The ERP Minute Episode 235 - April 28th, 2026

The first quarter of 2026 showed robust momentum for the cloud ERP market. SAP reported a €21.9 billion (≈$24 billion) cloud backlog, a 20 % year‑over‑year increase, and total revenue of €9.56 billion (≈$10.4 billion), up 6 %. Cloud and software sales accounted for roughly €8.5 billion (≈$9.3 billion) of that total, underscoring the shift toward SaaS models. Meanwhile, IFS posted a 25 % ARR growth and a 24 % rise in cloud revenue, with a net retention rate of 114 %, signaling strong customer stickiness and the growing appetite for AI‑enhanced enterprise solutions. These figures reinforce investor confidence in cloud‑first ERP strategies.

Sage entered the mid‑market HCM space with Sage HCM, tightly integrated with Sage Intacct. The solution unifies HR, payroll, and workforce data, delivering real‑time visibility into labor costs and improving payroll accuracy. Industry‑specific capabilities, such as Sage HCM for construction, link job costing with payroll in a single system. An AI‑driven HCM agent automates routine HR tasks, accelerating onboarding and reducing manual errors. For North American firms seeking to scale operations on an existing ERP platform, the new offering promises faster workforce planning and tighter financial control. Early adopters report faster payroll cycles and reduced compliance risk.

Certinia’s launch of Vita, an enterprise‑grade intelligent operations engine, pushes the AI frontier in professional services automation. Vita combines rule‑based logic with advanced reasoning to deliver autonomous workflows that replace manual, reactive processes. By embedding AI agents directly into everyday tasks, customers can achieve higher productivity without redesigning their existing systems. The move reflects a broader industry trend: ERP vendors are embedding AI to transform service delivery, reduce costs, and create measurable ROI for organizations navigating digital transformation. Enterprises that adopt such engines are poised to outpace competitors.