- Global executives demand faster returns on technology investments, accelerating AI and automation priorities.
- ERP maintenance is consuming IT budgets and staff time, forcing leaders to reallocate resources to growth projects.
- Tight talent markets and rising expectations are driving investment in AI, RPA and low-code to speed payback.
- Companies risk falling behind competitors unless they shift to outcome-focused tech strategies now.
Executives push for quicker tech payback as ERP upkeep drains resources
Senior leaders around the world are increasingly vocal: technology investments must deliver faster returns. Faced with escalating ERP maintenance costs and a limited pool of IT talent, C-suite executives are prioritising AI, automation and pragmatic, outcome-driven approaches to free capacity and accelerate value.
Why the urgency?
The combination of costly enterprise resource planning (ERP) upkeep and talent constraints is changing priorities in the boardroom. IT teams spend significant time on patching, integrations and legacy support, delaying projects that generate revenue or competitive advantage. That growing operational drag has triggered a search for faster payback models.
What leaders are doing differently
Companies are shifting from long, speculative transformation programs to smaller, measurable initiatives. Common tactics include:
- Prioritising AI and machine learning projects with clear ROI metrics — for example, automating repetitive workflows or improving demand forecasting.
- Expanding automation via robotic process automation (RPA) and low-code platforms to reduce dependency on scarce developer talent.
- Refactoring or modernising ERP elements selectively, rather than pursuing full rip-and-replace programs, to reduce maintenance drag.
- Adopting cloud-first and managed-service models to transfer routine upkeep away from in-house teams.
Talent shortages accelerate the move to automation
As competition for skilled engineers intensifies, leaders are balancing hiring with tooling. Automation and citizen-development platforms let organisations scale capability without linear increases in headcount. This is seen by C-suite teams as a pragmatic path to faster payback and reduced operational risk.
Risks of inaction
Executives warn that delaying the shift to AI-led growth and automation risks eroding market position. Organisations that continue to sink budgets into legacy upkeep without clear outcomes may fall behind competitors that prioritise speed, agility and measurable return on investment.
Next steps for organisations
To respond, corporate leaders should:
- Catalogue tech spend and maintenance burden to identify quick wins.
- Set short, measurable milestones for AI/automation pilots.
- Consider managed services and cloud migrations to free in-house talent for strategic work.
- Measure and communicate ROI quickly to sustain executive support.
As the technology landscape tightens, the message from the C-suite is clear: either speed up payback through focused AI and automation investments — or risk being left behind.
Image Referance: https://cfotech.asia/story/c-suite-demands-faster-tech-payback-ai-led-growth