Modernizing ERP Without Disruption: How CIOs are Reclaiming Control
Video summary
SAP’s RISE program is positioned as a simplified path to ERP transformation. For many CIOs, the reality looks very different.
RISE often requires reimplementing large portions of the ERP environment to access a relatively small set of new capabilities—introducing multiyear timelines, subscription lock-in and significant operational risk. At the same time, maintenance deadlines and end-of-support pressure are forcing decisions that can permanently reshape an organization’s cost structure and flexibility.
In this engaging discussion, Eric Helmer (EVP & Global CTO), Luiz Mariotto (GVP & GM, SAP Services) and Krista Glantschnig (Product Marketing Director) share why CIOs around the world are rethinking ERP modernization and choosing a smarter path.
Discover how to:
- Avoid costly migrations and keep your existing ECC or S/4HANA core stable — even beyond SAP’s maintenance deadlines.
- Save up to 50% on annual support fees and eliminate millions in upgrade expenses.
- Accelerate innovation now with AI-driven orchestration and composable apps in the cloud, without disruption or lock-in.
Drawing on global insights and real-world success stories, this conversation explores how enterprises are turning their existing ERP from a system of record into a strategic advantage.
Video transcript
00:08
Krista: Welcome, everyone. Today, we are tackling a big question. SAP says RISE is the future of ERP, but is it really your rise or theirs?
00:20
Krista: My name is Krista Glantschnig, and with me today I have Eric Helmer, Rimini Street’s CTO. Welcome, Eric. And Luiz Mariotto, the Global Head of SAP Services. Welcome, Luiz.
00:34
Krista: Together, we will explore why CIOs are rethinking ERP modernization and how Agentic AI ERP offers a smarter path. SAP says RISE simplifies ERP. Eric, why are CIOs pushing back?
00:53
Eric: Well, you know, I think it’s the pure cost, the complexity, and the risk. It’s the disruption to people’s business to reimplement every single module just to get a few things. So CIOs are rethinking why they would want to reimplement fifty things to get three things, instead of just going and getting the three things directly.
01:13
Eric: It also comes down to leverage. When you go into that subscription locked‑in model, CIOs are smart today and they know that’s a one‑way trip you can’t come back from. If you decide RISE is no longer good for you, you’re reimplementing on something else all over again.
01:31
Eric: That’s a really tough position to be in, so CIOs today are looking to retain the leverage. And who gets the leverage? It’s whoever owns the license.
01:41
Krista: Right. So you either have the license for yourself and retain the leverage, or you’re a rented tenant in somebody else’s house. In that case, you have no leverage in the relationship. Good insights, Eric.
01:55
Krista: So what does modernization look like without a disruptive reimplementation?
02:01
Eric: When we look at the industry today, we’re seeing companies take functionality and modules out of big monolithic ERPs and choose best‑fit solutions. For example, HR might move to Workday or CRM to Salesforce. We’re seeing a clear decomposition of the monolithic ERP model.
02:22
Eric: That trend is going to continue as organizations find best‑fit solutions to solve business problems in the most cost‑effective way. But the challenge becomes how do you glue everything together and get all these systems to talk to each other? That’s where Rimini Street’s Agentic AI comes in.
02:41
Eric: We put an Agentic AI layer on top that connects everything into a common data fabric. Then we create persona‑based intelligent workspaces for end users to interact with. What we’re really doing is abstracting the technology underneath from the end user.
02:58
Eric: That allows us to manipulate what’s happening behind the scenes without change management or retraining. This makes it possible to drive transformation without disruption. You simply cannot do this in a locked‑in monolithic ERP model with a single vendor.
03:22
Krista: So, Eric, we say ERP is really dead as we know it today. What do you think is the future?
03:29
Eric: The future is that Agentic AI layer gluing together a set of modular, best‑fit systems. That collection of systems will effectively become what people think of as ERP, or maybe we won’t even call it ERP anymore. It’s really a selection of best‑fit solutions tied together intelligently.
03:54
Eric: That’s how organizations take leverage back from vendors. If they don’t like a solution, they can take it out and plug something else in. All of this happens seamlessly in the data orchestration layer.
04:08
Krista: Yeah, it sounds like the question becomes why invest in another ERP right now when ERP is dead.
04:15
Eric: That’s right.
04:20
Krista: Luiz, clients tell us cost is a big driver. Where are they seeing the biggest savings?
04:27
Luiz: Cost is definitely a big driver, but it’s not only cost. It’s also the risk of investing millions without a clear business case. Clients have already spent heavily customizing ERP systems to fit their business, and then they’re asked to invest millions more just to upgrade without clear ROI.
04:54
Luiz: When clients move to the Rimini model, the first savings come quickly from reduced support costs. We deliver up to 50% savings compared to SAP maintenance fees. But that’s not even the biggest savings.
05:11
Luiz: The biggest savings come from avoiding massive multi‑year, multi‑million‑dollar transformation projects with unclear ROI. With the Agentic AI model, clients can innovate faster and adopt composable architecture on top of existing SAP without expensive upgrades.
05:42
Eric: So it essentially self‑funds.
05:45
Luiz: Yes, and clients can redirect those savings to accelerate innovation and focus on what matters most to their business. For example, we work with Idemitsu, a large oil and gas client in Japan with a highly customized SAP system. They invested millions into it and needed faster innovation.
06:13
Luiz: Using a composable model, they connected best‑of‑breed applications on top of SAP to adapt invoicing for distributors. They avoided multi‑year S/4HANA or RISE implementations. This approach delivered faster results and better cost efficiency.
06:48
Krista: Here’s the takeaway. SAP’s path means migration first and innovation later. Our path means innovation now, without disruption, without lock‑in, and with massive savings.
07:04
Krista: The question is, which future do you want? Let’s connect, and thank you for joining us today.
Additional videos
