AITech Interview with Miten Mehta, Chief Engineering Officer at Acumatica
Witness insights on embedding AI into core enterprise workflows for effectivity, accuracy, and long-term worth.
Miten, because the Chief Engineering Officer at Acumatica, are you able to share a bit about your journey into the world of AI and expertise, and what drew you to Acumatica?
I’ve all the time been drawn to applied sciences that remedy complicated issues and make a optimistic influence on this planet, from fundamental tech to cloud-based platforms and now AI-driven transformation. Over the course of my profession, I’ve had the chance to guide engineering groups creating merchandise that remodel the buyer panorama in addition to enterprise operations. At Acumatica, I noticed a singular alternative to affix an organization dedicated to pushing the boundaries of ERP by integrating AI right into a cloud-native platform designed particularly for small and mid-sized companies. In step with this, our group is targeted on constructing sensible, AI-powered options that improve effectivity, streamline workflows and assist companies make smarter, data-driven selections.
With AI being hailed as a transformational expertise, how do companies decide which AI instruments may have a real influence on their operations and never simply add complexity?
The important thing to transformational AI is aligning the suitable AI-enabled instruments and processes with actual enterprise goals somewhat than simply adopting AI for the sake of AI. Companies ought to begin by figuring out their actual challenges, whether or not operational inefficiencies, decision-making bottlenecks or areas the place AI-driven automation can save time and assets. AI ought to combine seamlessly into current workflows, leveraging related knowledge to reinforce productiveness whereas sustaining and enhancing accuracy. At Acumatica, we deal with embedding AI straight into core enterprise administration processes, so the influence is speedy and tangible for our customers.
How do you assume AI ought to be aligned with enterprise objectives corresponding to effectivity, accuracy, and automation to supply tangible outcomes for firms?
As a substitute of being standalone instruments, AI capabilities ought to match seamlessly and straight inside core workflows to streamline processes and enhance decision-making. By integrating AI into on a regular basis features, companies can obtain measurable outcomes by saving time, reducing prices, growing throughput and making smarter selections with out intensive technical experience.
Safety and compliance are main considerations when integrating AI into enterprise operations. How do you make sure that AI options adhere to those important necessities?
We strategy safety and compliance as non-negotiable when implementing AI. Resolution-makers should be certain that the AI options they spend money on comply with strict knowledge governance insurance policies, guarantee transparency in decision-making and safeguard delicate info. To make knowledgeable selections, leaders ought to totally vet distributors, request compliance certifications and search for clear documentation on knowledge dealing with practices. Moreover, conducting third-party audits and threat assessments may also help confirm that AI options meet regulatory requirements and defend enterprise knowledge
Many AI options appear to function as separate instruments somewhat than as integral parts of current processes. How can firms be certain that AI is seamlessly embedded into their workflows?
To make sure AI is seamlessly embedded into workflows, firms ought to prioritize options which might be natively built-in into current techniques somewhat than standalone instruments. For instance, core enterprise administration techniques like ERP and CRM ought to supply native AI-enabled performance inside the platform to automate processes and ship real-time insights with out requiring customers to modify between instruments. This native integration ensures that AI operates with probably the most correct, up-to-date enterprise knowledge, driving effectivity and accuracy. Generally, workflows themselves must be reimagined to totally seize AI’s advantages—merely automating current processes could not ship optimum outcomes. Companies ought to be prepared to regulate or redesign workflows to maximise AI’s worth somewhat than simply layering automation on prime of outdated practices.
Out of your expertise, how can AI improve human decision-making somewhat than simply automate processes and probably substitute jobs?
AI ought to increase human experience, not substitute it. The very best AI options will work as digital co-workers that floor predictive insights and automate repetitive duties—permitting workers to raised leverage info, make smarter selections, and deal with high-value work. Whereas AI excels at processing knowledge and figuring out patterns, people convey contextual understanding, moral judgment and inventive problem-solving. Moreover, AI can current a number of eventualities with related chances and tradeoffs, enabling people to use judgment to complicated conditions. For instance, healthcare professionals utilizing AI to investigate remedy choices can nonetheless incorporate affected person preferences and distinctive circumstances that algorithms would possibly miss. AI may also floor non-obvious connections in knowledge that people wouldn’t sometimes uncover, increasing our pondering past established patterns. For example, monetary advisors utilizing AI can establish surprising funding alternatives or dangers that conventional evaluation would possibly overlook.
