Chris Vavra, Author at ERP Today

Chris Vavra

Senior Editor, ERP Today

77 Articles Published

December’s M&A Sprint Signals AI Infrastructure Consolidation Era for Enterprises

In December 2025, a surge of over $100 billion in strategic technology acquisitions is compelling ERP executives to pivot away from fragmented solutions towards more robust, AI-native architectures amidst rising valuations and an emphasis on security.

Businessperson hold an image of an AI agent in hand.

Automation

Digital Colleagues, AI Agents Reshaping the ERP Workforce Model

Corporate AI is evolving from simple assistants to autonomous agents that can execute workflows and make decisions, significantly altering ERP processes and promising revenue increases, necessitating a reevaluation of roles and systems to support this shift.

Analytics and AI

BlackLine Acquires WiseLayer in Bid to Enhance AI Capabilities

BlackLine's acquisition of WiseLayer marks a pivotal moment in finance as AI agents take on complex judgment-heavy tasks, transforming operating models and integration practices while significantly enhancing efficiency and accuracy in financial operations.

Analytics and AI

BillingPlatform Adds Platform Capabilities for Advanced Revenue Insights

BillingPlatform's upgraded capabilities transform billing into a real-time decision system for revenue leaders, enhancing visibility, reducing manual reporting, leveraging AI for transparency and robust integration.

Analytics and AI

Manufacturing Expands Physical Automation with AI-Driven Robotics

Manufacturers are transitioning to AI-enabled robotic ecosystems that enhance productivity and quality by integrating with ERP and MES systems, which leads to significant improvements in efficiency and maintenance planning.

Analytics and AI

Certinia Launches Winter ’26 Release for Improved Agentic AI, Workflow

Certinia's Winter '26 release leverages AI to enhance operational efficiency for services-centric organizations by automating project monitoring, streamlining sales-to-delivery processes and improving customer success management.

Analytics and AI

Nextworld Platform 25.2: Ambient AI, Visual Workflows for ERP 

Nextworld's Platform 25.2 enhances business operations by introducing ambient AI agents, a Visual Workflow Builder and an upgraded Developer Studio, streamlining automation and innovation while empowering technical and non-technical users to simplify complex workflows.

Analytics and AI

AI Growth Will Outrun Power Capacity Without Industry Collaboration

As AI's electricity demand surges, energy executives emphasize the critical need for rapid infrastructure development and strategic energy planning to sustain digital transformation.

Analytics and AI

Oil and Gas ERP Leaders Signal Agentic AI Push in Recent Deployments

Oil and gas operators are prioritizing digital transformation through cloud ERP modernizations with autonomous AI agents and unified data platforms, highlighting the industry's focus on operational efficiency and competitive advantage.

Analytics and AI

IFS, Boston Dynamics Bring Physical AI to Field Operations

IFS and Boston Dynamics have partnered to integrate autonomous robots into field service workflows, enhancing operational efficiency and safety by allowing robots to perform inspections in hazardous locations.

Enterprise Content Management

The Importance of Professional and Managed Services for ERP Vendors

Manufacturing and distribution organizations are increasingly adopting managed services for ERP systems to cope with labor shortages and budget constraints, allowing internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Analytics and AI

Aptean Launches AppCentral 2.0, Bringing Vertical AI Into Daily Industrial Operations

Aptean’s AppCentral 2.0 is a Vertical AI platform that enhances operational efficiency in manufacturing and distribution by integrating AI agents for real-time decision-making, automating routine tasks, and providing predictive insights.

Analytics and AI

Why the Future Belongs to Pragmatic, Practical AI

The focus for manufacturing leaders has shifted towards pragmatic AI solutions that deliver measurable operational improvements in ERP processes by driving profitability amidst growing AI investment in the sector.

Manufacturing Systems and Automation

IFS Acquiring Softeon, Bringing Industrial AI to Warehouse Management

IFS's planned acquisition of cloud-native Softeon aims to enhance warehouse management capabilities, integrating AI and robotics into operations, amidst a growing $8.6 billion market driven by labor shortages and automation demands.

Cloud Platform and Technology

Tekniska verken Picks IFS Cloud to Strengthen Digital Transformation, Service Delivery

Tekniska verken has chosen IFS Cloud to digitize its operations and enhance service delivery by integrating legacy systems into a unified platform that utilizes industrial AI for improved efficiency, visibility and asset management.

