Does the Enterprise Systems Group Only Try Enterprise Products?

 Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, Enterprise Systems Groups face critical decisions about which solutions to implement within their organizations. The traditional approach of relying solely on established enterprise products is being challenged by emerging technologies and development methodologies. This report examines whether Enterprise Systems Groups should exclusively choose enterprise products or embrace alternative solutions to meet organizational needs in 2025 and beyond.

The Evolution of Enterprise Systems and Technology Selection

Enterprise Systems form the backbone of modern organizations, integrating and supporting critical business processes across departments. These comprehensive software solutions typically include Enterprise Resource Systems such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Supply Chain Management (SCM), all designed to tie together business operations and process vast amounts of organizational data. Historically, Enterprise Systems Groups—the teams responsible for implementing and maintaining these systems—have favored established enterprise products from traditional vendors, valuing reliability, comprehensive support, and proven track records.

Business Enterprise Software has evolved significantly over recent decades, moving from monolithic on-premise installations to more flexible, modular approaches. Today’s enterprise technology ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of solutions, including cloud-based services, specialized applications, and AI-enhanced platforms. This evolution challenges Enterprise Systems Groups to reconsider their approach to technology selection and implementation. The question is no longer whether to choose enterprise products, but rather how to create an optimal mix of solutions that best serve the organization’s strategic objectives while maintaining security, integration capabilities, and performance standards.

The Rise of Low-Code Development in Enterprise Environments

One of the most significant shifts in enterprise technology has been the emergence of Low-Code Platforms. These platforms enable rapid application development with minimal traditional coding, using visual interfaces and drag-and-drop components to create business applications. Jitterbit’s AI-infused App Builder, for example, allows enterprises to develop and deploy scalable applications through an intuitive design interface with AI assistance. Such platforms are transforming how enterprise applications are created, deployed, and maintained.

The introduction of AI App Builders and AI Application Generators has further accelerated this transformation. These tools leverage artificial intelligence to streamline application development, sometimes allowing users to generate functional applications through natural language commands. Jitterbit’s platform includes an AI App Generator capability that enables users to create new applications through natural language prompts, making development even more accessible to non-technical staff. This technology represents a significant departure from traditional enterprise development approaches, which typically required specialized technical expertise and considerable time investments.

The Democratization of Development: Citizen Developers and Business Technologists

The combination of Low-Code Platforms and AI-powered development tools has enabled the rise of Citizen Developers—non-technical employees who can create applications without formal programming knowledge. These individuals often come from business departments such as marketing, finance, or operations, bringing domain expertise that allows them to create targeted solutions for specific business challenges. By empowering these Citizen Developers, organizations can address business needs more rapidly while reducing the burden on IT departments.

Business Technologists represent the evolution of this concept, serving as bridges between traditional IT functions and business operations. These professionals understand both technology capabilities and business requirements, allowing them to effectively guide development efforts that align with organizational needs. The emergence of Business Technologists reflects a broader trend toward technology democratization within enterprises, challenging the traditional model where IT departments exclusively controlled technology implementation.

This shift has profound implications for Enterprise Systems Groups. Rather than serving as the sole gatekeepers of technology, these groups increasingly function as enablers and governance bodies, establishing frameworks and standards that guide development efforts across the organization. This new role requires a more flexible approach to technology selection, embracing solutions that empower non-IT staff while maintaining enterprise standards for security, integration, and scalability.

Balancing Innovation and Enterprise Requirements

The Enterprise Business Architecture provides the framework within which technology decisions are made, establishing principles, standards, and governance mechanisms that guide implementation efforts. A well-designed architecture allows for innovation while ensuring that new solutions integrate effectively with existing systems and meet organizational requirements. Enterprise Systems Groups must develop architectures that accommodate both traditional enterprise products and newer, more agile solutions.

Hybrid approaches have emerged as a practical solution for organizations seeking to balance innovation with enterprise requirements. For example, hybrid ERP systems combine cloud-based and on-premise components, offering flexibility and scalability while maintaining security and control over sensitive operations. This approach allows organizations to leverage the strengths of different deployment models, choosing the most appropriate option for each component based on specific requirements.

The decision to look beyond traditional enterprise products involves careful consideration of several factors. While enterprise solutions offer comprehensive functionality and established support structures, they may lack the agility and specialized capabilities required for certain business needs. Alternative solutions, including those developed through Low-Code Platforms or AI App Generators, can address these limitations but may introduce challenges related to integration, governance, and long-term support.

