Data Integration Challenges

However, the path to leveraging ERP data in cloud analytics platforms like Databricks or Snowflake is often complicated by several prevalent issues that can hinder the realization of advanced financial analytics.

A primary obstacle is the frequent lack of comprehensive, out-of-the-box connectors within Databricks or Snowflake for a wide array of specific ERP systems, particularly for their detailed financial modules. This often necessitates custom scripting and API management, increasing the burden on IT and ERP support teams.

Additionally, financial intelligence rarely resides solely within the ERP. It typically requires a consolidated view, incorporating data from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like Salesforce, specialized accounting software like QuickBooks, and various proprietary databases. The disparate nature of these systems and their data models makes achieving a unified financial perspective complex.

The dynamic nature of financial markets and business operations also necessitates access to current data. FP&A teams require information that reflects the latest transactions and financial state to ensure the relevance and accuracy of their analysis. Delivering this from traditional ERP architectures to cloud platforms in near real-time poses a considerable technical challenge.

The example of a financial firm, while focused on Microsoft Fabric, illustrates a relevant principle: effectively integrating siloed financial data significantly enhances analytical capabilities and business agility. This underscores the importance of overcoming data integration hurdles.

Addressing ERP Integration with CData

Data integration solutions from providers like CData are emerging to address these challenges, offering a streamlined approach to connect ERP systems with platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake. Its capabilities include:

• Broad system connectivity: CData provides an extensive suite of connectors designed for direct, real-time access to a multitude of data sources, including a wide range of ERPs, CRMs, and accounting systems. These tools facilitate easier access to specific financial data structures required by FP&A within Databricks or Snowflake.
• Change data capture (CDC) for timeliness: CData incorporates CDC capabilities that allow changes in source systems, such as an ERP, to be efficiently identified and replicated to Databricks or Snowflake, enabling FP&A to work with up-to-date information.
• Semantic data harmonization: Beyond data movement, these solutions can aid in correlating data from diverse financial systems, enabling a more unified and coherent view for analysis within the target analytics platform.
• Emphasis on security and governance: Recognizing the sensitivity of financial information, CData’s solutions incorporate enterprise-grade security and governance features that protect data during transit and storage.
• Predictable pricing models: To assist with budget management, CData utilizes a predictable pricing structure, which can help organizations avoid unexpected costs often associated with data integration and transfer.

Technical Architecture Overview

CData solutions can be integrated into Databricks or Snowflake architectures in several ways.

Tools such as CData Sync or CData Arc are designed for replicating data from ERPs and other sources into Databricks Delta Lake or Snowflake tables. This method supports the development of centralized financial data warehouses or lakehouses optimized for analytics. Connection setup typically involves selecting the source and destination and configuring secure data transfer schedules.

For scenarios requiring direct queries to source systems without data replication, CData’s JDBC drivers enable Databricks Spark engine or Snowflake compute resources to interact with ERP data in real-time, offering flexibility for specific analytical tasks.

Finally, by addressing the data integration bottleneck, organizations can better empower their FP&A teams, potentially leading to improved insights, faster decision-making, and a more robust financial strategy.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Enhanced operational efficiency for ERP teams. Modern integration tools like CData’s solutions significantly boost efficiency by providing pre-built, standardized connectors for numerous ERP and financial applications. This approach reduces the need for extensive, time-consuming custom coding and scripting traditionally associated with data integration projects. Consequently, ERP teams can deploy data pipelines faster, allocate resources more effectively, and reduce the ongoing maintenance burden.

Improved data utility and decision-making for FP&A. Supplying finance teams with near real-time, consolidated data from the ERP and interconnected systems is essential for high-quality financial analysis. This comprehensive and timely data allows FP&A professionals to move beyond static reporting to perform more accurate forecasting, dynamic resource allocation, proactive risk identification and mitigation, and develop more precise revenue projections, ultimately leading to more informed and agile strategic business decisions.

Upholding stringent security and compliance standards. The integration of sensitive financial data from ERP systems into analytics platforms necessitates a robust security framework. This involves implementing comprehensive security measures such as end-to-end encryption, granular access controls based on user roles and permissions, and detailed audit trails to track data access and modifications. Adherence to these protocols ensures compliance with industry regulations and mitigates risks associated with data breaches or non-compliance.

The post How Advanced Data Integration Bridges ERP Systems with Modern Analytics appeared first on ERP Today.

