Research with 4,300 C-Level executives reveals growing demand for faster innovation, higher ROI, and enhanced business resilience. --- To break it down further: - "Pesquisa" translates to "Research." - "com 4.300 C-Levels" means "with 4,300 C-Level executives." The term "C-Level" generally refers to top-tier executives in a company, such as CEOs, CFOs, and CTOs. - "revela" translates to "reveals." - "demanda crescente" means "growing demand." - "por inovação mais rápida" translates to "for faster innovation." - "maior ROI" means "higher ROI," where ROI stands for Return on Investment. - "e resiliência empresarial reforçada" translates to "and enhanced business resilience." The translation aims to keep the original meaning intact while ensuring it reads naturally in English.

A Rimini Street (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support, products and services, a leader in ERP innovation solutions with AI Agents and independent support for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, announced the global research results “C-Imperatives: Accelerating Innovation in a Transforming Landscape”. The study was conducted in partnership with Censuswide, interviewing nearly 4,300 CFOs, CIOs, CEOs and CISOs around the world, analyzing the pressures that influence technology decisions at the executive level and the priorities that shape their investment strategies.

The report's analysis shows that executives are recalibrating their strategies around AI, automation and resilience as boards push for faster innovation and clearer business outcomes. While many organizations continue to manage reduced budgets and greater cybersecurity concerns, leaders also point to a growing talent gap and growing frustration with manufacturer-driven ERP roadmaps, which can slow down transformation efforts.In reality, 97% of C-suites note that while their current ERP systems largely meet business needs, 23% of workforce time is spent on maintaining these systems.

Some of the key insights from the study are:

• 44% of executives identify AI and automation as key capabilities needed to support short and long-term IT initiatives.
• C-suites collaborate more frequently with CIOs (31%) and CEOs (27%) on IT initiatives, highlighting the need for earlier CFO engagement as ROI expectations grow.
• 36% of C-level leaders say skills gaps limit the ability to pursue growth opportunities, and 23% point out that project delays have become a concern due to a lack of talent.
• 69% leaders anticipate significant changes on the horizon for their ERP investments.

Highlight 1: C-suites are aligning the long-term strategy around AI and automation

Automation and AI represent the most important priority for the next five years, with 46% of CIOs and 43% of CEOs considering these capabilities as the main imperative. Although cybersecurity, compliance and cost optimization still dominate short-term initiatives, leaders report increasing focus on building a reliable foundation for intelligent operations, underpinned by enhanced business continuity planning and expanded competency development. More than one-third (35%) of respondents say they intend to transform their organizations into data-driven enterprises in this period. C-suites can benefit from spending less on valuable AI upgrades and more on valuable automation.

Highlight 2: ROI expectations are rising as executives demand measurable results

C-levels are more rigorously analyzing investment results, with CIOs, CEOs and CFOs identifying benefits realization as the main ROI metric. Leaders expect approximately 27% of return in the first two years, increasing to 37% within five years and almost half (48%) of the expected ROI after six years. CISOs demonstrate similar expectations, but with a slightly greater emphasis on direct financial benefit. These conclusions reflect the growing pressure to prioritize technological initiatives that generate lasting impact while maintaining cost predictability. Although their visions about the future of ERP3 leaders vary, ERP3 is the decision making is almost Agile 701.

“As economic and operational pressures intensify, executives are taking a much more disciplined approach to technology investments. The survey clearly shows that organizations want measurable results, faster payback cycles, and much more flexibility in allocating their” budgets, said Michael Perica, CFO of Rimini Street.“A business-driven enterprise software roadmap, not the manufacturer, puts leaders in control of where and when to invest. This allows them to redirect resources from expensive, low-ROI activities to initiatives such as AI Agents, which will improve efficiency, strengthen resilience, and support long-term growth and innovation.”

Highlight 3: Talent shortages and support demands are slowing innovation

Almost unanimously, 98% of the executives interviewed report that the shortage of IT talent impacts their ability to realize their technology vision, and 68% state that the impact is significant. Although 97% say that their current ERP systems largely meet business needs, limited vendor support forces internal teams to devote more time to maintenance, delaying strategic initiatives.As a result, 99% of respondents are outsourcing essential IT services, especially in cybersecurity, infrastructure and support, to complement their internal capacity and reduce operational risks. Optimization is another way by which organizations can remove greater value from their enterprise projects.

Highlight 4: C-suites are prioritizing resilience in the face of increased risk and restrictions imposed by manufacturers

All respondents (100%) indicated that enterprise risk reduction is a top priority this year, underscoring ongoing concern about cybersecurity threats, supply chain disruptions, and economic volatility. To increase operational agility and resilience, leaders are investing in business continuity planning (45%), in finding alternative vendors (45%), and in strengthening the workforce (44%). Supplier lock-in remains a constant source of frustration for C-suites' 35%, who cite forced upgrades, limited flexibility, and high costs as barriers to achieving long-term technology objectives.

“The traditional ERP model is being reimagined as new technologies such as AI Agents redefine expectations for speed, flexibility and intelligence”, said Joe Locandro, global CIO at Rimini Street.“ Executives want the freedom to modernize and innovate on their own terms without getting stuck in upgrade cycles dictated by budget-consuming manufacturers without delivering proportional value.By stabilizing and maximizing the existing ERP foundation, organizations can redirect time and resources to AI-driven strategic initiatives that generate more relevant results.”

The full survey is available at: C-suite Imperatives: Accelerating Innovation in a Shifting Landscape.