NetSuite Founder on the End of ERP and What Comes Next

NetSuite's Founder Says Conversation Is Replacing the ERP Menu

NetSuite's founder argues that AI replaces menus as the way people use business software, so ERP as users know it is ending. That only works if answers are consistent whichever model a customer uses, which is why NetSuite built shared knowledge through SuiteSkills. Fast adoption of the AI connector service suggests customers are already acting on it.

Takeaways

• AI becomes the interface, ending ERP as users know it. Goldberg says users no longer learn menus or hunt through the system. They describe what they want in natural language. NetSuite now lets users put key metrics on a dashboard by describing them, which he says is how software should work.
• Consistent answers across models are the basis for trust. AI always sounds confident, so reliability decides trust. NetSuite built SuiteSkills to collate knowledge of how NetSuite and businesses within it work, aiming for the same answers from NetSuite Next, ChatGPT or Claude via the AI connector service.
• Adoption is fast and savings are measurable. Host Neil C. Hughes cites 13,000 customers on the AI connector service. Goldberg calls it the fastest feature adoption in NetSuite's history. Customers report savings of tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds or thousands of hours, automating accruals and building exception-watching agents.
• AI levels the field for smaller companies. Because everyone uses the same models, Goldberg argues small firms can compete with huge ones. NetSuite announced Quickstart, a version free to start with for tech startups, a couple of weeks before the interview.
• Human approval points vary by company. NetSuite keeps people in the loop while letting AI work in the background and flag unusual events. Goldberg says the point where humans must approve differs by company, and that building trust in AI systems will be a journey.
• Personalisation will decide whether AI features stick. Goldberg argues users must be able to adjust AI features in plain language. People will also choose how to use a model, such as full reasoning or quick answers, not only which model to use.
• Agents may challenge per-user licensing. Goldberg says agents could pressure per-user pricing, but he expects many business users to keep using NetSuite directly. Partners can build industry expertise into NetSuite Next and Ask Oracle so customers benefit at scale.

Advice for growing companies

• Pick one costly process you want to revamp and automate it with AI first.
• Start with simple cases such as order approvals, where the system highlights what needs attention.