During SAP Sapphire 2025 in Orlando, Christensen spoke with ERP Today’s Mark Vigoroso on why in an enterprise world where 20 or more instances are not uncommon, Jabil stands out with successfully running a majority of its operations on just two SAP instances across its 135 global sites.

“We’re consolidating even further,” Christensen noted. “And that simplicity is a strategic asset—it’s what gives us the ability to respond to tariffs, chip shortages, or pandemics in real time.”

That ability to respond swiftly and intelligently underpins Jabil’s definition of resilience. SAP, acting as the company’s single system of record for supply chain data, enables real-time analytics and scenario modeling across operations. During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain turbulence, this data backbone allowed Jabil to make instant adjustments and reconfigure supply models—without waiting 12 hours for an analyst to re-run reports.

“It may sound simple, but having the right data at the right time changed how we survived disruption,” Christensen said. “That’s what resilience looks like.”

Listen in to learn more.

The post Chase Christensen on Why Jabil’s Relationship with SAP is More Than a Legacy appeared first on ERP Today.

In a revealing, interview with ERP Today’s Mark Vigoroso during SAP Sapphire 2025, Kask peeled back the curtain on how SAP is building, scaling, and operationalizing AI at enterprise scale—not just as a technology trend, but as a competitive moat. “Even I have trouble keeping track of all the announcements and use cases,” he admitted with a laugh. “But make no mistake—this has been years in the making.”

In a landscape flooded with AI hype, SAP’s strategy stands out for its depth, rigor, and customer-first pragmatism. As Kask summed it up: “You want assets that are hard to replicate, and an organization that can exploit them. That’s how you lead—not just this year, but for the next ten.”

For all its technical firepower, SAP’s AI strategy begins with ethics. “We design for human empowerment, not displacement,” said Kask, referencing SAP’s published AI Ethics Policy—one of only six companies to earn a perfect score in the World Benchmarking Alliance’s ethics evaluation.

Listen in to learn more about SAP’s latest AI-driven strategy and how SAP’s go-to-market approach prioritizes controlled experimentation.

The post SAP Designs for Human Empowerment: Sean Kask appeared first on ERP Today.

After assessing their legacy platforms like NetSuite, Workday, and Salesforce, Fluence determined that they wouldn’t scale to $10 billion in revenue. The team initiated a 13-month SAP implementation covering finance, supply chain, analytics, and sustainability. The result? A 99.7% clean core SAP deployment on Google Cloud via RISE with SAP. “We couldn’t afford custom processes,” Crounse said. “Clean core and standardization were essential to scale at this velocity.”

Speed, in fact, has been a strategic mantra for Crounse. “Speed over perfection,” he says. “In hypergrowth, an MVP mindset is critical. You can’t wait for perfect—you iterate, pivot, and move.”

Listen to this podcast from SAP Sapphire 2025, where Crounse speaks with ERP Today’s Mark Vigoroso on Fluence’s SAP journey and how its large SAP footprint is the result of an “end-to-end orchestration—from project inception to delivery and long-term asset maintenance.”

The post In Hypergrowth, an MVP mindset is critical: Dean Crounse on Fluence’s Journey with SAP appeared first on ERP Today.

The Dynamic Duo: AI and IoT

The study found that 29% of manufacturers are already witnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) integrated into their ERP systems, with the Internet of Things (IoT) integration following closely at 19%. Moreover, nearly 30% and 20% of these businesses see AI and IoT being baked into ERPs specifically for efficiency gains.

SYSPRO describes AI not as a job-stealing robot but as a tireless, insightful co-pilot that can help monitor workflows, flag anomalies before they become disasters, and automate complex decision-making processes. The power provided by AI helps organizations move from reactive firefighting to proactive problem-solving. Utilizing these technologies enhances data analytics, optimizes maintenance schedules, and drastically minimizes downtime.

