AI in large enterprises. He names the most common uses of AI by Infosys clients and offers best practices, including setting up a responsible AI office to establish trust and transparency, and adopting an AI-first operating model to take full advantage of the technology. Bali leads internal applications of AI at Infosys and has managed large programs for Fortune 500 clients across a variety of industries. He joined the podcast from India – coincidentally on his 30th anniversary as an Infosys employee. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: * how Infosys implements responsible AI in its own operations * the importance of U.S. President Joe Biden's executive order calling for standards for AI safety, security and privacy * the role of AI in ERP systems * AI's possible impact on human potential Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

In most discussions about digital transformation, cloud ERP usually plays a critical role. ERP is the digital nervous system and data repository of a business, deeply embedded in the processes likely to be impacted by a digital transformation project. And cloud ERP is now the preferred – sometimes the only – option for adding the other technologies needed to truly transform the business, such as AI, analytics, e-commerce, team collaboration and CRM. But does that mean digital transformation always requires taking on the substantial challenges of moving to a new, cloud-based ERP system for companies that have on-premises ERP? In this podcast, ERP consultant Eric Kimberling, CEO of Third Stage Consulting Group, shares his advice and experience in using cloud ERP for digital transformation. Kimberling has long been a contrarian about the need for cloud ERP – a rarity among industry analysts and consultants -- especially the software-as-a-service variety. He explains why his skepticism about SaaS ERP has softened and how he helps clients decide which parts of their business to move to the cloud.   Kimberling has more than two decades of experience helping organizations implement major ERP brands, including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and Infor, and is often called as an expert witness in legal cases. His latest book, "The Final Countdown: Strategies to Reach the Third Stage of Digital Transformation” came out in 2023. Other topics discussed in the podcast include: * the most common things people get wrong about digital transformation * whether transformation is possible with a less ambitious "lift and shift" of on-premises ERP to a public cloud hosting provider * examples of clients who have taken transformation the furthest * lessons learned from writing the book Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget  

Hybrid ERP combines on-premises ERP for common business processes like accounting and HR, with cloud applications – typically software as a service (SaaS) – for more specialized functions, such as customer experience or field-service management -- or even a second ERP for a new subsidiary. Why deploy hybrid ERP, and what type of enterprise architecture do you need? In this podcast, Iain Saunderson, chief technology officer of Spinnaker Support, explains the practical issues of hybrid ERP. Saunderson has over 30 years of experience implementing complex technologies across a wide variety of commercial and government verticals. He has served in leadership roles in companies including Oracle and P2 Energy Solutions. In 2015, he joined Spinnaker Support, a third-party provider of maintenance and managed services for SAP and Oracle ERP and databases as well as Salesforce CRM.  Other topics discussed in the podcast include: * How hybrid ERP can extend the life of on-premises ERP * Whether companies use hybrid ERP to ease their transition to all-cloud ERP * Integration challenges of deploying hybrid ERP * How to decide which business processes to keep on premises and which ones should run in the cloud Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget    

Intelligent Voice CTO Nigel Cannings explains how AI-based speech-to-text technology can catch criminals, protect privacy and ensure regulatory compliance.

TechTarget editors analyze recent major introductions of generative AI products from Oracle, Salesforce and SAP.

Rimini Street CTO Eric Helmer explains how the company provides tech support and maintenance for SAP and Oracle ERP systems and where on-premises ERP fits in SAP's cloud strategy.

Matt Hobbs, Microsoft practice leader at the consulting firm PwC, explains ways to embed AI in ERP and why generative AI could transform business process automation.

SolidWorks and Onshape founder Jon Hirschtick, now chief evangelist at PTC, shares his cloud-centered vision of the future of product design technology.

TechTarget editors discuss SAP AI announcements and demos unveiled at Sapphire 2023 conferences in Orlando and Barcelona, including SAP's generative AI partnership with Microsoft.      

John Turner and Anil Sawhney of the Digital Twin Consortium explain how deploying a digital twin of a building could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SAP's Benjamin Stoeckhert reveals the most common types of blockchain applications, explains SAP product offerings and gives tips on how to get started.