This isn’t about automation - it's about a new enterprise model
Last week, the enterprise automation and AI space saw a major acquisition that signals a broader industry shift. It’s not just another deal - it marks a significant moment in how AI-driven automation is being embedded into core enterprise operations. On the surface, this looks like just another AI acquisition but I believe it signals something much bigger.
This story isn’t really about AI, it isn’t about automation, and isn’t just about efficiency or cost savings, it’s about something far more fundamental: a shift in how enterprises operate at their core. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the usual flurry of voices focusing on what the respective platforms and solutions can and can't do…
What we’re seeing happening in enterprise software is a fundamental shift in how businesses will operate that goes beyond a tool, platform, or new piece of tech.
The Evolution of Enterprise Automation
Conversations around automation have been a long-standing theme in my discussions with peers and colleagues in the industry. With the latest acquisition news in AI and enterprise automation, those discussions have only intensified. It’s a moment that reinforces the trajectory we’ve seen in automation’s evolution, and here at Resulting IT, we’ve been closely following these trends, given our deep engagement in helping businesses navigate this space.
Over the years, we’ve seen multiple evolving waves of automation in enterprise IT:
- Workflows & Business Process Management (BPM) - Structured, rule-based task automation
- Robotic Process Automation (RPA) - Bots handling repetitive, deterministic tasks to automate processes
- AI & Machine Learning – Predictive insights, dynamic decision-making
- Agentic AI & Autonomous Agents – Self-directed AI agents that orchestrate work across systems and processes, not just execute tasks.
We’ve been moving from task automation to process automation to decision automation, slowly altering the role and responsibility split between user and system. Historically, automation was primarily about making things faster or cheaper, with early RPA implementations often boasting cost reductions of up to 30% and efficiency gains measured in time saved per transaction. The focus was on removing manual effort, eliminating repetitive tasks, and ensuring compliance through rigid, rule-based workflows. Now, it’s beginning to change how enterprises operate at a more foundational level.
Agentic AI & ERP: A New Enterprise Model
In traditional ERP, processes have always been designed, defined, and hard-coded by humans, creating rigid structures that dictate how work gets done. But in this new Agentic AI era, AI-powered agents will no longer be just task executors, they will be active participants in shaping enterprise workflows. These agents won’t simply follow predefined steps; they will recommend, execute, and refine business processes in real time, continuously adapting to changes and optimising operations.
This marks a fundamental shift: ERP will no longer be a static framework of prebuilt processes but will evolve into a dynamic, AI-powered ecosystem. As a result, the traditional Centre of Excellence (CoE) model must transform, moving beyond governance and best practices into a new role as the architects of intelligent, self-improving enterprise operations.
Agent herders, if you will.
What this means for SAP S/4HANA customers & Resulting IT’s role
Most enterprises aren’t prepared for this transition. They still think in terms of automation projects, not AI-driven operating models. I see parallels with organisations undertaking a RISE with SAP journey, where it was often looked at as a hosting project. I always coach my clients that it's more of an operating model change than anything else - the thinking has to be bigger and go beyond the thing itself.
At Resulting IT, we understand this shift because we've spent decades helping organisations structure and scale their Centres of Excellence to support business transformation. Whether it’s guiding companies through ERP evolution, embedding automation into business operations, or rethinking governance models to support AI-driven decision-making, we are uniquely positioned to help businesses navigate this change.
- We have always helped organisations define & build Centres of Excellence (CoEs) - it's a big part of why we exist - and we’re ready to guide them in adapting to this next wave of enterprise transformation
- Enterprises will need new governance models, new skills, and new ways of managing AI-powered ERP - ones that go beyond a simple library of bots or an AI tool.
- The companies that succeed won’t just ‘implement AI’; they will redesign how work happens.
Preparing for the Age of Agentic AI
The momentum behind this shift is undeniable. Organisations across industries are already integrating AI agents into their core operations, and those who delay risk falling behind. This shift isn’t coming, it’s already here. Enterprises need to rethink governance, AI strategy, and operating models. This feels like an inflection point, a moment where the way we do business and the way our industry moves forward is being redefined.
How is your organisation preparing for the rise of AI agents in ERP? Drop me a message on LinkedIN - we’re already helping businesses navigate this shift at Resulting IT.