The Supporting Cast of ERP Innovations

While AI and IoT might be grabbing the spotlight, other crucial ERP advancements are quietly revolutionizing complex manufacturing, the study shows:

• Real-time data analytics (16% adoption): The ability to tap into real-time operational data provides the visibility needed to sidestep disruptions and make informed decisions quickly. For instance, if there is a sudden spike in demand for a particular product, an organization can view that rise via its ERP dashboard. It can then immediately adjust production schedules, check raw material availability, and coordinate with logistics in real time, preventing stockouts and capitalizing on the opportunity.
• Cloud-based ERP solutions (13% adoption): Cloud ERPs offer the scalability to grow with the business, enhanced security, seamless data integration from various sources, and easier adoption of advanced technologies like AI.
• Mobile accessibility and remote management (13% adoption): The factory floor and the entire supply chain are no longer tethered to a desktop. ERP functionality accessible via mobile devices empowers everyone from quality inspectors to on-the-go sales teams who need instant inventory updates.
• Enhanced cybersecurity features (10% adoption): With legacy systems being replaced, and data becoming more centralized, robust cybersecurity isn’t just an IT concern; it’s a business continuity imperative. This is underscored by the fact that over 50% of industry experts in some regions view cybersecurity as a critical concern.

The Smart Factory and The Human Element

These evolving ERP capabilities are the building blocks of the smart factory — a highly connected, intelligent, and responsive manufacturing environment. Future-focused factories seamlessly integrate Industrial IoT (IIoT), AI, digital twin simulations, and, at their core, modernized ERP systems. This integration enables businesses to prevent disruptions before they happen and continuously optimize operations.

However, the path to achieving this goal isn’t always smooth. The report highlights some very real barriers:

• High upfront costs (cited by 25% of respondents)
• Resistance to change (22%)
• Lack of technical expertise (19%)
• Challenges with integrating new tech with existing systems (12%)
• Technical difficulties with complex integrations (43%)

These figures represent real-world headaches for operations managers, IT departments, and ERP professionals. Overcoming them requires technological savvy and a focus on the human side of change. This includes clear communication, robust training, and showcasing how these tools empower employees to do their jobs better, faster, and with less frustration.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Embrace AI & IoT as your efficiency power-ups. ERP professionals are pivotal in deploying these technologies. SYSPRO, for instance, leverages its ERP to integrate with IoT devices for real-time data and machine-to-machine communication, driving tangible gains like predictive maintenance and optimized production. ERP professionals’ role is to translate this potential into reality on the shop floor to create truly digital manufacturing facilities.

Champion data and cloud for agility and scalability. Real-time analytics and cloud ERP enable proactive decision-making and scalable infrastructure. ERP professionals should guide this transition. For example, SYSPRO customer Merle Norman Cosmetics saved $6 million in inventory costs through real-time data, and Aspire Pharmaceuticals achieved 98% inventory accuracy. Moving to platforms like SYSPRO Cloud ERP also paves the way for easier adoption of AI, which is often “built into the heart of such solutions.

Drive modernization and fortify security strategically. While high upfront costs and complex integration are significant hurdles to becoming a smart factory, the strategic need is undeniable. With over 50% of industry experts in some regions citing cybersecurity as a critical concern, ERP professionals must prioritize secure, robust systems. Your expertise is crucial in navigating these challenges, advocating for the necessary investments, and ensuring the ERP backbone is future-proof and resilient against emerging threats.

The post AI, IoT and Smart Factories: The Game-Changers for Complex Manufacturing appeared first on ERP Today.

From Bottleneck to Breakthrough

GH Power knew its existing methods for managing critical financial information were outdated. This resulted in a lack of clear visibility and control over its financial data, which was frustrating and meant potential opportunities were slipping through the company’s fingers. Moreover, preparing for audits felt like navigating a labyrinth.

The company needed a modern foundation to help it resolve its current headaches and scale, keeping its ambitious green energy goals in mind. To achieve this goal, GH Power selected Nextworld.

Nextworld helped GH Power overhaul its legacy setup with remarkable results, especially in terms of the speed of modernizing the platform. This wasn’t one of those typical projects where major system modernization drags on for endless months. In close partnership with the adept team at AITO, a Nextworld partner, GH Power transitioned from its old system to fully live on the Nextworld platform in just 53 days. That is less than two months to revolutionize a core operational framework.

A Win with No-Code

How did they achieve such a lightning-fast deployment? Nextworld’s next-generation, no-code architecture was a game-changer. This approach neatly sidestepped the prolonged disruptions typically associated with significant technology upgrades.

GH Power strategically utilized Nextworld’s packaged applications for essential functions like managing their general ledger, streamlining procurement, and handling accounts payable workflows. This allowed the company to automate key processes and enhance operational efficiency almost from day one.

The impact was immediate and profound. By centralizing its financial data within the Nextworld platform, GH Power gained the crystal-clear visibility it desperately needed. Audits, once a source of dread, became quicker and more accurate.

