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Rob Sheldrick, once an AI skeptic, reveals how NetSuite is transforming mid-market operations with embedded AI. From text enhancement to financial exception management, learn why AI isn't about one big breakthrough—it's about hundreds of small improvements compounding into competitive advantage.
Rob has over 30 years of experience in business transformation, and here he explains why artificial intelligence in ERP systems isn't just another buzzword—it's a fundamental shift in how businesses operate.
Drawing from his background in process improvement and real-world examples from companies like Toyota and Holden, Rob demonstrates how NetSuite has embedded AI throughout its platform—not as an expensive add-on, but as core functionality available today. You'll discover:
- Why AI productivity comes from compounding small improvements, not single breakthroughs
- How Text Enhance turns average writers into marketing pros in seconds
- The power of AI agents working behind the scenes to detect financial anomalies
- Why natural language processing is democratizing data analytics for non-technical users
- The truth about AI and job displacement (hint: history tells a different story)
- Why cloud-based unified solutions have an "unfair advantage" in the AI race
Whether you're running a mid-sized organization or advising one, this episode cuts through the AI hype to show you what's actually working in the real world—right now. Rob's practical insights, combined with his honest assessment of where AI excels (and where humans still lead), make this essential listening for anyone navigating their organization's AI journey.
What You'll Learn:
- The difference between AI hype and real business value
- How NetSuite embeds AI throughout its platform (with no extra cost)
- Four live demonstrations: Text Enhance, Case Management, Financial Exceptions, Analytics Assistant
- Why cloud-based unified systems have advantages in AI implementation
- Practical steps for bringing your organization on the AI journey
- How to address employee concerns about AI and jobs
Best For:
- CFOs and financial controllers in mid-market organizations
- Operations directors looking to improve efficiency
- IT leaders evaluating ERP solutions
- Business owners considering digital transformation
- Anyone skeptical about AI's practical business value
Speaker Bio
Rob Sheldrick is the Head of Mid-Market Enterprise at Ndevr, with over 30 years experience in business transformation and supply chain optimization. Starting his career at Australia's largest food production company, Rob has led business intelligence teams across Australian enterprises, driving standardization, automation, and reusable analytics solutions. Once an AI skeptic, now AI enthusiast, Rob combines old-school process improvement methodology with cutting-edge technology adoption to help mid-market organizations become future-fit. His practical, no-nonsense approach to AI implementation is grounded in real-world productivity gains rather than buzzwords and hype.
Conect with Rob on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-sheldrick-575aa01/
About This Podcast: ERP Unlocked explores business technology and digital transformation strategies for Enterprise and mid-market organizations. (Intended for Australian and New Zealand Audiences.)
Connect with us:
🌐 Website: www.ndevr.com.au
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ndevr-pty-ltd/
📧 Email: [email protected]
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with your network!
Chapters
1. Beyond the Hype: Real AI Productivity Gains with Oracle NetSuite ERP (00:00:00)
2. Introduction Welcome and overview of AI in finance and operations (00:00:01)
3. Defining AI for Business What AI really means in practical terms—analyzing data, learning patterns, and making recommendations (00:02:22)
4. The Eight Components of AI Breaking down natural language processing, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, and more (00:03:13)
5. The Poultry Factory Story How AI-like technology has been around longer than you think—1990s computer vision in action (00:03:54)
6. Reasoning vs. Pattern Recognition Apple's recent findings: why AI "reasoning" is actually pattern detection on steroids (00:05:09)
7. Where We Are on the AI Journey The Gartner graph: from experimentation to stabilization to expansion (00:05:54)
8. The Ripple Effect Why AI productivity comes from lots of small improvements, not one big breakthrough (00:06:56)
9. AI in ERP Systems What "intelligent algorithms integrated throughout the solution" really means (00:08:10)
