This is part one of a two-part blog series, in which we talk through the radical reshaping of the enterprise software landscape by AI giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft, who are using intelligent “agents” to challenge the dominance of traditional ERP systems. In case you didn’t know ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are the integrated software suites that manage core business processes. We explore the current battleground where new entrants vie for control of the user’s workflow against incumbents like SAP and Workday and set the stage for part two, where we will tackle the critical decision of which AI agent to trust with your most sensitive data. 

Redrawing of the map 

If you look closely, the enterprise software map is being redrawn by three names you won’t find in your general ledger: OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft. They aren’t politely asking for a partnership, they are strolling through the front door with a platter of AI “agents” and a plan to own the start of your working day. 

OpenAI just took the most public step by launching apps inside ChatGPT, complete with tools for task-doing agents. The pitch is simple and a bit cheeky: why jump between HR, finance, and procurement tabs when the work can happen in one conversational space? While the demo reel featuring Spotify, Coursera, Canva, and Zillow seems consumer-focused, don’t miss the subtext, ChatGPT aims to be the operating system for getting things done. 

Microsoft’s move is quieter but perhaps more impactful. Copilot for Finance allows you to reconcile accounts, nudge approvals, and untangle invoices without ever living in an ERP screen. It sits right where people already spend their day in Excel, Outlook, and Teams with direct links into Dynamics and even third-party suites like SAP or Oracle. That isn’t just a new feature; it’s a fundamental change of gravity. 

And what about Anthropic? They’ve spent the last year making AI tool use boring, in the best possible way. Their focus is on safe, reliable calls from their AI, Claude, into your existing systems and APIs. Once an assistant can calmly fetch data, draft a journal entry, open a requisition, and escalate an exception without any drama, you stop thinking of it as a “chatbot” and start seeing it as a work engine. 

Where do we go from here? 

Here’s the crossroads; if your day begins in an assistant that can see across applications, reason over your context, and take action, then the ERP becomes less of a destination and more like trusted plumbing. The window you open first is usually the platform that wins. OpenAI wants that window. Microsoft already owns several. Anthropic is the grown-up at the table, saying, “Sure, but let’s do it safely.” 

Now, before anyone prints “RIP ERP” t-shirts, take a breath. The established giants aren’t standing still. SAP’s Joule is being promoted from a copilot to a series of agents embedded across its suite. Workday is shipping Illuminate agents and a reworked Assistant, stitched directly into HR and finance workflows. Oracle has its AI Agent Studio, so Fusion customers can build the exact helpers they need. These incumbents are pulling intelligence down into the system of record, right next to the controls and audit trails. That matters. A lot. 

So, which future wins? Possibly both but are very much seeing new boundaries and entrants to the existing market that will inevitably disrupt and make buyers pause for thought. 

We’re sliding into a hybrid reality where some work is orchestrated by an assistant at the front end, and some is handled by agents living inside the software suite. The battleground isn’t about who has the cutest copilot; it’s about who earns the right to press ‘post’ on your most sensitive actions, workflow and importantly data. 

What are you – CIO, CHRO or CFO? 

The new buying question isn’t “Which ERP system?” It’s this: Whose agent do I trust to handle my data, and should I need to change tack in future what is the best way for me to do this in the most cost effective and least risky way. 

We’ll tackle that in part two. For now, accept this simple truth: the landlords are changing, but the house isn’t moving. The smartest players, both old and new, are racing to prove they deserve the keys. We are in the messy, exciting middle of that change, not the end. 

Want to talk to us about your approach to AI and your ERP system? Fill in the form below and let us know what you need help with.