How do you integrate and manage business-critical applications outside your ERP?

Why is integrating applications outside your ERP so important?

Applications that remain outside your ERP are often business-critical. They support unique processes that differentiate your organization. If these applications are not properly integrated with your ERP, you end up with data silos, duplicate data entry, and error-prone workflows. On top of that, you increase the risk of compliance and security issues.

Integrating custom applications with your ERP is therefore essential. But setting up integrations is only the beginning. Just like applications themselves, integrations need to be continuously managed and maintained. As your ERP or applications evolve, the integrations must evolve with them.

Many organizations underestimate the impact of poorly managed applications and integrations. The consequences can be significant:

• Downtime during ERP upgrades: integrations break and processes come to a halt.

• Security gaps: outdated software and unpatched integrations create vulnerabilities.

• Higher long-term costs: ad hoc fixes and emergency solutions are far more expensive than structured management.

Why is Application Management crucial for applications outside your ERP?

Managing these integrations and custom applications is not a matter of “running an occasional update.” It requires structured and strategic management. Without proper governance, issues are almost guaranteed to arise with every ERP upgrade.

Application Management ensures the continuity, performance, and evolution of both the application and its integrations. It includes monitoring, security, compliance, and functional updates so everything continues to work seamlessly—and evolves alongside your ERP and business strategy.

What can you do today? Start with a review

Even before starting your ERP project, it’s wise to carry out a maturity assessment:

• Which applications will remain, and why?
• How well are they currently managed?
• Are updates, security patches, and integrations up to date?

Many IT leaders discover at this stage that their current application management setup is not ready for an ERP-driven environment. That’s not a reason to panic—but it is a clear signal to take action.

A structured review of your Application Management capabilities provides insight into risks and priorities. This helps you avoid delays in your ERP project and prevents costly corrections down the line.

Want to understand the current state of your application management and integrations?

We’ve developed a checklist to help you assess your Application Management maturity and identify improvement areas. Download the checklist and start building a solid, future-proof plan today.