Amel Gardner, Vice President and General Manager, Middle East & Africa, Infor, offers five technology predictions for the year ahead.
Look for broader platform definitions as ERP systems mature into modern Enterprise Application Platforms (EAPs), allowing for composability not only in cloud environments, but also in hybrid cloud/on-premise setups. Composability will be broken down even further, to the level of business processes, rather than just applications. For uniform integration, workflow, data analysis, and extensibility, businesses will need a standard operating model and platform. Users will want to customise their own processes and experiences to meet their specific needs, rather than just using what’s available out of the box.
There are no two businesses alike. In a flexible system, users would need easy and simple ways to specify their business relationships. As a result, anticipate the microservices debate to heat up as organisations scramble to create and assemble their software systems like a new home’s floor plan. Businesses will begin implementing new Enterprise Application Platforms (EAPs), which will allow business processes to be created to meet needs while also being self-sustaining and corrective, thanks to AI and intelligence baked into the framework.
In 2022, it will be vital to deliver information just in time, rather than in traditional dashboard forms that look backwards. For successful decision-making, historical data and representations are insufficient. Predictive intelligence must be incorporated into the procedure. Finally, rather than being stored in a separate operational place, these insights are required at the time of decision and action. To be useful, data fabric, business intelligence, AI/machine learning, and user experience must all be combined in a single solution.
For the most part, “core” and “edge” solutions are already linked, and “edge” solutions no longer refer solely to devices. This viewpoint recognises that some businesses choose to keep local control on their premises. It will be crucial to be able to navigate a real hybrid cloud/on-premises organisation without sacrificing productivity. Cloud technologies such as machine learning, for example, will be required by customers. Simultaneously, they must be able to apply such technologies to their on-premise systems as well, not simply to conventional “edge” devices.
As the business sector shifts to more remote work situations, the notion of user experience shifts as well. While voice access/capabilities have been widely promoted in the enterprise for some time, security controls will continue to tighten, and employees will require new ways to execute work that are not limited to standard web displays. Users can expect practically complete operational functionality from voice-enabled gadgets in 2022, with digital assistants augmenting and automating chores.
