In the current climate, ERP is an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how the enterprise should be run

There’s no denying that what the customer wants from an ERP has changed in part as a result of COVID.

But on a more fundamental level, the change marks a conscious shift towards what ERP customers have always wanted from their ERP but have been unable or unwilling to pursue thanks to circumstances, costs, and a comfortable lack of urgency.

Since most of us in people-centric businesses now have no choice but to carry on our work remotely, organizations are beginning to realize the value of cloud software that underpins their operations.

From making data more easily accessible, to sophisticated automation of processes through AI and ML, to making vital tools available on the devices we all use – and want to use.

And yet even now only 26% use cloud ERP. And that represents a great opportunity.

This opportunity is part of the reason why I’ve decided to join Unit4 as their Chief Product Officer. I’ve already been working with Unit4 for a few months now as a product advisor for its groundbreaking new cloud solution – ERPx. ERPx represents, to me, the reimagining of how to deliver a much more fitting, personal solution, optimized for the needs or companies and able to grow with them

This is an opportunity for organizations to escape the need for costly and cumbersome on-premise customizations and embrace a new approach that offers more agility and robustness. An opportunity many will take given the uncertainty and volatility that we’re all currently dealing with.

I’m excited to be taking on this role with Unit4 for three reasons: the opportunity, the technology, and the team.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to deliver something that customers have been asking for from ERP solutions for decades – a system that is designed around their specific needs, that allows companies to be fast, resilient, adaptable, and that is light-touch enough to enable employees to be productive.

It's an opportunity we can only address because of the technology Unit4 is creating. Enabled by a forward-thinking approach that takes advantage of seismic innovations and advances, such as microservice architectures, APIs, machine-learning – the foundational components of composable user experiences that make customization possible without the need for hiring armies of in-house programmers or a costly outside resource.

Finally, I feel Unit4 has an incredible team that truly enables the company to pursue this vision in earnest. I’ve known some of the team for a long time, and some I got to know over the last few months. They all have the drive, commitment, and empathy necessary to create truly extraordinary products and experiences for our customers and for each other - and I am very excited to be able to join at such a pivotal moment.