EY, SAP & Microsoft: Leading the Automated ERP Revolution

Legacy on-premises systems, weighed down by years of customisation, have become a barrier for professional services firms looking to integrate AI and improve efficiency.

In response, EY is embarking on a major transformation, moving its internal business systems to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, hosted on Microsoft Azure.

EY wants to build what it calls “the first autonomous ERP business system” by embedding AI agents throughout its processes.

This positions EY at the leading edge of enterprise migrations to SAP, as organisations increasingly seek real-time analytics and automation to improve decision-making and operational speed.

A cloud-first approach to ERP modernisation

EY’s move to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition gives the firm access to SAP’s latest innovations, including SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Business Suite powered by S/4HANA Cloud.

The goal is to eliminate inefficiencies, improve flexibility, and create a system that can adapt to shifting market conditions — something older enterprise software struggled to achieve.

“At the EY organisation, we are all in on the power of AI to create value for our clients, integrating leading-edge capabilities with experience to rapidly provide new services and solutions,” says Raj Sharma, EY Global Managing Partner for Growth and Innovation.

“These expanded alliances with SAP and Microsoft are another significant step to improving our internal efficiencies and being ready for future business models.”

EY is following the RISE with SAP methodology — a structured approach that guides organisations through cloud migrations while minimising disruption.

By adopting this strategy, EY aims to ensure a smooth transition while maximising the benefits of SAP’s latest cloud-based ERP solutions.

Microsoft Azure as the backbone of EY’s digital transformation

As part of the initiative, EY is making Microsoft Azure the foundation of its enterprise operations. This move not only enhances system performance but also allows EY to tap into Microsoft’s expanding portfolio of cloud-based services.

Anthony Caterino, EY Global Managing Partner for Business Enablement, highlights the strength of EY’s partnerships with SAP and Microsoft: “Our relationships with SAP and Microsoft are stronger than ever, and this new collaboration reaffirms that the EY organisation is preferred by both organisations to help clients leverage SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition powered by Microsoft Azure.”

He adds: “By aligning with RISE with SAP Methodology and leveraging Azure as our preferred cloud powerhouse, we aim to foster continuous innovation and deliver greater business value to our joint customers and the EY organisation internally.”

This strategic move reflects a broader trend across industries, as firms increasingly shift from legacy, on-premises ERP systems to cloud-based platforms that enable greater agility, efficiency and AI-powered automation.

AI-driven ERP: Automating key business processes

What makes EY’s ERP transformation stand out is its heavy focus on AI-driven automation. Traditional ERP systems primarily act as repositories for financial and operational data, but EY’s new system will do more than just store and process transactions — it will actively manage them using AI agents.

These AI agents are designed to automate complex business processes with minimal human oversight, enabling faster decision-making, reducing errors and freeing up employees to focus on higher-value tasks.

Judson Althoff, Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, explains: “Our collaboration with the EY organisation is focused on transforming every aspect of their business with AI – from audit and tax to consulting services.

“Through our work together, we will continue to deliver rich insights and services that build confidence in capital markets and economies around the world.

"Running SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition on Microsoft Azure marks a critical step in the EY organisation’s AI Transformation journey and progresses our mutual goal to enable agentic AI across enterprises.”

The integration of AI within ERP is a significant step forward in enterprise automation, setting a new benchmark for how businesses can leverage intelligent systems to streamline operations.

Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, emphasises the impact of EY’s cloud migration: “The EY organisation's move to SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud Edition on Microsoft Azure as part of their RISE with SAP journey underscores the power of cloud innovation and demonstrates how AI-driven automation can shape the future of enterprise operations.

"Our collaboration shows how we are committed to working together to accelerate business transformation, operational agility and growth for our customers.”

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