Enterprise Apps Unpacked

In most discussions about digital transformation, cloud ERP usually plays a critical role. ERP is the digital nervous system and data repository of a business, deeply embedded in the processes likely to be impacted by a digital transformation project. And cloud ERP is now the preferred – sometimes the only – option for adding the other technologies needed to truly transform the business, such as AI, analytics, e-commerce, team collaboration and CRM.

But does that mean digital transformation always requires taking on the substantial challenges of moving to a new, cloud-based ERP system for companies that have on-premises ERP?

In this podcast, ERP consultant Eric Kimberling, CEO of Third Stage Consulting Group, shares his advice and experience in using cloud ERP for digital transformation. Kimberling has long been a contrarian about the need for cloud ERP – a rarity among industry analysts and consultants -- especially the software-as-a-service variety. He explains why his skepticism about SaaS ERP has softened and how he helps clients decide which parts of their business to move to the cloud.

Kimberling has more than two decades of experience helping organizations implement major ERP brands, including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft and Infor, and is often called as an expert witness in legal cases. His latest book, "The Final Countdown: Strategies to Reach the Third Stage of Digital Transformation” came out in 2023.

Other topics discussed in the podcast include:

* the most common things people get wrong about digital transformation

* whether transformation is possible with a less ambitious "lift and shift" of on-premises ERP to a public cloud hosting provider

* examples of clients who have taken transformation the furthest

* lessons learned from writing the book

Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget  

Hybrid ERP combines on-premises ERP for common business processes like accounting and HR, with cloud applications – typically software as a service (SaaS) – for more specialized functions, such as customer experience or field-service management -- or even a second ERP for a new subsidiary.

Why deploy hybrid ERP, and what type of enterprise architecture do you need?

In this podcast, Iain Saunderson, chief technology officer of Spinnaker Support, explains the practical issues of hybrid ERP.

Saunderson has over 30 years of experience implementing complex technologies across a wide variety of commercial and government verticals. He has served in leadership roles in companies including Oracle and P2 Energy Solutions. In 2015, he joined Spinnaker Support, a third-party provider of maintenance and managed services for SAP and Oracle ERP and databases as well as Salesforce CRM. 

Other topics discussed in the podcast include:

* How hybrid ERP can extend the life of on-premises ERP

* Whether companies use hybrid ERP to ease their transition to all-cloud ERP

* Integration challenges of deploying hybrid ERP

* How to decide which business processes to keep on premises and which ones should run in the cloud

Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget  

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