C-suite leaders are tightening their approach to technology spending as pressure grows for faster innovation, clearer returns on investment, and stronger business resilience, according to a new global survey by Rimini Street, a global provider of enterprise software support, managed services, and AI-driven ERP solutions.
The research, titled “C-suite Imperatives: Accelerating Innovation in a Shifting Landscape,” was conducted with Censuswide and surveyed nearly 4,300 CFOs, CIOs, CEOs, and CISOs worldwide. It examined how senior executives are adjusting their technology priorities as they face budget limits, cybersecurity risks, talent shortages, and growing frustration with vendor-controlled enterprise resource planning, or ERP, roadmaps.
Rimini Street said the findings show executives becoming more disciplined about where they invest and what results they expect. While 97% of respondents said their current ERP systems still meet business needs for the most part, executives reported that about 23% of employee time is spent maintaining existing systems instead of working on new initiatives.
“As economic and operational pressures intensify, executives are taking a far more disciplined approach to technology investment,” said Michael Perica, CFO of Rimini Street. “The findings clearly show that organizations want measurable results, faster payback cycles, and far more flexibility in how they allocate their budgets.”
The survey found that AI and automation are becoming increasingly important to long-term planning. About 44% of respondents identified these capabilities as the most important for supporting both short- and long-term IT goals. Over the next five years, 46% of CIOs and 43% of CEOs said AI and automation are their top priorities. While cybersecurity, compliance, and cost control remain near-term concerns, 35% of leaders said they aim to turn their organizations into more data-driven businesses.
At the same time, expectations around ROI are growing. Executives said they expect roughly 27% of returns within one to two years, growing to 37% within three to five years. Nearly half of total expected ROI is projected beyond six years. CIOs, CEOs, and CFOs said they now judge success mainly on whether benefits are actually realized, not just on project completion. Nearly 70% of respondents said they do not see traditional ERP as part of the future, with 33% pointing to AI-driven, autonomous ERP systems as the next stage.
Talent shortages are also slowing progress. About 36% of leaders said skills gaps are limiting growth opportunities, while 23% cited project delays caused by a lack of qualified staff. Almost all respondents said IT talent shortages are affecting their ability to deliver on technology plans, prompting 99% to outsource some IT services, especially in cybersecurity, infrastructure, and application support.
Business resilience remains a top concern. All respondents said reducing business risk is a priority this year, as they deal with cyber threats, supply chain issues, and economic uncertainty. Around 69% expect major changes to their ERP investments, while 35% said vendor lock-in continues to limit flexibility and raise costs.
“The traditional ERP model is being reimagined as new technologies like Agentic AI redefine expectations for speed, flexibility, and intelligence,” said Joe Locandro, global CIO of Rimini Street. “Executives want the freedom to modernize and innovate on their own terms, breaking free from vendor-driven upgrade cycles that consume budget without delivering proportional value.”