Building a Better ERP Architecture to Support Machine Learning

Users and developers agree on one thing in relation to enterprise resource planning (ERP) software: it’s boring.

For users, ERP means a lot of data entry added to their daily workload. While ERP is becoming more sophisticated with support for mobile devices and cloud functionality now commonplace, most users would prefer to use systems that are quicker and more responsive.

Developers can see this is a pain point and are trying to innovate past it, but that’s not always possible with the kind of monolithic architecture that can be found in contemporary ERP installations. ERP is a challenge to developers because ERP systems communicate with so many other systems on the network and each ERP installation is so massively configurable. Each individual instance of an ERP can feel like a unique piece of software in itself.

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Bots at Work: No Longer Restricted to the World of Science Fiction

In the 1980s, the television program Knight Rider gave a glimpse into a world where artificial intelligence could learn, communicate, and make independent decisions. The star of the show, a self-aware computer, was housed in a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, and it intrigued viewers. They imagined how the technology could change lives, handling dull or dangerous tasks with a simple spoken command. At the time, such software sounded like a creation of science fiction. Now, less than four decades later, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology are our reality, communicating with users through natural language interfaces.

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How bots will shape the future of work in the financial industry

When the average person thinks of bots entering the workforce, scenes from X-Men: Days of Future Pastleap to mind, but actually, bots are not the future, they are already adopted and deployed among us. The reality of bots in day-to-day life is less “dominating Sentinel” and more “helpful and productive assistant.”

A bot is a piece of software that is designed and created to automate the kinds of tasks we would usually do on our own. Powered by a set of simple rules and varying degrees of artificial intelligence (AI), we can now create bots that can hold natural-sounding conversations with human beings with the aim of accomplishing tasks, such as answering questions or enabling product purchases.

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How bots at work, no longer sci-fi, will help you do more in the workplace

In the 1980s, the television program Knight Ridergave a glimpse into a world where artificial intelligence could learn, communicate and make independent decisions. The star of the show, a self-aware computer called KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), was housed in a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, and it intrigued viewers. They imagined how the technology could change lives, handling dull or dangerous tasks with a simple spoken command. At the time, such software sounded like a creation of science fiction. Now, less than four decades later, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology is a reality, communicating with users through natural language interfaces. Everyday jobs will soon be transformed as this technology advances.

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What we know — and need to know — about chatbots

It has been a dream of science fiction authors since the advent of computers: hands-free interfaces that can respond to our every whim — without the need to strike a single key.

That future is now closer than ever, with engineers across dozens of industries hard at work designing both computers and mobile devices that can interact through simple conversation. Known as natural language Interfaces (NLI), expectations are that this form of communication will spread from talking programs such as Siri, Alexa, and Cortana — and most recently, Samsung’s Bixby — to a multitude of interactive apps and programs in the coming months. And, in many cases, it already has.

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Can you have a relationship with your digital assistant?

As it gets easier to connect with one another, the lines become increasingly blurred between our physical reality and the digital world. The million-dollar question is whether the enterprise will be able to effectively manage both their intelligent machines and their human talent, an expert in the field of innovation says.

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Alexa meets Wanda – the future of enterprise computing

The power of voice controlled intelligence systems like Alexa is no longer reserved for the home. We have enhanced Alexa with enterprise skills allowing for a seamless integration between Alexa and our Digital Assistant, Wanda. The video below presented by myself and Thomas Staven from Unit4’s Innovation Labs team, demonstrates what happened when Wanda met Alexa for the first time, and what it means for enterprise computing in the future.

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AI in 2017: Digital Assistants & Tech Trends

In the last few years, commercial organizations have relied heavily on immersive technology, effectively transforming operations and even market competition. The internet makes cross-device integration increasingly common, particularly as more devices become connected. As it becomes easier to connect with one another, the lines between reality and digital world become increasingly blurred.

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How Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, and Apple Siri will help automate business

In the last few years, commercial organizations have relied heavily on immersive technology, effectively transforming operations, and even market competition. The internet makes cross-device integration increasingly common, particularly as more devices become connected. And as it becomes easier to connect with one another, the lines between reality and the digital world are increasingly blurred.

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AI in 2017 – learn to love your digital assistant

We are now in an era where people want to achieve more for less. As technology rapidly transforms our daily lives, we’re seeing demand from users wanting to simplify interaction with their enterprise systems in the workplace. Technology is shifting to accommodate more accessible communication between man and machine.

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