How AI agents are redefining ERP experiences for professional service firms
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is radically shifting how professional service firms operate. At the forefront of this transformation are AI-powered agents—tools designed to streamline workflows, accelerate decision-making, and centralize enterprise functions.
According to recent research, 89% of surveyed CIOs consider agent-based AI a strategic priority.
Demand is surging for solutions that enhance automation, simplify system complexity, and facilitate coordinated, intelligent enterprise operations.
This is where AI agents like Unit4’s Ava are redefining what’s possible. Rather than forcing professionals to navigate complex ERP interfaces, Ava delivers proactive insights, automates routine tasks, and provides intelligent access, reducing the need for users to even enter the ERP system.
For professional service firms, that means less friction, faster execution, and a more intuitive way to work.
Keep reading:
Addressing consultancy challenges with key AI trends
Professional service firms face mounting pressure to deliver value faster while managing increasingly complex operations. From manual processes to fragmented tool ecosystems, traditional ERP systems often add friction instead of eliminating it.
AI agents directly address these challenges, aligning with three critical trends reshaping consultancy operations:
- Streamlined access and true centralization - While some vendors rely on multiple AI agents across different modules, this often leads to siloed user experiences and context switching across interfaces. Ava is different.
- Ava consolidates ERP access into a single interface—Microsoft Teams. Users no longer toggle between tools. They stay within one platform, getting real-time access to data, approvals, workflows, and recommendations in one conversational tool. This reduces user fatigue, accelerates outcomes, and simplifies ERP access to near-invisibility.
- Role-based insights - Generic dashboards are no longer enough. AI agents can now generate real-time, role-specific insights, unlocking tailored intelligence that drives performance. Imagine a consulting manager receiving early warnings on project overruns or suggestions for optimizing bench utilization based on skill availability. While not all these capabilities exist today, this is the trajectory: intelligent assistance that drives decisions, not just displays data.
- Collaboration at scale - Global project teams need seamless communication. Ava can enable this by embedding ERP interactions directly into Microsoft Teams, where conversations, approvals, and updates occur in real-time, eliminating delays and enhancing stakeholder alignment across geographies.
See Unit4 ERP Project Management in action
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Three ways professional service firms can benefit from agentic AI
Unlike traditional AI tools that require explicit commands, agentic AI refers to autonomous systems capable of making independent, context-aware decisions in pursuit of defined goals.
Here are three forward-looking ways professional service firms could harness this potential:
1. Proactive project oversight
Agentic AI has taken AI from passive monitoring to dynamic optimization. For example, it could detect that a project is trending off course and suggest reassigning resources or recalibrating deadlines, without needing a human prompt. This illustrates the power of goal-driven, autonomous assistance in project execution.
2. Context-aware decision support
Traditional AI can be trained to understand business context, but it typically doesn’t anticipate needs or act independently. Agentic AI does.
Consider a client introducing sudden budget constraints. An AI agent could recommend adjusting the project scope or redistributing funding, delivering decision-ready options rather than just alerts.
3. Intelligent client engagement
AI agents can evolve client interactions through predictive recommendations, such as identifying upsell opportunities based on past behavior or surfacing custom solutions to meet emerging needs. This creates stronger, more strategic relationships while driving growth.
Ava: Simplifying ERP by making it invisible
Ava isn’t just an AI overlay—it represents a strategic evolution in how ERP is accessed and experienced. By embedding intelligence directly into Microsoft Teams, Ava transforms the ERP experience into something fluid, intuitive, and nearly invisible to the end user.
Unified ERP access through Teams
Where other platforms may require jumping between multiple agents or applications, Ava offers a singular point of engagement. From organizing daily tasks to approving budgets, users interact with Ava naturally within Teams, eliminating complexity and saving time.
Automation of routine tasks
From surfacing reminders to executing standard workflows like expense approvals, Ava automates the repetitive so users can focus on high-impact work. Notifications arrive in Teams, helping employees stay on top of what matters, without needing to always open the ERP system.
Seamless collaboration
Ava brings stakeholders, data, and actions into a shared space. Whether it’s aligning on project milestones or resolving budget queries, Ava facilitates collaboration in the same environment teams use every day, reducing context switching and improving decision velocity.
What sets Ava apart: Unified, intuitive, enterprise-ready
Ava stands out because of her human-centric, integration-first approach. For professional service firms seeking low-friction, high-impact AI, Ava offers clear advantages:
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Minimal training required: Integrated directly into Microsoft Teams, Ava leverages tools users already know.
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Faster ROI: By reducing manual workload and enabling faster decisions, Ava helps organizations realize measurable value quickly.
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Built-in compliance: Ava is designed with ethical AI principles, data governance, and enterprise-grade security from day one.
Ava isn’t just another AI agent. She’s a gateway to a smarter, more efficient ERP experience.
Transform your ERP experience today
Agentic AI is reshaping how professional service firms operate. By centralizing access, reducing reliance on ERP interfaces, and enabling context-driven insights, Ava empowers teams to move faster, work smarter, and unlock greater value.
Explore how Ava can redefine your ERP experience. Visit our Ava page to learn more, watch a demo, or speak with our sales team today.
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