WBSRocks: Scaling Growth with AI, Enterprise Software, and Digital Transformation

Sam Gupta

WBSRocks podcast features in-depth conversations on AI-enabled business models, customer experience, digital transformation, supply chain, eCommerce, industry 4.0, and enterprise software categories such as CRM, ERP, or analytics suites. The purpose of the show is to help CFOs, COOs, CEOs, and business owners with their daily commercial, operational, or financial challenges by taking a deep dive into business cases and processes, technology strategy and architecture, transformation initiatives, and business models. The show also offers an independent analysis of technology trends, various enterprise software vendors and solutions, and their mergers and acquisitions. Subscribe today to stay on top of digital transformation trends!

  1. WBSP870: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 56, an Objective Panel Discussion

    13h ago

    WBSP870: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 56, an Objective Panel Discussion

    Send us Fan Mail This week’s enterprise software developments highlight how vendors are accelerating investments in AI, automation, connectivity, and operational intelligence across the enterprise technology stack. Zapier and Rillet connected general ledger processes to thousands of business applications, while ActivTrak introduced new capabilities to help organizations measure and govern AI adoption. At the same time, Celonis expanded its collaboration with Oracle to strengthen process intelligence initiatives, and C3 AI showcased enhancements to its enterprise AI development platforms. ECI Software Solutions and In Time Tec announced a strategic collaboration, M-Files introduced new solutions for tax advisory, quality management, and contract processes, and Nexthink expanded digital employee experience management with support for Android and iOS devices. Meanwhile, TrueCommerce embedded agentic AI throughout its platform to streamline supply chain operations, Yobi deepened its partnership with Microsoft to enhance AI-powered customer engagement, and Zone & Co strengthened its financial operations portfolio through the acquisition of Sudozi. Collectively, these announcements underscore the growing focus on embedding AI directly into core business workflows while improving interoperability, governance, and enterprise-wide productivity. In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cCGErWYJI Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/ 🔗Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/ 🔗Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    1h 1m
  2. WBSP869: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Aerospace And Defense ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    1d ago

    WBSP869: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Aerospace And Defense ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    Send us Fan Mail The aerospace and defense ERP market remains one of the most complex and highly regulated segments of enterprise software in 2026. However, evaluating ERP solutions in this space requires a clear understanding of the diverse business models that make up the industry. Aerospace and defense organizations range from OEMs and Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers to MRO providers, airlines, defense contractors, and specialized component manufacturers. As a result, operational processes, compliance requirements, quality standards, and supply chain dynamics can vary significantly from one organization to another. Therefore, selecting the right ERP system is less about finding a universally superior platform and more about identifying a solution that aligns with an organization's specific business model, regulatory environment, and long-term growth strategy. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top aerospace and defense ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITidrgPRG9c Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/aerospace-and-defense-erp-systems/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    21 min
  3. WBSP868: Scale Growth by Understanding How to Select an Independent ERP Consulting Firm, an Objective Panel Review

    6d ago

    WBSP868: Scale Growth by Understanding How to Select an Independent ERP Consulting Firm, an Objective Panel Review

    Send us Fan Mail Selecting the right ERP system begins long before software demonstrations or vendor evaluations—it starts with selecting the right advisor. While many consulting firms position themselves as independent, their implementation partnerships, reseller agreements, or vendor incentives often shape recommendations behind the scenes, leading organizations toward shoehorned solutions, vendor lock-in, and architectural decisions driven more by commercial alignment than operational fit. This webinar explains why true independence is critical during ERP readiness and selection initiatives, particularly as enterprise environments become more composable and category-specific. It explores what genuine vendor-agnostic consulting should look like in practice, including defining the target operating model before technology selection, aligning enterprise software categories without forcing everything into a monolithic ERP framework, and evaluating process maturity, data governance, and organizational readiness before narrowing vendor options. In contrast, many advisory firms rely heavily on familiarity bias, implementation convenience, or preconfigured solution stacks that quietly restrict strategic flexibility and increase long-term transformation risk. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/how-to-select-an-independent-erp-consulting-firm-the-process-explained/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Shrestha Dash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrestha-dash-662b00204/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    1h 4m
  4. WBSP867: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 55, an Objective Panel Discussion

