User adoption has always played a massive role in the success of IT initiatives. Even the most carefully selected technology and near-perfect implementation plan can fail to deliver returns on investment through improved productivity if business users won’t change the ways they work.

Academic research by the Indian Institute of Management reveals that user adoption is a particularly important success factor in enterprise-wide ERP initiatives. However, adoption can also be extremely hard to achieve, because it requires significant collaboration across departments and locations. User resistance can also be cultural, since ERP projects can dramatically impact individuals’ roles or positions in the organization charts.

Change is never simple nor easy, especially when it involves the coordination of people and systems. However, intelligent ERP cloud can speed enterprise-wide adoption and ROI by offering a rich personalization and artificial intelligence (AI). The result is a deeply satisfying, next-generation user experience.

Defining intelligent cloud ERP UX and why it really matters

User experience is more than just a software’s look and feel or user interface. It’s also not as simple as ease of use. “Good UX” is best defined by Forrester as the sum of a system’s parts, or “personalized… interactions processes, and content that enables employees to succeed while enjoying their work.”

Modern employees expect a workplace centered around technology, per Forrester. But they also expect the software and systems they use at work to be just as innovative as the apps and tools they use as customers of other companies.

ERP UX offers more than just ease of use, even though tools need to be intuitive to support employee success. Intelligent software-as-a-service solutions in the cloud can enable IT to deliver a next-generation UX through machine learning, automation, and continuous improvements.

3 ways intelligent cloud ERP delivers next-gen UX

1. Machine learning

When intelligent software meets end-to-end data integration in the cloud, organizations unlock new possibilities for machine learning. This includes the ability for employees to chat naturally with digital assistants to find files, ask questions, or set meeting reminders.

AI technology is also self-learning, using data from user interactions for improvements. Individual interactions are applied to improve the context of personalized content.

2. Automation

Heavily manual processes like data input and reconciliation are a drain on operating costs. Humans are also prone to mistakes. According to McKinsey, the jobs of as much as 140 million knowledge workers could be automated by 2025.

Cloud ERP allows organizations to achieve end-to-end process management, replacing manual tasks with automation. Process automation is also highly flexible, allowing organizations to continually achieve better efficiency and information flow throughout the enterprise.

3. Continuously improving interfaces

The leading intelligent ERP cloud architecture offers more than just an intuitive interface. It offers a continuously improving UX that’s aligned to the way individuals work, including context-rich information that’s embedded into processes for faster problem-solving and better collaboration.

Employees can access convenient, personalized reminders and reduce the amount of time and error associated with switching between systems to collaborate with their team, perform work, or check information.

Delivering superior UX is a competitive advantage

The goal of a technology initiative should never just be user adoption. While adoption is certainly crucial, it’s not as comprehensive of a measure as user satisfaction or employee engagement. For today’s employees, workplace technologies are a core component of the employee experience. Technologies that support productivity and satisfaction lead to engagement and longer-lasting talent relationships. Deloitte connects the increased employee engagement that results from adopting a digital workplace to an increase in employee retention of up to 87%.

Intelligent cloud ERP offers straightforward design that translates into an intuitive user interface. Business processes can be simplified, and employees gain access to a personalized UX that’s tailored to their roles and working habits. The result is simplicity, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Download IDC’s free report to understand why intelligent ERP cloud is now the backbone of digital transformation.