With nearly half of UK government technology spend consumed by maintaining legacy systems, DXC Technology's Derek Allison examines why ERP modernization, cloud adoption, and interoperability are now the critical foundations for closing the gap between AI ambition and operational reality in public services.

At SAP Sapphire 2026, Maura Hameroff and David Vallejo emphasized that AI is transforming ERP systems into strategic business frameworks that enhance enterprise decision-making by integrating industry knowledge and addressing fragmented data, thereby enabling companies to efficiently navigate modern challenges in supply chain management and overall business operations.

The SAP Sapphire Madrid keynote highlighted the shift in AI discussions from announcements to operational integration, emphasizing that AI's value relies on governance, user trust, and practical implementation within business processes, as showcased by various case studies from companies like Ericsson, Fonterra, and EssilorLuxottica.

The enterprise landscape is facing disruption as AI agents automate tasks and support decisions, but many organizations struggle to implement AI effectively due to outdated and fragmented ERP systems, necessitating a transformation that integrates AI and ERP capabilities.

Over the past decade, ERP systems have evolved from merely tracking transactions to becoming integral to the operational backbone of global supply chains, necessitating dynamic orchestration, real-time data integration and a focus on adaptability to support manufacturers.

At Boomi World 2026, Boomi unveiled a comprehensive strategy to transition AI agents from pilot programs to enterprise workflows through enhanced orchestration, connectivity, context, and governance, supported by partnerships with Red Hat and Couchbase, ultimately positioning itself as an active data foundation for the emerging 'agentic enterprise'.

Recent power outages and data center disruptions have challenged the assumption that cloud infrastructure is resilient, highlighting the necessity for enterprises to develop data sovereignty.

At Epicor Insights 2026, the company faces its most consequential conference yet: with on-premises Kinetic development ending at the 2028.1 release, the pressure is on to demonstrate that cloud ERP migration is not just necessary for manufacturers and distributors — but genuinely worth it. This analysis examines how Epicor is addressing the trust gap through security governance, data architecture strategy, and change management, and what still needs to be proven on the conference floor.