As SAP customers race toward the vendor’s end-of-support deadlines, many CIOs are asking a different question than they were just a few years ago: Is now actually the right time to undertake a multimillion-dollar ERP migration?
Those are the conversations Rowan O’Donoghue has every day.
O’Donoghue is the co-founder and chief innovation officer of Origina, an independent enterprise software support provider that helps organizations extend support for mission-critical platforms—including SAP, IBM, VMware, and mainframe environments—outside of traditional OEM support contracts.
SAP migration deadlines create difficult investment decisions
The debate comes as SAP customers face one of the largest enterprise software transitions in decades. Mainstream maintenance for SAP ECC is scheduled to end in the coming years, pushing organizations toward SAP S/4HAN and forcing executive teams to weigh multimillion-dollar migration projects against other strategic priorities.
At the same time, accelerating investment in AI, cybersecurity, and cloud modernization has made capital planning more competitive, prompting many CIOs to scrutinize not just whether modernization is necessary, but when it delivers the greatest business value.
O’Donoghue said the CIOs he speaks with increasingly describe feeling caught between vendor requirements and broader business expectations.
Why technology now needs to deliver business value faster
One executive recently told him IT is often viewed internally as “a draw of just money, but not delivering outcomes,” highlighting the pressure technology leaders face to demonstrate measurable business value rather than simply maintain existing systems.
“These are no longer technology decisions. They’re business decisions,” O’Donoghue told Channel Insider during a recent interview. “Do I spend $30 million upgrading my ERP to the vendor’s timeline, or do I spend the $30 million on AI and automation and moving the needle for the customer?”
That shift, he argues, is fundamentally changing how enterprise technology leaders approach long-term infrastructure planning.
Rather than viewing ERP modernization as an isolated technology project, many organizations are evaluating whether the timing aligns with broader corporate priorities.
CIOs increasingly view ERP decisions as business strategy
O’Donoghue said one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding enterprise software support is that remaining on existing systems automatically increases operational risk.
Instead, he argues that unnecessary upgrades can introduce new complexity, increase costs, and divert internal resources from initiatives that directly support business growth.
“We’re nearly self-inflicting the pain upon ourselves,” he said, describing organizations that undertake large-scale migrations before they align with broader business objectives.
He also noted that many transformation programs take years to complete and don’t always achieve their intended outcomes, citing one banking customer that nearly reconsidered its modernization effort after years of work and millions in investment.
For that reason, he believes organizations should evaluate ERP modernization as one component of overall business strategy rather than allowing vendor support timelines to dictate enterprise priorities.
“ERP systems are meant to help the business strategy—not be the business strategy,” O’Donoghue said.
Origina expands beyond software support
Origina’s perspective on enterprise modernization stems from more than a decade of helping organizations manage complex infrastructure outside traditional vendor support models.
Founded in 2012, the company initially focused on IBM environments before expanding into mainframe, VMware, and, most recently, SAP.
Alongside independent software support, Origina has built services focused on cybersecurity, software licensing compliance, and risk assessment—capabilities designed to help customers maintain enterprise platforms and determine when modernization makes business sense.
O’Donoghue said the company’s philosophy has remained consistent despite expanding into new markets.
Rather than encouraging customers to indefinitely delay modernization, Origina positions itself as giving organizations greater flexibility over when those projects happen.
“It’s easy to save money,” O’Donoghue said. “The real thing for business is buying time.”