According to Dave Chin, CPA, CA, Vice President of Finance at GH Power, his team needed a technology platform that kept pace with their needs. Nextworld gave them the tools they needed to innovate and adapt while setting up the team to scale in the future.

AITO also played a pivotal role. Its deep understanding of Nextworld’s capabilities and GH Power’s unique requirements ensured a customized approach.

Dave Baker, Applications and Project Manager at AITO, noted that his team was confident that the Nextworld platform would drive substantial value for GH Power in the future.

A Future-Ready Company

GH Power isn’t resting on its laurels. On its roadmap is the development of custom applications to meticulously track its production of thermal energy, green hydrogen, and alumina—all crucial to its mission to combat global warming.

The company also plans to create a bespoke application module to translate its carbon offset potential into carbon certificates, aiding GH Power’s global customers in their decarbonization efforts.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Redefine agility, not just manage it. Traditional systems often focus on managing existing processes within established boundaries. However, a no-code platform like the one implemented by Nextworld for GH Power empowers professionals to create true agility. They can rapidly build and deploy new solutions or adapt existing ones as business needs pivot, slashing timelines from potential months or years to weeks or days.

Shift from gatekeeper to value enabler. An IT professional’s deep understanding of business processes and data is invaluable, and no-code platforms can transform IT professionals from being perceived as gatekeepers of complex, rigid systems into direct enablers of business innovation. It can help organizations gain the power to directly configure, extend, and even build custom applications with significantly less reliance on scarce, specialized coding talent, putting creative solutions directly into the hands of those who understand the needs best.

Scale with confidence and increase your ROI. Future-proofing an organization’s operations is about weathering the next mandatory upgrade cycle and building inherent adaptability. A no-code approach allows organizations to design and implement unique, scalable functionalities, like GH Power’s custom energy tracking and future carbon certificate applications. This means businesses can seamlessly extend their operational capabilities and address niche requirements without the complexity, cost, and risks typically associated with customizing or overhauling traditional ERP environments.

The post GH Power’s 53-Day Sprint to Being Future-Ready with Nextworld appeared first on ERP Today.

The company received the “Rising Star” designation in the 2025 ISG Provider Lens ServiceNow Ecosystem Partners report for Europe, underscoring its growing expertise. Another pivotal development is the March 2025 inauguration of its Center of Excellence for ServiceNow Agentic AI. Inetum is among the initial ten partners chosen by ServiceNow for Agentic AI development, co-creating solutions like “CI Smart Recommendations,” an add-on that leverages ServiceNow’s GenAI applications to promote self-healing IT and autonomous operations.

While these achievements directly enhance ServiceNow’s capabilities, the underlying technological shifts and strategic focuses carry clear parallels and learning points for ERP professionals and the systems they manage.

Inetum’s advancements within the ServiceNow sphere are a significant marker for the direction of enterprise technology. For ERP sector professionals, these developments underscore the accelerating integration of intelligent, proactive, and increasingly autonomous capabilities. Adapting to and leveraging these changes will drive future innovation and efficiency in ERP-managed operations.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Advanced AI integration is becoming standard for enterprise platforms. Inetum’s focused investment in Agentic AI for ServiceNow indicates a broader trend: sophisticated AI is transitioning from an auxiliary feature to an integral component of enterprise software. This suggests a future beyond current analytics or basic automation for ERP systems. The expectation will be that AI agents are capable of predictive analysis and proactive intervention in core processes such as inventory management, production scheduling, or financial reconciliation. ERP professionals should anticipate AI that identifies issues and recommends or even initiates solutions based on continuous learning. This necessitates strategically evaluating how AI can be embedded to redefine operational efficiency within ERP environments.

Self-healing and autonomous operations are extending to ERP domains. The concepts of self-healing IT and autonomous operations, central to Inetum’s new AI offering, directly apply to ERP functionalities. This could manifest as systems that autonomously detect and resolve discrepancies in period-end financial closing processes, flagging only critical exceptions for human review. Similarly, supply chain modules could gain the ability to autonomously adjust logistics based on real-time disruption data, learning from events to mitigate future risks. This evolution does not point to replacing ERP personnel, but to augmenting their roles, enabling a shift from reactive problem-solving to strategic oversight and process optimization.

