Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:10:29 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/whatis editor@techtarget.com <p>ERP upgrades are a bit like major surgery on a moving patient. Nobody looks forward to it, yet delaying the operation too long creates risks of its own. For CIOs, the challenge is no longer just replacing aging systems. Modern ERP upgrades have become high-stakes operational transformations that touch finance, supply chains, customer experience, compliance, analytics and, increasingly, AI-driven decision-making.</p> <p>Done well, an ERP modernization effort can streamline operations, improve visibility across the enterprise, support new business models and reduce the friction employees experience every day when using legacy systems. Unfortunately, few ERP upgrade projects are done well.</p> <p>"It is well known that over half of all ERP projects are considered failures in meeting objectives on change, budget or timelines," said Hong Kwok, research director at Info-Tech Research Group.</p> <p>Done poorly, ERP upgrade projects can grind critical business processes to a halt, disrupt reporting and inventory flows, frustrate users and expose the organization to operational and financial risk at exactly the wrong moment.</p> <p>For these reasons and more, the ERP upgrade process calls for informed decision-making and a well-thought-out project plan.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="When to upgrade an ERP system"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>When to upgrade an ERP system</h2> <p>Companies often upgrade when their ERP systems are five to 10 years old or more and have begun to have performance and reliability issues, perhaps because the business has grown beyond the system's capacity. ERP upgrades can also be timed to coincide with the start of a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/digital-transformation">digital transformation</a>, perhaps because the new features are an essential part of meeting business goals. Or the vendor might have set a deadline for customers to upgrade from older versions.</p> <p>ERP consultants said there are a number of other reasons for upgrading to the latest release of your <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/ERP-enterprise-resource-planning">ERP system</a>, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Access to a more modern ERP system.</b> Technology is outdated soon after it is released. If your organization is running on legacy technology, you're probably missing out on data insights and becoming more vulnerable to security threats. "Modern systems are more secure, offer greater flexibility through the cloud and are highly configurable," said Kirk Teal, a partner at Information Services Group (ISG).</li> <li><b>Improved software efficiency.</b> ERP upgrades increase efficiency and can boost employee adoption rates, both of which can unlock more benefits for the company. "Improved software efficiency, better user experience and enhanced user reporting tools" are excellent reasons to upgrade, Teal said.</li> <li><b>Vendor support.</b> You don't want to get too far behind on upgrades because, at some point, the software vendor stops supporting older releases. Internal support also fades away over time. "System support personnel for older systems are retiring," Teal said. Soon, there might be no one left on the payroll who knows how to fix whatever goes wrong in the old system.</li> <li><b>More cost savings. </b>Improved workflow and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/How-agentic-AI-can-transform-ERP-for-your-business">AI tools</a> can save money, according to Teal. The savings can then be optimized, which can lead to a quicker ROI.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Upgrade vs. replace"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Upgrade vs. replace</h2> <p>If you're not satisfied with the ROI the current ERP system is delivering or its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/How-to-calculate-the-total-cost-of-ownership-of-ERP-software">cost of ownership</a>, you might want to consider starting over from scratch. It's important to weigh all the factors carefully before deciding which path to take.</p> <p>On paper, upgrading appears less disruptive and expensive. In practice, that assumption often collapses once companies begin untangling years of customizations, integrations, technical debt and process workarounds layered onto legacy systems.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/erp_upgrade_checklist-h.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/erp_upgrade_checklist-h_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/erp_upgrade_checklist-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/erp_upgrade_checklist-h.png 1280w" alt="ERP upgrade checklist" height="274" width="279"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>But replacing an ERP system also has drawbacks, such as high implementation costs, prolonged business disruption, extensive retraining requirements, data migration risks and the potential loss of institutional knowledge embedded in long-standing workflows and customizations.</p> <p>Despite the challenges, it is crucial to have a modern ERP system in place. It's a fact that many organizations have already embraced. According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/services/audit-assurance/blogs/accounting-finance/cloud-erp-internal-controls.html?utm" rel="noopener">Deloitte post</a>, industry data shows that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/cloud-ERP">cloud ERP</a> implementation and system migration efforts are on the rise across a spectrum of industries. "Even private equity, once known for avoiding ERP finance transformation, is jumping on board, Deloitte analysts wrote.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="8 tips for ERP upgrade success"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>8 tips for ERP upgrade success</h2> <p>Regardless of the reasons, upgrading a mission-critical system like ERP is a major undertaking that requires <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Prepare-a-complete-ERP-readiness-assessment-for-your-company">significant preparation</a> and know-how. The experts offered the following eight tips for meeting your goals.</p> <h3>1. Get executive buy-in</h3> <p>Executives, such as the CEO or CFO, need to understand and champion the value message of an ERP upgrade. They're also the ones who need convincing because they usually have the last word in signing contracts.</p> <h3>2. Identify the pain points and establish benchmarks</h3> <p>Before deciding to upgrade, companies should determine if there are bottlenecks or other trouble spots directly related to the ERP software. It could be in the financial close, poor data integration or low user adoption, to name three examples. The process usually requires collecting benchmark data to quantify the problems. It's also imperative to fully understand the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/A-complete-ERP-requirements-checklist-with-template">business requirements</a>. "This helps control scope and identify the optimal software product," Teal said.</p> <h3>3. Involve frontline users</h3> <p>Seek participation from frontline workers and other business staff from the outset. "ERP is a business transformation, not only an IT upgrade," Teal said.</p> <p>Often, organizations present a new system to employees and expect long-held business processes and practices to automatically adapt to the new system, but that's unrealistic. Business users are required to adapt to the new technology and learn new processes at the same time. This dual disruption can lead to discouragement and resistance among users, as well as higher risks with lower returns for the business, according to Teal.</p> <p>Identifying, understanding and documenting the processes that will be affected by the ERP upgrade in advance is crucial. For example, if employees are accustomed to pulling a specific report each day, will they still be able to? If not, show them what process or document will be used instead. By demonstrating an understanding of the work they do and directly tying the benefits of the ERP upgrade to their specific work, you can alleviate much adoption friction.</p> <p>But don't stop there. Communicate and plan for transition support from day one of the project, Teal advised.</p> <h3>4. Identify gaps</h3> <p>It is also essential to identify the gaps, which is to say any <i>misalignments</i> between your needs and what the software can do. Every system has imperfections, and it's wise to know what they are ahead of time so you can make a plan to deal with them.</p> <p>Several options are available: a third-party resolution, internal software customizations, and process changes or workarounds to fit the system.</p> <p>"Budget for an independent verification and validation (IV&amp;V) firm [an ERP- experienced advocate] to confirm the project deliverables are acceptable and the best practices are being followed to manage the project," Teal said.</p> <p>Whatever the resolution, you want to identify gaps upfront so you can plan accordingly and have a realistic view of how long the ERP upgrade will take, how much it will cost and how the system will look when you get to the other side.</p> <h3>5. Develop a realistic implementation plan</h3> <p>Go into the project with a thorough understanding of the true nature of the ERP upgrade project and the complexities involved. Obstacles are less likely to be technology issues. Rather, stumbling blocks will typically involve a material change to your core business operations and people -- the two things that will take the most time and money.</p> <p>Having a realistic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thirdstage-consulting.com/erp-implementation/" rel="noopener">implementation plan</a> first requires a full understanding of what the software vendor is offering. Apply a critical eye to the product demo, which often assumes the product operates in a perfect world rather than the one your organization exists and competes in. One of the best ways to fully grasp the system's capabilities is to commit to implementation without modification and to use the software as delivered and configured, according to Teal. It's often easier to see where customization is needed once you can clearly see what works well and what doesn't.</p> <h3>6. Expect to handle data mapping</h3> <p>Data mapping varies from vendor to vendor, but typically the work falls more on the implementing company than the vendor or systems integrator.</p> <p>"Before the upgrade, I check for vulnerabilities and make sure all relevant data is cleaned up, and it just gets moved through the new system much more efficiently after that," said Rafay Baloch, CEO and founder of RedSecLabs, a provider of security consulting and training services.</p> <p>During the implementation, Baloch said he tries to control access to the new systems as much as possible and be methodical in how he tests and configures them to prevent any hidden gaps.</p> <p>"After go-live, I am always on the lookout for areas where the new system may be behaving in a way that was not anticipated," he said.</p> <p><iframe title="Deloitte experts: Internal controls key in ERP cloud migration" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px); height: 150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7ubdp-19f0bac-pb&amp;from=pb6admin&amp;pbad=0&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Arial&amp;skin=1&amp;font-color=auto&amp;logo_link=episode_page&amp;btn-skin=2baf9e" loading="lazy"></iframe></p> <h3>7. Manage scope creep</h3> <p>Research from Panorama Consulting Group repeatedly identifies scope expansion and weak governance as leading contributors to ERP delays, budget overruns and failed implementations. The firm's <a href="https://www.panorama-consulting.com/the-invisible-budget-pressures-that-sway-erp-scope-decisions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ERP research</a> also notes that organizations frequently underestimate the operational complexity that arises when business stakeholders begin requesting changes mid-project.</p> <p>Without disciplined governance, ERP implementations can remain stuck in a near-permanent deployment cycle where new requirements continuously outpace completion efforts. In some cases, projects intended to take months extend into multi-year modernization efforts that consume far more capital and organizational attention than originally anticipated.</p> <p>From the outset, make sure the original requirements agreement is rock solid, and have a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Top-change-management-tips-for-ERP-implementation-success">change management</a> plan to handle change requests, such as how many are allowed, who can make them, and how they affect the implementation costs and delivery date of the project.</p> <h3>8. Educate and train users</h3> <p>You have to educate users, which is different from training them, said Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group.</p> <p>You still want to train people on how to use certain functions, but, more importantly, you want to educate them about why they would be interested in taking advantage of the new ERP features, she said.</p> <p>It's more about helping people understand the concepts behind and reasons for the ERP upgrade and "how that fits together with the business objectives of their performance or their ability to succeed," Anderson said.</p> <p><b>Editor's note: </b><i>This 2021 article was updated in February 2024 and again in July 2026.</i></p> <p><i>Pam Baker is the author of eight books and hundreds of technology articles published in leading online and print publications. She is also a speaker and industry analyst and a member of the National Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, Women’s Media Group, and the Internet Press Guild.</i></p> </section> Follow this expert advice to avoid surprises, such as data mapping hassles and high implementation costs, and to ensure that the new ERP system is a change for the better. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchCompliance/compliance_operations/compliance_article_004.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/8-tips-for-a-successful-ERP-upgrade-project Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT <p>"<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/change-management">Change management</a> determines ERP implementation success" might be the most-ignored advice in the enterprise technology realm. That doesn't make it any less important.</p> <p>ERP offers significant business advantages -- but only if it is widely adopted. And that means CIOs and other leaders must make people the priority.</p> <p>"Particularly in this cloud era, people issues seem to be one of -- if not <em>the</em> -- most important factors in the success of an ERP implementation," said Kathie Topel, director of organizational transformation at consulting firm Protiviti.</p> <p>Indeed, the human factor can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/5-ERP-implementation-best-practices-CIOs-should-know">make or break an ERP implementation</a> -- and far too often, it's the latter.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is change management?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is change management?</h2> <p>The Association of Change Management Professionals defines change management as "the practice of applying a structured approach to transition an organization from a current state to a future state to achieve expected benefits."</p> <p>In simpler terms, change management is what leaders, managers and others do to prepare and help employees do things differently -- such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/ERP-implementation-steps-for-success">adopt a new ERP system</a> -- or to ease them into changes such as organizational restructuring.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OCqF8LbJYyk?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6 keys to ERP change management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6 keys to ERP change management</h2> <p>Here are six tips from the experts for using change management for ERP implementation success.</p> <h3>1. Prioritize change management</h3> <p>Change management, especially for something as major as an ERP implementation, must be deliberate and carefully executed to be effective.</p> <p>"ERP implementations are truly transformational initiatives that impact end-to-end processes and involve complex organizational and technical interdependencies," said Hong Kwok, research director at Info-Tech Research Group, a global research and advisory firm.</p> <p>Users and stakeholders must adapt to the new technology while also learning new processes, Kwok said. And while many organizations undertake some change management activities, they are often insufficient and lack structure, consistency or prioritization, he added.</p> <p>As a result of such missteps, 55% of ERP projects reported being over budget, and two-thirds realized less than half of their anticipated benefits, according to Info-Tech Research Group.</p> <p>However, even if everything is planned, mapped and well executed, an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/7-reasons-for-ERP-implementation-failure">ERP project will fail</a> if the rank and file shun it.</p> <p>"Change management is critical because when an enterprise system is implemented, it doesn't mean that employees use it and use it to its potential, and that's a big problem," said Deepak Lalwani, principal at Deepak Lalwani &amp; Associates, a change management and business transformation consultancy specializing in ERP implementations. "If nobody is using the system, there's no point in having it, so adoption is critically important."</p> <h3>2. Ensure leadership buy-in</h3> <p>Business leaders must be proactive and engaged in rolling out the new ERP system, since they function as the most important change champions.</p> <p>"Change has to be led -- the effort from the senior leaders in the company goes a long way to support the change efforts," said David Ogilvie, founder of Ogilvie.ai, a consulting firm. "If this is missing, it makes the task of change that much harder and easier to derail."</p> <p>That also requires addressing resistant leaders.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Change has to be led. The effort from the senior leaders in the company goes a long way. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>David Ogilvie</strong>Founder, Ogilvie.ai </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>"People assume that the leaders of the company are aligned because the project was approved. However, in my experience, [the need for] leaders driving change permeates throughout an organization, and a single dissenter can derail the ability of an organization to adapt," said Sarah Broyd, a partner at Clarkston Consulting.</p> <p>People in the C-suite aren't the only leaders in the organization who should take an active role from the start. Line-of-business leaders should, too.</p> <p>In general, anyone in the organization responsible for making the change, or whose job is affected by it, should be a participant from the start of an ERP project.</p> <p>"Realize [users are] thinking, 'What's in it for me?'" Topel said.</p> <h3>3. Address employee fears and concerns</h3> <p>The saying might be that "familiarity breeds contempt," but when it comes to change management a truer saying would be "familiarity is comforting, even when it doesn't work well." Employees often feel they have a certain expertise in the current system. And even if the existing ERP system requires workarounds, those issues are known. A new system requires new processes and behaviors, and, for busy workers, the prospect of spending time learning a new system that might not even be that great is a hard sell. Change makers need to recognize those concerns and address them.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/change_management_checklist-h.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/change_management_checklist-h_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/change_management_checklist-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/change_management_checklist-h.png 1280w" alt="Change management checklist." height="285" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>ERP implementations require a deliberate, well-planned change management strategy. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>"These gaps frequently lead to poor overall adoption and significantly increase the likelihood that the ERP implementation will fail to deliver on its intended outcomes," Kwok said.</p> <p>Project leaders can start by understanding how employees work currently and exactly what <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Understand-cloud-ERP-project-team-duties">changes the new ERP system will require of them</a>. Then they can consider what the benefits of the new ERP system are and market those.</p> <p>From there, it is a matter of consistent guidance to keep employees on course.</p> <p>"Most importantly, effective change management with a strong leadership commitment, regardless of the magnitude of change, sets the tone for all stakeholders," Kwok said. Leadership must be united in its approach to change management, he said, or misalignments could result that lead to confusion and disengagement.</p> <p>But change management is no set-it-and-forget-it effort. Follow-through is crucial.</p> <p>"The commitment must also be sustained and visible. That includes senior leaders holding each other accountable for supporting the change. Otherwise, it can lead to an environment where employees feel free to ignore new processes and ways of working," Kwok said.</p> <h3>4. Consider past change successes and failures</h3> <p>Change management strategies vary with business goals and cultures.</p> <p>Looking to the organization's strengths and weaknesses as they relate to change resilience is an important factor in change management. What other changes has the organization weathered? How did leaders and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/organizational-change-management-OCM">employees handle those well</a>? Which did they handle poorly? What can everyone learn from those lessons and apply to the current ERP implementation?</p> <p>"The organization's history of successful change in the past will have a big impact on how successful any change efforts are," Ogilvie said. "Similar to sports where winning is a habit [or not], if the company does not have the habit of successfully making changes, this significantly increases the effort required to be successful with an ERP project."</p> <h3>5. Customize best practices</h3> <p>Whatever strategy CIOs and other leaders choose, it's important not to take a generic or cookie-cutter approach.</p> <p>"Don't make change management a set of [generic] best practice communications, meetings and project protocols," said Lisa Anderson, founder of LMA Consulting Group, a consultancy specializing in manufacturing strategy and supply chain transformation.</p> <p>Instead, leaders can create a customized strategy of how each stakeholder can support the business objectives and get people on board, Anderson said.</p> <h3>6. Create a change roadmap</h3> <p>As with many complex endeavors, real-life ERP change management doesn't have neatly demarcated stages. Still, creating a roadmap is important.</p> <p>To that end, leaders can use the following roadmap as a starting point:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><strong>Stakeholder analysis.</strong> Engage executives, department leaders, process owners and frontline employees early to build support and reduce resistance throughout the implementation.</li> <li><strong>Current state analysis. </strong>Document existing workflows, dependencies and obstacles to identify operational risks and areas likely to be disrupted by ERP standardization.</li> <li><strong>Future business process.</strong> Define how business processes, reporting structures and employee responsibilities will function after deployment.</li> <li><strong>Check-ins. </strong>Conduct regular reviews to identify adoption risks, training gaps and workflow conflicts before go-live. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/ERP-KPIs-for-post-implementation-success">Then conduct change impact assessments</a> at several intervals throughout the project -- for example, after design, initial builds and initial testing.</li> <li><strong>Opportunity identification.</strong> Use change impact assessment findings to drive training, communication, support and any policy changes that are needed.</li> </ul> <p><b>Editor's note: </b><i>This 2020 article was updated in February 2024 and again in July 2026.</i></p> <p><em>Pam Baker is the author of eight books and hundreds of technology articles published in leading online and print publications. She is also a speaker and industry analyst and a member of the National Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Internet Press Guild.</em></p> </section> Not taking change management seriously is a surefire road to ERP implementation failure. Learn how CIOs and other leaders can do it right and boost the likelihood of success. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchFinancialApplications/hr_technology/financialapplications_article_006.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Top-change-management-tips-for-ERP-implementation-success Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:30:00 GMT <p>Agentic AI has evolved past the buzzword stage, with healthcare organizations using these tools to analyze healthcare data, improve workflows and research how to develop therapeutics to fight diseases.</p> <p>And Amazon Web Services is playing a key role in facilitating these use cases, according to Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of healthcare and life sciences at AWS.</p> <p>For example, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is using agentic AI to study population health.</p> <p>"Rush has built a series of agentic AI capabilities for patient experience and population health, so that they can really look at what's happening within that greater Chicago area, and make sure they're providing those therapies, those specialists, that are going to make a difference for those patients in the Chicago area," Fryhoff said.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City is using Amazon Bio Discovery to develop the next generation of antibodies that could become a drug to <a href="https://www.amazon.science/publications/agent-guided-de-novo-design-of-nanobody-binders-against-a-novel-cancer-target">fight cancer</a>, according to Fryhoff.</p> <p>"The AI could help in many ways to really optimize and speed up that process," said Nai-Kong Cheung, M.D., Ph.D., Enid A. Haupt chair in pediatric oncology at MSK Cancer Center, in an <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/biodiscovery/">AWS case study</a>.</p> <p>Agentic AI has been a focus for health systems, and that's why tech companies have been introducing industry-specific agentic AI solutions. In March, AWS <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/feature/AWS-Unveils-Amazon-Connect-Health">launched Amazon Connect Health</a>, an agentic AI solution that integrates with EHRs and allows healthcare organizations to simplify administrative tasks, such as scheduling and clinical documentation.</p> <p>At last month's AWS Summit in New York City, <i>HealthTech Analytics </i>sat down with Fryhoff to explore how healthcare organizations are using Connect Health as well as other agentic AI tools to research new drugs and manage complex data. She also discussed how AWS maintains AI guardrails with security and privacy controls.</p> <p><i>Editor's note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.</i></p> <p><b>HEALTHTECH ANALYTICS: How are health systems like MSK using </b><a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/aws/aws-amazon-bio-discovery-ai-drug-research"><b>Amazon Bio Discovery</b></a><b>, which was launched on April 14, to come up with therapeutics?