Acumatica Labs and AI Studio enable firms to check AI options earlier than deployment. How vital is it to have real-world testing environments for AI applied sciences in at present’s quickly evolving panorama?
Testing AI in real-world circumstances is important to make sure accuracy, scalability and usefulness and to make sure the expertise matches the enterprise somewhat than forcing the enterprise to suit the expertise. We take a customer-driven strategy to innovation, listening intently to customers to grasp their wants and challenges. This suggestions straight informs the event of AI-driven options. For example, we rigorously check AI capabilities in managed environments like Acumatica Labs earlier than deployment. And AI Studio offers our clients and companions the instruments, like AI Immediate Editor, to leverage new capabilities by configuring AI for his or her techniques and processes for his or her distinctive wants. By incorporating real-world enter and suggestions loop from our neighborhood, we fine-tune our fashions and options to make sure that AI options meet particular enterprise wants and combine seamlessly into current workflows. As AI expertise evolves quickly, this agile, customer-centric strategy helps companies successfully adapt improvements to their operations, delivering sensible worth and measurable influence.
As AI continues to advance, what are a number of the most vital challenges firms face in adopting and integrating AI into their techniques?
One of many largest challenges firms face in adopting and integrating AI is making certain seamless integration with current techniques with out creating knowledge silos or disrupting workflows. Many companies wrestle with inadequate tech infrastructure, making it troublesome to course of and analyze massive volumes of information effectively. Moreover, there are vital considerations round knowledge safety and compliance and the chance of bias and inaccuracies in AI-driven insights. At Acumatica, we deal with these challenges by designing our AI options to be intuitive and simply accessible, empowering customers to make data-driven selections while not having intensive technical experience.
In your opinion, what key traits ought to companies search for in an AI resolution to make sure that it gives long-term worth and isn’t only a short-term novelty?
Companies ought to search for AI options which might be scalable, seamlessly built-in, simple to make use of and perceive, and aligned with core enterprise goals to make sure long-term worth. The expertise ought to be versatile sufficient to evolve with altering enterprise wants whereas sustaining knowledge accuracy and safety. Moreover, it ought to supply customers real-time insights and automation they’ll perceive and act on — somewhat than simply being flashy add-ons. This stage of usability is essential—AI options ought to be accessible to technical and non-technical customers to maximise adoption and influence. Firm leaders must also think about the entire price of possession, together with upkeep and adoption charges. Lastly, it’s important to grasp what AI capabilities matter most to your {industry}. In retail, as an example, automated stock forecasting can guarantee manufacturers don’t run out of their top-selling merchandise.
What function do you see AI enjoying in the way forward for enterprise operations, and the way can firms put together themselves to leverage these developments for sustained progress and success?
AI is becoming a vital capability impacting many crucial business operations, acting as an anticipatory partner that democratizes analytical capabilities across organizations. This expertise will proceed to drive automation, predictive analytics and clever decision-making, reworking how companies function. To completely notice AI’s full potential, firms ought to spend money on cloud-based enterprise options that supply scalability and suppleness, deal with seamless knowledge integration and upskill workers to work alongside AI. Those that embrace AI strategically, somewhat than simply chasing tendencies, will acquire a aggressive benefit and set themselves up for progress and success.
A quote or recommendation from the writer
Harnessing the ability of latest expertise and driving transformation with that could be a marathon, not a dash. Plan diligently, execute with focus, tempo your self correctly, modify with studying and benefit from the journey. The result will shock you positively.
Miten Mehta
Chief Engineering Officer at Acumatica
As Chief Engineering Officer, Miten leads Acumatica’s engineering groups in architecting, creating, deploying and supporting the corporate’s industry-leading ERP merchandise and constructing a high-performance, customer-oriented tradition. On this management place, Miten applies his experience from numerous domains, together with CRM, subject providers, social networking, communication, cell platforms, on-line video games, eCommerce, way of life, wellness and leisure.
Miten brings a strong background in internet-scale cloud providers, extensible platforms, distributed techniques and consumer purposes to the function of chief engineering officer. Earlier than becoming a member of Acumatica, he served as SVP of engineering at Salesforce, main the engineering group for the corporate’s cloud-based Subject Service Administration software program. He additionally led many engineering organizations at Microsoft over his 18-year profession. Past his deep engineering expertise, Miten is an entrepreneur and a co-founder of LifeOn24 Inc., which helps individuals obtain objectives and alter habits by leveraging behavioral and social sciences by way of cloud providers and the “Begin Change” cell app.
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