The recent launch of ChatGPT-4o marks a significant milestone in the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI). However, as professional services professionals, the question is: “What are the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suppliers doing to integrate AI into their systems to make us more productive?”
OpenAI’s latest innovation, ChatGPT-4o, is a significant step forward. It revolutionizes our ability to understand, generate, and interact with human language. This AI marvel is set to transform teaching, translation, and creativity, among other applications. It promisses a future of unprecedented efficiency and user experiences.
Check out OpenAI’s release video to see what we’re talking about.
As professionals in the field, your role is crucial in shaping the future of AI integration in the systems you use in your business. So, what are the software suppliers doing with AI?
In this blog, we focus on one group that will have the biggest leverage on your business’s productivity, efficiency, and profitability – ERP systems.
Introducing the leading AI-enhanced ERP Suppliers
As we explore the intersection of AI and ERP, we should highlight that this list is not exhaustive. Undoubtedly, there are other suppliers working on AI initiatives (some of which will be behind closed doors,) but the list below is the major ones that are in the professional services niche that we serve. Here’s a sneak peek into what they are up to:
Oracle NetSuite:
NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP solution for various industries, but for some years they have been focusing on professional services. As one of the first “cloud-only” applications, it has also been quick to embrace AI technologies. NetSuite utilizes AI to enhance financial management, project management, and analytics. Their initiatives include:
- Automating Routine Tasks: Netsuite initially focused on automating basic tasks such as data entry, analysis, financial transactions, and customer service interactions.
- Advanced Supply Chain Management: NetSuite now uses AI to optimize supply chains, forecast demand, and adjust production schedules based on market trends.
- Personalized Customer Support: AI helps deliver personalized customer experiences by analyzing customer behavior and market dynamics.
You can learn more here.
Deltek
Deltek is the leading provider of ERP solutions for project-based and professional services businesses. It delivers software and information solutions that enable superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. It only serves this niche, which gives it industry-focused expertise. This expertise makes its client’s projects more successful and helps them achieve performance that maximizes productivity at every stage of the project lifecycle.
- Dela: Deltek recently launched Dela, its AI-powered intelligent business companion, which focuses on automating tasks, extracting insights from complex data, and anticipating resource needs.
Here, you’ll also see their blog introducing the initiative.
SAP:
The industry giant, SAP, provides a professional service ERP software suite with features like real-time analytics and data visualization.
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud incorporates AI and machine learning to streamline processes such as financial management, supply chain management, and customer relationship management.
- IBM and SAP Collaboration: IBM and SAP have joined forces to equip clients with generative AI capabilitiesand industry-specific cloud solutions.
Microsoft Dynamics 365:
MS Dynamics offers a comprehensive ERP solution that integrates finance, operations, sales, and customer service. Its AI Initiatives are:
- Copilot: Like other MS apps, Dynamics 365 includes built-in AI features through Dynamics 365 Copilot, which provides advanced AI capabilities across various business functions. The AI capabilities in Dynamics 365 have enabled real-time data access, enhanced analytics, and improved customer interactions, significantly boosting operational efficiency and strategic planning.
- Azure AI: Microsoft also strongly emphasizes AI with Microsoft Azure AI, which can be integrated with Dynamics 365 to provide features like intelligent automation and business process optimization.
Odoo:
Odoo provides a suite of open-source business management applications covering various business needs, including professional services.
- AI Initiative: Odoo’s AI functionalities include predictive analytics and automation tools integrated into its various modules. Odoo’s AI-driven modules have improved efficiency in managing business processes, from inventory and accounting to customer relationship management, making it a scalable solution for growing businesses
Those are the major players in the professional services sector. As we noted above, many other ERP suppliers (as with all software) are scrambling to leverage the power of AI to enhance the use and productivity of their systems. We believe this is a huge opportunity for professional services businesses, many of which struggle to deliver profitable client projects. As we continue to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve, the future of ERP systems looks incredibly promising.
In the next article, we will look more closely at one specific area of AI, Large Language Models (LLMs) will impact ERPs, and predict how they will revolutionize the ERP industry.
