ERP and financial management technology is moving through another significant transition. For many businesses, the challenge is no longer simply replacing legacy software, but connecting finance, operations and industry-specific systems in a way that creates a reliable, real-time view of the organisation. At the same time, AI is beginning to push ERP beyond its traditional role as a system of record, toward platforms that can surface insights, identify issues and support decisions more proactively.
Chris Hawley, Managing Director for Great Britain at The Noledge Group, has experienced several generations of that evolution. Before joining The Noledge Group, he spent nearly 25 years at Sage, where he was involved in developing technology solutions around changing customer requirements. Today, his work spans businesses navigating cloud adoption, system integration, sector-specific requirements and the growing role of AI in finance and ERP.
In this ERP News Executive Q&A, Hawley discusses why fragmented systems continue to hold businesses back, what meaningful AI in ERP should actually deliver, and why modernisation needs to be driven by business priorities rather than technology alone. He also explores the growing role of vertical solutions and considers how AI could reshape the way people interact with enterprise software — as ERP evolves from recording the business to helping organisations understand what to do next.
Q: You spent 24 years at Sage and played a significant role in the development of Sage 200. Looking back at that period and comparing it with today, how have the expectations businesses place on ERP and finance technology fundamentally changed?
A: The fundamentals haven’t changed – businesses still need to get invoices out the door and get paid. What has changed is the technology: smaller businesses can now run far more efficiently without adding headcount, and AI is accelerating that pace of change further. Tools that were once the preserve of large enterprises, with the budgets and IT teams to support them, are now accessible to SMEs too, levelling the playing field and letting smaller businesses compete on the same footing as much larger organisations. That shift hasn’t just been about access to better tools, though – it’s also been about how those tools work together. Traditionally, finance and operational systems operated independently. Businesses are now on their third or fourth generation system and want a genuinely joined-up approach, with real-time visibility across every department.
Q: At The Noledge Group, you work with various overlapping brands of financial management/ERP systems. How do you know which solution is right for each customer?
A: First and foremost, we’re there to help customers find the best fit for their business, not push a particular product. Certain sectors naturally suit one system over another, though there’s sometimes overlap where two options could work. It comes down to understanding the organisation – their current needs, future plans and ambitions – and matching that to the solution that fits best.
Q: Traditionally, organisations would fit their business into a system. Now, they don’t have to. What are your thoughts on this?
A: It used to be common for organisations to adopt a generic accounting system and keep every operational task in separate systems or spreadsheets. That’s changed – customers now expect all their data accessible in a centralised or connected platform, rather than shoehorning their processes into something pre-built. Getting there is a combination of the right technology, the right implementation partner and genuine industry know-how, so everything flows seamlessly.
“Customers now expect all their data accessible in a centralised or connected platform, rather than shoehorning their processes into something pre-built.”
Breaking Down Data Silos as ERP Becomes More Intelligent
Q: Many businesses have invested heavily in digital transformation but still operate with fragmented data across finance, inventory, purchasing and other systems. How much does this fragmentation limit their ability to make faster, more informed decisions?
A: We see this every day. Older systems are still working, but so are the teams propping them up – manual workarounds and overtime creep in, and it becomes a spiral. Businesses end up working hard but unable to spot trends or opportunities, while competitors with better data forge ahead. Having reliable data at your fingertips is what enables faster, more informed decisions. This only happens when systems are truly integrated.
Q: Enterprise software is increasingly moving beyond reporting what has already happened toward recommending what businesses should do next. How significant is this transition from systems of record to systems of intelligence for finance and operational leaders?
A: Accounting systems used to be little more than big calculators – totting up what you’d made and what you were owed. Modern finance and ERP platforms give businesses a real-time snapshot of financial and operational KPIs, centralising data in one place and reducing errors. When everyone is working from the same accurate data, leaders can make better decisions, faster. AI is accelerating this shift further still: the old model of “remember to run a report to find out” is giving way to proactive, always-on understanding, where systems surface the right insight at the right moment rather than waiting to be asked.