    Jun 16

    WBSP867: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 55, an Objective Panel Discussion

    Send us Fan Mail This week’s enterprise software developments further demonstrate how rapidly vendors are embedding agentic AI, governed automation, and composable data architectures into core enterprise workflows. Rootstock Software strengthened its manufacturing and warehouse execution strategy through the acquisition of Ascent Solutions, while Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio to accelerate enterprise planning automation. In the go-to-market space, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to build a more agentic revenue operations stack, and Zapier partnered with Rillet to connect general ledger workflows with thousands of operational applications. Meanwhile, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open, agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Oracle launched Fusion Agentic Applications designed to place coordinated AI agents directly inside ERP workflows. Governance and enterprise trust also emerged as central themes, with Relyance AI unveiling Lyo to monitor how AI agents interact with enterprise data, while Salesforce introduced AI Foundry to operationalize research into enterprise-ready AI models. Finally, Spade raised significant funding to transform messy transaction strings into finance-grade AI data, reinforcing how semantic normalization and governed enterprise context are becoming foundational to the next generation of AI-native enterprise systems. In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hekHpEgI0zM Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/ 🔗Charles Brennan: linkedin.com/in/charles-brennan-048901132/ 🔗Donald Farmer: linkedin.com/in/donalddotfarmer/ 🔗Kenneth ("Kengon") Gonzalez: linkedin.com/in/kengon/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    1 hr
  5. WBSP866: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Automotive ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    Jun 15

    WBSP866: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Automotive ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    Send us Fan Mail The automotive ERP market remains one of the most operationally complex and ecosystem-driven segments within enterprise software in 2026, making ERP selection highly dependent on business model alignment, manufacturing architecture, and supplier ecosystem participation. Automotive ERP spans organizations of all sizes, from emerging EV startups to global OEMs and multi-tier suppliers, yet the operational requirements across OEMs, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 manufacturers differ dramatically in terms of compliance, traceability, production strategies, quality management, and supply chain coordination. As a result, no single ERP platform universally fits every automotive environment. One of the most important evaluation criteria is understanding whether an organization operates in a manufacturing execution-centric model—where MES integration, plant-floor coordination, machine connectivity, and real-time production visibility dominate—or a more ERP-centric model focused on procurement orchestration, forecasting, compliance management, and financial coordination. In addition, major automotive ecosystems such as Toyota, Honda, Ford, BMW, and Tesla often impose highly specialized supplier collaboration standards, EDI frameworks, and operational protocols that shape ERP vendor alignment strategies. While these ecosystem-specific optimizations can create strong operational fit within certain automotive networks, they may also introduce challenges when organizations expand across different supplier ecosystems, making historical industry alignment and ecosystem depth critical factors during ERP evaluation. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top automotive ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k5ObVkvPMo Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/automotive-erp-systems/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    25 min
  6. WBSP865: Scale Growth by Understanding How to Make Legacy Data SAP-Ready, an Objective Panel Review

    Jun 10

    WBSP865: Scale Growth by Understanding How to Make Legacy Data SAP-Ready, an Objective Panel Review

    Send us Fan Mail Modernizing SAP environments requires far more than executing a software upgrade or signing a new licensing agreement. Organizations migrating to SAP S/4HANA or consolidating multiple regional ERP systems into SAP often face significant risks tied to fragmented legacy data models, inconsistent master data, and undocumented transformation logic that can undermine production cutover readiness. In this session, SNP CTO Steele Arbeeny explains how Kyano Crossway supports legacy-to-SAP conversion programs beyond traditional ETL approaches by governing the entire data conversion lifecycle. Rather than treating migration as isolated data loads, Crossway structures and manages mapping logic, transformation rules, validation workflows, and traceability controls to ensure transparency and audit confidence throughout the process. As a result, organizations gain visibility into what changed, why it changed, and whether the transformed data is fully prepared for production deployment within a governed SAP-ready architecture. Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/legacy-sap-workloads-readiness-turning-legacy-data-into-sap-ready-data/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Dr. Steele G Arbeeny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steelearbeeny/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    1h 1m
  7. WBSP864: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 54, an Objective Panel Discussion

