6 ERP trends for 2026 and beyond: CIOs rethink core systems

ERP is entering a modernization “supercycle” as AI, vendor end-of-support deadlines, and geopolitical/data-sovereignty pressures force CIOs to rethink long-standing core systems. For business leaders, the upside is better automation, faster operations, and lower costs, but the strategic imperative is to modernize ERP before aging platforms create security, compliance, and continuity risk. For IT organizations, this means ERP can no longer be treated as a back-office maintenance item; it must become a board-level transformation program spanning cloud migration, integration, data governance, and AI readiness.