Evolving partner ecosystems and the value of specialized AI solutions. The collaboration between Inetum and ServiceNow to develop targeted AI solutions like CI Smart Recommendations highlights the increasing importance of specialized expertise in the evolving technology ecosystem. While general AI tools provide a foundation, maximum value in the enterprise space, particularly for complex ERP systems, will be derived from AI solutions tailored to specific business functions and industry verticals. ERP professionals should, therefore, identify partners and solutions that combine AI proficiency with deep knowledge of their specific ERP platform and operational intricacies. As stated by Hemant Lamba, CEO of Inetum Solutions, their focus is on developing AI solutions that can support the future of business operations — a future that integrally involves ERP systems.

The post Inetum Earns ISG “Rising Star,” Launches ServiceNow Agentic AI Center appeared first on ERP Today.

A Big Opportunity for SMBs

According to Sage, this development is a direct response to the evolving needs of SMBs. The company’s “Small Business, Big Opportunity” report indicates that 85% of SMBs now view technology as critical to operational success. The upgraded Sage 50 aims to meet this demand by offering:

• Faster reporting via natural language AI searches
• AI-powered data extraction to automate purchase transactions and reduce errors
• Enhanced security features, including AI-driven fraud detection

Access to these new cloud-connected features, including Sage Copilot, will be managed through the unified Sage account login, promising a more secure and seamless user experience.

“Sage 50 has been the backbone of small business accounting for decades, and these new enhancements ensure it will remain a trusted tool for years to come,” said Neal Watkins, EVP, Accounting & HR, Sage. “We know many of our customers rely on it, and we’re committed to making it even better by integrating AI and automation to save them time, reduce manual work, and improve cash flow.”

Reaping Benefits with AI

The AI-powered Sage Copilot will proactively monitor financial data, offering actionable recommendations. For SMB users, this translates into tangible benefits like:

• Generating custom reports instantly
• Identifying trends
• Spotting anomalies
• Reducing administrative overhead

Commenting on the practical implications of this enhanced solution, David Harvey, Co-Founder of Seabass Vinyl and an early adopter, said: “We’re really excited about what Sage Copilot can do, especially in saving time on admin that takes us away from bigger priorities. Having those proactive insights will be a huge help as we scale.”

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Sage is doubling down on its focus on UK-based SMBs. The AI integration in Sage 50 augments a familiar system that UK-based businesses use. Key use cases directly address SMB pain points: automating tedious purchase data entry, simplifying report generation (a common bottleneck), and bolstering security without requiring deep IT expertise. For ERP consultants serving this segment, it highlights a trend of embedding AI to solve particular, practical challenges rather than offering broad, undefined AI capabilities. This approach eases adoption for traditionally less tech-forward SMBs.

AI democratization and SMB tech reliance. AI is no longer an enterprise-only play. Sage’s move exemplifies the democratization of AI, making sophisticated tools accessible within existing, trusted software. For ERP professionals, this means even smaller clients will increasingly expect AI-driven efficiencies in any new or upgraded system. The market demands intelligent automation that delivers clear ROI, particularly regarding time savings and error reduction.

With Sage 50, users are evolving with a known quantity. This approach minimizes disruption and leverages existing customer trust. This strategy suggests that for established software vendors, incrementally adding AI value to core products can be more successful than a rip-and-replace approach, especially when dealing with change-averse SMBs. The focus should be on how AI assists and augments human capabilities, making processes faster and decisions smarter, thus freeing up valuable owner/operator time for strategic tasks rather than administrative churn.

The post Sage 50’s AI-Powered Copilot to Boost UK SMB Efficiency appeared first on ERP Today.

In an interview with ERP Today, Thomas Failer, CEO of Data Migration International, argues that the time to migrate to SAP S/4HANA is not approaching—it is here.

The Tangled Web of Legacy Data

According to Failer, the pervasive problem of legacy data lies at the heart of the urgency. He explains: “Decades of operational history often reside within SAP ECC systems, much of it outdated, redundant, and unstructured. This digital baggage acts as a significant anchor, inflating costs, creating compliance nightmares, and severely hindering digital transformation initiatives.”

Moreover, maintaining these sprawling legacy environments consumes a lion’s share of IT budgets – often as high as 60-80% – leaving scant resources for strategic innovation. The sheer volume of this data slows down system performance, complicates upgrades, and makes extracting meaningful insights a herculean task.

Failer added, “Legacy data is often riddled with inconsistencies, duplicates, and quality issues. This “dirty data” undermines the accuracy of analytics, cripples the potential of AI and automation, and leads to flawed decision-making.”