    Jun 9

    WBSP864: Scale Growth by Learning from Enterprise Software Stories - Apr 2026, Ep 54, an Objective Panel Discussion

    Send us Fan Mail This week’s enterprise software announcements further confirm that the market is rapidly converging around agentic AI, semantic intelligence, and autonomous workflow orchestration. Blue Yonder introduced new AI agents and mobile applications aimed at strengthening supply chain execution and frontline operations, while Zendesk expanded its AI customer service strategy through the acquisition of Forethought. Actian launched an AI analyst designed to convert business glossaries into a live semantic layer, highlighting the growing importance of governed enterprise context for AI-native operations. Meanwhile, ActiveCampaign and Contentsquare announced new capabilities focused on customer engagement and digital experience intelligence. On the enterprise planning side, Anaplan expanded its AI planning portfolio with CoModeler, Custom Analyst, and Agent Studio, while Oracle continued embedding coordinated AI agents directly inside Fusion ERP workflows through its new Fusion Agentic Applications initiative. In parallel, Apollo.io acquired Pocus to strengthen its agentic go-to-market stack, Databricks introduced Lakewatch as an open agentic SIEM platform built on the lakehouse architecture, and Rootstock Software acquired Ascent Solutions to deepen its manufacturing and warehouse execution capabilities. In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendors. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksS15kccXPc Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/ 🔗Robert Kramer: linkedin.com/in/robert-kramer-58239b22/ 🔗Shashi Bellamkonda: linkedin.com/in/sbellamkonda/ 🔗Brian Jackson: linkedin.com/in/urbanpaddler/ 🔗Michael Fauscette: linkedin.com/in/mfauscette/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    59 min
  8. WBSP863: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Construction ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    Jun 8

    WBSP863: Scale Growth by Learning the Top Construction ERP Systems in 2026 w/ Sam Gupta

    Send us Fan Mail The construction ERP market remains one of the most fragmented and industry-specific segments within enterprise software, making ERP selection particularly challenging in 2026. Before evaluating the top construction ERP systems, organizations must recognize that construction ERP extends far beyond large commercial contractors alone. The category includes a wide range of operational models, including general contractors, specialty trades, engineering and infrastructure firms, developers, public sector construction organizations, property maintenance providers, and real estate-focused businesses. These organizations vary significantly in project complexity, compliance requirements, subcontractor coordination, procurement workflows, field operations, and financial structures. As a result, construction ERP systems differ substantially in their project accounting models, job costing depth, resource scheduling capabilities, document management workflows, and field-service integration, making industry alignment and operational fit far more important than generic ERP functionality comparisons. In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top construction ERP systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these ERP systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each ERP system. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu8rU9s8xaY Read: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-construction-erp-systems/ Questions for Panelists? 🔗Sam Gupta: linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/r-58239b22/ Background Soundtrack: Away From You – Mauro Somm For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs. rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

    21 min
4.9
out of 5
72 Ratings

About

WBSRocks podcast features in-depth conversations on AI-enabled business models, customer experience, digital transformation, supply chain, eCommerce, industry 4.0, and enterprise software categories such as CRM, ERP, or analytics suites. The purpose of the show is to help CFOs, COOs, CEOs, and business owners with their daily commercial, operational, or financial challenges by taking a deep dive into business cases and processes, technology strategy and architecture, transformation initiatives, and business models. The show also offers an independent analysis of technology trends, various enterprise software vendors and solutions, and their mergers and acquisitions. Subscribe today to stay on top of digital transformation trends!