<br><br>ALLYSON FRYHOFF:</b> Amazon Bio Discovery provides a catalog of over 40 <a href="https://www.amazon.science/publications/agent-guided-de-novo-design-of-nanobody-binders-against-a-novel-cancer-target">AI biology models</a> and allows organizations to get to therapeutics faster. It was used to design over 300,000 novel antibodies that were then sent as part of the lab-in-the-loop process we have worked on for 100,000 top candidates. And that was done in weeks versus up to a year that it would have taken before. What we're incredibly excited about with MSK is that this set of antibodies was for a very rare disease, and so very often the time and effort is not put into these specific rare diseases, and now you can. You can get to those therapeutics so much faster and at much less cost, so they can be brought to market faster.</p> <p><b>How does technology help get therapeutics to market faster?</b></p> <p>An AI allows a researcher to test hundreds of thousands to a million permutations very quickly, and then to get to the candidates that might be most efficient for tackling that cancer. When you are looking for a cure for cancer, very often it's a very specific antibody that will break down that cancer. Especially when it's a rare disease that has not been worked on before, it takes a tremendous amount of effort.</p> <p><b>How does AI make provider workflows smoother?</b></p> <p>We have purpose-built agents that are part of Connect Health that help take away that administrative burden. I know you've probably heard it a million times, [that benefit] of giving more pajama time back to the doctors, but that's when everyone does their case notes. Doctors can take those notes [from patient visits] through ambient listening, providing that better patient care, that eye contact with the patient that we're all starting to miss because we're all looking at our devices, and then be able to have those sent for medical coding and have AI look at some of that medical coding, so then frankly, for the provider, they can get paid faster as well. So we're looking at that entire lifecycle of the patient and caregiver experience in the provider space.<br><br><b>How are providers using AI to analyze complex health data?</b></p> <p>When we look across the spectrum [of] population health within a city, a country, a county, some of the larger systems are using [AI] across very large amounts of data, and they're also looking at that from a longitudinal perspective. So if you look at organizations around the world, like the NHS, that have data from the time someone was born to the time of their demise, they know so much about that particular person. How do we now put all of that together and look at what might be possible across a population? And so that's one way that data is being used for personalized and precision medicine, but also across populations -- and to find patterns to better detect those anomalies that doctors are looking for as well as to treat those diseases.</p> <p><b>Maintaining HIPAA compliance is essential when feeding health data into AI models. So, how do you institute guardrails to protect the patient data?</b></p> <p>We're seeing organizations using Amazon Bedrock to provide the guardrails that are so necessary within healthcare when you are utilizing AI in a responsible way. Bedrock allows you to create an enterprise-level responsible AI that has guardrails according to the policies that you've instituted as a provider, but then it allows you, within that, to utilize the models that different parts of your organization may need to do their job. So that continues to be a conversation that we have every day around how do we as a responsible health system provide responsible AI, but go fast within the guardrails that we may want to establish, and that's what Bedrock allows you to do.</p> <p>I think that's something we're starting to hear a lot about as organizations look at some of these AI models out there that are more general-purpose. You really need to think about what those guardrails are. Where are you putting that PII information? And that's what Bedrock and some of our tools allow you to do is standardize your policies. Make sure that any model that you're using is conforming to those policies.</p> <p><b>Speaking of PII, or personally identifiable information, to what extent is patient health data used to train AI models? How are they used, or are they not?</b></p> <p>They are not. That's not what we do. We have a shared responsibility model for security and for your data, and so that sharing means that the data stays within your organization. That is critical to making sure that those guardrails can be enforced.</p> <p>But you have to have your policies as well, and so we can provide those tools to allow you to create those policies, but it's shared. So you, as a provider, you must also have the wherewithal to be enforcing your policies. We can do it through technology, but you also have to enforce it through how you're training your teams.</p> <p><b>How do you prevent AI tools from leaking sensitive health data? How do you maintain the security and privacy controls?</b></p> <p>What's most important to understand is that privacy and security must be built in from the ground [up]. When you start, that responsible AI, responsible data, has to be part of how you think about your data as well, and we will help you with the tools that we provide, because it's something that is job zero at AWS. We think about it every single day. But we share that responsibility with you, so the tools can only do so much, and then together we make sure that your data is secure.</p> <p><b>What's next for healthcare providers as far as how they will use AI via AWS going forward?</b></p> <p>Ninety-seven percent of healthcare data goes unused because it is trapped in unstructured data. With this in mind, we are continuing to explore new ways to help healthcare organizations unlock the power of their data with AI, from clinical notes to multimodal data and even social determinants of health data, to arrive at actionable insights to improve outcomes.</p> <p>For example, several of the features included in Amazon Connect Health are still in preview, which allows us to see where we can continue to make updates to further enhance the use of the service for our provider customers. In addition to healthcare-specific services and solutions, we are also continuing to expand our partner network to make it easier for providers to integrate their workloads on&nbsp;AWS&nbsp;with other organizations they already use.</p> <p><i>Brian T. Horowitz started covering health IT news in 2010 and the tech beat overall in 1996.</i></p> In a Q&A, AWS' managing director of healthcare and life sciences, Allyson Fryhoff, discussed how providers are using agentic AI to study population health and improve their workflows. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health%20analytics_g1450914513.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/AWS-Allyson-Fryhoff-on-how-health-systems-are-using-AI-to-analyze-complex-data Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT <p>Enterprise data used to begin when someone sat down at a system. Increasingly, it starts in someone's hand.</p> <p>Mobile apps are no longer just smaller screens for existing enterprise systems. They are increasingly where enterprise work happens, where data is captured and where the first version of the record begins. That makes mobility an agility issue, but also a data-quality and integration issue.</p> <p>For <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/feature/What-CIOs-need-to-understand-about-mobile-development">enterprise mobile app development</a>, the key question is no longer simply whether employees can access systems from somewhere else but whether mobile work is being captured with enough context, control and trust to become useful enterprise data.</p> <p>The ability to safely capture and deliver data to and from mobile systems across enterprise software platforms can give an organization an edge. But the key is getting that data where it belongs without too many detours along the way.</p> <p>If an observation starts in the field, moves through a text message, sits in a spreadsheet, gets summarized in an email and only later reaches the system of record, it can lose value before the enterprise ever acts on it. Sometimes it might never reach the system of record at all.</p> <p>That has always been a problem, but it is becoming more important as the boundaries between enterprise software categories become more porous. ERP, CX, HR, collaboration, communications, field service, supply chain and analytics systems no longer operate as cleanly separated categories. Data moves across them. Work happens across them. Increasingly, analytics and AI tools also depend on context from more than one of them.</p> <p>This means the data foundation on which these systems depend is not always identical, though it has to be governed by many of the same rules. Security, compliance, identity, access control, data quality and integration all matter more when mobile apps capture information that might later feed workflows, analytics, automation or AI systems.</p> <p>At the same time, mobile apps are easier to build. End users can do more from smartphones, tablets and laptops than ever. Organizations have more tools to capture data, analyze it and turn it into action. But common <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/tip/Mobile-app-development-challenges-for-the-enterprise">mobile app development challenges</a> still include data access, integration, security, UX and synchronization with back-end systems.</p> <p>That is the opportunity. It is also the problem.</p> <p>The same mobility that helps companies gather and deliver more data is making that data harder to manage. Workers are more mobile, both literally and figuratively. Work moves across devices, apps, collaboration tools and enterprise platforms. That broader shift toward <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/enterprise-mobility">enterprise mobility</a> means mobile is not only about delivering on-the-move access to existing systems; more often than not, mobile is the access point to those systems.</p> <p>Mobile apps are increasingly where enterprise data starts, not just where enterprise software is accessed.</p> <p>The bigger change is where the moment of truth lives. In many workflows, the mobile device is where key data is first observed, captured, corrected or acted on. That is especially clear in ERP and CX environments, but it also matters in HR, field service, supply chain, communications and other enterprise systems.</p> <p>If that moment is captured well, mobility can make enterprise software more current and useful. If it is captured poorly, mobility can create another layer of disconnected data that companies later have to clean up, reconcile or ignore.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The system of record is not always where the truth begins"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The system of record is not always where the truth begins</h2> <p>Enterprise systems are often described in terms of systems of record. That still matters. But the system of record is not always where the truth begins.</p> <p>In many workflows, the first version of the truth begins much earlier. It might start when a field worker documents a repair, a sales rep updates a customer interaction, a warehouse employee scans returned inventory, a manager approves a shift change or a service agent updates a customer case.</p> <p>Those moments increasingly happen on mobile devices, in mobile apps or through web apps accessed from distributed work environments. The data might eventually land in ERP, CRM, HR, supply chain, analytics or collaboration systems, but its usefulness depends on how well it is captured at the start. In customer-facing work, for example, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/mobile-CRM-mobile-customer-relationship-management">mobile CRM</a> can make customer data more immediate, but only if the information captured in the field reaches the right system with enough context to be trusted.</p> <p>That is why mobile data capture should not be treated as a lightweight extension of enterprise software. If the first observation is wrong, incomplete, delayed or stripped of context, the downstream system can still look orderly while containing weak data. The record might be cleanly stored but poorly grounded.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Mobile strategy, then, is not just an access strategy; it is also a data-quality strategy. </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>This is also where mobility changes enterprise agility. The closer an organization captures data to the moment of work, the more current its systems can become. But that advantage only matters if the data moves into the right workflow, with the right controls, before it becomes another disconnected fragment.</p> <p>Mobile strategy, then, is not just an access strategy; it is also a data-quality strategy. Once mobile becomes the place where enterprise records begin, <a>mobile governance has to follow the data</a> across apps, devices and downstream systems.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f.png 1280w" alt="Illustration showing data governance concepts, including analytics, data quality, policies and compliance" height="283" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Mobile data capture affects data quality, analytics, compliance and policy enforcement across enterprise systems. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Enterprise apps do not have to replace systems to change workflows"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Enterprise apps do not have to replace systems to change workflows</h2> <p>Mobile apps and web apps do not have to replace existing systems or reinvent the wheel to be effective. They can connect to those systems and their data through an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/application-program-interface-API">API</a> and provide a valuable service by making work move more easily across systems that already exist.</p> <p>LiquiDonate is one example. The company is not trying to replace retailers' return management, warehouse management, third-party logistics or customer service systems. Instead, its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/podcast/Innovative-reverse-logistics-app-saves-money-while-doing-good">reverse logistics platform</a> connects to those systems through APIs and becomes part of the return management workflow.</p> <p>That lets e-commerce companies route unsellable returns to charities rather than sending them through more expensive or wasteful return, storage, shipping or disposal processes. The value comes from getting the right data to and from the right systems quickly enough for the business to act on it.</p> <p>In this case, the workflow can touch supply chain, customer service, inventory, shipping, sustainability reporting, tax documentation and fraud prevention. Because the platform connects to existing systems, it becomes more than a front end, acting as a coordination layer across systems and creating a new workflow that can have measurable business value.</p> <p>The broader point is that data is more useful when it moves directly into the workflows and systems that need it. LiquiDonate is one example of how mobile and web apps can sit across ERP, CX, logistics, customer service and reporting rather than inside one clean software category.</p> <p>That pattern is not limited to reverse logistics. It applies anywhere mobile or web apps capture data at the edge of a workflow and need to move it into ERP, CX, HR, supply chain, field service or reporting systems without losing context along the way.</p> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <p></p> <h3 class="splash-heading">Questions to ask when mobile becomes where data starts</h3> <p>Mobile strategy is no longer just about access; it is also about whether mobile work becomes trusted enterprise data.</p> <p>The first question is where the first version of the data is captured. If the answer is a mobile device, field app, browser form, scanned code or customer-facing workflow, then the mobile layer deserves more attention than a convenience tool usually gets.</p> <p>The second question is what happens next. Data that starts in mobile does not stay there. It moves into ERP, CRM, HR, supply chain, analytics, reporting, collaboration or service systems. Each handoff is a chance to preserve context or lose it.</p> <p>Ask these questions before treating a mobile app as production-ready:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Where is the first version of the data captured?</li> <li>Which system of record eventually receives it?</li> <li>What context can be lost before the data reaches that system?</li> <li>Which APIs, integrations or middleware move the data?</li> <li>Which users, roles and devices can access the workflow?</li> <li>Does the data later feed analytics, automation or AI tools?</li> <li>Can users correct bad data before it spreads downstream?</li> <li>Who owns the mobile strategy after launch?</li> </ul> <p>A mobile app can make enterprise systems more current and useful. But only if the organization designs for the data path, not just the screen.</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Mobile strategy is part of app delivery strategy"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Mobile strategy is part of app delivery strategy</h2> <p>Data capture and integration are not the only things IT leaders have to consider as work becomes more distributed and mobile; how data is captured, delivered and made usable for end users has also changed.</p> <p>Choosing the right application delivery model can make a significant difference to productivity, governance and security. Work now moves across distributed workforces, diverse devices, browsers, virtual desktops, SaaS applications, progressive web apps, local apps, virtual apps and other delivery methods. That gives organizations more flexibility, but it also creates more decisions about which model fits which application, workflow and user group.</p> <p>In many enterprises, there is no single delivery model. One application might be delivered through application virtualization because it is easier to manage centrally or still depends on a legacy Windows environment. Another might be delivered through session-based access for task workers who need standardized applications. VDI or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchvirtualdesktop/definition/desktop-as-a-service-DaaS">DaaS</a> might make more sense for developers, contractors, power users or regulated environments that require stronger control over where applications and data reside. Web applications and progressive web apps might work better for mobile or cross-platform productivity use cases.</p> <p>The important point is not that every organization needs every model but that these choices require planning. Mobile cannot be treated as an isolated app development issue because it now exists inside a larger application delivery environment.</p> <p>Some applications might be mobile-only. Others might have mobile, browser, desktop and virtual versions. Either way, the common thread is the data moving across ERP, HR, CX, supply chain, communications, collaboration and end-user computing environments.</p> <p>That means IT has to balance UX, access, security, cost, management complexity and application requirements. If most organizations use multiple <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchvirtualdesktop/feature/Understand-methods-for-virtual-application-delivery">virtual application delivery methods</a>, then mobile strategy needs to be governed as part of a hybrid app delivery strategy, not left to individual teams or one-off app projects.</p> <p>The mistake is treating mobile app delivery as only a device or platform decision. Standardizing around one device, platform or delivery model might be necessary for some organizations, but standardization alone will not produce the best outcome if workflow and user needs are not central to the decision. App delivery has to be optimized around how work actually happens, how data moves and where enterprise systems need to remain trusted.</p> <p><em>James Alan Miller is a veteran technology editor and writer who leads Informa TechTarget's Enterprise Software group. He oversees coverage of ERP &amp; Supply Chain, HR Software, Customer Experience, Communications &amp; Collaboration and End-User Computing topics.</em></p> </section> Mobile apps are becoming a primary access point for enterprise software and a critical point of data capture, integration and app delivery. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/mobile_g695337960.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/feature/Mobile-apps-are-enterprise-datas-first-mile Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:43:00 GMT <p>Mobile devices can access sensitive internal documents and other files through corporate apps or portals. While this offers convenience to users, it can also present major security risks. IT and security teams today should understand how iPhone encryption can protect corporate data from unauthorized access and breaches.</p> <p>There are three main categories that make up Apple iPhone encryption:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Message encryption.</li> <li>Hardware-level encryption.</li> <li>File-level encryption.</li> </ul> <p>Apple automatically enables hardware-level&nbsp;encryption&nbsp;out of the box for its mobile devices, and this encryption protects the devices' core processes from direct access by any software or firmware. Because of this default, there is nothing for IT to configure and no way for users to disable it.</p> <p>File-level encryption&nbsp;and message encryption require more attention from IT directors and mobile security teams, particularly in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/tip/BYOD-policy-basics-Defining-and-enforcing-a-successful-policy">BYOD environments</a> where corporate and personal data reside on the same device. Understanding which protections are automatic, which ones depend on user actions and which ones IT can enforce through a unified endpoint management (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/definition/unified-endpoint-management-UEM">UEM</a>) platform is essential in managing risk.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A-FYJju2Myg?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Message encryption"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Message encryption</h2> <p>Apple's native messaging system for iOS and macOS, iMessage, has supported end-to-end encryption since 2011. That means that messages sent between Apple devices using iMessage are encrypted both in transit and at rest. As such, neither Apple nor any third party can read iMessage content.</p> <p>When it comes to cross-platform messages between iPhone and Android devices, users historically were stuck falling back to regular SMS, without encryption. That changed with the release of iOS 18, which added support for Rich Communication Services (RCS). This shift introduced read receipts, higher resolution media sharing and better group messaging. <br><br>As of iOS 26.5, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/How-RCS-business-messaging-transforms-communication">RCS implementation</a> supports end-to-end encryption as a beta feature. The effort to bring end-to-end encryption to RCS was a multi-stage process and is enabled through the RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which implements encryption based on the Messaging Layer Security protocol.</p> <p>With encrypted RCS messages, IT teams cannot access content. Organizations with compliance or e-discovery requirements should address this in their respective mobile governance policies. It's important to note, however, that RCS encryption depends on carrier support and is not universally adopted. Where carrier support exists, encryption is on by default.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Hardware-level encryption"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Hardware-level encryption</h2> <p>Each iOS device includes a dedicated Advanced Encryption Standard (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/Advanced-Encryption-Standard">AES</a>) cryptography engine to support hardware-level iPhone encryption, and it sits between the system memory and flash storage. This engine works in conjunction with the device's unique identifier (UID) to segregate system operations and cryptographically tie data to the device. The UID is an AES 256-bit encryption key fused into the application processor and Secure Enclave during manufacturing.</p> <p>Software that runs on the Secure Enclave -- a coprocessor security chip -- uses the UID to protect sensitive device information. The Secure Enclave also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/In-biometrics-security-concerns-span-technical-legal-and-ethical">processes fingerprint and facial feature data</a>&nbsp;associated with Touch ID and Face ID. In addition, the Secure Enclave carries out all cryptographic operations related to file-level encryption. Communication between the Secure Enclave and the application processor is isolated and highly controlled.</p> <p>There's much more to hardware-level encryption, but the important point for IT teams to understand is that an iOS device automatically uses advanced cryptographic techniques to protect core system functions. These hardware-level security capabilities also provide a foundation for file-level data security, a feature known as Data Protection.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="File-level encryption"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>File-level encryption</h2> <p>The&nbsp;Data Protection feature&nbsp;on iOS devices encrypts data on the device's flash drive by assigning a new 256-bit key to each file when a user or administrator creates it. On iOS devices that support the Apple File System, IT can assign keys on a per-extent basis. This means different parts of a single file receive different keys.</p> <p>Each file key is wrapped in one of several key classes that determine when and how the file can be accessed. The app that creates the file assigns a class to it, and the Secure Enclave manages all wrapped file keys so they're never directly exposed to the app.</p> <p>File-level encryption covers on-device storage, but when users back up to Apple's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/iCloud">iCloud</a>, the situation changes. Apple retains the encryption keys on its own servers and can decrypt data in the event of a valid legal request. Advanced Data Protection, enabled through a user's Apple ID, extends end-to-end encryption to iCloud backup and removes Apple's ability to decrypt. In BYOD environments, IT can't force this setting as it's tied to the user's personal Apple ID rather than a managed account.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_end_to_end_encryption_works-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_end_to_end_encryption_works-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_end_to_end_encryption_works-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/how_end_to_end_encryption_works-f.png 1280w" alt="Illustration of how end-to-end encryption works" data-credit="Informa TechTarget" height="280" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Data Protection ensures that each file on the&nbsp;device's flash drive is encrypted. Unlike hardware-level iPhone encryption, however, the feature is not enabled out of the box. To deploy these file-level encryption policies, IT must enable the passcode feature on the desired iOS devices.