Unit4 has unveiled a major step forward in enterprise automation with the launch of Ava, its new Advanced Virtual Agent designed to transform how users interact with ERP systems. Ava is positioned as the centralized AI interface within Unit4 ERPx, with seamless integration into Microsoft Teams. The agent acts as an intelligent assistant, advisor, and orchestrator, offering personalized recommendations, contextual assistance, and automated task execution. The release is a step on Unit4’s path to automate 50% of ERP tasks.
Ava is the culmination of a decade of innovation at Unit4 in digital assistant technology. Unlike fragmented agentic AI approaches, Ava consolidates functionality into a single interface to streamline interactions and enhance user experience. Built on Unit4’s microservices-based, cloud-native architecture, Ava is designed for interoperability, extensibility, and scalability—giving organizations the flexibility to evolve alongside AI capabilities.
“It is clear AI is going to dramatically change how users interact with ERP systems, as it will enable people to focus on more meaningful and rewarding work,” said Claus Jepsen, Chief Technology Officer at Unit4. “Ava isn’t just smart – it’s pragmatic, purposeful and deeply attuned to the real challenges people face.”
Unit4 takes a pragmatic approach to AI, using it to reshape ERP workflows into intelligent, adaptive, and user-centric experiences. Ava empowers users by handling routine, repetitive tasks while providing timely insights that allow people to focus on the kind of work only humans can do.
“That’s why we have built Ava as one interface and agent,” Jepsen added, “as this will create an integrated platform making it easier to add functionality and avoid siloed AI Agents.”
Today, Ava is capable of managing task assignments, performing data searches, and offering contextual help. It also supports advisory functions, such as anomaly detection in payroll and generating suggestions for invoice approvals or project creation.
The Evolution of Ava
Over time, Ava will evolve into a fully autonomous AI agent, providing four core capabilities:
- Centralized orchestration, integrating and coordinating workflows within ERPx and Microsoft Teams.
- Intelligent automation, autonomously managing routine tasks to reduce manual workloads.
- Advanced augmentation, offering actionable insights and tailored recommendations to assist with specialized activities.
- Proactive and predictive operations, identifying issues, forecasting needs, and dynamically adapting workflows to support business goals.
Initially, Ava is embedded into Microsoft Teams due to its broad adoption across Unit4’s customer base. Users can communicate with Ava through natural language, and the agent translates those requests into ERP actions. This integration ensures consistent access to enterprise workflows directly within the tools employees already use.
By building Ava on a flexible architecture with open APIs, Unit4 ensures the agent can quickly incorporate new AI functionality as technology evolves. Ava is not just a tool—it’s the cornerstone of Unit4’s self-driving ERP vision, designed to bring efficiency, personalization, and intelligence to everyday enterprise processes.
With Ava, Unit4 reinforces its mission to deliver people-centric, future-ready ERP solutions to more than 4,700 organizations globally.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
AI-driven ERP agents like Ava are poised to significantly reduce operational overhead.
Unit4’s launch of Ava reflects a broader market trend toward automation within enterprise software. According to a 2024 study, organizations using AI-powered digital assistants have reported up to a 35% increase in employee productivity and a 25% reduction in time spent on repetitive tasks. By automating routine functions such as payroll validation, project creation, and workflow coordination, Ava enables mid-market organizations to shift resources toward higher-value strategic work.
Centralized AI interfaces improve user adoption and consistency across ERP systems. Fragmented AI implementations can create silos and increase complexity for end users. Ava’s design as a unified interface integrated with both Unit4 ERPx and Microsoft Teams provides a streamlined user experience that supports enterprise-wide adoption. Research from Deloitte found that 72% of businesses cite user adoption as a primary challenge in ERP modernization efforts—suggesting that intuitive, conversational AI tools embedded into familiar platforms can accelerate successful digital transformation.
AI orchestration within ERP platforms is critical for scaling automation across the business. By 2026, 75% of large enterprises will adopt AI orchestration platforms to manage cross-functional workflows and drive digital efficiency. Ava’s ability to centralize workflow coordination, deliver proactive insights, and dynamically adapt to business needs positions it as a strategic enabler for companies seeking scalable, AI-enhanced operations. As organizations build AI-ready workforces and IT ecosystems, integrated agents like Ava offer a pathway to sustainable automation.