Q: AI is now being added to almost every category of business software. From your perspective, how should organisations distinguish between AI capabilities that create measurable operational value and those that simply add another layer of technology?
A: AI is certainly a game-changer, but not all AI is created equal. When it’s embedded well in a finance or ERP platform, businesses get real added value – not just automation, but governance and accuracy that come built in alongside it. The measurable gains show up when acceleration and control move together: everyday tasks and reporting speed up, while the right checks stay in place rather than being bolted on afterwards. Without that balance, it’s just another layer of technology rather than genuine value. We’re still at the start of this journey, but the organisations that get this right – speed matched with control – are the ones who’ll see the real benefit.
“The measurable gains show up when acceleration and control move together: everyday tasks and reporting speed up, while the right checks stay in place rather than being bolted on afterwards.”
Vertical Solutions and the Next Generation of Business Systems
Q: The Noledge Group recently launched sruu for the UK forecourt and convenience sector. What specific operational and financial challenges in this market convinced you that a more sector-focused technology platform was needed?
A: Every sector we specialise in has its own quirks, and retail is no different. Traditionally, EPoS systems worked alongside or were loosely connected to the accounting system, deliveries were reconciled manually between the two, and supplier invoices were keyed in by hand. It was slow and labour-intensive, and left finance and admin teams working with inaccurate, incomplete data. sruu closes that gap – a unified retail platform that brings EPoS, supplier, accounts and energy data together, so retailers get deeper insight and save real time.
Q: sruu is an example of a broader move toward technology designed around the requirements of specific industries. Do you expect vertical platforms to gain ground against more general-purpose ERP systems, particularly among SMEs with specialised operational needs?
A: Our customers span construction, manufacturing, distribution, field services, retail, healthcare, education and many more, and every situation is different. If a customer has already invested in a vertical solution, they may just need to fix a financial bottleneck, so rather than reinventing the wheel, we’d propose a connected solution. Others have bigger issues with fragmented internal systems and want one centralised platform to run the whole business, vertical applications included. Whatever the setup, the finance or ERP system underneath needs the flexibility to let the customer adapt and scale.
Q: For SMEs, digital transformation often involves balancing the need to modernise with concerns around cost, complexity and disruption. What should business leaders prioritise when deciding what to modernise first – and how can they avoid introducing technology faster than the organisation can absorb it?
A: Start by reviewing the whole business, not just one department – work out where you’re going, then break that down into priorities. Where are the real bottlenecks? What’s stopping you taking advantage of new opportunities? Traditionally, businesses solved problems by adding people or applying sticky-plaster fixes, patching things up until they lost sight of what the real issue was underneath. Now it’s about introducing technology in a measured way, proving the benefit, then moving on to the next challenge – staying focused on the business goals and letting technology serve them, not the other way round.
“Now it’s about introducing technology in a measured way, proving the benefit, then moving on to the next challenge – staying focused on the business goals and letting technology serve them, not the other way round.”
Q: Having experienced several generations of ERP and finance technology, from the evolution of on-premise accounting systems to cloud and AI-driven platforms, what do you believe the next generation of business systems will look like? Will AI simply enhance ERP, or fundamentally change how people interact with enterprise software?
A: From a finance and ERP perspective, we’re already seeing the benefits – closing the books faster, assistants that can answer questions about transactions or reports, systems that spot anomalies automatically. Will AI ever fully take the wheel of an accounting or ERP system? Not without strong controls and governance in place. Narrow AI, built purposefully into a platform, adds real value. AI is at an early stage and it will be exciting to see where it goes to next.
ERP News Editorial Team
The ERPNews Editorial Team covers global developments in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), enterprise software, cloud platforms, AI, automation, and digital transformation, providing independent news and editorial analysis for senior business and technology leaders. Our reporting focuses on market signals, strategic shifts, and enterprise impact across the ERP and enterprise technology ecosystem.
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