Manufacturing Systems and Automation

Syspro Joins National Association of Manufacturers

Syspro has joined the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) to collaborate with U.S. manufacturing leaders on innovation, supply chain resilience and digital transformation.

Automation

IFS, Siemens Targeting Autonomous Grids as AI Demand Surges

A strategic partnership between Siemens and IFS aims to revolutionize utility grid management through data-driven planning and operational integration.

Analytics and AI

AI Agents, Real-Time Connectivity Defining ERP’s Future

ERP systems are transitioning to AI-native architectures with embedded autonomous agents, enhancing efficiency by automating tasks, monitoring transactions, and suggesting corrections, prompting companies to prioritize semantic data integration, upgrade flexibility and real-time connectivity.

IFS appoints Matt Breslin as President, North America to drive Industrial AI growth

Cloud Platform and Technology

Dixstone Deploys IFS Cloud to Unify Offshore Operations Across 10 Countries

Dixstone, an offshore energy services provider, has chosen IFS Cloud to enhance its operations in 10 countries amidst the growing trend toward cloud-based ERP solutions in the construction and engineering market.

Analytics and AI

IFS Deepens Industrial AI Push with Anthropic Partnership

IFS has partnered with Anthropic to enhance industrial AI deployment in critical sectors like manufacturing and aerospace, focusing on safe, domain-specific applications and real-world implementation.

Application Development and Integration

Cloud Nine Integrates ERP, CRM, e-Commerce with Codeless Platforms

Cloud Nine successfully integrated its technology stack using Codeless Platforms' BPA Platform to connect various systems, achieving operational efficiency and rapid ROI through data synchronization.

Enterprise Asset Management

ESM Platforms Market Expands as Organizations Seek Cross-Departmental Service Integration

The enterprise service management platforms market is set to grow to $12.1 billion by 2032 as organizations adopt IT service management principles across departments.

Automation

ERP Lessons from Black Friday for Manufacturers, Retailers

Black Friday serves as a critical evaluation for ERP systems, revealing their capability for real-time operational control amid spikes in demand, and highlighting the need for strong data governance, operational visibility, and continuous analysis to enhance resilience and readiness for future challenges.

Business Process Management and Automation

Rootstock Launches Managed Services Offering with Turnkey Administration

Rootstock Software has launched its Managed Services to provide manufacturers and distributors with turnkey ERP administration to streamline operations and align with evolving business needs.

Analytics and AI

AI Agents Outperform RPA by 40% in Unstructured Document Processing, Study Shows

Artificio Products' research reveals that AI agents outperform traditional RPA in unstructured document processing, achieving 40% higher accuracy rates and significant cost and deployment advantages.

Business Process Management and Automation

KAMAX Strengthening Supply Chain Operations Through Digitalization, Logistics Management

KAMAX, a German automotive parts manufacturer, is enhancing logistics efficiency and sustainability by implementing SAP's digital solutions for supply chain management while modernizing its operations across multiple plants.

The Great Cloud Recalculation Oracle+IBM

Cloud Platform and Technology

IBM in Advanced Talks to Acquire Confluent

IBM is in advanced talks to acquire Confluent for around $11 billion, aiming to enhance its real-time data and AI capabilities, while also gaining a strategic advantage in the data infrastructure market.

Application Development and Integration

How Manufacturers Can Learn and Respond from ERP Stress Tests

ERP systems are evolving from traditional recordkeeping to proactive disruption management, focusing on real-time insights and modular architectures to enhance organizational resilience amid supply chain uncertainties.

Implementing Cloud ERP: Codestone’s Six-Phase Approach

Analytics and AI

Cloud ERP Market Growth by Market Segment, Region

The cloud ERP market is projected to grow to nearly $177 billion by 2032, driven by increased demand across industries for scalable, AI-enabled solutions that enhance data handling, with North America leading the market and Asia-Pacific rapidly growing.

Cloud Platform and Technology

System Integration Market Surging as Enterprises Shift Toward Modernization

The global system integration market is projected to reach $600 billion by 2030, with ERP systems playing a key role as companies shift toward digital transformation, IoT adoption, and increased automation in daily processes.