SAP Cloud ERP Chief Marketing Officer , Eric van Rossum , on how generative AI is revolutionising enterprise resource planning
SAP
SAP Cloud ERP Chief Marketing Officer , Eric van Rossum , on how generative AI is revolutionising enterprise resource planning
When Eric van Rossum looks back on his 20-plus years working with enterprise resource planning ( ERP ), he can ’ t help but marvel at how much things have changed . From his early days as an SAP consultant selling on-premises ERP systems , to his current role as head of product marketing for the company ’ s cloud ERP portfolio , he ’ s seen a stark shift in the way companies approach their most businesscritical software .
“ The old mindset around ERP ,” he says , “ was focused on designing a system that does everything for your business , and then tailoring the processes to the specific way your business operates .”
He adds : “ That mindset has changed in the cloud . Now , the focus is on leaner , more flexible ERP systems leveraging business processes that follow an industry standard . Companies are seeing the value of adapting the way they do business to the software , not the other way around .”
Traditional on-premises ERP systems are incredibly rich in terms of functionality , but they ’ re rigid . Changes and upgrades are cumbersome and require considerable time and effort . So much so , that most companies update their ERP software only every few years , which means they aren ’ t reaping the benefits of the latest technologies and innovations until years down the road .
52 June 2024