8 CIO recommendations for ERP implementation in 2026: Think agentic
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is no longer just the system that quietly runs in the background—it’s about to become an active participant in how work gets done. In an InformationWeek article, Myles Suer, CEO analyst and tech journalist, makes the case that 2026 will be a turning point for ERP as agentic AI becomes part of mainstream implementations. For IT leaders, this shift should feel both familiar and disruptive. As Suer explains, ERP has always been about standardizing processes and improving visibility across finance, HR, supply chain, and operations. Agentic AI builds on that foundation by introducing autonomous “digital workers” that can manage entire workflows, prioritize tasks, and even learn from outcomes. For many organizations, ERP will be the most practical place to introduce agentic AI—especially for teams already running large, integrated platforms.
What’s changing is the role of the system itself. Instead of users driving every action, agents will increasingly handle things like invoice processing, forecasting, inventory adjustments, recruiting workflows, and Level 1 employee or customer support. As Suer notes, this doesn’t replace ERP—it transforms it, shifting systems from passive tools into something closer to an intelligent workforce. Suer also keeps the message grounded. He outlines eight clear priorities for CIOs and IT leaders, including engaging vendors early on their agentic roadmaps, defining human-in-the-loop controls, addressing data quality gaps, and embedding governance and security from day one. Change management and skills planning are just as critical, especially for sysadmins and HRIS teams who will live with these systems day to day. The real decision ahead, Suer argues, is whether organizations use agentic AI to fine-tune existing processes—or take the bigger step toward rethinking how work actually gets done.
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