Manufacturing Systems and Automation

The manufacturing ERP landscape is transforming by 2026 due to the emergence of autonomous operations, composable architectures and sustainability ledgers, shifting focus toward action, which requires new governance and integration strategies.

AI is rapidly becoming essential in manufacturing and supply chain management, but uneven deployment due to barriers like data quality and user adoption persists, while vendors are focusing on domain-specific AI to integrate predictive insights directly into core processes.

SAP and its partners are transforming AI from concept to implementation by integrating SAP Business AI and SAP BTP into workflows that enhance efficiency and collaboration, as illustrated by successful case studies from companies like FRoSTA and Aspen Pumps.

Manufacturing executives are increasingly favoring vertical ERP systems over generic platforms due to the former's ability to provide tailored, out-of-the-box solutions that align with industry-specific workflows.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

A new Sage–ICC study reveals that while 70% of SMEs prioritize sustainability, only 3% access green financing, largely due to a lack of quality reporting tools, which impedes their ability to secure funding necessary for sustainable growth.

The Cloud ERP market is projected to grow to $176.93 billion by 2032, driven by increasing demand for scalable solutions, AI integration and cost-effective deployment as well as an emphasis toward operational efficiency.

Annexa is increasingly focusing on AI to enhance its Oracle NetSuite solutions across Australia and New Zealand, integrating technologies like its Model Context Protocol and large language model APIs.

Datanomix has partnered with Fulcrum to integrate their technologies for modernizing manufacturing by unifying job planning, scheduling, and real-time production tracking, shifting toward a proactive environment that enhances visibility.

Clorox's recent ERP system launch, while an ambitious, faced challenges including concerns over costs and a decline in sales during the transition, illustrating the complexities and disruptions inherent in large-scale ERP migrations.

IFS Nexus Black and Anthropic have partnered to launch Resolve, a specialized AI solution aimed at transforming critical industries by embedding safety-aligned AI into operational workflows.

Dynatrace has launched a direct integration with Microsoft's Azure SRE Agent, enhancing AI-driven observability and automation for cloud operations, thereby enabling proactive issue detection and remediation within complex IT infrastructures on Azure.

IFS's innovations at the Industrial X Unleashed event showcased partnerships with leading AI firms to integrate industry-specific solutions that enhance predictive maintenance, improve operational efficiency and transform asset management.

At Rockwell Automation’s Automation Fair, CEO Blake Moret emphasized the future of manufacturing through simplified automation and AI integration, while Plex's Michael Hart highlighted the importance of structured data and human-centered autonomy in evolving from automation to smarter, more autonomous operations.

Brose successfully migrated its central SAP systems to SAP Cloud ERP Private in six months without disrupting production, setting a benchmark for cloud-enabled automotive manufacturing and illustrating the importance of digital transformation.

Deutsche Telekom and NVIDIA have partnered to invest €1 billion in the Industrial AI Cloud in Munich, aiming to create one of Europe's largest AI factories, enhancing Germany's AI capabilities by 50% with 0.5 exaFLOPS performance, while ensuring data sovereignty and compliance for European businesses.

Is your technology stack working for you, or against you? Many mid-sized manufacturers and distributors find themselves trapped in a maze of disconnected systems, scattered data, and decision-making that is more reactive than strategic. Managing multiple point solutions across departments create data silos, slows innovation, and clouds visibility into performance. Leadership is often left wondering whether they are investing in the right tools, are aligned across teams, and how to move from operational chaos to coordinated execution. The solution is to simplify SaaS access and visibility across business-critical applications. This will allow you to centralize application benchmark decisions and unlock new operational efficiencies without adding to existing IT burdens. The right solution will allow leaders to take full advantage of AI capabilities to make smarter decisions, reduce risk, and validate investment choices, turning data overload into competitive insight. By watching this session, you will be able to: - Identify gaps in your current application landscape and opportunities for consolidation. - Explain how centralized access improves efficiency and team alignment. - Apply peer benchmarking insights to validate operational decisions and guide strategy. - List key criteria for evaluating business applications with a modern technology stack.

Is your technology stack working for you, or against you? Many mid-sized manufacturers and distributors find themselves trapped in a maze of disconnected systems, scattered data, and decision-making that is more reactive than strategic. Managing multiple point solutions across departments create data silos, slows innovation, and clouds visibility into performance. Leadership is often left wondering whether they are investing in the right tools, are aligned across teams, and how to move from operational chaos to coordinated execution. The solution is to simplify SaaS access and visibility across business-critical applications. This will allow you to centralize application benchmark decisions and unlock new operational efficiencies without adding to existing IT burdens. The right solution will allow leaders to take full advantage of AI capabilities to make smarter decisions, reduce risk, and validate investment choices, turning data overload into competitive insight. By watching this session, you will be able to: - Identify gaps in your current application landscape and opportunities for consolidation. - Explain how centralized access improves efficiency and team alignment. - Apply peer benchmarking insights to validate operational decisions and guide strategy. - List key criteria for evaluating business applications with a modern technology stack.

Global ERP provider SYSPRO is enhancing its smart manufacturing capabilities by acquiring riteSOFT, a US-based firm specializing in mobile warehouse management and shop floor data collection, marking a significant step towards offering a fully integrated digital suite for its global customer base.

At the Epicor Insights 2025 conference, Epicor announced its commitment to the manufacturing and supply chain sectors with the introduction of AI-driven tools, including Epicor Prism and Grow AI for enhanced operational efficiency and data quality, alongside the Carbon Cost Rollup for managing carbon footprints in production, highlighting the increasing importance of sustainability in ERP systems.

Rootstock Software has won the Gold Stevie® Award for Best Cloud ERP for the third consecutive year, highlighting its AI-driven and cloud-native manufacturing ERP platform that allows manufacturers to rapidly adapt to market changes and optimize decision-making.

This session will start by exploring what analyst reports can and cannot tell you about ERP selection. It will then explore why a CIO of a global automotive supplier selected QAD despite knowing where it stood in the rankings. This will include how leaders should evaluate ERP solutions factoring in topics like industry expertise, implementation realities, and long-term business impact. The session will also include a moderated discussion that provides a raw, insightful look at how manufacturing leaders navigate ERP decisions based on business realities. Attend the session to: Differentiate between ERP market reports and real-world decision criteria. Identify key factors beyond rankings that impact manufacturing ERP success. Understand why industry-specific expertise matters more than broad evaluations. Apply insights from an experienced ERP leader’s journey to their own selection process.