Investigating the use of an Artificial Intelligence Model in an ERP Cloud-Based System

Abstract

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are necessary to improve an enterprise's management performance. However, the perception of information technology (IT) professionals about the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with ERP cloud service platforms is unknown. Few studies have examined how leaders can implement AI for strategic management, but no study has qualitatively explored AIs integration in the cloud ERP system. This qualitative phenomenological study explored IT professionals’ perceptions regarding the integration of AI and Supervised-machine (S-machine) learning into cloud service platforms in the enhancement of the cloud ERP system. Two research questions were developed for this study: 1) What are the perceptions of IT professionals regarding the use of an AI model to integrate SaaS and ERP? and 2) What are the perceptions of IT professionals regarding how AI can be integrated in order to enhance the security of using an ERP cloud-based system? Through a hermeneutical lens and a focus on integrating the Application Programming Interface (API), purposive sampling was used to interview five AI experts, three Machine Learning (ML) experts, five Cybersecurity experts, and two Cloud Service Providers provided their lived experiences with AI and S-machine learning. Five main themes emerged, including 1) use of an AI model to integrate SaaS and ERP helped perform work efficiently, 2) challenges for integrating AI into cloud service ERP and SaaS, 3) resources needed to fully implement an AI into cloud-service ERP or SaaS, 4) the best practices for developing and implementing an AI model for ERP and SaaS, and 5) how security of an ERP clouds-based system is optimized by integrating AI. The culmination of these findings has positive implications for individuals and organizations to improve management performance. While this study does not proposal a new theory, this study extends current literature on the application of theories related to technology integration.