How AI is revolutionising Enterprise Resource Planning
This time around, however, the revolution is not focused on the operational. It’s
about strategy, and enables adaptive, human-centric workflows.
AI-powered ERP blends traditional enterprise systems with machine learning,
intelligent process automation, and natural language processing, as well as the breakthrough agentic AI.
As a result, finance leaders and their teams can make faster, smarter decisions and the time to engage is now. Here’s why, and what you can expect.
Reclaiming time for better use of the team
One of the immediate benefits of AI in ERP is offloading repetitive, manual tasks.
Machine learning and automation can handle data entry, reconciliation, and routine processing much faster and with fewer errors.
This opens space for teams to deliver higher-value work such as forecasting, advising, and value creation for the wider business. Team leaders can expand their impact, too.
By liberating time, AI in ERP lets finance teams shift from mere doers to thinking partners, leading cross-functional initiatives and translating financial insight into business outcomes.
Insight that delivers both accuracy and confidence
AI systems learn from large datasets, spotting patterns and anomalies beyond what manual processes can detect.
When your ERP is AI-enabled, data quality improves and errors get flagged or autocorrected.
This means fewer surprises, more reliable forecasts, and stronger trust from within the organisation.
This trust is vital. As finance grows into a strategic hub, judgments, interpretations, and guidance must be built on robust, near-real-time data. Only AI can deliver that.
Supporting the future of the business
Classic ERP tends only to look backward, but AI within ERP flips this. It looks
forward.
Predictive analytics can anticipate demand, flag supply chain risks, or suggest when equipment might fail. It can even parse unstructured data—such as invoices and orders—to surface trends you might otherwise miss.
Finance and accounting leaders are transformed into navigators, able to guide operations and resource allocations, with foresight rather than hindsight.
Conversational interaction and agentic AI
Perhaps most the most transformational feature is that AI in ERP increasingly understands human language. You chat to it like a colleague, and it replies in the same way.
With Sage Copilot within Sage Intacct, for example, you can query the system in plain English (or your native tongue) and ask for reports, or explanations, or visualisations—and get clear human-like responses.
Agentic AI is expanding upon even this breakthrough and represents the next stage of AI that’s coming online right now. These purpose-built systems integrate language comprehension with tools, data, and reasoning capabilities to accomplish tasks efficiently, requiring minimal human intervention.
Rather than relying on manual dashboard refreshes or user prompts, agentic AI continuously monitors business activity, interprets relevant signals, and proactively takes action—often identifying changes before they become apparent.
Adopting the future: How to upgrade your ERP
Adopting AI in ERP doesn’t mean building everything in-house or building a patchwork of vendors.
Many specialist vendors offer AI-empowered ERP as a cloud service, complete with support, updates, and embedded domain knowledge.
Choose vendors who are invested in innovation, with expertise, domain credibility, and the ability to evolve your system over time. For example, if a vendor isn’t openly discussing agentic AI, then it might be time to move on.
Upgrading your team and your role
But always remember that the arrival of AI in ERP isn’t merely about technology. It’s a signal shift in how finance and accounting professionals operate and how they add value. Those who embrace it become:
- Strategists rather than number-crunchers
- Guides rather than interpreters
- Proactive rather than reactive
- Community leaders rather than isolated technologists.
AI in ERP can help put finance teams and their leaders at the centre of the business, where they can do their best work.
It isn’t just about adopting tools. It’s about reshaping careers and the roles of teams. You should aim to build workflows where financial insight, business outcomes, and AI-enabled workflows intertwine.
What to do next
AI in ERP is the way forward. Here’s how to kickstart your transformation processes.
1. Assess your readiness: Identify manual pain points and where automation can deliver quick wins. This also facilitates a prompt understanding and appreciation of any new technology.
2. Explore solutions: Research AI-enabled ERP platforms, prioritising cloud-based systems with predictive analytics, strong vendor support and agentic AI. Somewhat ironically, AI chatbots can help with this, enabling you to learn and understand at your own pace, and ask questions.
3. Invest in skills: Build AI literacy across your team to confidently interpret insights and lead conversations with stakeholders. Ensure budget is allocated for any necessary training.
4. Pilot and scale: Start small with a targeted implementation, then expand as value becomes clear. Encourage feedback
Discover more about Sage Intacct’s powerful AI-driven, cloud-based financial
management system here
Learn more about Sage Intacct
Discover more about Sage Intacct powerful cloud-based financial management system via our Tech 100.