</p> <h3>Encryption relies on passcodes</h3> <p>The Data Protection feature is inextricably tied to passcodes in iOS. This is because a user's passcode is linked with their device's UID. An attacker can't access data in the protected classes without the passcode, which is why organizations should always require passcodes on their managed iOS devices.</p> <p>Passcodes ensure that file data is encrypted. They also protect against brute-force attacks by escalating the time delays after each consecutive failed passcode attempt. For example, <a target="_blank" href="https://support.apple.com/guide/security/passcodes-and-passwords-sec20230a10d/web" rel="noopener">in iOS</a>, the time delay is five minutes after five failed attempts, but after seven failed attempts, the delay is one hour. In addition, IT can configure its devices to automatically wipe the data after 10 failed attempts.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> Passcodes ensure that file data is encrypted. </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>Organizations can manage a device's passcode settings and requirements through an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/tip/Top-unified-endpoint-management-software-vendors">MDM or&nbsp;UEM tool</a> such as Omnissa Workspace One UEM or Ivanti Neurons for MDM. With these tools, IT can specify whether a passcode is required, the complexity of that passcode and several other settings. The more complex a user's passcode is, the stronger the file-level encryption, though longer passcodes create more friction for users. If the managed devices support Touch ID or Face ID, it's suitable for admins to require a much more complex passcode, as users don't have to supply it as frequently.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Best practices for iPhone encryption"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Best practices for iPhone encryption</h2> <p>IT teams managing iOS devices should apply the following practices to maintain a strong mobile security posture:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Require passcodes on all managed devices.</b> Passcodes activate file-level data protection. Without a passcode, that encryption is not enabled.</li> <li><b>Enforce passcode complexity and automatic wipe through a UEM platform</b>. UEM platforms enable IT to set complexity requirements and configure automatic data wipe after repeated failed attempts.</li> <li><b>Restrict or manage iCloud backup access through MDM.</b> By default, iCloud backups can be decrypted by Apple servers under legal process. IT should either restrict backup entirely or communicate to users the value of enabling Advanced Data Protection through their Apple ID.</li> <li><b>Account for message encryption limits in compliance policies</b>. Neither iMessage nor RCS message content is accessible to admins. Organizations with e-discovery or legal hold requirements should address this gap in their <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/tip/Enterprise-mobile-compliance-is-critical-but-often-neglected">mobile governance policies</a>.</li> <li><b>Evaluate device ownership for regulated roles</b>. In BYOD environments, IT visibility is significantly reduced. Employees in roles subject to data retention or regulatory requirements might need corporate-owned devices instead.</li> </ul> <p><b>Editor's note:</b><i> This article was originally written by Robert Sheldon in July 2019. Sean Michael Kerner updated and expanded this article in July 2026 to reflect current Apple features and include information on message encryption.</i></p> <p><em>Sean Michael Kerner is an IT consultant, technology enthusiast and tinkerer. He has pulled Token Ring, configured NetWare and been known to compile his own Linux kernel. He consults with industry and media organizations on technology issues.</em></p> <p><em>Robert Sheldon is a freelance technology writer. He has written numerous books, articles and training materials on a wide range of topics, including big data, generative AI, 5D memory crystals, the dark web and the 11th dimension.</em></p> </section> Encryption comes baked into Apple devices, but iPhones also have some significant enterprise-level protections that mobile administrators must enable and deploy policies for. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/mobile-smartphone-message-3G-4G-fotolia.jpeg https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/tip/Intro-to-iPhone-encryption-features-for-Apple-admins Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:45:00 GMT <p>Cloud adoption, hybrid work, SaaS, IoT and distributed networks are making enterprise networks more complex than ever. Traditional network management -- based on manual configuration, monitoring and human intervention after issues occur -- cannot keep pace.</p> <p>Enter AI-driven intelligent network automation. The technique has emerged as a tool for business continuity, digital transformation and network resilience. Among other capabilities, it enables prediction, automation and self-healing -- positioning modern networks as strategic differentiators.</p> <p>This article traces the evolution of predictive networks and examines how enterprises can combine AI-driven observability, intent-based automated networking and governance to enable intelligent network automation and support business growth.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The shift from reactive to predictive networking"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The shift from reactive to predictive networking</h2> <p>Traditional network operations are hobbled by built-in limitations that cannot meet today's requirements. These shortcomings include limited visibility across diverse platforms and reactive workflows that depend on manual troubleshooting and post-incident remediation.</p> <p>Network operations teams suffer from alert fatigue as they try to comb through operational data that grows across logs, traces and other monitoring sources. Together, these factors lead to slow <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchDisasterRecovery/feature/Disaster-recovery-glossary-Terms-to-know">mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to resolve (MTTR) metrics</a>, fueling service-level agreement issues or significant penalties.</p> <p>These limitations are no longer sustainable as businesses rely more on digital services and users expect improved <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchITOperations/feature/How-digital-employee-experience-strategy-drives-productivity">digital employee experience</a>. Applications require higher performance and availability, while security requirements are becoming even stricter.</p> <p>Intelligent network automation is the next step in the evolution of network operations. It shifts focus from issue response to issue prevention, with the network itself automatically maintaining service quality.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="AI-driven observability and autonomous operations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>AI-driven observability and autonomous operations</h2> <p>Building an effective AI-driven operations foundation <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/Network-observability-vs-monitoring-Whats-the-difference">begins with observability</a> and data quality. AI operations require comprehensive, high-quality telemetry across on-premises, cloud and remote platforms. This includes networks, applications, cloud services, endpoints and security tools. Unified observability and quality data provide the visibility needed for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/predictive-analytics">predictive analytics</a>.</p> <p>Specific technologies enable predictive analytics for network operations, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>AIOps platforms. </b>Correlate and analyze operational data.</li> <li><b>Machine learning models.</b> Identify patterns and predict failures.</li> <li><b>Agentic AI systems.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/agentic-AI">Capable of autonomous decision-making</a> and execution.</li> </ul> <p>Autonomous remediation establishes self-healing workflows that fix common issues without human intervention and before they affect users. It also includes automated root-cause analysis capabilities to help avoid future incidents.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Intent-based networking and operational transformation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Intent-based networking and operational transformation</h2> <p>Transforming network operations to a predictive, AI-driven approach starts with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/infographic/What-is-intent-based-networking-and-how-does-it-work">intent-based networking</a>. IBN turns business objectives into automated network policies, aligning strategic goals with network operations tactics. It shifts operations away from device-by-device configuration to a policy-driven approach.</p> <p>IBN capabilities include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Automated policy deployment and enforcement.</li> <li>Continuous validation that network behavior matches business intent.</li> <li>Dynamic adaptation to changing application, user and business requirements.</li> </ul> <p>IBN supports autonomous networking by providing a policy framework that guides AI-driven actions. This approach reduces configuration errors, smooths operational inconsistencies, improves governance and enables compliance. Each of these results supports network operations that power organizational agility.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The evolving role of NetOps teams"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The evolving role of NetOps teams</h2> <p>It's not just the network that evolves; network operations teams transform as well. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/How-NetOps-differs-from-traditional-network-operations">NetOps teams</a> are shifting from network operators to AI supervisors. Teams spend less time on manual configuration tasks and repetitive troubleshooting, allowing them to focus on innovation.</p> <p>New responsibilities include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Supervise AI-driven recommendations and automated actions.</li> <li>Establish governance policies and operational guardrails.</li> <li>Manage automation strategies and exception handling.</li> <li>Collaborate with cloud, security and business teams.</li> </ul> <p>These responsibilities drive an evolution of skills that emphasizes automation, analytics and AI governance.</p> <p>Most enterprises begin with AI-assisted recommendations before enabling autonomous remediation. Human oversight remains vital for critical decisions, governance and accountability. Use an effective <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchDataCenter/tip/AI-operating-models-Balancing-autonomy-and-human-oversight">AI operating model</a> that balances oversight with autonomy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The path to intelligent network automation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The path to intelligent network automation</h2> <p>Intelligent network automation does not mean companies have to replace their current networks. However, they require new approaches, modern governance and improved data collection. In many cases, organizations are further along in their transformation than they realize.</p> <p>Evaluate the network's current status and establish a phased modernization approach with the following progression:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Recognize traditional monitoring and alerting.</li> <li>Integrate enhanced observability.</li> <li>Create AIOps-driven analytics and recommendations.</li> <li>Implement automated remediation.</li> <li>Transition to fully predictive and autonomous operations.</li> </ol> <p>Prioritize high-value use cases to demonstrate the validity and significance of intelligent networks. As automation expands, ensure governance, security and data quality mature alongside it.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Business value and ROI of intelligent network automation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Business value and ROI of intelligent network automation</h2> <p>Intelligent network automation supports digital transformation, scalability and future growth. Evaluate its significance in operational and financial terms.</p> <p>Operational benefits include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Improved uptime and service availability.</li> <li>Faster incident detection and remediation.</li> <li>Improved operational resilience and business continuity.</li> <li>Reduced alert fatigue and support staff frustration.</li> <li>Increased opportunity for network teams to focus on innovation.</li> </ul> <p>Financial benefits include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Reduced operational overhead.</li> <li>Lower costs and penalties associated with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.erwoodgroup.com/blog/the-true-costs-of-downtime-in-2025-a-deep-dive-by-business-size-and-industry/" rel="noopener">outages and downtime</a>.</li> <li>More efficient use of IT resources.</li> </ul> <p>Essential KPIs and metrics for measuring success include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Reduced MTTD and MTTR.</li> <li>Increased network availability and performance.</li> <li>Higher automation rates.</li> <li>Lower incident volumes and operational costs.</li> <li>Improved <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/How-DEX-metrics-help-build-a-better-digital-workplace">digital employee experience scores</a>.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Make the shift to intelligent network automation"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Make the shift to intelligent network automation</h2> <p>Intelligent network automation shifts network management from infrastructure control to orchestrating intelligent, self-optimizing network operations. Organizations that deploy intelligent network automation -- combining AI-driven observability, intent-based automation, strong governance and human oversight -- improve resilience, reduce risk and support future business demands.</p> <p><i>Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to InformaTechTarget, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.</i></p> </section> Intelligent technologies that include predictive analytics and intent-based networking are reshaping how enterprises oversee their complex corporate networks. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/machine_learning_g1307219089.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/How-intelligent-network-automation-transforms-enterprise-operations Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT <p>SaaS ERP offers a number of benefits, but whether cloud is the right choice for a particular organization is another matter.</p> <p>A lot of the coverage around <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/SaaS-ERP-software-as-a-service-ERP-hosting">SaaS ERP</a> makes it seem like every organization is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Cloud-based-ERP-keeps-SMBs-running-during-pandemic">moving to the cloud</a>. And while it is true that cloud technology has become increasingly popular, the decision about whether to move to SaaS ERP can be a tricky one, especially for larger organizations. A COO, or whichever member of the C-suite is involved with the decision to move to the cloud, needs to consider all the factors.</p> <p>Deciding whether to move to SaaS ERP requires considering factors such as the risk of moving mission-critical customizations of an on-premises system, the ongoing costs of SaaS and the vulnerability of relying on vendor support.</p> <p>Business and IT leaders may consider the cloud because it offers easier updates, increased agility and less infrastructure headaches, said George Burns, senior platform engineer at Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory located in Lemont, Ill</p> <p>"There are several advantages for organizations to migrate to a SaaS-style ERP that can offer efficiencies to your business, beyond just IT," Burns said.</p> <p>As with all SaaS products, costs are operationalized, which eliminates the need for capital investments in platform upgrades and maintenance, he said. Organizations can use SaaS software without needing to maintain the underlying platform.</p> <p>Business and IT leaders often casually mull a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/6-cloud-ERP-implementation-challenges-and-how-to-solve-them">transition to the cloud</a> before seriously considering SaaS ERP, said Tarun Vaid, lead analyst with ISG, an IT advisory group located in Stamford, Conn. However, COVID-19 pushed many companies to accelerate the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/feature/Follow-these-top-cloud-migration-trends">adoption of cloud IaaS services</a> to improve resilience and support work-from-home models for users and IT staff. On the heels of that, some also considered or decided on a move to SaaS ERP instead of moving <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/5-ways-to-support-a-legacy-ERP-system">their legacy ERP</a> to an IaaS service in the cloud.</p> <p>One obvious benefit of moving to SaaS ERP is that IT no longer deals with the complexity of managing infrastructure, testing upgrades before deploying and patching security breaches, Vaid said. However, it's the agility to innovate and react to market changes SaaS ERP brings that often plays a deciding factor <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/How-to-choose-between-IaaS-and-SaaS-cloud-models">in putting SaaS ahead</a> of on-premises or IaaS-based ERP. This has become even more important as enterprises look for ways to improve visibility and course correct in response to uncertainty.</p> <p>"SaaS ERP enables automation, agility and speedy recovery to meet human trends rather than technology trends for providing higher customer experience across multiple channels," Vaid said.</p> <p>Here are some possible issues COOs or other leaders should consider related to SaaS ERP.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Extent of current customizations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Extent of current customizations</h2> <p>A move to SaaS ERP poses more risks to organizations with mission-critical customizations in their current ERP.</p> <p>Larger enterprises that have invested in custom developments to extend their ERP functionality are more likely to have this issue, Vaid said. The best strategy is to find a way to refactor these legacy customizations as APIs connected to the ERP SaaS. The process is costly, particularly for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/SaaS-ERP-customization-vs-out-of-the-box-Pros-cons">more complex customization</a>, but the upshot is this can improve overall modularity of the function, increase flexibility and enable faster change.</p> <p>Evaluating the complexity of the existing customizations is part of this process.</p> <p>Simple customizations might merely add an analytics module on top of an ERP and are easy to rewrite, Vaid said. Other existing customizations might access a separate database from the ERP, and require a bit more work, but are still relatively straightforward. Teams need to budget additional resources to migrate more complex customizations when they involve pulling data from multiple databases or use business rules engines to make decisions.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Unforeseen costs balanced with potential savings"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Unforeseen costs balanced with potential savings</h2> <p>SaaS ERP comes with potentially unforeseen costs since business units run the risk of unintended service overages when they use a service in an unexpected way that isn't cost-efficient, such as downloading a large number of small records with associated transaction fees rather than a large file. Also, departments can easily run up new bills from ancillary services, which are now easier to access from the SaaS ERP. They may not realize the total cost of the new usage until the bill comes at the end of the month.</p> <p>On the other hand, a move to SaaS ERP can also provide savings thanks to the reduction of support costs, Vaid said. For example, there may be fewer calls to the organization's service desk, fewer people required to manage the infrastructure and simplified IT asset management. Also, an organization will not have to incur upfront costs for purchasing servers and creating databases, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Learn-effective-cloud-ERP-implementation-methodology">for the initial implementation</a> and consulting, and for the costs of IT staffing, security and backup.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Extent of vendor support"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Extent of vendor support</h2> <p>An organization that moves to SaaS ERP must rely on the vendor for troubleshooting and support.</p> <p>Business and IT leaders need to consider how well a vendor supports migration and long-term maintenance, said Len Riley, chief advisory officer at UpperEdge, an IT sourcing consultancy located in Boston. Although internal IT teams are likely to find SaaS ERP easier to support than a traditional ERP system, many organizations overestimate their ability to maintain their cloud environments. In other words, they will need plenty of management support from the vendor, and buying teams must make sure support will be available.</p> <p>Larger enterprises should work with the systems integrator helping in the migration to provide long-term support, Riley said. This is critical when enterprises rely on multiple vendors to provide unique services accessed through the ERP, such as analytics, outsourcing or logistics.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Difficulty of data migration"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Difficulty of data migration</h2> <p>Like all IT projects, ERP migrations run the risk of failure or going over budget.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The data migration process to a new cloud ERP system is a tedious process that requires an extremely well-planned data migration strategy. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Tarun Vaid</strong>Lead analyst, ISG </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>The technical and performance aspects <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Solve-the-top-8-cloud-ERP-implementation-challenges">of most cloud migrations</a> tend to go relatively smoothly, Vaid said. Most vendors do a good job of working with enterprises to ensure the customer can adjust to the vendor's software. And after the transition, the vendors do a good job of automating upgrades.</p> <p>However, data migration and data inconsistency errors that were not well-thought-out cause the biggest problems, Vaid said. He attributes <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/12-cloud-ERP-data-migration-best-practices">data migration challenges</a> to the massive 2016 Vodaphone case in which the company was fined due to an ERP and CRM migration failure. The telecom provider was moving more than 28 million customer account records, containing over a billion data fields, from a legacy billing system to a new ERP platform.</p> <p>"The data migration process to a new cloud ERP system is a tedious process that requires an extremely well-planned data migration strategy," Vaid said.</p> <p>This includes a clear roadmap for data consolidation, elimination of duplicate data, prioritizing data batches, creating a data governance model and testing data flow before migration resumes, he said.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Dos-and-donts-for-ERP-selection-success">selection process of a new ERP system</a> should not only focus on the features and capabilities of the new system but also on how IT can migrate data from the current platform to the new one.</p> <p>Internal ERP administrators should place special attention on maintaining an audit history or other data that may be in a proprietary format during the migration, since organizations use ERP as a system of record, Burns said.</p> <p>"The more data that can be migrated, the more of your organization's prior investment can be realized in the transition, which will allow you to maximize your organization's data on your new platform," Burns said.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Extent of partner network"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Extent of partner network</h2> <p>A robust partner network is key to SaaS ERP success.</p> <p>Companies should choose a SaaS ERP provider that has a robust partner network, Vaid said. Otherwise, the company could run into problems with data integration and ops management. Enterprises should not underestimate the value of service partners to support and manage the new cloud system.</p> <p>When researching a SaaS ERP, business and technology leaders should consider which service partners are close and available to the organization if the organization has difficulty with the ERP. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/answer/What-key-stakeholders-are-vital-to-ERP-requirements-analysis">Buying teams should also give attention</a> to the SaaS vendor's regional partner ecosystem, which must consist of the appropriate advisory, consulting, implementation and support services.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Need to support security"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Need to support security</h2> <p>Far too many organizations forget they need to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Why-companies-should-make-ERP-security-a-top-priority">make ERP security a top priority</a>.</p> <p>Although popular vendors' products usually have good security, companies still must create controls around security and visibility just as they would for on-premises ERP, Vaid said. Project teams should always ask which public cloud is hosting the SaaS offering and should avoid ERP systems that run on proprietary data centers.</p> <p>Enterprises also need to evaluate the process for managing backups, which also require securing.</p> <p>The SaaS ERP may automatically back up data in addition to any backups IT teams perform. IT should ensure that all these backups are secure and in compliance with privacy regulations.</p> <p>Considering all of the above factors can help <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/7-ways-to-ensure-a-successful-cloud-ERP-implementation">ensure cloud migration success</a>.</p> <p><strong>About the author</strong><br><em>George Lawton is a journalist based in London. Over the last 30 years he has written over 3,000 stories for publications about computers, communications, knowledge management, business, health and other areas that interest him.</em></p> </section> Although SaaS ERP holds the promise of agility for many companies, understanding the nuances of migration is critical. Here are six areas to consider. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchCloudComputing/public_cloud/cloudcomputing_article_025.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Should-you-move-to-SaaS-ERP-Top-factors-to-consider Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT <p>Following federal watchdog reports on fraud in the remote patient monitoring sector, CMS is <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-14327.pdf">proposing to end payment for RPM services</a> provided by third-party vendors. This change, if finalized, would upend the RPM arena, as many healthcare organizations provide RPM services through vendor-run platforms and teams.</p> <p>Released on July 14, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/revcyclemanagement/news/366645846/Physician-pay-cuts-loom-as-CMS-unveils-major-Medicare-reforms">CMS' proposed rule</a> for the 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes sweeping changes to physician payment and value-based care programs. In addition, the agency included various changes to RPM and remote therapeutic monitoring service payments.