---
id: "prereq-erp-integration"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["§ Product"]
tags: ["enterprise-software", "b2b"]
related: ["concept-product-context-ai-adaptation", "org-sap", "org-adobe"]
reason: "Required to understand why AI deployment strategies must differ drastically based on product architecture."
sources: ["commercial"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-commercial"
originDay: 5
articleStem: "hbr-foci-64-ai-broaden-customer-base"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/03/how-one-company-used-ai-to-broaden-its-customer-base"
sourceTitle: "How One Company Used AI to Broaden Its Customer Base"
---
# ERP Software Complexity

**Prerequisite knowledge.** The text contrasts [[org-sap|SAP]] with [[org-adobe|Adobe]], noting SAP could not offer a free trial due to "the complexity of its software and the need for integration with clients' processes." The reader must understand that **ERP systems touch core business operations** (finance, HR, supply chain) and require significant **bespoke configuration**, making self-serve freemium models impossible.

**Why it matters:** It is required to understand why AI deployment strategies must differ drastically by product architecture — the core of [[concept-product-context-ai-adaptation]].