Generative AI is set to fundamentally reshape enterprise. Not just the way businesses operate, but the way people experience work. Just as cloud technology brought about a transformative shift in business operations, the closer AI gets to an organization's processes, the more profound its impact becomes. But the true potential of ERP lies in its capacity to leverage this powerful tool—utilizing it to enhance the user experience for greater simplicity and customization.

The ERP of the future will be a reflection of the users of the future. And as users’ baseline requirements for enterprise software expand beyond merely good usability to systems that support and foster innovations in AI, machine learning, and process automation, it is up to us to respond and surpass these expectations.

SAP’s new generative AI assistant Joule, which will be embedded throughout SAP’s cloud portfolio including SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Start, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, is one example of how generative AI will completely transform how users will interact with SAP business systems. As an AI copilot, Joule leverages artificial intelligence and natural language processing to streamline tasks according to users’ unique roles, providing smarter insights to ease decision making, allowing users to get work done faster and drive better business outcomes in a secure, compliant way.

Joule is just one of the ways that the integration of generative AI in cloud ERP will shake up the way we work. Below, I share 6 trends that demonstrate how the enterprise user experience will improve even further with the power of artificial intelligence.

#1: The system will start to feel a lot more personal

Personalization has played a big role in UX for quite some time now. But generative AI will radically change how users interact with enterprise systems by offering a hyper-personalized experience based on the user’s role, preferences, and past behavior. Cloud ERP will lean on natural language processing, available data (including user data), process knowledge, predictive analytics, and documentation to generate valuable responses and intelligent insights that are highly relevant to the user’s role and needs and speak to the user in a relatable, human way.

#2: Communication with the system will happen in everyday language

Longtime ERP users are likely familiar with the times of complex keyboard shortcut sequences where using the system was akin to acquiring a new language. While UX has since shifted towards simpler and more conversational UI text, generative AI will be able to go a step further by allowing users to communicate directly with the system using their everyday language. And we’re not just talking about AI copilots, chatbots or sophisticated automated responses, but within the actual applications themselves. Imagine being able to ask the system to filter through a list report and easily find the detailed information you’re looking for just by typing in exactly what you need.

#3: Predictive analytics will become more sophisticated and accessible to business users

In these times of political and climate turmoil, rapid change, and major supply chain disruptions, predictive analytics has shot to the top of priority lists for organizations around the world. With the use of generative AI, cloud ERP systems will be able to analyze large amounts of data and make sophisticated predictions based on patterns and trends using machine learning and artificial intelligence. Augmented systems will be able to analyze large volumes of data quickly, reveal insights that humans might miss, and make predicting the likelihood of future events more nuanced and accurate. This will be a game-changer for users when forecasting sales, conducting inventory management, setting optimal pricing, and many more areas where precise forecasting is necessary.

In the past, predictive analytics relied on highly advanced and intricate tools, making them accessible primarily to data scientists and professional analysts. However, augmented analytics powered by AI democratizes this process, enabling business users with minimal training to create precise predictions and informed decisions independently of IT support. This advantage is crucial in a highly competitive market landscape.

#4: Work will become smarter with explainable real-time insights

Augmented AI can help deliver real-time data analysis and insights so users can make quick and informed business decisions with confidence. Users will be able to get quick answers and smart insights on-demand, while still retaining full control over decision making.

When presenting insights, the ERP system will be able to provide background information and root cause analysis to explain a situation or to provide details on a value or a number. Going a step further, the user could ask the system to generate a report based on this information, such as a one-pager or an executive summary.

#5: Automation will get smarter by learning from you

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed how AI can automate repetitive and replicable tasks to allow employees to focus on more strategic work. But new advances in automation will further increase the efficiency and speed of processes. For example, in the realm of data processing, ERP systems will be easily able to extract data from documents such as printouts, PDFs, or lists to prefill input fields during the creation of objects by mapping values of the document to the object page. This technology already exists, but new advances will allow the system to further improve value mapping by learning from the user’s corrections and preferences over time, as well as offering intelligent recommendations on next possible actions.

#6: Users will gain a new sense of security and trust in the ERP

Generative AI will change how users feel about cloud ERP by instilling a deeper sense of security and trust in the system. Advances in AI will enhance the security of ERP systems by offering continuous monitoring, predictive and behavioral analysis, detecting unusual activities or behaviors and alerting the security team. ERP vendors that prioritize responsible AI, which ensures the highest levels of concern for security, transparency, privacy, compliance, and ethics will guarantee that user safety and integrity is built in by design.