</p> <p>The agency proposed that RTM services be provided only to established patients and that practitioners reporting RPM or RTM services provide a separately reportable initiating visit in association with the start of the services.</p> <p>Further, CMS is&nbsp;proposing updates to the valuation of RPM services under the PFS, noting that the existing valuation of certain CPT codes "may not accurately reflect the resource costs involved in these services." The agency is also considering, and seeking comments on, bundling the RPM and RTM CPT codes and creating four new HCPCS G-Codes to describe RPM services.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="CMS cites fraud concerns in proposal to ban third-party RPM services"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>CMS cites fraud concerns in proposal to ban third-party RPM services</h2> <p>In a major policy shift, the proposed rule includes a ban on vendor-driven RPM services, stating that it would "only allow payment for RPM or RTM services when furnished by clinical staff employed by the practice."</p> <p>While this does not mean that the clinical staff must be physically located within the practice or that the beneficiary needs to be on-site, it does mean that healthcare organizations would not be allowed to bill for RPM or RTM services performed by contracted third-party companies.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> [RPM is] the poster child of using technology to deliver care more efficiently and deliver cost savings, which, to my understanding, is kind of the North Star for the current administration. So, it's a little baffling that a couple of little program integrity concerns would blow up the whole program rather than just lead to some additional guardrails. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Christopher Adamec</strong>Executive director, Alliance for Connected Care </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>CMS cited reports from HHS' Office of Inspector General that indicate potential for fraud and the need for increased oversight of RPM billing practices.</p> <p>One <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366612003/Remote-patient-monitoring-use-raises-HHS-OIG-concerns">report released in 2024</a> found that 43% of Medicare enrollees who received RPM in 2022 did not receive at least one of three RPM components: education and setup, device supply and treatment management.</p> <p>Further, the report highlighted that some companies make unsolicited contact with Medicare enrollees, either signing them up for RPM that never occurs or providing devices without sufficient staff to conduct monitoring, among other fraud risks. CMS directly cited the "cold calling" issue as one of the reasons for the new proposal.</p> <p>Another <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366630395/Medicare-RPM-payments-spike-spurs-HHS-OIG-oversight">HHS-OIG report released in 2025</a> revealed that Medicare payments increased 31% from $408 million in 2023 to $536 million in 2024. The report detailed some instances of fraud, albeit involving a small proportion of practices. For example, 45 medical practices did not have the mandated prior medical relationship with more than 80% of patients for whom they billed RPM in 2024, and 34 practices frequently billed Medicare for the same enrollees as two or more other practices. "</p> <p>"After reviewing the findings discussed in recent OIG reports…We believe outsourcing RPM/RTM services to a third party can fragment care, lead to insufficient involvement and oversight of the billing practitioner, or result in services that do not actually represent or facilitate all required aspects of RPM or RTM services," the proposed rule states. "Provision of these services by entities having only a loose association with the treating practitioner can detract from longitudinal, patient-centered care."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Industry apprehensive about proposal"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Industry apprehensive about proposal</h2> <p>Industry groups are puzzled about CMS' proposal to prohibit billing for RPM services by third-party vendors.</p> <p>Christopher Adamec, executive director of the Alliance for Connected Care, noted that the industry has recognized the need for guardrails to prevent "low-value" RPM services. He highlighted efforts by the <a href="https://rpmleadershipcouncil.org/rmlc-call-to-action-on-high-quality-rpm-to-hhs-oig/">Remote Monitoring Leadership Council to work with HHS-OIG</a> on creating these safeguards.</p> <p>This industry recognition, combined with other efforts to enhance access to technology-enabled care, makes the proposal all the more perplexing.</p> <p>"[RPM is] the poster child of using technology to deliver care more efficiently and deliver cost savings, which, to my understanding, is kind of the North Star for the current administration," Adamec said. "So, it's a little baffling that a couple of little program integrity concerns would blow up the whole program rather than just lead to some additional guardrails."&nbsp;</p> <p>"What CMS has done in this rulemaking is just like cutting off the entire arm, because this ends RPM, both high quality and low quality," he continued. "It doesn't recognize that these programs are driving a huge amount of savings, including in accountable care organizations and other places where there's value-based care because they do have a meaningful impact on rehospitalizations and costs."</p> <p>Further, Adamec stated that, if finalized, this proposal would make it harder for providers to implement RPM programs, particularly among smaller, lower-resourced and rural organizations.</p> <p>"Most providers that have gone with a vendor went with a vendor because they couldn't do it themselves," he said. "They were going to lose money doing it themselves, and logistically it was too difficult. So, I think that this [proposal] is going to mean that hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, at a minimum, will lose access to services that they're relying on to keep them out of the hospital."</p> <p>The agency is seeking comment on this proposal, specifically on how often third-party billing currently occurs and how this policy could impact RPM access.</p> <p><em>Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers healthcare IT and innovation, including artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, EHRs and interoperability.</em></p> </section> The 2027 PFS includes a proposal that, if finalized, would prevent healthcare organizations from billing for RPM services provided by third-party companies, significantly altering the RPM landscape. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/virtual%20health_g1268524091.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/CMS-plans-to-eliminate-payment-for-RPM-services-by-third-party-vendors Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:23:00 GMT <p>Automation is vital for modern IT, as it enables IT to accomplish common workflows and repetitive tasks accurately, consistently and quickly. But automation is far from automatic.</p> <p>The path to implementing automation is fraught with mistakes and waste. Most IT organizations know horror stories about automation: a huge automation project to address a minor automation task; detrimental workflow changes for the sake of automation; and headaches from a poor choice of automation tools. No two automation implementations are alike, so careful planning and concerted effort are critical to implement automation in a meaningful and maintainable way.</p> <p>Successful automation depends less on tools and scripting and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Top-IT-governance-best-practices">more on governance</a>, operating model design and purposeful rollout. At scale, automation shifts IT from task execution to service orchestration and platform-based delivery.</p> <p>Here are 14 key considerations for operating automation as an enterprise capability.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Define automation goals"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Define automation goals</h2> <p>Goals are the measure of success. An IT automation strategy starts by establishing clear goals for the automation initiative. Planners must clearly understand the problems the business is trying to solve and how automation tools and tactics will address those issues.</p> <p>Understand what success will look like after one, two or even five years. Even if automation technologies are implemented and working perfectly, the automation initiative can still fail if it doesn't achieve its intended goals.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Establish governance"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Establish governance</h2> <p>IT automation requires participation from across the business, and it's important to set guidelines to govern the development and implementation of the automation strategy. That typically involves defining roles and responsibilities for the varied automation team participants, such as the automation lead or process owner; setting guidelines for process analysis and automation platform adoption; establishing monitoring and reporting requirements; and requiring regular reviews to ensure that the IT automation strategy remains updated and consistent with business goals while maintaining compliance, continuity and security.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/building_an_it_automation_strategy-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/building_an_it_automation_strategy-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/building_an_it_automation_strategy-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/building_an_it_automation_strategy-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic showing 10 steps in building an IT automation strategy." height="392" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Key components of an IT automation strategy. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Identify high-value operational workflows"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Identify high-value operational workflows</h2> <p>With goals and governance in mind, it's time to analyze and understand the current manual tasks, workflows and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/feature/IT-process-automation-6-examples-to-boost-efficiency">processes related to the established goals</a>. It's not necessary to analyze every task or process immediately. Instead, focus on the tasks and processes that relate to the goals. The most successful analyses will typically concentrate on the most repetitive, time-consuming, error-prone and resource-intensive tasks. For instance, if a principal goal is to improve business continuity or data protection, a common task to analyze might be backup and restoration processes. The current tasks and processes identified in this step can later be translated into automation elements, such as scripts.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Look for automation opportunities"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Look for automation opportunities</h2> <p>Automation is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Not every process or task should, or even could, be automated within the limitations of the available automation tools and budget. You don't need to automate everything simultaneously to demonstrate automation's business value.</p> <p>Identify common and frequently performed tasks with minimal complexity. These tasks often benefit most from IT automation. In general, the easy wins for IT automation are processes and tasks IT teams perform frequently, consume the most resources, are error-prone and demand significant time. Common examples include user password resets and VM instance provisioning.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. Evaluate the automation workflows"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. Evaluate the automation workflows</h2> <p>Organizations often struggle to translate human workflows into automated workflows. Rule-based automation performs the same steps consistently, while <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/AI-assistants-for-IT-ops-Select-and-govern-operational-bots">AI-assisted automation</a> might require validation and oversight. Different business and IT processes can use radically different approaches to reach the same result. Also, exceptions to the rules pose serious problems for automation, so complex multibranch tasks are often saved for later in the automation initiative.</p> <p>Evaluate multiple opportunities for automation, even if you don't intend to implement them all immediately. Consider the current workflows for various tasks across the business and identify common sequences or subprocesses to automate. Teams can then implement and reuse these sequences across automation projects, ultimately enabling orchestration. The more common the sequences or processes, the easier and more effective an automation task will be. In many cases, existing human workflows can be altered or divided to benefit from automation.</p> <p>Microsoft's PowerShell scripts are a common example of script-based automation, particularly in Windows environments. Organizations also use infrastructure as code (IaC) and cloud automation platforms to automate processes through reusable components and workflows.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. Consider exceptions and difficulty"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. Consider exceptions and difficulty</h2> <p>With automation projects set, focus on implementation. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/automation-engineer">Automation engineers</a> design processes and decide how to handle exceptions, such as approvals, variables or options. Exceptions can be difficult and time-consuming to implement; IT leaders might opt to automate the simplest processes and leave exceptions for human intervention.</p> <p>Here's an example in VM provisioning: IT teams can fully automate VM provisioning steps. But the configuration attributes of the VM -- the number of processors, amount of memory and VM image file to deploy -- require manual input and pose exceptions. Another example is a business process automation that requires human sign-off at the end. Automation engineers must design for a mix of automated and human-controlled steps, including delays or erroneous input.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="7. Consider security and compliance"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>7. Consider security and compliance</h2> <p>All tasks and workflows identified for automation should be carefully reviewed and approved by the stakeholders associated with the automation initiative. Even something as simple as a password reset script should receive consideration from IT, business, security and legal teams. Key considerations include the following:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>IT teams must evaluate system resources and requirements for implementation.</li> <li>Business teams need to understand how the effort meets business goals.</li> <li>Security teams must review the safety, availability and integrity of the data.</li> <li>Legal teams must ensure that automated actions maintain adherence to prevailing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Regulatory-trends-every-CIO-should-watch">regulatory compliance</a> and legislation requirements.</li> </ul> <p>Such cross-platform collaboration also helps to eliminate traditional silos of responsibility that can impair an organization's ability to remediate problems or adapt to changing business environments.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="8. Select automation tools, frameworks and AI platforms"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>8. Select automation tools, frameworks and AI platforms</h2> <p>Evaluate IT automation tools, platforms and frameworks to suit current and future automation projects. There are IT-centric tools and business workflow automation platforms. Some products are deployed and managed in-house, while others are SaaS. Compare features, capabilities, usability, vendor support and interoperability with other data center or business tools. IT-centric workflow automation tools range from enterprise workflow platforms and IaC products to cloud-native automation services and AI-enabled automation platforms, with examples including Microsoft, ServiceNow, IBM, Red Hat, HashiCorp, AWS and Google Cloud.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xV-bOHvfbPQ?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> <p>However, there are dozens more tools and platforms, often with specializations that can include HR, procurement or software development. More sophisticated offerings can support orchestration, enabling individual automated tasks to be combined into complex workflows and processes.</p> <p>Organizations can also use <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/generative-AI">generative AI</a> copilots and AI-enabled automation platforms to help create scripts, workflows and automation code. Some tools can build workflows from natural-language prompts or assist with operational tasks. AI-assisted automation requires appropriate governance, testing, security controls and human oversight to ensure reliability and compliance.</p> <p>Validate the automation tool before committing. Once an automation tool is deployed and used, changing it later can be highly time-consuming and disruptive. Narrow the list of available tools to promising candidates and thoroughly test each finalist using demo versions or other trial options.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="9. Study and train"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>9. Study and train</h2> <p>The selected automation tools, platforms or frameworks will typically be used by various business personnel. Software developers often write the initial automation code, though other IT team members -- such as automation system owners -- can become involved. Even project managers, department heads and business leaders can operate automation tools when coding demands are lighter, such as no-code, WYSIWYG and drag-and-drop tools.</p> <p>This <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/10-top-artificial-intelligence-certifications-and-courses">makes training a vital element</a> of any automation initiative. Implement a series of test projects where training can be delivered; participants can become involved in learning the tools and develop a working knowledge of automation development and implementation. Regular training sessions can be important for refreshing automation tool skills and quickly getting new employees up to speed.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="10. Prove value through phased rollout"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>10. Prove value through phased rollout</h2> <p>The best way to adopt automation is to prove its value to the enterprise. Implement it on one or two of the easiest tasks or workflows that could free up the most time or effort.</p> <p>Such fledgling efforts are usually approached as pilot or proof-of-concept projects. Automation owners learn and master the tool or tools for the job while proving their worth to business leaders and teams. Starting small minimizes disruption and culture shock, enabling organizations to identify and resolve issues with the tool or its use.</p> <p>Each task implementation and rollout should have a suitable support and rollback plan in place. This offers automation users a source of help for questions or problems and allows an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Tasks-to-automate-today-to-streamline-IT-operations">automation task</a> to be paused -- or newer code versions to be reverted to previous working versions -- when unforeseen issues arise.</p> <p>In more mature environments, these pilot automations can evolve into self-service workflows delivered through internal platforms or portals, enabling users to provision and manage services without direct IT intervention.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="11. Integrate change management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>11. Integrate change management</h2> <p>Change management is a vital part of modern technology and business processes. Careful change management ensures that changes are reviewed, appropriate, implemented correctly by responsible teams and audited, if necessary, to understand what changed and why -- a core issue in business continuity and compliance.</p> <p>Implementing IT automation alters how changes are requested and managed. Once a task is automated and its behaviors are represented as code, that code typically receives version control and repository support. Changes to the code should then be subject to the same version control and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/answer/What-coding-standards-in-software-engineering-should-we-follow">software development standards</a>, such as testing, present in any other software development project. If the IT automation tool isn't already integrated with change management systems, it should be added quickly.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="12. Monitor the results"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>12. Monitor the results</h2> <p>Once the IT team implements an automation tool for tasks or workflows, it should apply metrics or KPIs to measure the effects of automation on the business.</p> <p>Every task and workflow has a business value, often measured by the cost of workers' hours required to perform it. If automation significantly reduces the time to perform a task, the cost of that task is also significantly reduced. Thus, automation delivers measurable cost savings.</p> <p>Similarly, automated tasks get done the same way every time, which should reduce mistakes. With fewer errors, automation enhances user satisfaction and reduces time wasted fixing avoidable problems.</p> <p>Finally, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Observability-vs-monitoring-Whats-the-difference">monitoring and observability</a> -- including logs, metrics and traces -- help identify bottlenecks in automated processes and their causes. For example, a provisioning task can fail due to insufficient server memory but can succeed when the right resources are available. Monitoring and observability provide an objective way to gauge automation's value and identify problems for remediation.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="13. Expand the rollout"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>13. Expand the rollout</h2> <p>With a small suite of tasks, automated workflows and proven business value, it's time to automate additional tasks systematically. These tasks can be more complex or simpler, but less valuable than those in the first round. Generally, the goal is to focus the automation investment on high-volume, low-risk workflows, sometimes avoiding workflows with exceptions, until automation use within the business matures. There is no established pace of expansion; the growth of automation will depend on the unique business needs, the available staff and knowledge base, and the benefits involved.</p> <p>Automation performs repetitive tasks in high volume faster than humans can. If a complex task, such as one with user inputs, alternative selections, approvals or other exceptions, is performed only on rare occasions, there might be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.visiquate.com/content/blog/when-not-to-automate-lessons-from-the-front-lines" rel="noopener">insufficient overall benefit</a> to automate it. Eventually, the business might opt for orchestration to connect related tasks to accomplish more complex or detailed workflows.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="14. Review and optimize"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>14. Review and optimize</h2> <p>Implementing automation isn't a one-time effort. The data sets used to define an automated process -- such as scripts and predefined visual objects -- require regular review and updates to keep pace with changes in workflows and business needs. That is, does every automated process do what the business needs it to do in a year, two years or five years? Unfortunately, automation maintenance is often neglected or treated as an afterthought. Plan periodic reviews to revisit and revalidate automated processes, but don't stop there.</p> <p>Infrastructure and business changes are the two principal drivers for automation maintenance. For example, adding new servers might increase compute resources available for automated provisioning. Similarly, a new law might require changes to the steps in an automation process to ensure regulatory compliance. Automation maintenance can be tied to the organization's change management process or business requirements to address these scenarios.</p> <p><b>Editor's note:</b> <i>This article was updated in July 2026 to reflect the latest best practices for implementing automation into IT workflows.</i></p> <p><i>Stephen J. Bigelow, senior technology editor at TechTarget, has more than 30 years of technical writing experience in the PC and technology industry.</i></p> <p><i>Executive managing editor, Ryann Burnett, also contributed to this article.</i></p> </section> IT organizations can't implement automation all at once. But by following proven steps, they can safely scale workflows while improving governance, efficiency and control. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchExchange/exchange_server_migration/exchange_article_016.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Follow-these-8-steps-to-implement-automation-in-IT-workflows Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:26:00 GMT <p>Customizing EMRs typically takes many years and requires engineers, product managers and designers. But now, no-code EMR solutions are available that allow clinicians without developer skills to customize EMR workflow within a few hours.</p> <p>Large health systems with IT teams can afford the customization features in EMR platforms such as Epic or Oracle Health. However, a no-code solution lets smaller primary care groups or specialty practices create custom workflows quicker with fewer resources, according to Mutaz&nbsp;Shegewi, senior research director of worldwide healthcare provider AI, platforms and technologies, at IDC.</p> <p>Smaller practices have typically used the workflows that come right out of the box, but now practices like weight-management clinics, behavioral health providers and urgent care centers can save time and resources by customizing workflows that do not fit a traditional general-purpose EHR, Shegewi explained.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why custom no-code EMR workflows are ideal for specialty providers &amp; small practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why custom no-code EMR workflows are ideal for specialty providers &amp; small practices</h2> <p>No-code EMR tools are enabling specialty healthcare organizations, like primary care, psychiatry and weight-loss practices, to build custom workflows for their unique needs.</p> <p>One such no-code tool is Canvas Studio. <a href="https://www.canvasmedical.com/articles/canvas-medical-launches-studio-to-enable-clinician">Launched</a> on May 21 in beta, Canvas Studio is powered by Anthropic's Claude Code. Using natural language, clinicians can customize no-code workflows in Canvas Studio that serve as plug-ins for Canvas' EMR, a <a href="https://www.cms.gov/medicare/regulations-guidance/promoting-interoperability-programs/certified-ehr-technology">certified EHR technology</a> (CERT) platform. CERT platforms conform to CMS and ONC standards on storing data in a structured format, allowing providers to easily retrieve and transfer patient data.