Executives across Australia and New Zealand are shifting discretionary IT spend away from mandated enterprise resource planning (ERP) upgrades and toward artificial intelligence, automation and resilience, according to new research by Rimini Street that surveyed nearly 4,300 C‑suite leaders worldwide, including 350 from ANZ. The study found AI and automation have moved to the top of the five‑year agenda for ANZ leaders while cybersecurity, compliance and cost control remain the immediate priorities. [1]
Rimini Street reported that 99% of ANZ respondents say their current ERP systems largely meet business needs, yet organisations still devote roughly 23% of workforce time to maintaining those systems, constraining new projects and fuelling frustration with vendor‑driven upgrade roadmaps. Executives told the survey that mandatory vendor upgrades divert budget away from data, automation and AI initiatives, prompting a preference for lower upgrade spend and greater flexibility in modernisation approaches. [1]
The C‑suite appetite for AI is reflected globally; Rimini Street’s data showed 44% of leaders name AI and automation among the most important technologies for both short‑ and long‑term IT initiatives, with CIOs and CEOs placing similar emphasis. Many respondents envisage shifting toward data‑driven operating models over five years and see agentic, AI‑enabled ERP as a way to extend the life of existing systems while freeing internal teams from routine maintenance. [1]
Rimini Street itself is positioning to meet that demand. According to the company’s whitepaper and press materials, it has introduced the concept of Agentic AI ERP, an approach that combines AI, agentic automation and low‑code workflows to modernise outcomes without costly migrations. The company claims this model can provide agility and cost‑effectiveness by layering intelligence over legacy platforms. [2]
Industry moves and partnerships reinforce that positioning. Rimini Street has announced an extension of support for SAP ECC 6.0 and certain S/4HANA releases through to 2040, offering SAP customers an alternative to immediate migrations and more time to plan next‑generation architectures. ServiceNow has expanded its partnership with Rimini Street to combine ServiceNow’s AI platform with Rimini Street’s support, and the two vendors are deploying workflows that aim to unlock value in existing ERP estates without forcing migration. Case deployments, such as the joint project with Apsen Farmacêutica, illustrate how layering workflow automation over SAP ECC can deliver enterprise automation while deferring expensive replatforming. [4][5][7][6]
Independent commentary and analyst coverage suggest Rimini Street’s ambitions extend beyond support into a staged rollout of agentic capabilities. Industry analysis notes plans to incorporate Agentic AI into Rimini Street’s services through the 2026–2030 window, signalling a multi‑year transition from support‑first messaging to more proactive AI‑driven user experiences and interfaces for legacy systems. [3]
The survey also highlights acute talent constraints that threaten the shift to AI. In ANZ, 93% of respondents said IT talent shortages affect their technology vision, and globally nearly all executives reported skills gaps that limit growth or delay projects. As a consequence, 99% of respondents outsource key IT services, most commonly cybersecurity, infrastructure and application support, to supplement internal teams and reduce operational risk. Rimini Street’s executives argue that by stabilising existing ERP foundations and redirecting resources toward agentic AI and automation, organisations can meet board demands for faster payback and measurable outcomes. "A business-driven enterprise software roadmap - not one dictated by vendors - puts leaders in control of where and when they invest. This allows them to redirect resources from costly, low-ROI activities toward initiatives like agentic AI, that will improve efficiency, strengthen resilience and support long-term growth and innovation," said Michael Perica, Chief Financial Officer, Rimini Street. [1]
Risk reduction and resilience remain central drivers for technology decisions. Every ANZ respondent ranked risk reduction as a top priority, citing cybersecurity threats, supply chain disruption and economic volatility. Rimini Street’s CIO framed the changing expectation for core systems around speed, flexibility and intelligence, arguing organisations want "the freedom to modernise and innovate on their own terms, without being locked into vendor-driven upgrade cycles that consume budget without delivering proportional value." He added stabilising and maximising the ERP foundation can free resources for strategic AI initiatives. [1]
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##Reference Map:
- [1] (itbrief.co.nz) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7, Paragraph 8
- [2] (Rimini Street press release) - Paragraph 4
- [3] (Constellation Research) - Paragraph 6
- [4] (CIO) - Paragraph 5
- [5] (ServiceNow press release) - Paragraph 5
- [6] (ANZ SAP Magazine) - Paragraph 5
- [7] (BusinessWire) - Paragraph 5
Source: Noah Wire Services