The big risk for these platforms is that AI reduces the cost to switch to another ERP. IF AI can map all of the data between two different competitors, the whole business model is finished

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duxup a day ago | parent | next [-]

Maybe but I work for a company that integrates with a lot of ERPs and I don't know why but the rando IT guy who can't get themselves out of a paper bag is still a thing. You'd think AI would help them but man ... doesn't seem like it.

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johnbarron 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

That is not what ERPs are used for.

Would love to hear how AI is going to help here. This is like a young engineer thinking the CDC machine they just bought, is going to make Airbus and Boeing obsolete...

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mikert89 2 days ago | parent [-]

It’s well known that the moat of system of record is how difficult it is to extract your data into another system.

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RaftPeople 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

> It’s well known that the moat of system of record is how difficult it is to extract your data into another system.

I think that is one aspect but not the biggest issue.

The specific shape of data and shape of functionality gets built around for decades due to incompleteness of any system, expanding dependencies and changing business needs.

Decades of building around the system results in a mountain of work when trying to replace the system, typically a larger body of work than implementing the base system itself.

	▲	mikert89 a day ago \| parent [-]
		most of this complexity is because 1000 different types of businesses are jammed into the same database schema and ERP. Its all non sense

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zbentley 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

ERPs are often used as a lot more than a system of record: they’re directly engaged with as the LOB software point-of-contact by many expert employees, and function as a sort of encoding of organizational behavior.

They’re a lot more than a data store or system whose primary value is ingesting info and producing reports.

For a lot of business, replacing the ERP is on par with replacing Excel. It’s not about getting the data into another system; it’s about all of the complexity and expertise required to use it.