Agentic AI is set to redefine ERP systems
Enterprise systems are changing. Fast. What we’ve used until now, ERP, as the operational spine of most companies, has been good at keeping things organized. Databases, reports, compliance, procurement, accounting systems, all running like clockwork. But let’s be honest: these systems don’t make decisions, they wait for human input. They’re passive and reactive.
Agentic AI flips that. It’s AI with autonomy. ERP becomes less of a system you use and more of a system that works with you. It will take initiative, manage end-to-end workflows, learn from repeated behaviors, and provide decision support in real time. This means the system won’t just store data anymore, it will act on it. You ask it questions. It answers. You give it a goal. It executes, or at least, pushes the task forward across departments. Now we’re talking about active infrastructure.
Executives should pay attention to the user interface shift here, too. Conversational AI makes navigation and insight extraction a lot more fluid. No need to dive through ten dashboards or wait for reports from a department manager. You can ask the system directly, like you would talk to a person, and it gives you what you need. That saves time. It also reduces friction across the organization. Teams can move faster. Leaders can make decisions based on real-time insights, not yesterday’s summary.
This change is already underway. According to a recent Bain benchmarking survey with nearly 500 IT leaders, the vast majority, 78%, say they expect agentic AI will augment or replace at least some ERP functionality within three years. That’s not a slow disruption. That tells us real budgets are being aligned, pilots are moving out of test environments, and expectations are shifting across industries.
For leadership teams, this transition is strategic. Don’t think of ERP just as software to upgrade every five years. Think of it as an intelligent layer that can drive cross-functional performance and adaptability. Agentic AI pushes ERP into an active role where it can help you spot inefficiencies, surface trends, and even suggest next steps. If the system becomes smarter, the company does too.
A majority of IT leaders foresee extensive AI-driven modifications to ERP functionalities
There’s one thing that’s clear from the data, leaders aren’t waiting around. Almost everyone in enterprise tech now expects agentic AI to start reshaping ERP systems within a very short timeframe. Change is already underway, and it’s picking up speed.
According to Bain’s most recent benchmarking survey of nearly 500 senior IT leaders, 78% said they expect some portion of ERP functionality to be replaced or augmented by agentic AI over the next three years. What’s more interesting is the depth of the expected impact: 44% believe AI will modify more than 10% of their overall ERP functions. And 16% expect it to touch over a quarter of their ERP infrastructure.
These numbers reflect serious intent. Companies are preparing for significant rewiring, not just process automation or interface upgrades, but an overhaul in how intelligence is built into daily operations. Leaders want systems that can act based on context, reduce latency in decision-making, and push relevant answers with minimal human prompting. Static systems can’t get you there.
If you’re in the C-suite, this is about alignment. Business outcomes, not just tech upgrades. Finance, operations, supply chain, they’re all connected through ERP. When agentic AI becomes part of that system, it raises expectations across every function. Your teams will be looking to do more with less manual input, faster cycle times, and fewer silos. That level of performance means shifting talent, redesigning workflows, and, yes, possibly replacing modules that can’t adapt.
The real message is this: whether your roadmap is 12 months or three years, it needs to factor in how autonomous intelligence will reshape your systems. Because your competitors are already doing it.
Perceptions of ERP’s role in facilitating or hindering AI adoption vary
Not every organization sees ERP the same way, and that matters when you’re talking about deploying agentic AI. Some companies look at their ERP systems and see a launchpad for automation and intelligence. Others see a roadblock. It comes down to how modern and adaptable those systems are, and how ready the organization is to integrate autonomy into its core workflows.
Bain’s recent survey captures this split clearly. Among nearly 500 IT leaders surveyed, 35% said their ERP is actually enabling AI adoption. That group tends to be further ahead in terms of architecture, integration capabilities, and digital mindset. On the other side, 27% said ERP is holding them back. These are companies likely dealing with legacy platforms, rigid systems that slow down change, reduce interoperability, and limit data availability for AI models.
If you’re an executive, this should trigger an internal check. Ask whether your ERP system is flexible enough to accommodate rapid AI deployment. Can it talk to cloud-native tools? Can it process and expose real-time data in formats AI can use? If not, you’re not just behind on technology, you’re limiting your organization’s ability to compete.
This isn’t just a technology maturity issue, it’s also about organizational posture. Tech leaders who see their systems as enablers usually also have a culture that favors experimentation, iteration, and decentralized decision-making. In contrast, organizations that describe their ERP as a hindrance are often stuck in more rigid structures, structures where IT is reactive instead of transformative.
The takeaway: assess your ERP with honesty. If it’s not helping you move faster with AI, then it’s time to narrow the gap. Competitive advantage is about who removes the most friction in doing so. Modernizing foundational systems isn’t exciting on the surface, but it’s what clears the path for real gains.
Key highlights
- Agentic AI shifts ERP from passive to autonomous systems: Leaders should reframe ERP as a proactive asset, agentic AI enables systems to manage workflows, make contextual suggestions, and engage users through natural language, increasing speed and adaptability across operations.
- AI-driven ERP transformation is arriving fast: With 78% of IT leaders anticipating AI-enhanced ERP within three years, executives must align roadmaps now to avoid being outpaced by competitors already integrating autonomous decision capabilities into core functions.
- ERP readiness depends on tech maturity and flexibility: Organizations with modern, modular ERP systems see AI as an accelerator, while those with outdated platforms face friction, leaders should evaluate their ERP’s adaptability and invest in upgrading foundational architecture where needed.
