Amid the latest push of technological innovation, many legacy systems are being redefined by the skillful implementation of AI-assisted tools.
Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) are the backbone of enterprise operations, and have been for many years now. However, they are far from perfect. The systems’ limitations have been glaringly apparent to many who utilize them, with their backward-looking forecasts, slow compliance workflows, and industries stuck in manual processes.
Fortunately, as AI tools are being gradually embraced and implemented across numerous industries, a new generation of ERPs is rising. AI software is not replacing ERPs; it is making them smarter. From legal automation to construction, enterprises are turning to specialized AI tools that extend what traditional ERP platforms cannot do alone.
Understanding AI’s Limitations
As companies race to embed AI into their operations, a critical tension is emerging between what AI is actually doing and what these companies believe AI is doing. As Dan Wallace, the manager of Neota Logic, describes, “There’s a growing belief that AI produces a correct answer 100% of the time. The fact of the matter is that whether it’s Google or whether it’s an AI tool, those are probabilistic outcomes. With that gap between what is probably right and what needs to be right, there’s a significant amount of exposure for organizations.”
Neota Logic is a no-code workflow automation platform that strives to solve issues of unreliability or hallucinations with AI. The company is building deterministic, auditable guardrails around AI outputs so legal and compliance teams can trust the results. “Because we are a deterministic system and we have the ability to put guardrails around what those answers are, we can ensure that the answers are either right or wrong, yes or no. You’re also going to be able to audit it and find out how you arrived at those answers. We like to think that we give AI the guardrails that allow organizations to trust it.”
He goes on to elaborate, “We’re incorporating AI into the Neota workflows to deliver even more value and productivity. What we think it’s going to do is give our clients the confidence that they can take advantage of the productivity enhancements, the cost savings, and the efficiencies that AI can deliver.”
Finding the Right Fit
ERPs are powerful foundations, but they are fundamentally outdated and have been for some time. As Laura Bannister, Digital Marketing Specialist at Tightly.io, explains, “These systems look backward. Their data doesn’t tell you what’s going to happen in the next month; it tells you what happened in the last month.”
Instead, Tightly.io aims to tell you what to buy next and how to look ahead. It is an AI layer that sits on top of existing systems like NetSuite and SAP, giving planners real-time, forward-looking inventory forecasts powered by live GA4 data.
“Having GA4 connected into the platform allows planners to make instant decisions. We pick up on cooling trends, items that are losing traffic momentum, and basically warn planners to cancel any upcoming purchase orders before they actually get to the warehouse,” Bannister says.
When a product starts cooling, with traffic up and conversions down, Tightly.io can catch this discrepancy before the item turns into an abundance of dead stock. As Bannister states, “We’re actually listening to what people need and building the brand together with our customers.”
Prioritizing Speed and Accuracy
For enterprises already running on Oracle JD Edwards or similar platforms, the challenge is not replacing the ERP, but making it faster and more accessible. As Ravindra Khokrale, Senior Solution Architect of Circular Edge, explains, “If the master data itself is wrong, then AI is going to give you the wrong result. When the AI is applicable to your ERP, it’s limited to your ERP only. Whatever data you provide, it will act on that.”
Circular Edge builds custom AI agents that automate high-effort, repeatable tasks: PO approvals that once required a month-long manual setup can now be configured with a single Excel upload. “With an AI agent, it can direct the purchase order to your manager. You just have to upload a hierarchy in an Excel file, and it will build the backend tool automatically. Whereas if you do it manually, it takes a lot of time and effort. Clients are using that, and clients are happy with that,” Khokrale says.
Crucially, the agents push notifications to executives’ mobile devices, so approvals do not stall. “C-level users won’t be available in front of their laptops 24 hours a day. What they have in hand is their mobile phones. It’s the ease of usability where they can see the purchase order number, the value, the supplier, and approve it instantly.”
Automating the Busy Work
Commercial construction is roughly a decade behind on tech adoption, and the consequences of that lag can be devastating. Rowena Tulacz, the President of R. Construction Solutions, surmises, “Our industry is very much reactive, not very proactive. And we’re a good 10 to 12 years behind everyone when it comes to implementing anything new in terms of processes and technology.”
This technological deficiency has resulted in experienced professionals who should be spending their time elsewhere being buried in paperwork, leaving junior staff overwhelmed and projects with hundreds of complex documents managed manually. Fortunately, AI presents a potent solution. “AI just takes the busy work out of stuff. I can put project documents into Claude and say, ‘separate the scope by trade and color-coordinate it,’ and it does it. At the end of the day, I’m the one looking at it and making sure it makes sense. I’m the one telling Claude what I want.”
Tulcaz is now using AI to automate the busywork: cataloging drawings, generating meeting minutes, breaking specs into trade-specific checklists, and producing polished proposals in hours rather than days. “I had an intern try to use AI for assignments I gave him, and I told him: this is garbage; total garbage. It’s not because you’re not smart or talented; it’s because you have no experience to back up your prompts. So I started putting the stuff in there myself, and I was like, holy crap.”
A Better Way Forward
The top AI software for enterprise resource planning isn’t just a single platform; it’s an expanding ecosystem of specialized tools that add new capabilities, improve functionality, and automate tasks beyond traditional ERPs. Whether it’s ensuring compliance, forecasting inventory needs, speeding up approval processes, or modernizing construction workflows, AI integrates seamlessly with existing enterprise systems, making them much smarter.