Benefits of Expanding Beyond Enterprise-Only Products

Expanding technology selection beyond traditional enterprise products offers several significant benefits. First, it can dramatically accelerate development cycles. Low-Code Platforms enable the rapid creation and deployment of applications, allowing organizations to respond more quickly to changing business requirements. This agility is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced business environment, where competitive advantage often depends on the ability to quickly adapt to market changes.

Second, alternative solutions can provide more specialized functionality than general-purpose enterprise products. By leveraging targeted applications or developing custom solutions through Low-Code Platforms, organizations can address specific business needs more effectively than with one-size-fits-all enterprise systems. This specialization can lead to improved business processes and outcomes.

Third, empowering Citizen Developers and Business Technologists through accessible development tools can reduce IT backlogs and foster innovation throughout the organization. When business users can create their own solutions (with appropriate governance and support), they can address immediate needs without waiting for IT resources to become available. This empowerment can lead to greater business agility and more effective use of technology to solve business problems.

Challenges and Considerations for Diverse Technology Approaches

While expanding beyond enterprise-only products offers significant benefits, it also presents important challenges. Integration complexity increases as organizations adopt multiple solutions from different vendors or development approaches. Ensuring that these diverse systems can share data effectively and support end-to-end business processes requires careful planning and robust integration strategies.

Security and compliance considerations also become more complex with diverse technology portfolios. Enterprise Systems Groups must establish consistent security standards and ensure that all solutions—whether purchased from established vendors or developed through Low-Code Platforms—meet these standards. This challenge is particularly significant for organizations in highly regulated industries.

Governance represents another critical consideration. As technology development becomes more distributed throughout the organization, Enterprise Systems Groups must establish clear governance frameworks that guide development efforts while allowing for appropriate flexibility. These frameworks should address questions of standards, approval processes, and ongoing maintenance responsibilities.

Strategies for Effective Enterprise Systems Group Decision-Making

For Enterprise Systems Groups navigating these complex decisions, several strategies can help create effective outcomes. First, developing a flexible Enterprise Business Architecture that accommodates both traditional enterprise products and alternative solutions provides a foundation for coherent technology selection. This architecture should establish clear principles while allowing for appropriate variation based on specific business needs.

Second, implementing a structured evaluation process that considers both enterprise requirements and business-specific needs ensures balanced decision-making. This process should assess factors including functionality, integration capabilities, security, scalability, and total cost of ownership, with appropriate weighting based on organizational priorities.

Third, fostering collaboration between IT professionals and business stakeholders throughout the technology selection and implementation process promotes mutual understanding and more effective outcomes. Enterprise Systems Groups should position themselves as partners to business units rather than simply as service providers or gatekeepers.

Implementation Considerations for Diverse Technology Approaches

Successfully implementing a diverse technology portfolio requires careful planning and execution. Enterprise Systems Groups must develop clear standards and guidelines for technology selection, implementation, and maintenance. These standards should address integration requirements, security controls, data management practices, and support expectations.

Training and enablement programs for both IT staff and business users are essential for success with diverse technology approaches. IT professionals need to develop skills related to integration, governance, and supporting business-led development efforts. Business users engaged in development activities need training on both technical aspects of Low-Code Platforms and enterprise standards and best practices.

Establishing centers of excellence that provide expertise, guidance, and support for both enterprise systems and alternative development approaches can facilitate successful implementation. These centers can serve as resources for both IT and business users, promoting consistent practices while enabling appropriate innovation.

Conclusion

The question of whether Enterprise Systems Groups should only choose enterprise products reflects a broader evolution in enterprise technology approaches. Rather than viewing the decision as binary—enterprise products versus alternatives—organizations should develop more nuanced approaches that leverage the strengths of different solutions to meet business needs.

By embracing a diverse technology portfolio that includes both traditional Enterprise Systems and newer approaches like Low-Code Platforms and AI App Builders, organizations can achieve greater agility and innovation while maintaining essential enterprise characteristics such as security, scalability, and integration. Enterprise Systems Groups have a critical role to play in this evolution, shifting from gatekeepers to enablers and establishing frameworks that guide technology selection and implementation throughout the organization.

The future of enterprise technology lies not in exclusive reliance on either enterprise products or alternative solutions, but rather in thoughtful integration of diverse approaches within a coherent Enterprise Business Architecture. By adopting this balanced perspective, Enterprise Systems Groups can better support their organizations’ strategic objectives and drive business success in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment.