The Future of ERP

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Aug 2026

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The Future of ERP explores the trends, innovations, and ideas shaping the future of enterprise systems. Through conversations with industry experts, practitioners, and business leaders, the podcast tackles some of today's most important questions: How will AI reshape ERP? What does modernization really look like? And how can organizations adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing world?

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August 26, 2026Episode 9727 min

Episode 97: If AI is powerful, where is the profit?

Everyone is talking about AI adoption. But there is one question that boardrooms are quietly avoiding: where is the profit? This episode goes straight at it, and the answer will make you rethink every AI pilot you have ever run. ===== The episode opens with a question that should make any CFO uncomfortable: if AI is this powerful, where exactly is the profit? Roman Krohman, SAP Go-To-Market practice leader at HCLTech, brings over 25 years of enterprise transformation experience and a refreshingly honest take on where the industry is getting it wrong. The numbers are sobering: 88% of companies use AI regularly, yet fewer than 40% can point to any real impact on the P&L. Roman introduces a critical distinction between being human in the loop versus human on the loop, a small preposition shift that signals an entirely different operating model. The pilot to production gap is named for what it really is: a leadership problem, not a technology problem, with most pilots designed as procurement exercises dressed up as innovation. Roman and Oyku unpack the BCG 10/20/70 rule, where 70% of AI value comes from people and process, yet most organizations pour all their energy into the 10% that is the algorithm. A new definition of finance value is proposed, moving beyond cost efficiency toward speed, accuracy, working capital, and resilience as the metrics that actually matter. The Finance Mission Control concept emerges as a practical way to link AI-enabled workflows directly to P&L impact and make value visible before any narrative solidifies. Roman argues that AI agents should be treated exactly like employees: onboarded with defined scope, given guardrails, supervised closely, and retired without hesitation if they underperform. The episode closes with a striking vision of ERP becoming invisible but more critical than ever, no longer a system of record but a system of action. Useful Links: ⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠ Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Roman Khromin Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

August 19, 2026Episode 9621 min

Episode 96: Will ERP Die in the Age of AI?

AI is changing everything; so why does ERP keep coming up as the thing that makes it all work? This episode gets real about what actually happens when you put AI on top of your core business systems. ===== ERP is not dying and if anything, AI is making it more important than ever. Benjamin Krischer from cbs answers that question without hesitation and builds a compelling case from there. The episode unpacks why ERP remains the foundational data layer that every AI decision ultimately depends on. A new architectural reality is emerging where data, front-end, and AI are separating into distinct layers, reshaping how enterprise systems are built. The autonomous enterprise is closer than people think, but Benjamin is clear that humans must stay in the loop because someone still has to sign off the year-end results. Data quality is the make-or-break factor since bad data fed into AI does not produce bad outputs, it produces confidently wrong ones. Structured ERP data and messy external sources need to be governed, semantically aligned, and treated as real business assets. Greenfield implementations offer a clean AI-ready start, but Benjamin notes that most companies are navigating selective data transitions from existing landscapes. Transformation is not a project with an end date. It is a continuous journey, and as Benjamin puts it, it never truly ends. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: SAP Cloud ERP Explore cbs System Landscape Transformation Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Benjamin Krischer, Global Head of System Landscape & Transformation and Member of the Executive Board at CBS Benjamin Krischer is Global Head of System Landscape Transformation (SLT) at cbs and a member of the Executive Board. With more than 20 years of experience inSAP and business transformation, he has dedicated his career to helping organizations align data, processes, and technology. After starting his professional journey with database development and SAP data migration projects, he went on to lead complex transformation initiatives across industries. Today, he heads the global Landscape Transformation practice of cbs, supporting customers worldwide in SAP S/4HANA transformations, data migration, and system landscape optimization through a unique combination of process and data expertise. Benjamin’s LinkedIn Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

August 12, 202619 min

Episode 95: Breaking the Monolith Without Breaking the Business with Atos

Thinking about moving from a single, tightly coupled ERP to a modular, composable setupwithout slowing the business? Explore how a shift to a “system of intelligence,” with AI orchestrating processes across applications, unlocks agility and resilience. ===== This episode explores how enterprises can evolve from monolithic ERP to a composable, modular landscape without disrupting operations. It explains the shift from a system of record to a system of intelligence, with AI as the connective tissue across processes and applications. It also highlights governance must haves, central guardrails with federated innovation, governed extensions, reversible AI actions, cost governance, and consistent global templates. Finally, it covers change practices that stick, from reframing “one system” to “one platform” to building champion networks and sustaining adoption after go live. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠ https://atos.net https://atos.net/en/services/smart-platforms/sap-services https://atos.net/en/blog/fast-tracking-ecc-to-sap-s-4hana Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Andy Brown, Global CTO at Atos Andy is the Global CTO for the SAP Business within Atos. He’s been in the SAP ecosystem for over 30 years, always in a technical role. He believes the impact of AI on SAP will be the most significant since the launch of R/3 and the client-server architecture of the 90’s. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