Due to these factors, compliance becomes a precarious tightrope walk as outdated systems struggle to meet evolving regulatory demands like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), exposing businesses to hefty fines and reputational damage. The lack of proper data governance and retention management within legacy ECC systems makes audits and legal discovery processes costly and time-consuming.

Clean Core and the Imperative of Clean Data

Failer points to a compelling alternative to solve this problem: SAP’s strategic direction, embodied in the “Clean Core” and “Composable Enterprise” vision. “This future-ready architecture emphasizes a modular, flexible, and agile approach to enterprise resource planning,” he notes. “The Clean Core advocates for a standardized, lean digital foundation in SAP S/4HANA, minimizing customizations and ensuring seamless upgrades, while the Composable Enterprise envisions a landscape of interoperable business capabilities that can be assembled and reassembled as needed.”

“Dirty data” undermines the accuracy of analytics.

However, the realization of this transformative vision is intrinsically linked to the quality of the underlying data. “You simply cannot build a Clean Core on a foundation of dirty, outdated data,” Failer says. “Migrating massive volumes of legacy baggage into SAP S/4HANA defeats the purpose, bloating the system and perpetuating existing inefficiencies.”

Similarly, a Composable Enterprise relies on consistent, high-quality data flowing seamlessly between its modular components. Thus, fragmented or unreliable data undermines the agility and flexibility this architecture promises.

The JiVS Solution

Data Migration International (DMI) offers a powerful solution to navigate this complex transition: the JiVS Information Management Platform (IMP). Failer states, “JiVS provides a strategic and intelligent approach to managing legacy data, enabling businesses to break free from the constraints of their SAP ECC systems and embrace SAP S/4HANA with confidence.”

The core principle of JiVS is the separation of historical data from active applications. Instead of a “lift and shift” approach that blindly migrates everything, JiVS extracts all legacy data (SAP and non-SAP) at the application layer, preserving its full business context. This data is then securely archived in a legally compliant and audit-proof manner. This means businesses retain 100% access to their historical data for audits, compliance, and operational needs, even after the legacy ECC system is decommissioned.

“With the historical data safely managed, JiVS enables businesses to selectively migrate only the necessary, high-quality data to SAP S/4HANA,” Failer says. “This targeted approach drastically reduces data volume – often by up to 90% – streamlining the migration process, accelerating timelines, and significantly lowering costs.”

DMI estimates that JiVS can reduce overall IT operating costs by up to 80% by enabling the retirement of expensive legacy systems and optimizing data storage. Furthermore, JiVS incorporates automated data quality analysis and cleansing, ensuring that only clean, relevant, and enriched data makes its way into the new SAP S/4HANA environment. “This supports SAP’s Clean Core principles and lays a solid foundation for leveraging advanced analytics, AI, and automation,” adds Failer.

Overall, the solution’s benefits include:

• Exceptional data transfer speed up to 30TB/day
• Zero business disruption and no downtime
• No need for costly or lengthy pre-projects
• More than 3,000 successful projects worldwide and a robust global partner network
• Over 3,000 supported business objects

The Fast Track to Freedom

The transformative power of DMI’s approach is evident in the success stories of companies that have embraced JiVS. Failer shares the compelling example of a leading automotive company that successfully retired its SAP ECC system in only four months.

JiVS provides a strategic and intelligent approach to managing legacy data.

He notes that faced with the looming 2030 deadline and the burden of a complex legacy landscape, the company partnered with DMI to implement JiVS. “By separating and archiving their vast historical data, we could significantly reduce the scope and complexity of their SAP S/4HANA migration, allowing them to transition to the modern platform at an unprecedented speed, freeing them from the constraints of their legacy system, reducing IT costs, and gaining the agility needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry,” Failer says.

The Time for Action is Now

SAP’s vision for a Clean Core and Composable Enterprise offers a path to agility and innovation, but it demands a commitment to clean, high-quality data, which can be provided by DMI’s JiVS solution, which addresses the challenges of legacy data, streamlines SAP S/4HANA adoption, and unlocks significant cost savings. “The ticking clock is a clear call to action: businesses still on SAP ECC must act now to secure their future and embrace the transformative power of SAP S/4HANA,” Failer concludes.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Historization prevents vendor lock-in and supports business agility. Recognize the strategic advantage of historization – separating and archiving historical data in a vendor-neutral format. By utilizing solutions like JiVS IMP, users gain independence from the core operational system for accessing and managing historical records. This prevents vendor lock-in, as your valuable historical data remains accessible even if you choose to migrate to a different ERP system in the future. Furthermore, having a readily accessible, well-governed historical data archive enhances business agility by providing a comprehensive and compliant data foundation for analytics, reporting, and responding to evolving business needs without impacting the performance or complexity of your active ERP system.

