Inside EY's AI-Driven ERP Overhaul With SAP
For professional services firms, legacy on-premises systems have become a serious obstacle.
Weighed down by decades of customisation, these systems struggle to keep pace with the growing need for AI integration, real-time analytics and agile decision-making.
EY is addressing this challenge head-on with a major overhaul of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) infrastructure. The firm is migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, hosted on Microsoft Azure, as part of an ambitious plan to create what it calls “the first autonomous ERP business system.”
By embedding AI-driven automation into its core financial and operational workflows, EY is positioning itself at the forefront of enterprise cloud transformation.
The firm joins a growing list of organisations shifting to SAP’s platform, which has become the preferred choice for companies seeking greater process automation and real-time data insights.
EY and SAP partner for a cloud-first business transformation
The collaboration between EY, SAP and Microsoft is designed to eliminate inefficiencies in EY’s internal systems while also setting a precedent for how clients can modernise their own operations.
With SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, EY gains access to SAP’s latest technologies, including the SAP Business Data Cloud solution and the AI-powered SAP Business Suite. The new infrastructure will provide the flexibility to adapt as market conditions evolve—something traditional ERP systems have struggled to support.
“At the EY organisation, we are all in on the power of AI to create value for our clients, integrating leading-edge capabilities with experience to rapidly provide new services and solutions,” says Raj Sharma, EY Global Managing Partner for Growth and Innovation.
“These expanded alliances with SAP and Microsoft are another significant step to improving our internal efficiencies and being ready for future business models.”
The migration will follow the RISE with SAP methodology, a structured framework for cloud adoption that helps organisations transition smoothly from legacy systems to SAP’s cloud platform. By using this approach, EY expects to minimise disruption while accelerating its digital transformation.
Microsoft Azure becomes the foundation of EY’s ERP strategy
EY has selected Microsoft Azure as the cloud foundation for its new enterprise systems, ensuring a seamless integration of Microsoft’s cloud services across its operations. The decision strengthens EY’s existing partnership with Microsoft and SAP, paving the way for enhanced AI and analytics capabilities within its ERP environment.
Anthony Caterino, EY Global Managing Partner for Business Enablement, highlights the significance of this alignment: “Our relationships with SAP and Microsoft are stronger than ever and this new collaboration reaffirms that the EY organisation is preferred by both organisations to help clients leverage SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition powered by Microsoft Azure.”
By leveraging Microsoft’s expanding portfolio of cloud tools, EY aims to unlock new efficiencies and accelerate innovation across its global operations.
Anthony adds: “By aligning with RISE with SAP methodology and leveraging Azure as our preferred cloud powerhouse, we aim to foster continuous innovation and deliver greater business value to our joint customers and the EY organisation internally.”
AI agents to drive automation across EY’s supply chain and ERP
The key differentiator in EY’s migration is its emphasis on AI-powered automation. Traditional ERP systems function primarily as transactional databases, requiring human input to process and validate information.
In contrast, EY is implementing AI agents—self-learning software programs that manage complex business processes with minimal human intervention.
Judson Althoff, Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, describes the significance of this shift: “Our collaboration with the EY organisation is focused on transforming every aspect of their business with AI—from audit and tax to consulting services.
“Through our work together, we will continue to deliver rich insights and services that build confidence in capital markets and economies around the world.
"Running SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition on Microsoft Azure marks a critical step in the EY organisation’s AI Transformation journey and progresses our mutual goal to enable agentic AI across enterprises.”
By integrating AI into its ERP system, EY aims to automate a wide range of processes across supply chain management, financial reporting and operational planning. The objective is to create an ERP system that not only tracks and stores data but actively interprets and manages business functions in real-time.
Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, underlines the potential impact of this transition: “The EY organisation's move to SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud Edition on Microsoft Azure as part of their RISE with SAP journey underscores the power of cloud innovation and demonstrates how AI-driven automation can shape the future of enterprise operations.
"Our collaboration shows how we are committed to working together to accelerate business transformation, operational agility, and growth for our customers.”
With its shift to SAP S/4HANA Cloud and Microsoft Azure, EY is laying the foundation for a more intelligent, autonomous ERP system.
By prioritising AI-driven automation, the firm aims to not only improve its internal operations but also provide a roadmap for other organisations looking to modernise their supply chains and business processes.
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