August 6, 2026Episode 9420 min

Episode 94: The Talent Equation: New Skills for the ERP Era of AI and Automation

Is AI eliminating jobs or creating better ones? Join us as we unpack how ERP roles, leadership, and skills are being redefined, and what it truly takes to thrive in the era of the autonomous enterprise. ===== AI and automation are fundamentally changing what ERP expertise looks like, from entry-level roles to senior leadership. Trijoy Saikia from HCLTech shares how organizations are rethinking talent models, upskilling strategies, and management structures to keep pace. The conversation covers real-world human-AI collaboration, the barriers slowing AI adoption from pilot to production, and what SAP's Autonomous Enterprise roadmap means for every professional working in the ERP space today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: SAP Cloud ERP https://www.hcltech.com/ Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Trijoy Saikia, HCLTech Business Acceleration Center for SAP Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 29, 2026Episode 9321 min

Episode 92: Who Owns IAM in Cloud ERP? Navigating Roles, Risks, and Responsibilities with EY

Your cloud ERP holds the keys to your entire business: finance, HR, supply chain. But who actually controls the locks? This episode exposes the identity access gaps most organizations never see coming, and why AI is making them more dangerous than ever. ===== Identity and access management (IAM) is often misunderstood. But getting it wrong can cost millions. EY's Joe Surmeier breaks down IAM in cloud ERP: from the most common mistakes organizations make during migration, to navigating the shared responsibility model between vendors, SIs, and customers. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping both threats and defenses, and shares three actionable priorities for any organization starting its cloud ERP journey, and why cybersecurity must have a seat at the table from day one. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Joe Surmeier, Senior Manager, Cybersecurity at Ernst & Young LLP Joe Surmeier has spent more than a decade at the intersection of cybersecurity, business transformation, and risk management. He works with organizations to integrate security into complex transformation programs, helping leadership teams navigate evolving cyber risks while accelerating innovation, compliance, and operational resilience. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 15, 2026Episode 9221 min

Episode 92: Navigating Risk and Transformation in Cloud ERP with EY

Cloud ERP is reshaping how organizations manage risk. In this episode with EY, we explore why security, governance, and AI must be built into ERP transformation from day one, not added later. ===== As organizations accelerate their move to cloud ERP, managing risk is becoming less about reacting to issues and more about designing secure, resilient processes from the start. In this episode, EY's Natalie Freedline and Dan Crawley discuss how cloud transformations are reshaping risk management, from understanding the shared responsibility model to embedding security, governance, and automated controls early in every implementation. The conversation explores why successful ERP transformations depend as much on people, processes, and clear ownership as they do on technology. The speakers explain how organizations can strengthen governance, prepare teams for change, and build trusted data foundations that support long-term business resilience. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠ SAP-EY Allience 5 common compliance myths when moving to S/4HANA The role of governance in Continuous Controls Monitoring enablement Disclaimer: The views reflected in this video are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms. Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest 1: Dan Crawley, SAP Security and Identity Architect at EY Dan Crawley is an SAP Security and Identity Architect with more than 15 years of experience providing strategic leadership and delivering scalable, maintainable solutions in application security and identity management within the SAP ERP space. Having delivered complex implementations and enterprise transformations across many different industries, he enjoys the challenges of learning new technologies and implementing them to provide more compliant and efficient solutions. Guest 2: Natalie Freedline - Principal, Technology Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP | EY - Global Natalie has more than 18 years of Technology consulting experience serving Industrial Products and Consumer Products clients undergoing transformations. Starting her career in audit, Natalie has a wide range of experience assisting clients with SAP and Oracle process and controls enablement/optimization, application security, business transformation, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) technology enablement and enterprise risk management (including IT risk). Natalie has delivered strategic programs for SAP S/4 HANA transformations and specializes in quantifying the business case to drive efficiencies and lower the cost of compliance through analytics and monitoring, security and GRC technologies. In addition to helping clients deploy risk and compliance programs, Natalie holds a leadership role managing the Risk Technology team focused on SAP of over 100 resources to streamline growth, collaboration, knowledge sharing and improve the quality of engagement delivery. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

July 1, 2026Episode 9122 min

Episode 91: Always Watching: 24/7 Security Monitoring and the Shared Responsibility Model

Moving ERP to the cloud doesn’t mean security becomes someone else’s problem. Discover how leading organizations balance shared responsibilities, AI-powered monitoring, and cyber resilience to protect the business around the clock. ===== As ERP systems become the digital core of modern enterprises, security can no longer be treated as an afterthought. In this episode, EY’s Michelle DeLiberty joins Richard Howells and Öykü Ilgar to explore 24/7 security monitoring, the realities of the shared responsibility model, and the growing impact of AI on cybersecurity. Learn where organizations often get security ownership wrong, how to improve cyber resilience, and what the future of ERP security looks like. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: SAP Cloud ERP EY-SAP Alliance Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest: Michelle DeLiberty, EY Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Key Topics: Cloud ERP, Cybersecurity, Security Monitoring, Shared Responsibility Model, SAP Security, AI Security, Cyber Resilience, Cloud Security, ERP Transformation, Risk Management, Identity Access Management, Threat Detection, Security Operations, Incident Respo.

