If you believe that AI will be a major driver of your organizations success over the long term then you should avoid ERP customization as much as possible. Why? Because each customization carries the risk of AI hallucination. ERP customers need to push as much responsibility for code back to the ERP vendor as possible. Otherwise you are forever responsible for maintaining it. Customizations will slow down your ability to adopt innovation. Now, I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t customize. HOWEVER, do so for the right reasons and because it’s a long term business requirement - not placating some internal business process owner that can’t think differently.

Customization will increase total cost of ownership (TCO). If it is ABSOLUTELY needed for your business (based on independent review by a third party other than the system integrator running the project), you must customize. Such decisions should NOT be taken lightly and be based on input from the steering committee (inclusive of C level input) as there will be long term consequences of such decisions.

foster open communication by organizing cross-functional meetings where all stakeholders can voice their concerns and objectives. Focus on understanding the underlying business needs driving customization requests. Evaluate the pros and cons of customization vs. out-of-the-box solutions, considering long-term scalability, cost, and maintenance. Present data-driven insights on the impact of customization on system performance and future upgrades. Align decisions with the organization's strategic goals and facilitate compromise by prioritizing solutions that provide maximum value while minimizing risks.