</p> <p>For instance, a doctor treating weight-loss patients could create a custom EMR workflow to make a nutrition plan or incorporate data from wearable devices, such as an Apple Watch or Oura ring, said Adam Farren, CEO of Canvas Medical, an EMR startup. Clinicians can also create data-collection workflows to understand how treatments impact diet.</p> <p>Custom workflows allow clinicians to tailor their care to patients' needs and provide access that's more comprehensive than simply "schedule an appointment and go to a clinic," Farren said.</p> <p>Not only that but primary care practices can use custom EMR workflows to meet payer documentation requirements for annual wellness visits, according to Farren. The custom workflows allow providers to easily repeat the documentation process so they can submit claims to insurance.</p> <p>The tool allows practices to customize patient-facing workflows as well. In Canvas Studio, providers can create plugins that identify which patients may be due for an appointment and then automate a reminder to schedule a visit.</p> <p>"This is a task that often happens manually through a spreadsheet list and phone calls but in&nbsp;Canvas, [it] could be fully automated with software," Farren said.</p> <p>Not only does Studio allow providers to create their own workflows, which can be proprietary or closed workflows for that specific running version of Canvas software, but Canvas also makes workflows available in an open-source format. Providers can use these open-source workflows from Studio as a starting point to create their own. In general, Canvas' AI agent builds 80% of a workflow from an existing plug-in library, and then the provider completes the last 20% on their own, Farren said.</p> <p>"Our customers own the intellectual property to the plugins or workflows they build in&nbsp;Canvas,&nbsp;and it's up to them whether they want to open source them for other customers to use," Farren said.</p> <p>Custom workflows allow small practices to move from idea to workflow faster rather than waiting for vendor roadmaps or expensive customization projects, according to Shegewi.</p> <p>In addition, custom EMR workflows allow smaller healthcare providers to use staff more efficiently by automating tasks such as routing questionnaires and triggering follow-ups.</p> <p>"You can quickly build an intake form or care pathway and tailor it to niche services, so I think there is incredible amount of power for smaller facilities leveraging no-code -- and I'll even say low-code -- workflows," said Shannon Germain Farraher, senior analyst for healthcare at Forrester Research and a former nurse.</p> <p>Like Shegewi, Germain Farraher sees speed to deployment as a major advantage for smaller practices when using custom no-code solutions.</p> <p>"Provider organizations, especially the smaller ones, can't afford any real disruption to workflows or impact on the negative side of their revenue," Germain Farraher said. "If something is going to impact patient throughput, it better be a really quick disruption."</p> <p>Custom no-code EMR workflows could also improve the user experience for clinicians more than EMRs have done in the past, as they allow clinicians to create workflows that work best for them, Germain Farraher suggested. <br><br>"Other [EMRs] were designed for clinical workflows, but they weren't designed by clinicians," Germain Farraher said. "They're just designed mostly to capture data."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="No-code EMR workflows incorporate natural language, iterative processes"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>No-code EMR workflows incorporate natural language, iterative processes</h2> <p>To create custom EMR workflows, providers communicate with the Canvas interface using natural language in an AI-powered chat interface just as they would with a tool like ChatGPT. For instance, for a weight-loss patient on a GLP-1, a provider could enter the following into the chat interface: "Build a workflow for renewal of a patient's year-one prescription when they've already established care with my organization," Farren said.</p> <p>AI agents then develop the workflow and add it to the testing environment in the provider's Canvas EMR.</p> <p>Farren further explained that using the no-code Canvas Studio platform is an iterative process.</p> <p>"What you're doing is essentially prompting the AI and then refining its output with additional prompts and instructions, and so that's the iteration loop," Farren said. "[Providers] iterate inside the Studio interface, and within an hour or two, they have a result."</p> <p>Further, clinicians are able to build workflows within the organization's existing protocols rather than building them outside the system and then integrating them.</p> <p>"They're actually doing the work inside the EMR, which already is encoded with all the organization's rules and protocols," Farren said.</p> <p>Although providers create workflows in Canvas' EMR, the company supports interoperability with other EMR platforms through health information exchanges. The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/definition/FHIR-Fast-Healthcare-Interoperability-Resources">FHIR</a> data standard makes this connectivity possible, according to Farren.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="But governance is important when managing custom EHR workflows"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>But governance is important when managing custom EHR workflows</h2> <p>With proper oversight, providers can avoid creating too many custom EMR workflows, which could introduce inconsistencies across healthcare practice, Germain Farraher explained.</p> <p>"Inconsistent workflows across even a small facility can slow things down," she said.</p> <p>So, governance protocols like tracking and maintenance are essential when using no-code tools, she added.</p> <p>IDC's Shegewi agreed, noting that governance is necessary to avoid scenarios where healthcare practices create an abundance of poor workflows.</p> <p>"No-code can make a workflow more customized, but that doesn't make it a sound workflow," Shegewi said. "If the underlying process is poorly designed, customization and automation will scale dysfunction. So, governance is, in my view, a major challenge."</p> <p>He also noted that healthcare workflows affect many areas, including clinical decisions, patient safety, coding and billing, compliance and policy.</p> <p>"If every team starts building in their own way and customizing without proper oversight or guidance, you could end up with a sprawl of inconsistent workflows, duplicate [programming] logic, and technical debt," Shegewi said.</p> <p>Farren discussed how building governance into no-code solutions creates guardrails, which is what Canvas has done with its Studio tool.<br><br>"The [Canvas] agent understands where it can customize and deviate for a user, and where it has to follow standard protocols," he explained. "We've built the agent to be aware of those rules, and the organization, not the user, sets those rules. It's part of the agent's code."</p> <p>In addition to building guardrails, clinicians can avoid potentially inconsistent custom workflows with "governed innovation," according to Shegewi.</p> <p>"Let's empower knowledgeable and credible clinicians and operators to translate needs into customized solutions, wrapped in the right permissions, processes, testing, audits, controls and ownership," he said.</p> <p>With proper governance and the flexibility to build workflows suitable for specialty practices, clinicians could speed up EMR workflow development, gaining the efficiency of a larger health system with a full IT department.</p> <p><i>Brian T. Horowitz started covering health IT news in 2010 and the tech beat overall in 1996.</i></p> </section> Custom no-code EMR tools can help healthcare providers speed up workflows for intake processes and decide whether to prescribe certain medications like GLP-1s. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ehr_g873539816.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/feature/How-no-code-tools-are-democratizing-EMR-customization Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:30:00 GMT <p><i>As organizations undergo an AI transformation, they need leadership prepared to manage both the technical and organizational aspects.</i></p> <p><i>AI technologies have long been a part of manufacturing and related functions -- such as supply chain. But the current wave of agentic and generative AI technologies differs significantly from more established forms like machine learning and automation. Organizations are now requiring manufacturing and supply chain leaders to manage an AI transformation they might not be prepared for. </i></p> <p><i>TechTarget recently spoke with Heidi Hoffman, partner at executive search firm ON Partners, about the AI leadership gap in manufacturing and supply chain. Hoffman places executives such as chief operating officers, chief supply chain officers and chief manufacturing officers for companies primarily in the consumer products, industrial, aerospace and automotive industries.&nbsp; </i></p> <p><i>Many companies are forging full speed ahead with AI technology implementations in manufacturing and supply chain, Hoffman said, but there's a significant <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Why-AI-backlash-is-a-leadership-problem-not-a-tech-one">leadership gap</a></i><i> in these functional areas. Manufacturing and supply chain leaders need to develop skills in emerging agentic and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Use-cases-for-generative-AI-in-manufacturing">generative AI technologies</a></i><i> to meet the demands of a changing operational landscape.&nbsp; </i></p> <p><b>Editor's note:</b> The following transcript was edited for length and clarity.</p> <p><b>AI has been in manufacturing for a while. What's different now, and what are some issues with leadership in manufacturing and AI?</b></p> <p>Heidi Hoffman: AI is funny in manufacturing because it means different things to different people -- and it should not. The phrase AI and being AI-ready has been in our position specifications for only the last four or five years. It's been more on automation and technology deployment. Those two were being conflated. Being AI-ready meant that you had gone through a big <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Understand-cloud-ERP-project-team-duties">ERP implementation</a> without problems, and that's not the same thing. So, what being AI-ready means in manufacturing is very different today than it was even two or three years ago.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/hoffman_heidi.jpg" alt="">Heidi Hoffman </div> <p><b>Are manufacturing leaders ready for what AI is now, rather than the more common experience with similar technologies such as automation that have been around for a while?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: [When talking about AI experience in manufacturing] you have to know if you mean that AI is using intelligence to make us more efficient. Agentic AI is already very much <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/news/366623544/Epicor-ERP-adds-agentic-AI-capabilities-for-supply-chain">involved in operational decisions</a> like demand planning, supplier selection, quality inspection. The leaders that are leading those areas own [the AI agents], whether they built them or not. That's the challenge -- do they really know what they're running or do they just know how to manage the outputs of [the agents]. That's the challenge of what the leader needs to look like in the future.</p> <p><b>Should manufacturing organizations educate the leaders who are already there in AI, or should they bring in new leaders who already have that AI knowledge and experience?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: We're evolving into that. ChatGPT made everything terrible, because everyone who uses ChatGPT thinks they're comfortable with AI, and that's not realistic. They conflated the tools with strategic fluency, and they're very different competencies. It's too much to learn it fast enough to be the expert who's already sitting in the chair.</p> <p><b>What are some of the specific AI needs for manufacturing leaders?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: The leaders need to focus on not just teaching their people how to use the tools but also learning how to change the processes to effectively use the new AI tools. That's very different. Before, it was about, "We're putting in a new ERP system and let's train everybody in it." [With AI] it's not as much about just training them on the tools. Now, it's about how this function will look different in the future. The amount of information an AI tool can get to do <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Benefits-of-using-demand-planning-software">demand planning</a> or quality inspection is a much more pinpointed use of the information than they can do now. The next question is, how can we actually do it -- quality, manufacturing, sourcing -- using these tools? Then you've got the governance issue of all of that: Where is the information coming from? Who is managing that? What happens when something goes wrong? [Organizations] want an executive that is AI-fluent, but it's not really about fluency. Do they understand what happens when it underperforms? It's a marriage of all the functions together.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The leaders need to focus on not just teaching their people how to use the tools but also learning how to change the processes to effectively use the new AI tools. That's very different. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Heidi Hoffman</strong>Partner, ON Partners. </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p><b>Where is the push toward AI and the need for AI-centered leadership coming from in organizations?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: It's definitely being pushed down by the board, because it's everywhere. People use it in their everyday life, and say that if it's in their everyday life, it should be running their business as well. So, the boards are definitely putting that into the need for future talent. The other part is that ever since Covid, supply chain has been a board agenda. In every board meeting, supply chain is on the conversation. Supply chain is where they <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-AI-can-help-to-optimise-supply-chains-under-pressure">want AI to come in</a> and do more, like resilience scenarios or what-if scenarios to get to the answer more quickly. That was a challenge in Covid. It was a challenge with a lot of geopolitical issues or big weather events. That's an easy way for the boards to wrap their head around the use of AI.</p> <p><b>Are supply chain leaders ready for this kind of change?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: No, absolutely not. The challenge for them also is that they're functional leaders; they think about their function. But now, because they have to present to the board, they have to become strategic leaders -- and that's a different skill set. The people who are moving up into those roles have a different functional profile. You used to have to be really good at procurement, logistics and manufacturing. Now you must have financial fluency and AI fluency: What's the investment. What's the governance? What scenarios can we run? It's a totally different skill set, and I don't think people sitting in the seats or even the candidate base are prepared for it. But the next generation is coming up that way.</p> <p><b>After Covid, supply chain became a more strategic function in the organization. Has AI accelerated that, and have the more traditional supply chain leaders kept up?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: I'm not sure that there's that big of a distinction. [Supply chain leaders] are sitting in the board room now, so they're more at the center of the attention for the board, and that's why AI comes up in the conversation. I shouldn't say they're unprepared -- they're just still getting educated, and the evolution of AI is so rapid that it's impossible to stay ahead of it. It's also understanding what tools are out there, how they can help you, what the good return on investment is and not just constantly going after the shiny objects. You have to be much more strategically aligned to how it can help your organization.</p> <p><b>How are the manufacturing and supply chain leaders getting prepared while they still have to perform their job functions?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: It's learning on the job. There are tons of consulting firms that are coming out to start pushing AI through, which is not abnormal. When <a target="_blank" href="https://asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma" rel="noopener">Six Sigma or Lean manufacturing</a> became big, the consultants came in and made that knowledge permeate the rest of the organization. AI is not new in the way it's coming into the process. It's just very fast, and trying to fill that gap will be a challenge for them.</p> <p><b>The AI transformation appears to be different from initiatives such as an organization moving from on-premises ERP to cloud. Are the leaders preparing for the issues in an AI transformation that go beyond technical deployment, like change management or complete process changes? </b></p> <p>Hoffman: It changes the way you do things, and you have to recognize that AI is not just there to make your job simpler. It does for sure, but it's not there just for that. It's about how to rethink how you're doing it. In some ways, it's similar to ERP implementations. You had to make sure the organization was ready for it or it blows up -- which <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/7-reasons-for-ERP-implementation-failure">many of them did</a>. You have to be ready. You have to think about how this process needs to be designed for your people. Do you need fewer people, or do you need different people? Do you need them in different places? Do they have to have different skill sets? It's not just the tool -- it's the whole universe of what's going on around it.</p> <p><b>How are organizations doing with the preparation?</b></p> <p>Hoffman: Different people and different companies are at different phases. They might be ahead one day, and the next day some new tool comes out, and all of a sudden they're behind. There's no comfort. You never reach comfort level. You have to constantly be questioning, be creative and think differently. It's not asking for IT leaders to run manufacturing, it's asking for the manufacturing leaders to evolve into this. So it's a slow and steady but constant change.</p> <p><i>Jim O'Donnell is a news director for TechTarget, where he covers IT strategy and enterprise ESG.</i></p> In this Q&A, Heidi Hoffman of ON Partners discusses how manufacturing leaders face an AI skills gap as areas like supply chain gain strategic currency in organizations. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/strategy_g1221412935.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Manufacturing-leaders-must-close-AI-knowledge-gaps Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:14:00 GMT <p>When ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, a previously unthinkable question emerged -- could human clinical decision-making eventually be replaced by AI?</p> <p>Over three years later, AI has successfully been integrated into various healthcare workflows -- operational, financial and clinical. However, organizations have also emphasized the importance of keeping humans in the loop. This safety valve is especially important when it comes to the use of AI in clinical care.</p> <p>However, as AI evolves rapidly, bolstered by seemingly endless investment dollars, are we getting closer to a human-less healthcare experience?</p> <p>The answer, as one might expect, is complicated. While AI, particularly multi-agent AI systems with orchestration layers and appropriate protections in place, could feasibly perform several clinical reasoning tasks, experts agree that the goal shouldn't be to fully replace humans in healthcare. Rather, they see human-AI collaboration in healthcare as the path forward.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is clinical reasoning, and can AI do it?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is clinical reasoning, and can AI do it?</h2> <p>Clinical reasoning is a key component of a clinician's skillset. However, defining it is challenging, especially across clinical areas. Broadly, clinical reasoning is the process by which clinicians combine their medical knowledge with patient information to identify and understand a patient's diagnosis and determine their treatment plan.</p> <p>"We throw around the word clinical reasoning and it kind of implies that it's one thing, but it's not," said Nigam Shah, Ph.D., chief data scientist for Stanford Health Care. "There are 183 or so medical specialties, and each one reasons a little bit differently about the problem at hand."</p> <p>Not only that, but clinical reasoning within a specialty can differ depending on the case and patient. Girish N. Nadkarni, M.D., chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, noted that clinical reasoning varies from case to case. For example, an emergency medicine physician requires different clinical reasoning capabilities for triage than for diagnosis. Clinical reasoning requirements also vary significantly by patient preferences and patient archetypes.</p> <p>This variation makes it difficult to measure AI's clinical reasoning competency. According to David M. Liebovitz, M.D., co-director of the Center for Medical Education in Digital Healthcare and Data Science within the Northwestern Medicine Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, there are methods to measure clinical reasoning; however, there is no agreed-upon standard.</p> <p>Different methods use different criteria to define clinical reasoning, he noted. While some focus on assessing whether the right data is being examined and whether each data element is being given appropriate consideration, others place greater emphasis on reducing diagnostic uncertainty and examining whether the right types of questions are being asked.</p> <p>"We have some methods," he said. "They're probably not the best methods, and reasoning alone isn't the whole job of a doctor or caring for patients, but the ways in which we attempt to measure that may not always replicate real-world reasoning."</p> <p>Publicly available research is also mixed. While some research shows <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/LLMs-struggle-with-clinical-reasoning-study-finds">these tools tend to struggle</a>, other research shows <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/news/366642662/AI-outperforms-docs-on-clinical-reasoning-but-not-ready-for-solo-work">they can outperform clinicians</a> on certain clinical reasoning tasks.</p> <p>The latter study, released at the end of April, compared the clinical reasoning capabilities of advanced LLMs with the baseline performance of human physicians. The study was limited to six clinical reasoning tasks, explained study co-first author, Thomas Buckley, a PhD student in the inaugural Harvard Medical School AI in Medicine Program.</p> <p>The research showed that the OpenAI o1 series outperformed physicians across tasks, including evaluations of new emergency room patients and clinical management planning.</p> <p>However, Buckley noted that a wide variety of protocols and data inform the clinical reasoning of a human physician. For instance, an internal medicine physician may need to conduct a physical exam or examine medical images to make clinical decisions, and some of these tasks are still hard -- or impossible -- for AI to do.</p> <p>"I think we're still very far from completely reproducing all of the aspects of clinical reasoning that a physician does," Buckley said.</p> <p>Still, the models' performance on clinical reasoning tasks "is pretty astronomical," Buckley said.</p> <p>"What we're trying to say with this piece is here's evidence that these models demonstrate exceptional clinical reasoning on every test we had essentially," he continued. "Let's start funding clinical trials. Let's start doing these bigger studies of what these things can actually do in clinical care."</p> <p>Testing will be essential as AI development continues at a frenetic pace. According to Nadkarni, even trying to predict where AI's boundary might eventually lie with respect to clinical reasoning may be a fool's errand.</p> <p>"What we thought was beyond AI architecture has been changing on a day-to-day basis," he said.</p> <p>Liebovitz further noted that the latest AI models can not only store and analyze information, but they can also iterate in cycles and potentially solve multi-step problems.</p> <p>"They've evolved significantly, including things like the repeated iterations that are now possible with some of the reasoning models, where it appears to be that they're thinking out loud almost," he said.</p> <p>Considering these advancements in healthcare AI, Shah stated that multi-agent AI systems with orchestration layers could feasibly approach the breadth of clinician reasoning that physicians perform.</p> <p>"If you ask me the question, can a single model ever get to the level of a physician? I would say, I probably don't think so," Shah said. "But if you ask me the question, can a system -- which has a suite of models and an orchestration layer around it and a harness -- can it emulate a physician? Probably very soon, I would say two, three years."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Achieving optimal human-AI collaboration is critical"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Achieving optimal human-AI collaboration is critical</h2> <p>Despite AI's already impressive advancements and its ongoing march toward clinical reasoning, the technology remains hampered by several limitations.</p> <p>First, there are the oft-pointed out drawbacks, like hallucinations, inaccuracies and bias, Liebovitz said. In the context of clinical reasoning, these cons could result in AI performing well only in mainstream cases while misinterpreting data from more vulnerable groups or even missing red flags.</p> <p>"There are blind spots, where training has prevented the [AI's] ability to see past some of those important signals that a clinician in the clinical case would be able to readily pick up," he said.</p> <p>Second, there is the problem of AI-related de-skilling. Liebovitz noted that with the growing use of AI, there is a corresponding risk that trainees may not learn certain critical clinical reasoning skills and that experienced physicians may even begin to perform poorly if they become too reliant on AI. &nbsp;</p> <p>Third, Liebovitz highlighted that AI is still unable to gather and assess certain verbal cues, like tone, and non-verbal cues, such as body language.</p> <p>If these gaps cannot be sufficiently addressed, AI should perhaps not be allowed to take on more complex clinical reasoning tasks, even if the technology's foundational architecture allows it. Experts agreed that the technology should be used to complement, rather than replace, human clinicians.</p> <p>For Shah, the optimal relationship between AI and clinicians is that of a pathologist and a cell sorter, a laboratory instrument used to physically separate cells based on their physical, biological or chemical characteristics.</p> <p>"When I went to med school, I would look in a microscope [at cells] on a slide and manually count how many lymphocytes I saw," he said. "It takes 30 minutes to an hour to do one complete blood count [CBC], and it is notoriously error-prone. Today, I put blood in a tube, put the tube in the machine, and it gives me the CBC. And it's better than me, more accurate. That is true human-machine collaboration, when it is taking work off of my plate."