June 17, 2026Episode 9031 min

Episode 90: Staying One Step Ahead: Security Roles in Cloud ERP Threat Prevention with PWC

What if your ERP is secure… but still costing you millions? As AI and automation reshape enterprise systems, hidden gaps in security models can quietly undermine control, integrity, and trust. ===== As ERP systems become the backbone of highly connected, AI-driven ecosystems, traditional security models are no longer enough. In this episode, PwC’s Stuart Light explores why organizations must rethink security as a proactive, holistic discipline, focused on data integrity, ecosystem-wide access, and closing hidden gaps that can silently erode business value. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest: Stewart Light, PwC Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Key Topics: ERP security, cloud ERP, SAP, S4HANA, cybersecurity, identity access management, least privilege, AI, digital workers, ERP transformation, enterprise risk, access control, data integrity, ecosystem security, compliance

June 3, 2026Episode 8919 min

Episode 89: Will AI Replace the Auditor?

Will AI replace auditors? This episode explores how AI is transforming auditing, why human judgment remains critical, and what the future of ERP and audit looks like in an AI-driven world. ===== This episode explores the impact of AI on auditing, from automation of routine tasks to its role in shaping controls and decision-making. It examines trust, regulation, and current adoption challenges, while emphasizing the continued importance of human judgment. The discussion also looks ahead to how AI will influence audit efficiency, workforce evolution, and the future of ERP within an integrated, intelligent ecosystem. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.ey.com Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest: Shaylin Moodley, Ernst & Young LLP Shaylin is a SAP security, risk and controls leader who acts as a guardian of audit success for SAP‑heavy organisations. He partners with CFOs, CIOs, CROs and assurance leaders to cut the cost of compliance, assure complex SAP S/4HANA programmes, and design roles, SoD and controls that stand up to regulator and auditor challenge, particularly through audit rotation, heightened scrutiny and early AI adoption. Being an IT External Auditor for a range of the FTSE 250 with one hat, allows him to advise other organisations on what an external auditor marks against when designing controls whilst he wears his second hat. With over 10+ years across all four Big Four firms, he has supported a number of clients in financial services, utilities, energy, manufacturing and consumer, navigating go lives securely, avoiding year‑end surprises and landing “no repeat findings” on critical IT and programme level controls. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. Follow Oyku Ilgar on ⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Community ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Key Topics: AI in auditing, ERP, external audit, cybersecurity, AI adoption, controls and compliance, audit automation, SAP, digital transformation, enterprise systems, risk management, governance, auditors role, AI governance, business technology, intelligent automation, The Future of ERP, SAP Podcasts

May 20, 2026Episode 8820 min

Episode 88: Industry AI for ERP: From Generic Models to Domain-Specific Intelligence with PwC's Frank Ruland

Why generic AI fails in ERP and how industry-specific intelligence unlocks real value. PwC’s Frank Ruland shares use cases, integration challenges, and what’s next for AI-powered, future-ready ERP systems. ===== In this episode, Richard Howell speaks with PwC’s Frank Ruland about the shift from generic AI to industry-specific intelligence in ERP. They unpack why context is critical, explore real-world use cases in manufacturing and retail, and discuss integration, adoption, and data challenges. The episode closes with a forward look at agentic AI, robotics, and how ERP remains the foundation for future innovation. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Download Episode Transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Useful Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Cloud ERP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media! SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP : ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Guest: Frank Ruland , Director Industries and Innovation, PwC Deutschland Frank Ruland leads Industries and Innovation topics globally within PwC’s SAP alliance organization. In this capacity he is responsible for strategic innovation topics across PwC’s alliance with SAP, from Business AI, Cloud ERP and Business Data Cloud to industry differentiation. He works closely with experts across the PwC network in industries, technology, data and AI and ERP/Digital transformstion. And with other technology alliance partners in the SAP ecosystem. Prior to joining PwC, Frank has been working with SAP directly and in various roles in consulting, product management, business development, and partner management with a special focus on industries, supply chain, and purchasing as well as M&A and alliance topics for more than 20 years. And if you want to go back further in history, Frank also worked in the automotive industry at the interface between IT and business departments. In parallel to his corporate career, Frank subscribes to life-long learning and he received his Executive MBA degree from Mannheim Business School and ESSEC in Paris. You can follow Frank on social media at https://de.linkedin.com/in/frankruland Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Follow Richard Howell on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Key Topics: ERP, enterprise resource planning, industry AI, domain specific AI, SAP, PwC, digital transformation, predictive maintenance, retail analytics, manufacturing AI, business processes, AI in ERP, enterprise AI, automation, data integration, agentic AI