10. The AI Model Landscape Why Oracle's infrastructure and partnerships (like Nvidia) matter for NetSuite customers (00:09:14)
11. From Passive to Active Intelligence How AI transforms ERP from a data repository to an intelligence hub (00:10:41)
12. Five Key AI Characteristics in ERP Automation, predictive analysis, anomaly detection, natural language processing, and decision support (00:11:38)
13. Natural Language Processing: The Game Changer Why talking to your system like a colleague is the most important advancement (00:13:13)
14. Why NetSuite Embraced AI Helping businesses work smarter, faster, and more strategically (plus, let's be honest, revenue) (00:14:16)
15. NetSuite's Suite Success Philosophy Why AI loves standardized processes (00:15:00)
16. The Oracle Infrastructure Advantage How NetSuite leverages Oracle's AI stack and Nvidia partnership (00:15:42)
17. Unified Data: AI's Secret Weapon Why single-platform solutions have the edge over best-of-breed approaches (00:17:04)
18. Text Enhance Introduction Empowering teams to write better, faster—everywhere in the system (00:18:07)
19. [Demo 1] Text Enhance in Action Nick the inventory manager transforms basic notes into compelling product descriptions (00:19:39)
20. [Demo 2] AI Case Management How Abby uses AI to summarize support cases and generate recommendations (00:21:01)
21. The "Garbage In, Garbage Out" Lesson Why your input quality matters—even with AI (00:23:19)
22. [Demo 3] Financial Exception Management AI agents working 24/7 to detect anomalies, errors, and potential fraud (00:23:55)
23. [Demo 4] Suite Analytics Assistant The democratization of data analytics through conversational AI (00:26:16)
24. The Car Factory Story How Toyota's continuous improvement philosophy earned workers $250,000 for productivity ideas (00:29:37)
25. It's About Compounding Returns Why hundreds of small AI improvements create exponential value (00:31:26)
26. Implementation Considerations From organized chaos to AI-powered operations—what to think about (00:31:53)
27. Why Cloud Solutions Win The advantage of accessing normalized data across thousands of customer sites (00:32:47)
28. Data Quality Still Matters AI can't fix bad data—unified solutions deliver the best results (00:34:17)
29. Taking People on the Journey How to address AI concerns and bring your team along (00:34:37)
30. The Job Creation Reality Why every major technological advancement has created more jobs, not fewer (00:34:55)
31. Standardized Processes Are Key Don't automate inefficiency—rethink your processes first (00:36:02)
32. Keeping Pace with Change Why you need an ERP that updates continuously, not every two years (00:36:49)
33. Your AI Roadmap Practical steps: be open, choose the right solution, pilot, train, and repeat (00:38:04)
34. Why NetSuite Gets It Right Three reasons: it's available now, Oracle's infrastructure, and unified data (00:40:47)
35. Addressing the Elephant in the Room Job concerns, effectiveness worries, and the reality check (00:42:14)
36. Can You Ignore AI? The definitive answer: absolutely not (00:42:54)
37. The Cost of Standing Still Why some businesses refuse to evolve—and what it costs them (00:44:00)
38. You Won't See Your Competitors' AI It'll just be how they do business—invisibly better (00:45:11)
39. Shadow AI in Your Organization Your people are already using AI tools—with or without your knowledge (00:45:30)
40. The AI Podcast Tool Example How AI is creating personalized learning experiences without human involvement (00:45:52)
41. The Horse and Car Analogy A seismic change is happening—you can ride the horse, but fewer people will (00:46:42)
42. Q&A Introduction Addressing audience questions about cost, compliance, and implementation (00:47:21)
43. Q1: Is NetSuite AI Free? The pricing model explained—it's included, not a separate module (00:48:27)
44. Q2: AI and Compliance Standards How NetSuite handles Sarbanes-Oxley, statutory requirements, and industry regulations (00:49:24)
45. Q3: Third-Party AI Tools Extending NetSuite's capabilities while avoiding excessive customization (00:51:21)
46. Q4: Retraining AI Behavior The importance of thumbs up/down feedback and quality input data (00:53:26)
47. Q5: Handling Sensitive Financial Data How NetSuite maintains security and data sovereignty with AI processes (00:56:04)
48. Data Centers and Security Why Oracle's Australian data centers matter for data protection (00:58:03)
49. Final Thoughts Rob's passion for productivity and process improvement in the AI age (00:59:12)
50. Learning From Feedback The importance of continuous improvement—for both AI and humans (01:00:08)
51. Closing Thank you and next steps (01:00:27)
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