</p> <p>While AI is providing this benefit across various administrative areas, including revenue cycle management and clinical documentation, developers appear fixated on creating clinically focused AI models to replace physicians' clinical reasoning, according to Shah. But they should instead focus on creating AI that can ease the burdens of clinical care.</p> <p>For instance, Liebovitz shared that Northwestern is exploring the use of AI to identify gaps in a patient's care. AI could feasibly identify tests performed outside the patient's primary healthcare facility for physicians to discuss at the next appointment or check in with chronic disease patients and determine whether they need to come in and see their clinician sooner.</p> <p>"I do think healthcare is ripe for disruption," Liebovitz said. "I think there are lots of opportunities at population-based levels where we can really help patients."</p> <p>Not only that, but AI could also help expand the clinical workforce in areas where shortages are limiting access. Buckley pointed to the primary care access crisis in the U.S. as one such area.</p> <p>"I think we're still in very early stages, but I still think these technologies have the opportunity to, one, reduce the burden of primary care physicians currently, and then also increase access to care for patients if they have some sort of autonomous AI agent that they could see for care initially and then maybe be referred to a physician if they need it," he said.</p> <p>While there are no technical limitations on AI's current and future ability to perform clinical reasoning tasks, one thing is clear: humans must not only stay in the loop but also be at the helm of AI development as the technology evolves and its challenges are addressed.</p> <p><em>Correction: A previous version of this article mistakenly referred to Dr. David Liebovitz as co-director of Northwestern Medicine's Institute for Augmented Intelligence in Medicine.</em></p> <p><em>Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers healthcare IT and innovation, including artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, EHRs and interoperability.</em></p> </section> AI's clinical reasoning abilities are improving, but experts say the goal shouldn't be to replace humans in healthcare. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ai_g1182183209.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/feature/AI-shows-promise-in-clinical-reasoning-but-human-oversight-remains-critical Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:00 GMT <p>Agreeing that a legacy system should go away is not the same as being ready to turn it off. That is where modernization plans often get too optimistic.</p> <p>The replacement system might be live. Users might be trained. The vendor contract might be signed. The project plan might show that the old application is ready for retirement. But the shutdown still has its own risks.</p> <p>That makes <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/application-lifecycle-management-ALM">application lifecycle management</a> more than a build, support and maintenance discipline. Retirement has to be managed as part of the application lifecycle, not treated as a cleanup task after the replacement is live.</p> <p>A legacy system can stop being strategic long before it stops being operationally important. It might still exchange data with other systems. It might still have users with special access. It might still lack a clear shutdown owner. It might still serve as the unofficial fallback when people do not fully trust the replacement.</p> <p>Those issues are different from the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/4-hidden-dependencies-that-keep-legacy-systems-alive">hidden dependencies that keep legacy systems alive</a>. Dependencies explain why old software still matters. Shutdown risks explain what can go wrong when the company tries to take it away.</p> <p>Here are four shutdown risks to resolve before legacy system retirement becomes another long-running exception.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Integrations still make it operationally important"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Integrations still make it operationally important</h2> <p>Integrations can make old software look more alive than the roadmap suggests. A system might have few daily users but many downstream effects. It might send data to finance, HR, procurement, customer service, analytics, compliance or operations. It might receive a file from one system, enrich it with a code or status and pass it to another system that still assumes the old step happened.</p> <p>That is why a retirement plan can determine when the old system should shut down but still fail to make the surrounding systems ready to live without it.</p> <p>Teams should know which integrations are still active, which ones are critical and which ones exist because no one wanted to change the downstream process. That requires an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/Craft-an-application-integration-strategy-and-pick-the-best-tool">application integration strategy</a>, not just a shutdown date.</p> <p>Teams should also know which integrations can be removed cleanly and which ones need to be replaced by a new data flow, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/API-management">API management</a> process, event, workflow rule or reporting process. This work becomes more important as automation and AI features spread across enterprise software. If an automation, agent or workflow depends on data that still passes through a legacy system, retirement could change more than the application landscape. It could also change the timing, context or quality of decisions that newer tools make.</p> <p>This is one reason <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Enterprise-software-is-harder-to-manage-by-category">enterprise software is harder to manage by category</a>. A legacy system might belong to one application area, but the risk of retiring it can show up in another. That is not an argument against retiring the system, but rather an argument for understanding the system's role before it is shut off.</p> <p>A legacy application can be strategically outdated and operationally important at the same time. And that is the hard part: Leaders might want the risk gone, but the business might still depend on the path the risk created.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Access and permissions still need cleanup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Access and permissions still need cleanup</h2> <p>Legacy system retirement is also an access problem.</p> <p>Old applications often accumulate permissions over time. Some users still need access. Some used to need it. Some inherited it through a role, project, region or workaround that no longer applies. Some access might belong to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/CISOs-guide-to-nonhuman-identity-security">service accounts</a>, integrations, reporting tools or administrators who have not touched the system in years.</p> <p>That makes shutdown more complicated. If access is removed too early, someone might lose the ability to answer a legitimate business question. If access remains too long, the company keeps an unnecessary security, privacy or compliance risk in place, especially when privileged accounts are not covered by <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/privileged-access-management-PAM">privileged access management</a> controls.</p> <p>The retirement plan should separate active business need from historical convenience. A formal <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/How-to-conduct-a-periodic-user-access-review-for-account-privileges">user access review</a> can help teams identify who still needs the old system, who used to need it and which privileges have become risky leftovers.</p> <p>Who still logs into the old system? Why? What data can they see? Which permissions support integrations or reports? Which accounts exist only because no one cleaned them up? Which users need temporary access during a transition period? Which data should move to an archive instead of staying inside a live application? These questions matter because old access paths can preserve old risk. A system can be mostly retired and still create exposure if users, administrators or service accounts continue to reach data that should have been locked down, archived or deleted.</p> <p>Access cleanup also forces a governance decision. The company has to decide who is allowed to see historical data, who approves exceptions and when temporary access ends. That means <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/User-provisioning-and-deprovisioning-Why-it-matters-for-IAM">user provisioning and deprovisioning</a> should be part of the shutdown plan, not handled as an afterthought.</p> <p>Without that discipline, the old system can remain alive as a controlled exception. Then the exception becomes normal.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. The shutdown plan has no clear owner"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. The shutdown plan has no clear owner</h2> <p>Modernization programs usually have owners. Retirement work often has interested parties.</p> <p>That difference matters. Replacing a system can have an executive sponsor, project team, vendor partner, budget and timeline. Retiring the old system can become a collection of leftover tasks: archive the data, turn off access, rebuild reports, clean up integrations, notify users, update documentation and make sure no one needs it anymore.</p> <p>Those tasks sound administrative. They are not. In fact, they are governance work. Someone has to decide what data is retained, what is deleted, what is archived, what remains searchable and what is no longer needed. A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-retention-policy">data retention policy</a> can help make those decisions explicit before the shutdown date arrives. Someone has to decide when a workaround becomes unacceptable. Someone has to approve the shutdown of reports, integrations and access paths that might still matter to parts of the business.</p> <p>Who owns the old system while the new one stabilizes? Who decides when it can be turned off? Who resolves conflicts between teams that want to keep it and teams that want it gone? Who monitors the cost of keeping it alive? Who checks whether the system is still creating security, compliance or support risk?</p> <p>Shared ownership is not enough. It still needs a model. The owner might sit in IT, business systems, finance, operations, data governance, security or a business function. The structure can vary. What cannot vary is accountability. If no one owns the shutdown, the old system can drift into a long tail of exceptions, special access, partial integrations and recurring conversations about why it is still there.</p> <p>That long tail is where retirement plans lose their value: The replacement goes live. The old system remains. The cost does not disappear; it just becomes harder to see.</p> <p>That is how <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/The-CIOs-playbook-for-reducing-tech-debt">technical debt</a> not just a development problem, but an operating problem.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/networking-types_of_technical_debt-h.png "> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/networking-types_of_technical_debt-h_half_column_mobile.png " class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/networking-types_of_technical_debt-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/networking-types_of_technical_debt-h.png 1280w" alt="Illustration explaining planned and inadvertent technical debt, with a person pulling a boat labeled debt" height="294" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Technical debt can be planned or inadvertent, but legacy-system debt often becomes harder to see once old reports, workflows, integrations and business habits depend on it. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. The fallback habit keeps it alive after go-live"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. The fallback habit keeps it alive after go-live</h2> <p>Some legacy systems stay alive for a reason that does not always show up in the modernization plan: People still trust them.</p> <p>A team might keep checking the old system because its screen, report or history feels more reliable than the replacement. That can look harmless at first, but if users still need the legacy system to confirm, challenge or correct the new one, the retirement is not finished.</p> <p>The fallback habit is easy to rationalize. A user says the old system is just a backup. A manager says it is only for reconciliation. A team says it needs one more quarter before letting go. A leader says the old view is still helpful because everyone understands it. Sometimes those arguments are valid. Sometimes they are signs that the new environment has not fully earned the work yet.</p> <p>The difference matters. If the old system reveals missing data, weak reporting, incomplete workflows or broken definitions in the replacement system, then the fallback habit is telling the company something useful. If the old system remains only because people are more comfortable with it, then the habit might be slowing the transition and preserving unnecessary risk.</p> <p>A shutdown plan should make that distinction explicit: What problem does the fallback use solve? Is it temporary? Who approves it? What evidence will show that it is no longer needed? What report, workflow or data view has to improve before people stop checking the old system?</p> <p>Without those answers, the fallback habit becomes the retirement plan. The old system stays; the company just stops calling it strategic.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Retirement needs proof, not hope"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Retirement needs proof, not hope</h2> <p>Legacy system retirement is part of modernization. It is not just cleanup after modernization. That distinction matters because turning off the old system requires <i>proof</i> -- proof that the data is available where it needs to be, that integrations have been removed or replaced, that access has been cleaned up, that reports and workflows no longer depend on the old application. It requires proof that someone owns the shutdown decision after the replacement goes live.</p> <p>A retirement plan that lacks that proof is really <i>hope</i> -- hope that no one still needs the system, that the integrations are gone, that the access is safe, that users will stop checking it. It is hope that the old system will fade away on its own.</p> <p>That is not how enterprise systems age. They gather dependencies. They accumulate exceptions. They become part of how people prove, check, reconcile and move work.</p> <p>Modernization can replace the platform, but retirement has to unwind the ties.</p> <p><em>James Alan Miller is a veteran technology editor and writer who leads Informa TechTarget's Enterprise Software group. He oversees coverage of ERP &amp; Supply Chain, HR Software, Customer Experience, Communications &amp; Collaboration and End-User Computing topics.</em></p> </section> Turning off a legacy system requires more than a replacement. Teams need to resolve integrations, access, ownership and fallback habits first. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files13.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/4-shutdown-risks-that-complicate-legacy-modernization Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:46:00 GMT <p><iframe title="How one manufacturer blazed a smooth path to ERP cloud migration" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px); height: 150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=c58kx-1b0c135-pb&amp;from=pb6admin&amp;pbad=0&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Arial&amp;skin=1&amp;font-color=auto&amp;logo_link=episode_page&amp;btn-skin=2baf9e" loading="lazy"></iframe></p> <p>ERP cloud migration can be a fraught process, especially when the target system is multi-tenant <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/SaaS-ERP-software-as-a-service-ERP-hosting">SaaS ERP</a>. This purest form of cloud ERP has many advantages, including accessibility, ease of use, minimal maintenance and advanced technologies like AI. But it tends to force generic business processes on organizations that aren't always ready for them, and it is also not hospitable to the customizations some have grown to depend on in their on-premises ERP.</p> <p>As a result, many companies seek halfway measures, such as running a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/hybrid-ERP">hybrid of on-premises and SaaS ERP modules</a> or moving their on-premises ERP to a cloud hosting provider to gain some of the flexibility and cost savings of cloud computing.</p> <p>Tilton Group, a manufacturer in Quebec City, Canada, that makes food and pharmaceutical packaging from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiltongroup.com/en/company/our-second-nature" rel="noopener">recycled materials</a>, executed the full cloud ERP move successfully in May 2025. It migrated from the on-premises version of Epicor Kinetic, its very first ERP system, to the multi-tenant SaaS version. In the process, the company laid the foundation for AI applications, including Epicor's AI-driven tool for inventory planning and optimization (IP&amp;O).</p> <p>In this episode of <i>Enterprise Apps Unpacked, </i>David Paquet, director of technological innovation and procurement, explains how he spearheaded Tilton Group's search for an ERP system, how the initial implementation in 2022 changed the way the company conducted business, and what it was like to shift to the SaaS version of Kinetic three years later.</p> <p>He also shares details on how the transitions were managed, including using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/application-program-interface-API">APIs</a> to integrate the SaaS ERP with the company's homegrown, on-premises manufacturing execution system (MES).</p> <p>"It's our own MES, and it will never be in the cloud for latency reasons," he said.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignRight"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/paquet_david.jpg" alt="David Paquet, Director of Technological Innovation and Procurement, Tilton Group">David Paquet </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Sticking with the classics"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Sticking with the classics</h2> <p>Paquet said the cloud migration's impact on employees was softened by temporarily employing a hybrid approach for the Kinetic UI. After the SaaS move, frequently used screens for critical processes, such as shipping and shop-floor data collection, were kept on the classic Kinetic UI. That gave the company almost six months to migrate screens to the new UI gradually. "We tried to minimize disruption by doing it step by step, one screen at a time, and not like a big bang with all the screens at the same time," he said.</p> <p>An earlier architectural decision positioned the company nicely for its current hybrid of SaaS ERP and on-premises MES. Concerti, a Kinetic system integrator in Montreal that helped with the on-premises ERP deployment, recommended that SQL queries and other operations be run through APIs connecting the two systems.</p> <p>"When we switched to the cloud, the only thing we had to change was the URL," Paquet said. "All the APIs called were the same. It was a really smooth transition to the cloud."</p> <p>Other topics discussed in the podcast include the following:</p> <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>Why Tilton Group went with Epicor's IP&amp;O application after considering having data scientists build a custom tool.</li> <li>Data synchronization and sharing between the ERP and MES.</li> <li>Pitfalls and keys to success that organizations considering cloud ERP migration should know.</li> </ul> <p><i>David Essex is an industry editor who creates in-depth content on enterprise applications, emerging technology and market trends for several Informa TechTarget websites.</i></p> </section> In this podcast, David Paquet of Tilton Group explains how using APIs to integrate a custom MES with on-premises Epicor Kinetic ERP eased the move to the multi-tenant SaaS ERP. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/podcast/How-one-manufacturer-blazed-a-smooth-path-to-ERP-cloud-migration Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT <p>When Microsoft moved a mission-critical financial application from an aging on-premises SAP ERP Central Component (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/definition/SAP-ERP-Central-Component-SAP-ECC">ECC</a>) system to S/4HANA, SAP's next-generation ERP, the six-month project culminated in a digital high-wire act. Extended downtime could prove disastrous for a system that holds 70 TB of data and manages billing for Xbox purchases, subscriptions for Microsoft 365 office apps and enterprise agreements, among others.</p> <p>"This is basically our SAP system that is the back end for all of our commerce scenarios," said Melinda van Honschooten, the Microsoft SAP solution architect who led the project. "It's a very high-volume, high-revenue scenario, and it is incredibly important to the running of our business."</p> <div class="imagecaption alignRight"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/van_honschooten_melinda.jpg" alt="Melinda van Honschooten, Principal SAP Solution Architect, Microsoft">Melinda van Honschooten </div> <p>The company would have to painstakingly ensure that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sap.com/products/financial-management/billing-revenue-innovation-management.html" rel="noopener">application</a>, SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management (BRIM), ran correctly on the new ERP and that its data was correct. And it would have to pull off the cutover in an unusually short time for such a large system.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Vessels of the SAP mothership"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Vessels of the SAP mothership</h2> <p>Microsoft began using BRIM around 15 years ago, and the software grew steadily more important as more lines of business were onboarded. But lately it wasn't keeping up with the company's growth, according to van Honschooten.</p> <p>"We realized we had some blockers remaining in ECC in our ability to process the amount of data and support the business scenarios we needed," she said. "Being able to keep up the scaling was really the thing that put us over the edge."</p> <p>Another major benefit of migrating to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/definition/SAP-S-4HANA">S/4HANA</a> would be the read performance of its HANA in-memory database, which is significantly faster than the ECC's SQL database. Month-end accounting processes that took eight hours on ECC had a cumulative effect on the high-volume, batch-oriented system but could be reduced to half an hour on S/4HANA.</p> <p>"Some of our biggest jobs were getting progressively longer. And, because of the volumes we were putting through the system, we were having issues with meeting schedule times," she said.</p> <p>Being able to pursue modern integration strategies and use AI to optimize processes were other strong reasons to migrate. Plus, new features are only available in the S/4HANA version of BRIM, according to van Honschooten. SAP's promise to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/news/366618912/Rise-With-SAP-will-extend-support-deadline-for-some">end mainstream ECC support</a> at the end of 2027 was another factor.</p> <p>She said BRIM is the first "really big" system Microsoft has <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/SAP-S4HANA-migration-A-definitive-guide">moved to S/4HANA</a>. The company has been a major SAP customer since the 1990s and is undergoing a gradual, multi-phase migration from ECC.</p> <p>Before BRIM, it had moved a much smaller system for master data governance and implemented one for its U.S. federal government business directly on S/4HANA, she said.</p> <p>The company still has one large ECC system it has used for nearly 30 years for finance-centric processes, such as core financials, procure-to-pay and order-to-cash, as well as HR.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The mothership SAP system is still on ECC, and we have a multi-year project in the works to move that to S/4 as well, but it's a much harder job," van Honschooten said.</p> <p>All the SAP systems run on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/Windows-Azure">Azure</a>, Microsoft's public cloud.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Selective migration is no small task"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Selective migration is no small task</h2> <p>After a couple false starts, Microsoft began discussing moving BRIM to S/4HANA around 2021 but put the project aside to work on a major credit-and-collections project. Serious planning with a small team began in 2024, and the full project team hit the ground running in February 2025.</p> <p>Microsoft's team of around 50 SAP specialists was responsible for migrating the BRIM code, including refactoring and testing to ensure it ran correctly on S/4HANA. SNP Group, an IT consultancy, <a href="https://www.snpgroup.com/en/resources/customer-stories/microsoft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handled data migration</a>, and a team from SAP's premium advisory service, MaxAttention, served as trusted advisors. Business leaders and partner engineering teams performed <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/regression-testing">regression testing</a> to ensure the new system functioned properly, according to van Honschooten.</p> <p>Much of the work would be dedicated to moving BRIM's massive database. "The biggest tables in the system are over 12 billion rows," van Honschooten said. "We're adding millions of rows every day, and we're archiving millions of rows every day."</p> <p>An initial assessment predicted downtime would last five days, which the business could not tolerate. "We were not going to be able to do the project unless we could fit it into a weekend," she said.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> We were not going to be able to do the project unless we could fit it into a weekend. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Melinda van Honschooten</strong>Principal SAP solution architect, Microsoft </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>So Microsoft and SNP brainstormed how to shrink the downtime window closer to the size of a typical window. They determined that taking the system down Friday afternoon U.S. Pacific time and getting back online by midday on Sunday would work because that's Monday morning in Manila, where Microsoft has a large offshore operation. The window was now down to 24 hours.</p> <p>To get the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/12-cloud-ERP-data-migration-best-practices">data migration job</a> itself to a manageable size, Microsoft chose SNP's Bluefield selective migration, which involves only moving certain data and processes to S/HANA. In contrast, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/brownfield-site">brownfield</a> method moves everything with minimal changes, which means fewer decisions to make. But it has two major drawbacks: Outdated processes and redundant data typically move to the new system, and some of its advanced features aren't activated.<b> </b>SNP says Bluefield enables companies to leave behind inefficiencies and get the reliability and stability of a brownfield migration while modernizing on the new platform.</p> <p>"Generally speaking, selective migration means you don't have to bring the whole system over," said SNP CTO Steele Arbeeny. "Maybe you have 10 years of history and you only want five, or you only have certain product lines that you want to migrate the data for." The result is an optimized system with a smaller footprint and lower costs, he said.