The role of cloud ERP in digital transformation

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