The New Speed Of Business: Preparing ERP For The AI Era
Business is moving faster than ever—and according to supply chain management and manufacturing expert Richard Howells and his recent article on Forbes, organizations won’t keep up unless their enterprise resource planning (ERP) foundations are ready for the artificial intelligence (AI) era. AI doesn’t magically create speed; it amplifies the quality of the data and systems it sits on. Without clean, connected, and timely data, AI risks exposing gaps rather than delivering value.
Howells reflects on lessons from the predictive analytics wave: dashboards alone couldn’t predict the future without solid data foundations. Today, ERP is evolving from a back-office ledger to a real-time decision platform, connecting operations, finance, and customer data in one intelligent system. Employees can now interact with cloud ERP that surfaces anomalies, recommends actions, and enables instant decision-making. Utilities are leading this shift. Once reactive and siloed, they now leverage AI and sensor data to predict equipment failures, optimize crew deployment, and resolve issues before customers notice. In manufacturing, machine learning adjusts chemical processes mid-run, while IoT-enabled ERP synchronizes maintenance, production, and logistics in real time. Even customer operations are benefiting: AI accelerates case management, reduces errors, and embeds intelligence directly into workflows.
Howells stresses that the challenge isn’t deploying AI—it’s preparing for it. Companies must modernize legacy systems, clean and connect data, and scale high-value use cases quickly. Those that do can turn ERP into a true engine of speed and insight, responding to market changes instantly. Those who delay risk falling behind more agile, data-ready competitors. The future of ERP isn’t just about transactions—it’s about transformation, where real-time decisions and readiness define competitive advantage.
