ERP selection is becoming increasingly complex as organizations evaluate not only traditional functionality but also cloud architectures, embedded AI, automation and the long-term direction of enterprise software platforms.
Against this backdrop, Lumenia Consulting will bring its ERP HEADtoHEAD™ event back to Dublin on October 13–14 at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport. Now in its 15th year in Ireland and its 28th edition overall, the event is designed to give organizations considering an ERP replacement, upgrade or first implementation an opportunity to compare competing systems within a common framework.
Thirteen ERP solutions will be demonstrated during the two-day event, with major vendors including Microsoft, SAP, Sage, Infor and IFS represented.
Comparing ERP Systems Using Common Business Scenarios
Rather than allowing each vendor to determine the structure of its presentation, ERP HEADtoHEAD uses predefined business scenarios intended to make differences between platforms easier to identify.
Demonstrations will cover areas including finance, procurement, supply chain planning, manufacturing, human capital management, and business intelligence and analytics.
The approach addresses one of the persistent challenges of ERP selection: organizations often need to compare platforms that differ substantially in architecture, functionality and positioning, while vendor demonstrations can focus on different capabilities and use cases.
Using common scenarios can therefore help decision-makers evaluate how competing systems approach similar operational requirements.
“A variety of factors can drive the, sometimes urgent, need to update or replace business systems,” said Ian O’Toole, Managing Partner at Lumenia Consulting. “These can include growth, mergers and acquisitions, evolving business operations, technical redundancy, and so on.”
O’Toole added that comparing ERP systems can be both difficult and time-consuming, and that the event is intended to give business leaders an opportunity to examine leading systems side-by-side and ask detailed questions.
AI Moves Further Into the ERP Selection Conversation
Artificial intelligence will also form part of this year’s programme, reflecting its rapidly expanding role in enterprise software strategies.
A dedicated panel discussion will examine how AI is changing the ERP market and influencing future technology investments.
The discussion comes as ERP vendors increasingly embed generative AI, intelligent assistants, predictive capabilities and workflow automation directly into their platforms. As these technologies mature, organizations evaluating ERP systems must increasingly consider not only current functionality but also how vendors intend to incorporate AI into everyday enterprise processes.
This introduces a new dimension to ERP selection. Buyers need to understand where AI can deliver measurable operational value, how it interacts with enterprise data and governance requirements, and how rapidly evolving AI capabilities could affect the useful life of ERP investments made today.
Beyond Software Demonstrations
ERP HEADtoHEAD Dublin will also include customer case studies, independent expert sessions and networking opportunities involving ERP vendors, implementation partners and business leaders.
Lumenia Consulting’s ERP specialists will provide guidance covering ERP readiness, system selection and implementation planning, with an emphasis on reducing project risk and avoiding common problems during transformation programmes.
Customer experiences will provide another perspective by allowing attendees to hear from organizations that have already moved through ERP selection and implementation projects.
“Combined with expert-led sessions, customer insights, and opportunities to engage directly with solution providers, the event is designed to help organisations evaluate the market more efficiently and make more informed ERP decisions,” O’Toole said.
ERP Selection Is Becoming a Broader Technology Decision
ERP selection has increasingly moved beyond comparing functional checklists.
Organizations now need to consider cloud strategy, integration capabilities, data architecture, automation, AI, scalability and the broader ecosystems surrounding individual ERP platforms. At the same time, an ERP decision can establish the technological foundation of an organization for many years.
Events built around structured comparisons can therefore provide a useful starting point for organizations seeking to narrow a large ERP market into a shortlist that can subsequently be evaluated against their specific business, technical and transformation requirements.
The ERP HEADtoHEAD™ Dublin event takes place October 13–14, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport. Further information and registration details are available through the ERP HEADtoHEAD event website.
ERP News Editorial Team
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