ERP platforms have become the central nervous system of modern enterprises – and also one of their greatest operational risks. As organizations scale globally, integrate cloud services, and apply AI to core processes, ERP complexity is reaching a tipping point.
At this year’s CIOmove, Thomas Reitz, Group CIO of NORMA Group (pictured on the left), and Maik Schulz, Vice President BPM & ICT Application Management (pictured on the right), will explore what CIOs often underestimate: that ERP success depends less on features, and more on clarity, usability, and control.
ERP Systems Are Overloaded – and So Are Their Users
Today’s ERP environments are feature-rich but cognitively overwhelming. Users across finance, supply chain, and operations are expected to master complex workflows that were often designed for flexibility, not simplicity. The result? Slow adoption, process errors, and shadow IT.
The problem isn’t the ambition of ERP – it’s the lack of focus on system design and user enablement. Role-based interfaces, harmonized processes, and clear boundaries between automation and manual oversight are no longer nice to have – they’re essential for global ERP stability.
AI Should Assist ERP – Not Obscure It
ERP vendors are rapidly integrating AI to support tasks like forecasting, exception handling, and anomaly detection. But there’s a fine line between augmentation and automation. If AI becomes a black box that users blindly trust, organizations risk losing transparency, auditability, and responsiveness – especially in regulated environments.
The challenge for CIOs is to find the right balance: use AI to reduce noise and guide users, but maintain a clear understanding of what’s happening inside the process. Clarity must come before autonomy.
Standardization Is the Precondition for Agility
ERP projects often fail not because the software is wrong, but because every business unit is allowed to reinvent how it works. Without harmonized process templates and a unified system design, complexity scales faster than benefits.
Standardization – across processes, data models, and deployment frameworks – is the foundation on which AI, automation, and cross-site agility can actually function. CIOs who invest in global templates and platform thinking are better positioned to adapt, secure, and grow – without drowning in exceptions.
ERP systems aren’t going away. But they must evolve. The future belongs to platforms that are transparent, support guided workflows, and can flexibly integrate with AI without becoming unmanageable.
At CIOmove, Reitz and Schulz will offer a candid look at what it takes to make ERP systems usable, scalable, and intelligent – without sacrificing control. For CIOs dealing with sprawling platforms, rising complexity, and pressure to “go AI,” their experience offers both caution and clarity.
