Why ERP AI should start with recommendations, not automation

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One mistake companies make when adopting AI is trying to automate everything from day one.

A safer approach is:

Phase 1: AI recommends.

Phase 2: Humans approve.

Phase 3: Gradually automate low-risk actions.

For example:

Invoice Processing

- AI extracts invoice data

- AI suggests GL codes

- Finance team approves

Purchase Orders

- AI drafts the PO

- Manager reviews

- ERP executes

This approach has a few benefits:

- Builds trust in the system

- Reduces operational risk

- Creates audit trails

- Helps identify mistakes before they become costly

In enterprise environments, reliability often matters more than full autonomy.

That's why I think the best ERP AI projects start as copilots before becoming agents.

How would you introduce AI into a critical business workflow?