“First the vision, now the reality: what QAD’s AI means for organizations and the market.”
Why QAD’s Champion AI is unsettling the market
QAD’s Champion AI is shaking up the market, mainly because it represents a fundamental shift in how ERP software works and delivers value.
Here are the main factors causing unease among customers, competitors, and investors:
1. Fundamental shift in ERP: from recording to acting
Champion AI transforms ERP from a system that only records data into one that anticipates, supports decisions, and executes tasks. It’s a huge leap, and not everyone is ready for it.
2. AI changes the role of people
The AI agents take over repetitive tasks, from inventory optimization to planning and supplier interactions. This changes how people work and the decisions they make.
3. Changing competitive dynamics
QAD positions itself with AI differently than major players like SAP, Oracle, and other mid-market ERP vendors. This raises questions about who will deliver the most value going forward.
4. Data quality challenges
AI only works well when data is reliable and consistent. Many legacy environments have the opposite: fragmented data, spreadsheets outside the system, and manual processes.
5. Expectations versus reality
Many AI stories in the market are highly hyped. When companies implement AI broadly, the market often expects immediate big changes—but in practice, that doesn’t always happen.
In summary
Champion AI is not a minor update. It’s a strategic repositioning of ERP toward autonomous, AI-native systems that actively support decision-making.
This affects:
- • Control and trust: AI makes decisions
- • Organizational readiness: data and processes need to be in order
- • ROI expectations: results do not always come immediately
- • Competitive dynamics: who will deliver the most value?