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/arbeeny_steele.jpg" alt="Steele Arbeeny, CTO, SNP Group">Steele Arbeeny </div> <p>SNP's method and tools enabled a phased approach of pre-loading significant amounts of the most static data to the target system and then only moving the deltas -- data that changed while the migration was taking place -- on the go-live weekend, van Honschooten said.</p> <p>She said the team didn't have to create complex data-conversion rules and instead relied on SNP and Microsoft <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-validation">data validation</a> tools to make sure the deltas were 100% "on point" and the changes were captured accurately. It also used an SNP tool called Kyano Validate to validate trillions of fields after go-live.</p> <p>"We split the migration into an uptime portion, where the system's still running, but we're migrating all inactive data from previous years -- data that's not going to change," Arbeeny explained. "We bring that all over while the system is running, and then we take our downtime event and just do that catch-up period where we bring over anything that's changed during the uptime portion of the migration."</p> <p>Around half the downtime window was taken up by SNP's data migration, while Microsoft used the other half to verify the system was correct by starting and stopping processes, for example.</p> <p>Arbeeny said the size of the system, volume of transactions and narrow downtime window required by the global nature of BRIM's operations created a need for additional infrastructure, hardware and capacity to pump the data through within the downtime window and "get the elephant through the eye of the needle."</p> <p>Full-scale mock migrations were conducted in a sandbox identical to the production environment, and SNP maintained a "dual landscape" as a safeguard throughout the process, according to its website.</p> <p>As for migrating BRIM itself, van Honschooten said a challenge arose from changes in how bank accounts are managed in ECC vs. S/4HANA.</p> <p>"If you've got a custom field that is implemented the old way, an in-place conversion on a 10-billion-row table is incredibly hard to do," she said. "It's much easier to do it in a blank table and then do a migration into it." That meant custom fields had to be re-implemented in the new system.</p> <p>The team also fixed several currencies to comply with the three-letter ISO currency codes used in S/4HANA.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How the move has benefitted Microsoft"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How the move has benefitted Microsoft</h2> <p>After going live in August 2025, once it was clear the new BRIM system was stable, the team began addressing a laundry list of improvements.</p> <p>"Post-conversion, we were able to do some pretty big things, which were fairly quick wins," van Honschooten said.</p> <p>One was re-jiggering the batch schedule so data processing could run faster and the company could "de-risk" month-end accounting. Another was renovating the interfaces to data services by moving away from older SAP technology that used web services and remote function call (RFC) technology. As a result, integration with Microsoft's front-end systems is "much more performant," she said.</p> <p>The migration also facilitated improvements to the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP system that the company uses as a front end to its credit and collections operations. It can now embed the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/definition/SAP-Fiori">SAP Fiori</a> UX framework directly in Dynamics 365, which van Honschooten called a huge accelerator for lower-volume collections formerly requiring "swivel chair" integration that saw workers manually copying data from the old SAP UX to the new one.</p> <p>Arbeeny noted the cascading benefits of faster data processing. "When your night batch takes 12 hours and you get it down to four, many opportunities become available for other things you can do," he said. "It's underpinned by the innovation in the technical stack as well as in the application layer. With that extra capacity, you can do more with the same level of infrastructure, and that opens the door for agentic."</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Enabling Agentic AI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Enabling Agentic AI</h2> <p>Van Honschooten said her team is, indeed, working on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/agentic-AI">agentic AI</a>, specifically for cash applications and collections where incoming customer payments must be matched with invoices.</p> <p>The matching rate in the cash apps transformation, which started two years ago on ECC, has skyrocketed from 30% to around 85% on S/4HANA. The company is also implementing a smart dunning process that provides a better understanding of individual customers instead of following a fixed schedule. Agentic AI helps automate the inbound emails and other collections processes run through Dynamics 365.</p> <p>"We're systematically going through all our workflows in that space and determining how we can better reduce the amount of people we need to be able to respond to customer inquiries and predictively understand when a customer is going to dispute an invoice so we can take action before the dispute gets raised," she said. Days sales outstanding (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/days-sales-outstanding-DSO">DSO</a>) metrics should improve by getting more customers to pay on time.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="'Cleaner core' approach to cloud ERP"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>'Cleaner core' approach to cloud ERP</h2> <p>SAP and many of its partners have been <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsap/feature/SAP-clean-core-approach-changes-game-for-SIs">promoting a "clean core" methodology</a> that calls for keeping the core of an ERP system focused on standard business processes and free of customization. But Arbeeny was adamant that Microsoft needed to move BRIM to private-cloud S/4HANA rather than the public-cloud version, which tends to strictly enforce clean-core rules.</p> <p>He called clean core an oversimplification, saying some of Microsoft's customizations are mission-critical and that <i>cleaner core</i> is a more realistic term. "We can get better, but the reality that you're going to eliminate all those customizations that are mission-critical is really unrealistic," he said. "They're there for a reason. You built them because they make you who you are."</p> <p>Van Honschooten clarified that the ECC to S/4HANA project was not about trying to re-implement all the customizations. Nevertheless, SNP's Bluefield approach to data migration enabled targeted improvements that move the company closer to a cleaner-core environment. She cited re-implementing custom fields to clean-core standards as an example.</p> <p>She advised organizations planning a similar data migration to keep it simple and to not try to do too much. And leave plenty of room in the schedule for mock migrations. "We learned so much and got better and better each time. We ended up having a pretty clean conversion at the end of the day because we were able to practice it."</p> <p><i>David Essex is an industry editor who creates in-depth content on enterprise applications, emerging technology and market trends for several Informa TechTarget websites.</i></p> </section> Extensive code testing and SNP's selective data migration ensured safe 24-hour cutover of the SAP BRIM system Microsoft uses for Xbox billing and other usage-based commerce. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files05.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/How-Microsoft-moved-an-SAP-ECC-billing-system-to-S-4HANA-private-cloud Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:30:00 GMT <p>Today's IT leaders face increased pressure to secure complex infrastructure while supporting business growth, operational resilience and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchSecurity/tip/Data-sovereignty-compliance-challenges-and-best-practices">regulatory compliance</a> -- and all while maintaining budget discipline.</p> <p>As cyberthreats become more sophisticated and disruptive, a secure IT infrastructure is no longer just a technical requirement; it's a necessity and a strategic business priority. Organizations must protect critical systems and data while ensuring they can quickly detect, respond to and recover from incidents.</p> <p>This guide defines secure IT infrastructure, examines its foundational pillars and provides guidance on aligning security with business objectives. It concludes with practical ways to prioritize investments that strengthen security and reduce organizational risk.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why secure IT infrastructure matters today"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why secure IT infrastructure matters today</h2> <p>Secure IT infrastructure combines specific technologies, processes and controls to protect an organization's systems, networks, applications and data from cyberthreats while maintaining business operations. Along with preventing attacks, it gives the visibility needed to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/Top-10-types-of-information-security-threats-for-IT-teams">identify risks</a>, the resilience to withstand disruptions and the ability to restore critical services quickly when incidents do occur. In practice, a secure IT infrastructure enables organizations to reduce risk, maintain compliance and support long-term business continuity.</p> <p>Organizations face evolving threats, such as ransomware, insider attacks and supply chain risks. Combined with the depth, complexity and agility of AI-driven malicious activity, cybersecurity is now a board-level issue.</p> <p>Ignoring these risks leads to downtime, lost revenue, reputational harm and compliance fines. IT leaders need clear frameworks to address these challenges.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The core pillars of secure IT infrastructure"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The core pillars of secure IT infrastructure</h2> <p>Use these core pillars of IT infrastructure security to build a comprehensive, deliberate and cost-effective security posture.</p> <h3>Identity and access management</h3> <p>Begin by clearly identifying people, roles and systems. Identity and access management, the first essential pillar of a secure infrastructure, includes the following practices:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Manage user and service account lifecycles effectively.</li> <li>Implement multifactor authentication (MFA).</li> <li>Control privileged access management.</li> <li>Enforce the principle of least privilege.</li> </ul> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TbTUw2oz0EM?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> <h3>Network security and segmentation</h3> <p>Secure on-premises, cloud, edge and remote connections to ensure availability, prevent interception and reduce incident effects by taking the following actions:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Establish <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchITOperations/tip/Zero-trust-in-the-IT-ops-stack-Securing-hybrid-workloads">zero-trust principles</a> at the network level.</li> <li>Divide networks into segments and microsegments to isolate traffic.</li> <li>Secure hybrid and remote work environments.</li> </ul> <h3>Endpoint and device protection</h3> <p>Control over endpoints -- laptops, desktop systems, smartphones and tablets -- aids detection and prevention. Organizations should automate where possible for efficiency, but there are several ways to ensure protection:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Formalize <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchSecurity/tip/A-leaders-guide-to-integrating-EDR-SIEM-and-SOAR">endpoint detection and response</a> capabilities.</li> <li>Automate device lifecycle management and patching.</li> <li>Implement access controls that isolate and update noncompliant devices.</li> <li>Maintain visibility and reporting across all connected assets.</li> </ul> <h3>Data protection, resilience and recovery</h3> <p>Much of an organization's true value lies in its data, making ransomware attacks that hold it hostage especially damaging. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchDisasterRecovery/tip/AI-tools-are-making-resilience-an-enterprise-wide-discipline">Data resilience is crucial</a>, whether from human maliciousness or natural disasters. To start, consider the following steps:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Implement data encryption and backup strategies.</li> <li>Formalize disaster recovery and business continuity planning.</li> <li>Specifically target ransomware recovery capabilities.</li> </ul> <h3>Continuous monitoring and threat detection</h3> <p>Nightly scans and periodic reviews are long outdated. Continuous monitoring is crucial for security teams to understand what's happening in the infrastructure, and AI-driven responses depend on it. These practices can help:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Automate security monitoring and logging.</li> <li>Invest in threat intelligence and anomaly detection capabilities.</li> <li>Implement AI for faster incident detection and response to limit damage.</li> </ul> <h3>Governance, risk, compliance and third-party security</h3> <p>Governance sets strategy and direction for infrastructure technology. Effective governance reduces risk, strengthens compliance and improves supply chain and third-party security, and it includes the following steps:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Define and implement security policies and risk management frameworks.</li> <li>Recognize and adhere to regulatory and compliance requirements.</li> <li>Manage vendors and the supply chain carefully and comprehensively.</li> <li>Use <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/What-the-cloud-shared-responsibility-model-requires-of-you">shared responsibility in cloud environments</a>.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_management-need_to_govern_data-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic listing reasons why data governance is needed in organizations." height="283" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>These are some of the top reasons to have a data governance program. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Aligning infrastructure security with business objectives"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Aligning infrastructure security with business objectives</h2> <p>Effective infrastructure security cannot exist as a standalone IT function. It must support broader business goals to be comprehensive and effective. By aligning security initiatives -- such as the pillars defined above -- with organizational priorities, IT leaders can reduce business risk, strengthen operational resilience and help ensure regulatory compliance.</p> <p>Such alignment improves communication with leadership by framing security investments in terms of business outcomes rather than technical capabilities. Using meaningful metrics and reporting demonstrates how security efforts protect critical assets, avoid compliance and reputational penalties, support business continuity and contribute to long-term organizational success.</p> <p>When security is tied to strategic objectives, it becomes a business enabler rather than simply a cost center.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Prioritizing IT infrastructure security investments"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Prioritizing IT infrastructure security investments</h2> <p>Take clear steps to prioritize security investments. Common infrastructure elements often enable big gains with simple changes:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Identify critical <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/Best-practices-for-enterprise-asset-management">business infrastructure assets</a>, including users, services and data.</li> <li>Address fundamental security gaps before investing in advanced security tools.</li> <li>Use a decision-making matrix to evaluate investments based on risk, business impact and ROI.</li> <li>Build a roadmap that balances immediate improvements with long-term resilience.</li> </ul> <p>Many organizations can close security gaps through effective audits, updated practices and automating device patching, user management, remote access and network segmentation.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What secure IT infrastructure looks like in practice"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What secure IT infrastructure looks like in practice</h2> <p>Align security with business goals and prioritize investments to build a cohesive, recognizable security posture. This posture includes the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Clear governance that demonstrates deliberate planning and decision-making.</li> <li>Strong identity controls.</li> <li>Least privileged-enforced access controls.</li> <li>Segmented networks.</li> <li>Endpoint and device protection measures.</li> <li>Continuous monitoring.</li> <li>Documented and tested data recovery processes.</li> <li>Ongoing risk assessments.</li> <li>Automated processes that enable efficiency and consistency.</li> </ul> <p>These pillars show that infrastructure security efforts are effective and well managed.</p> <p>Measure results to show security investment value with KPIs, including the metrics listed below:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Mean time to detect and mean time to respond.</li> <li>Patch compliance rate.</li> <li>MFA coverage.</li> <li>Endpoint protection coverage.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchDataBackup/tip/The-new-standards-for-cyber-resilient-backup-strategy">Backup and recovery success</a> rate.</li> <li>Third-party risk assessment coverage.</li> </ul> <p>These metrics link infrastructure security directly to risk reduction, operational resilience and the organization's ability to withstand and recover from cybersecurity incidents.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Conclusion"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Conclusion</h2> <p>A secure IT infrastructure is not just a defensive necessity; it's a business enabler. Enterprises that prioritize security, resilience and governance are better positioned to reduce risk and support growth. Start focusing now on foundational controls and strategic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dragos.com/blog/ot-security-investment-framework" rel="noopener">investments</a> to build infrastructure that protects the business today while preparing it for tomorrow's challenges.</p> <p><i>Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to Informa TechTarget, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.</i></p> </section> This guide explains secure IT infrastructure, its core security pillars and how IT leaders can align investments with business goals, resilience and compliance. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/security_g1192070289.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Secure-IT-infrastructure-A-practical-guide-for-IT-leaders Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:10:00 GMT <p>Employees are now comfortable with video meetings in place of physical ones. Many have even replaced phone calls with video. However, there is a lot more to being a video-first business than just supporting hybrid work by giving everyone a Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex account.</p> <p>The potential power of video in business goes beyond simply including remote workers in daily meetings. A video-first business uses video to communicate with team members, along with partners and clients.</p> <p>A true video-first business also uses video beyond meetings. A corporate video strategy could include marketing, training, promotions, webinars, podcasts, interactive livestreams and social media clips. In fact, 91% of businesses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/A-primer-on-short-form-video-strategy-for-CIOs">use video as a marketing tool</a>, according to a Wyzowl video marketing <a target="_blank" href="https://wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/" rel="noopener">survey</a>.</p> <p>However, transforming a company into a video-first business is not easy. It takes a lot more than&nbsp;buying cameras and related video gear&nbsp;for teams. Technology is not the issue here. In fact, the technology has been ready for quite some time. The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/feature/Successful-hybrid-working-mixes-tech-policy-and-culture">challenge is the culture</a>. Follow these three steps to kick-start your company's initiative for adopting a corporate video strategy.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Embrace video"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Embrace video</h2> <p>Organizations aren't always thinking of incorporating video when launching new work programs or initiatives. Instead, things stay the same, with blogs, PDFs, infographics and other flatly written copy. This could be due to people still thinking video is complicated, expensive and only for video experts. Or simply that video is not worth doing.</p> <p>To change this mindset, organizations must embrace the power of video. The best way to do this is to&nbsp;continue using video as we did during the pandemic, rather than going back to the phone for communication. Be sure your team doesn't take the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcontentmanagement/tip/8-business-benefits-and-challenges-of-video-conferencing">benefits of video communication</a> for granted. Treat video as an ongoing business function by defining workflows and processes.</p> <p>The power of face-to-face communication -- regardless of physical location -- may be the norm today, but it should still be noted and appreciated. The connections made among team members who meet over video result in better and more quickly produced work, which provides more productivity and profit for companies.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/video_use_cases_go_beyond_meetings-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/video_use_cases_go_beyond_meetings-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/video_use_cases_go_beyond_meetings-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/video_use_cases_go_beyond_meetings-f.png 1280w" alt="Grid image that lists video use cases, including webinars, training, town halls and custom apps." height="409" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Video use cases include webinars, training and town halls. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Measure video effectiveness"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Measure video effectiveness</h2> <p>Video shouldn't be an afterthought as a project element, rather it should be expected. Your team shouldn't be asking, "Should we make a short video for social media as part of this project?" Instead, think, "Naturally, video will be a part of this project because we are a video-first company and we use the power of video to stand out from the competition."</p> <p>To get to this point, measure the effectiveness of video use and provide feedback to teams. If a team creates a print promotion that results in 10 sales leads and a video promotion that results in 100 leads, make sure they know that. If customers dealing with their reps over video report higher satisfaction than those using the phone, make sure customer reps are aware. Your teams want to be effective, and they will become video-first workers if you show them how much more effective they are with video.</p> <p>Some <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/feature/AI-rewrites-ROI-for-next-generation-video-conferencing">success metrics to measure</a> include view completion rates, conversation rates, employee satisfaction, training completion and cost per video.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Provide training to users"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Provide training to users</h2> <p>Finally, some tech and training can't hurt. Many workers may not be aware that they can join a video meeting alone and click record to create a talking-head video for social media. Make sure your team is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/feature/UC-user-adoption-training-must-evolve-for-hybrid-work">aware of and comfortable using their existing video tools</a>. If you want to go beyond that, you can encourage one team member to be your "video hero" and learn a little video editing and production.</p> <p>Companies that are more serious about adopting a corporate video strategy should consider investing in a small studio space at the office, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/How-to-plan-a-hybrid-conference-room-setup">professional background, lighting and higher-quality camera gear</a>. However, all that equipment isn't required for a video-first business -- desktop video and a little editing can go a long way. It all depends on the company's culture and mindset.</p> <p>A video-first company has a great advantage over its competition. Using video for internal communication improves productivity and worker satisfaction, while using it for external communication puts a human face on the business. The effect of video over print for marketing and promotion is beyond dispute -- TV commercials sell more product than newspaper ads. However, it can't be expected that all working teams will use video simply because the technology is available to them. Even in this video-friendly&nbsp;post-pandemic world, most companies simply do not yet have a video-first culture.</p> <p><em>David Maldow is founder and CEO of Let's Do Video. He has written about the video and visual collaboration industry for almost 20 years.</em></p> </section> A video-first business goes beyond basic conferencing to embrace video for internal employee collaboration and external customer communications. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/telecommunications_g1196912050.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/Steps-for-an-effective-corporate-video-strategy Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT <p>Cloud ERP implementations are rife with the potential for failure. However, some implementation problems occur so frequently they are easy to predict and guard against, so a chief operating officer or whichever member of the C-suite is involved with the cloud ERP implementation should learn about the challenges.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/10-cloud-ERP-implementation-challenges">Addressing these challenges</a> early and monitoring the overall process closely can ensure a smooth cloud ERP implementation and help avoid problems down the road.</p> <p>Here are some common <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/252482538/ERP-implementation-challenges-grow-in-COVID-19-crisis">ERP implementation challenges</a> and ways to tackle them.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Adequately identifying risks"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Adequately identifying risks</h2> <p>The project team should identify known risks early in the project so they can be tracked and resolved. This process can significantly reduce future challenges, yet many implementation teams miss the mark in this area. Some teams document the risks but don't regularly review the risk list to ensure they're resolved or on a path to resolution, while others don't sufficiently track the risks or address them at all.</p> <p>Ignoring these known risks, then having them come to fruition at go-live, can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/7-reasons-for-ERP-implementation-failure">jeopardize the ERP launch</a> and demoralize the project team that worked hard to ensure the project was a success.