Accelerate SAP S/4HANA migration while ensuring compliance. To expedite your move to SAP S/4HANA and maintain robust compliance, prioritize the separation and secure archiving of historical data. Retaining historical data in an audit-proof environment separate from your active SAP S/4HANA system allows you to meet regulatory requirements without bogging down your new environment with legacy baggage.

Clean Core is impossible without clean data. Avoid the temptation of a “lift and shift” approach. Instead, invest in data cleansing and harmonization before migration. By ensuring that only clean, standardized data populates your SAP S/4HANA system, you can minimize customizations, streamline processes, and fully leverage the benefits of the Clean Core architecture, including easier upgrades and faster adoption of new innovations.

The post Time’s Running Out on SAP ECC: Act Now to Avoid Soaring Risks and Costs appeared first on ERP Today.

Combining Tech with Experience

The collaboration combines SAP’s advanced cloud technology with EY’s domain experience to provide businesses with data infrastructure embedded with AI capabilities. For SAP professionals, this development signals a significant evolution in how finance and related operations are delivered and managed in the cloud era.

“Through this collaboration with EY, we are excited to combine SAP’s leading cloud suite, enriched with Business AI capabilities, and EY teams’ deep domain and industry experience to help deliver better insights and drive better outcomes for customers,” said Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, Customer Services & Delivery.

The heart of this offering is the combination of SAP S/4HANA Cloud and EY’s on-the-ground experience in finance and industry specifics. The partnership, therefore, provides a service layer to technology, with the former including elements like AI capabilities and a robust data infrastructure.

“The world’s most innovative companies with bold growth and transformation plans are often weighed down by non-core tasks, diverting valuable executive time and resources,” stated Raj Sharma, EY Global Managing Partner – Growth and Innovation.

He added, “The Integrated Finance Managed Services solution can provide companies with a new model, helping businesses operate more efficiently and enabling leaders to focus on what matters most. We believe this solution can fundamentally change how clients think about their enterprise functions.”

A Success Story

IntraBio Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, is an excellent example of how this offering helps industries. By offloading its finance, HR, and accounting heavy lifting to EY’s Integrated Finance Managed Services, IntraBio could hyper-focus on its core mission of developing life-saving treatments. The result? The company received FDA approval for its first product, followed by a successful market launch. That’s a tangible outcome directly linked to shedding operational burden.

This partnership underscores a broader movement in the SAP ecosystem—the increasing reliance on specialized partners to deliver implementations and ongoing, outcome-based services. It highlights the growing importance of cloud expertise, data governance know-how, and the ability to leverage AI for automation and insight.

The EY and SAP partnership gives a glimpse into the future of finance operations powered by intelligent technology and expert services. In this future, SAP professionals will be less consumed by routine tasks and more empowered to be strategic growth drivers.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

Integrated managed services are set to become the cavalry charge for SAP users. If your organization’s days are still bogged down in the trenches of manual processes, reconciliation nightmares, and keeping the lights on in a complex, on-premises world, the integrated managed services offered by SAP and EY can free up valuable time and resources to focus on strategies that truly drive business value. For SAP finance professionals, this trend towards managed services embedded with advanced technology like AI highlights a significant shift in how integrated technology and services operate.

Shift your focus upstream. This offering means companies are looking to offload the operational burden of running core finance and related SAP processes. For SAP users, this is a clear signal to develop skills in higher-value activities like financial planning & analysis, strategic business partnering, and leveraging the real-time data from SAP S/4HANA for insightful decision-making, rather than getting stuck in transactional details.

Managed services require different expertise. While the day-to-day system administration might be handled by the managed service provider, companies will still need SAP professionals who can effectively interact with the service provider, understand the underlying SAP S/4HANA Cloud capabilities, manage configurations, and ensure the service meets business requirements and compliance standards. Thus, for SAPinsiders, your role evolves from doing to managing and optimizing the service delivery.

The post EY and SAP Launch Integrated Finance Managed Service Built on S/4HANA Cloud appeared first on ERP Today.