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Gathering requirements in the right way"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Gathering requirements in the right way</h2> <p>The team should document requirements and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/answer/What-key-stakeholders-are-vital-to-ERP-requirements-analysis">have stakeholders vet them</a>. Common issues that can impact requirements include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The requirements are too high-level, so holding the vendor <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Choosing-wrong-ERP-implementation-partner-Warning-signs">or implementation partner</a> accountable when they aren't met is difficult.</li> <li>The requirements are incomplete because key stakeholders were not included in the requirements-gathering process. Some subject matter experts may be too narrowly focused on their team or department's needs. For example, a finance employee may not be familiar enough with accounts payable (AP) to adequately document AP's requirements. Consider what voices are truly represented in the group.</li> <li>The vendor's and implementation partner's information is out-of-date and doesn't reflect how the new ERP system should work in the future.</li> </ul> <p>The team must pay proper attention to these requirements the first time around. Making changes after the fact could cost money, so <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/How-to-avoid-unrealistic-ERP-implementation-timelines">ensure the schedule</a> includes sufficient time to review the requirements after the implementation team has added the requirements to their templates.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Understanding change request policies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Understanding change request policies</h2> <p>Avoiding change requests altogether is difficult, but documenting and reviewing requirements lowers the probability of future unplanned expenses. The team should create a clearly worded process related to change requests before signing a contact, because they can put a major strain on the budget and delay the project.</p> <p>Some partners charge a fee not only for investigating the requested change and building the change request but also for the cost for the change request itself. Details about change requests are likely found in the contract and may also be included in the vendor's and implementation partner's supplemental documentation.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Anticipating project schedule issues"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Anticipating project schedule issues</h2> <p>The team should review the proposed schedule in detail with key stakeholders before committing to a schedule with the implementation partner. Moving <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/Post-go-live-The-true-test-of-a-software-vendor">the go-live date</a> can be very difficult and expensive because the implementation partner will have to keep resources on the project past the planned go-live date.</p> <p>The team should avoid scheduling a go-live or a critical milestone around holidays involved countries observe, such as national independence days <a href="https://blog.datixinc.com/blog/software-go-live-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">or the</a> end of December, which contains a number of important holidays. Many people also take extended vacations during the summer, and project team members living in different regions or countries may have different holidays or vacation practices project leaders and their teams need to plan around.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. Being proactive about backup resources"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. Being proactive about backup resources</h2> <p>A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/tip/How-to-choose-the-right-ERP-project-team-5-secrets-to-success">key project team member</a> may need to be absent for an extended period because of illness, personal reasons or unforeseen circumstances, so the team should make sure to assign and budget for a backup resource for all key team members. Also check that your implementation partner has a backup for key resources on their team.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. Creating true change management strategies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. Creating true change management strategies</h2> <p>Employees may be eager to start using a new ERP system. However, some workers -- or even some vendors -- may not like change and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Top-change-management-tips-for-ERP-implementation-success">would prefer to stay with the current system</a>. While most people will use the new ERP system after go-live because they have to, excitement about the new system will reduce stress for the system users, increase the likelihood that the project will be successful post go-live and reduce the number of workarounds and spreadsheets employees may create if they don't trust the new ERP system.</p> </section> Addressing risks early and closely monitoring the cloud ERP implementation process can help avoid problems down the road. Learn about some of the most common challenges. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_g943065362.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/6-cloud-ERP-implementation-challenges-and-how-to-solve-them Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT <p>There is no question that unified communications as a service now dominates the workplace collaboration landscape.</p> <p>Consider: Almost 59% of companies surveyed in Metrigy's "Workplace Collaboration MetriCast: 2025"<i>&nbsp;</i>global research study of 797 organizations labeled unified communications as a service (UCaaS) as their primary platform for calling, meetings and messaging. Of those using on-premises UC applications, 33% also used UCaaS or planned to do so by the end of 2025.</p> <p>UCaaS adoption drivers have shifted. Reduced operating costs is still a primary consideration, but access to improved collaboration features, especially those <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/Build-a-strategy-to-tap-GenAI-in-unified-communications">driven by AI,</a> is the primary reason why companies adopt UCaaS.</p> <p>To that end, here are seven key UCaaS features, in no particular order, which will help boost productivity and employee efficiency within your organization.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. AI virtual assistants"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. AI virtual assistants</h2> <p>Most every UCaaS platform now provides an AI-based virtual assistant. These tools provide a variety of capabilities, including summarizing chats, messages, meetings and calls, as well as aiding in how responses might be composed. Vendors are rapidly rolling out new AI capabilities, with many adding AI interactive voice response to handle missed calls.</p> <p>Workflow studios enable individuals to create agents to automate or support specific activities. Basic AI capabilities are usually built into UCaaS apps, while more advanced capabilities, such as custom agent creation and access to external knowledge bases, may require additional license purchases.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Integrated team messaging"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Integrated team messaging</h2> <p>Most UCaaS providers have made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/Ultimate-guide-to-team-collaboration-platforms">team messaging</a>&nbsp;the centerpiece of UX, and for many companies, it is now the primary collaboration UI. Metrigy research data showed that 81% of companies have rolled out team messaging, with 61% viewing it as a hub for work. Team collaboration capabilities have rapidly expanded with vendors now offering integrated task management, connectors to third-party data sources and AI agents to manage work. More recently, vendors have begun to embed AI agents directly into chat channels, enabling them to function as teammates to capture action items or respond to inquiries.</p> <p>Using team messaging as a hub for work also means integrating other applications into it, making the team workspace a one-stop shop for a wide range of resources, including product and task management, business intelligence and CRM. This enables collaboration in context; employees don't have to switch out of the team space to pull in a report they want to share with other team members. Instead, they can chat and act -- all within the same space. Connectors also let employees manage data within other apps through the same interface.</p> <p>Finally, most team apps now support cross-company chat, replacing email to bring contextual communications for both internal and external engagement.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Contact center integration"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Contact center integration</h2> <p>Almost 83% of research participants are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/tip/How-the-convergence-of-UCaaS-and-CCaaS-affects-businesses">integrating their contact center and UC platforms</a>&nbsp;to simplify management, reduce costs and improve customer service. Integration delivers measurable business improvements, including enabling agents to quickly find answers to customer inquiries and simplifying telecom infrastructure. Approximately 58% of Metrigy research participants report cost savings from integrating UC and contact centers.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Improved mobility support"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Improved mobility support</h2> <p>About 45% of employees, on average, work remotely -- either full- or part-time. For many, making a phone call or joining a video meeting requires&nbsp;<u>connecting to the enterprise network through a VPN</u>, which <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/answer/What-are-the-3-most-common-network-issues-to-troubleshoot">introduces delay and potential performance issues</a>. In a UCaaS environment, remote employees can access the UCaaS provider through their local internet connection, typically improving voice and video performance. In addition, UCaaS providers now offer an expanding set of mobile capabilities, from native dialer support through carrier integrations and dual-SIM configurations to apps with specific features for field workers.</p> <p>Through services such as Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, Webex Go, Zoom Mobile and RingCentral's partnership with Vodafone, a mobile device can be configured to essentially act as a fully featured phone extension. As a result, users don't have to access the UCaaS app on their phones to place or receive calls. These services are still relatively new; vendors are still working out how to support <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/quiz/Test-your-knowledge-of-E911-compliance-requirements">U.S.-mandated emergency location and notification requirements</a>. But they represent another way in which UCaaS can boost employee productivity, especially for those workers who depend on mobile devices as their primary means of communication.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. Application integrations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. Application integrations</h2> <p>Most UCaaS vendors make it easy for customers to obtain off-the-shelf plug-ins that integrate their software with other apps used within their organizations. Examples include the ability to integrate project and workflow management into meetings and team spaces, and support for third-party whiteboard apps for ideation.</p> <p>Many UCaaS providers offer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/application-program-interface-API">APIs</a>, and they also distribute low-code/no-code tools that can be used to create custom integrations. It's not just about integrating apps into the UCaaS UI; most UCaaS providers also let customers embed UC features, such as calling and messaging, directly into apps like CRM and email.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. Integrated text messaging"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. Integrated text messaging</h2> <p>Many UCaaS providers offer <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/answer/What-is-the-difference-between-RCS-and-SMS">SMS text messaging</a> integrations as part of their calling feature set, letting employees use their business numbers for&nbsp;texting. This also lets organizations capture text messages for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/tcpa-rules.pdf" rel="noopener">compliance purposes</a> or for integration with CRM platforms. It also serves as a safeguard against employees from using their personal mobile numbers for business texting.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="7. Simplified management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>7. Simplified management</h2> <p>UCaaS platforms provide integrated management capabilities, not just for applications but also for certified, connected devices, including <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/Weighing-personal-video-conferencing-endpoints-for-hybrid-work">video endpoints and phones</a>. Increasingly, UCaaS providers underpin their configuration and performance management with AI to automate routine tasks, detect potential trouble points and automatically remediate issues before they affect end users. Analytics enable administrators to conduct pre-deployment modeling and analyze data for utilization forecasting, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/How-to-plan-a-hybrid-conference-room-setup">room sizing</a> and bandwidth management.</p> <p>These UCaaS features are just a sample of what's available to help companies boost their productivity. Evaluate UCaaS providers to see if they can support these capabilities -- as well as others that may be on their roadmap -- to help your organization get more value from its UC investments.</p> <p><strong>Editor's note:</strong>&nbsp;<em>This article was updated to reflect new market data and advances in UCaaS features.</em></p> <p><em>Irwin Lazar is president and principal analyst at Metrigy, where he leads coverage on the digital workplace. His research focus includes unified communications, VoIP, video conferencing and team collaboration. </em></p> </section> Enterprises have historically used UCaaS to reduce operating costs. No longer. Today, due in part to AI, companies view UCaaS as the most efficient way to boost collaboration. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/container_g1074391400.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/tip/Top-UCaaS-features-to-enhance-productivity Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT <p data-end="9210" data-start="9000">HR software implementation challenges do not end at go-live. In many cases, the hardest work begins when employees, managers, HR teams and IT staff must use the new system to complete everyday work.<span aria-hidden="true"></span></p> <p data-end="9530" data-start="9212">A new HR system can change how employees request time off, update personal information, complete onboarding tasks, review pay and benefits, use self-service tools or interact with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/feature/HR-AI-is-becoming-a-change-management-story">AI-enabled workflows</a>. If those changes are not explained clearly, adoption can stall even when the software itself is working as designed.</p> <p data-end="9745" data-start="9532"><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/Top-change-management-applications">HR software change management </a>should begin before implementation and continue after launch. The following seven practices can help HR, IT and business leaders improve communication, training, adoption and support.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Create a plan"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Create a plan</h2> <p data-end="10405" data-start="10150"><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/The-most-common-HR-change-management-models">Discussing change management</a> before go-live is not enough. HR and IT leaders should create a detailed plan that identifies what is changing, which employee groups are affected, who owns each step and how the organization will measure adoption.</p> <p data-end="10754" data-start="10407">The plan should account for more than training dates. Include communication milestones, role-based training, manager support, policy updates, issue escalation, data and integration dependencies, and post-launch ownership. Review the plan regularly and adjust it if the project scope, timeline, vendor configuration or business requirements change.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. Secure senior management buy-in"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. Secure senior management buy-in</h2> <p data-end="11411" data-start="11078"><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/How-HR-can-serve-a-critical-role-in-change-management">Getting senior management support</a> is crucial, especially when a new HR system changes how employees and managers complete routine work. CHROs, CIOs and other business leaders should explain why the change matters, what outcomes the organization expects and how the rollout supports broader workforce or operational goals.<span aria-hidden="true"></span></p> <p data-end="11694" data-start="11413">Leadership support should also be visible. For example, managers should use the new system to approve time, review employee information, complete performance tasks or respond to workflow notifications. When leaders continue using old workarounds, employees will likely do the same.</p> <p data-end="11694" data-start="11413">HR software change management is not finished at go-live; it begins when employees must change how work gets done.</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The sponsor’s job is not just to approve the system, but to connect the rollout to business outcomes and model adoption. </figure> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. Create a communication plan"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. Create a communication plan &nbsp;</h2> <p data-end="12720" data-start="12450">Consider both the pre- and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/feature/10-steps-to-support-your-HCM-system-post-go-live">post-go-live phases</a> when developing a communication plan. Messages should explain why the organization is changing systems, which tasks are moving to the new software, what employees must do differently and where they can get help.</p> <p data-end="13070" data-start="12722">Communication should be specific to each audience. Employees may need information about self-service, pay, benefits or personal data updates. Managers may need guidance on approvals, reporting and team workflows. HR, payroll, benefits and IT teams may need more detailed updates about configuration, permissions, integrations and support processes.</p> <p data-end="13371" data-start="13072">Post-go-live communication is just as important. Create a clear channel where employees can report issues, ask questions or submit change requests. Regularly update employees who report problems so they know their feedback was received and whether a fix, workaround or future enhancement is planned.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Build time in for communication approvals"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Build time in for communication approvals</h2> <p data-end="13927" data-start="13674">Often, an HR leader, legal reviewer, compliance stakeholder or internal communications team must approve employee messages. Document the approval process and include it in the project schedule so reviews do not delay critical communications.</p> <p data-end="14171" data-start="13929">This step is especially important when the rollout affects pay, benefits, job data, employee privacy, AI-enabled tools or policy changes. Employees should receive accurate and approved information before they encounter a change in the system.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. Develop a detailed training plan"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. Develop a detailed training plan</h2> <p data-end="15870" data-start="15672">Training is one of the most important parts of HR software change management. A strong training plan should account for how different groups will use the system <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/Steps-for-an-HR-system-implementation-project-plan">before and after go-live</a>.</p> <p data-end="15925" data-start="15872">Consider the following when creating a training plan:</p> <ul data-end="17314" data-start="15927" class="default-list"> <li data-end="16099" data-start="15927" data-section-id="179qfkd"><strong data-end="15967" data-start="15929">Provide multiple learning options.</strong> Use a mix of vendor help tools, job aids, short videos, live sessions, office hours, e-learning and in-app guidance when available.</li> <li data-end="16275" data-start="16100" data-section-id="1otbpft"><strong data-end="16130" data-start="16102">Match training to roles.</strong> Employees, managers, HR administrators, payroll specialists, benefits teams, recruiters and reporting users will likely need different training.</li> <li data-end="16473" data-start="16276" data-section-id="n3fwnd"><strong data-end="16308" data-start="16278">Be strategic about timing.</strong> Begin training close enough to go-live that employees retain what they learn, but early enough that managers and support teams can identify confusion before launch.</li> <li data-end="16707" data-start="16474" data-section-id="msbogp"><strong data-end="16517" data-start="16476">Schedule additional manager training.</strong> Managers often need to complete approvals, initiate transfers, review team data or answer employee questions. Their training should include both system steps and communication expectations.</li> <li data-end="16914" data-start="16708" data-section-id="19k8lr9"><strong data-end="16751" data-start="16710">Train HR and IT support teams deeply.</strong> The people who will maintain the system <a href="ttps://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/feature/10-steps-to-support-your-HCM-system-post-go-live">after go-live need training</a> on configuration, issue resolution, permissions, integrations, reporting and escalation paths.</li> <li data-end="17126" data-start="16915" data-section-id="16om4co"><strong data-end="16970" data-start="16917">Plan for accessibility and workforce differences.</strong> Consider employees who work different shifts, speak different languages, use mobile devices, work in the field or have limited access to corporate systems.</li> <li data-end="17314" data-start="17127" data-section-id="13mscil"><strong data-end="17165" data-start="17129">Reinforce training after launch.</strong> Adoption rarely happens after one session. Use post-launch refreshers, FAQs, office hours and usage data to identify where employees need more help.</li> </ul> <div class="extra-info"> <div class="extra-info-inner"> <h3 class="splash-heading">HR software change management checklist</h3> <p>Before go-live, HR and IT leaders should confirm:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li data-end="4146" data-start="4113" data-section-id="1x6xg98">Who owns adoption after launch.</li> <li data-end="4189" data-start="4147" data-section-id="156vzro">Which employee groups are most affected.</li> <li data-end="4245" data-start="4190" data-section-id="s3gxob">Which workflows, policies and approvals are changing.</li> <li data-end="4281" data-start="4246" data-section-id="1pt0ddp">How training will differ by role.</li> <li data-end="4317" data-start="4282" data-section-id="1tcoyf1">How employees will report issues.</li> <li data-end="4372" data-start="4318" data-section-id="1q76h25">Which metrics will show whether adoption is working.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. Select champions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. Select champions</h2> <p data-end="18118" data-start="17815">Champions are employees who support the new HR software and help others understand how the change will affect their work. They can include HR business partners, managers, payroll or benefits specialists, frontline supervisors, regional leaders and employees who are respected by their peers.</p> <p data-end="18351" data-start="18120">To succeed, champions need regular updates, early exposure to the system and clear guidance on what they should communicate. Give them talking points, FAQs, demos, screenshots or short presentations they can share with their teams.</p> <p data-end="18536" data-start="18353">Champions should also send feedback back to the project team. They can often identify confusion, resistance or workflow problems before those issues appear in formal support channels.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="7. Explain any policy changes"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>7. Explain any policy changes</h2> <p data-end="19374" data-start="19059">Employees may be surprised if policies, balances, approvals or eligibility rules in the new system do not match what they expect. For example, a vacation policy, benefits rule, approval chain or employee classification might look different in the software than it did in previous documents or processes.</p> <p data-end="19620" data-start="19376">Do not let the HR system become the first place employees learn about a policy change. Communicate policy updates before employees use the software, and explain why the change is happening, who is affected and where employees can ask questions.</p> <p data-end="19862" data-start="19622">Also explain changes to data access and visibility. Employees and managers may notice new dashboards, profile fields, AI-enabled recommendations or reporting views. Clear communication can reduce confusion and build trust in the new system.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/when_hr_parts_are_greater_than_the_whole-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/when_hr_parts_are_greater_than_the_whole-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/when_hr_parts_are_greater_than_the_whole-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/when_hr_parts_are_greater_than_the_whole-f.png 1280w" alt="Circular diagram showing HR software components." height="560" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>HR software change management should account for the many HR functions and workflows affected by a new system. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p data-end="19862" data-start="19622">The most successful HR software rollouts treat change management as an ongoing adoption program, not a one-time launch task. A clear plan, visible leadership support, role-based communication, practical training and post-go-live ownership can help employees use the new system with less confusion and more confidence.</p> <p data-end="19862" data-start="19622"><strong data-end="321" data-start="303">Editor's note:</strong> <em>This article was updated to reflect current HR software change management practices, including adoption planning, training and post-go-live support. </em></p> <p data-end="19862" data-start="19622"><em>Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.</em><em></em></p> <p data-end="19862" data-start="19622"></p> </section> HR software change management requires more than training before go-live. Learn how HR, IT and business leaders can improve adoption, communication and support. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/keys_a196963791.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/feature/7-essentials-for-better-HR-software-change-management Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:30:00 GMT 60 webmaster@techtarget.com