Cubic keeps SAP ECC core, backs AI with Rimini Street

Cubic has decided to keep SAP ECC at the centre of its ERP estate and use Rimini Street for third-party support, redirecting budget and staff time toward modernisation, automation and artificial intelligence projects.

The defence and transportation services provider will not pursue an upgrade to SAP S/4HANA under its current roadmap. Instead, it is taking what it calls a composable ERP approach, keeping SAP ECC as a stable core while modernising other applications around it.

Under the arrangement, Rimini Street will provide support for Cubic's SAP environment. The companies framed the move as a way to avoid an upgrade cycle and maintain continuity while other systems change.

ERP strategy

SAP ECC remains widely used among large organisations, particularly where complex integrations and bespoke processes have built up over time. Moving from ECC to S/4HANA often requires application remediation, data changes and process redesign. CIOs also face competing priorities around cloud adoption, security, automation and analytics.

Cubic's approach reflects a broader pattern among some enterprise IT teams: keeping core systems stable while adding newer tools around them. This can include workflow automation, data platforms and specialised applications for finance, procurement and service operations.

Cubic linked the decision to freeing up resources for other work. It also pointed to finance process improvements, including invoice handling and accounts payable.

"As a result of partnering with Rimini Street, we now have full control over our SAP roadmap and a stronger foundation to move faster on modernisation, automation and AI initiatives," said Jack Lidington, Director of Enterprise Applications at Cubic Corporation. "They operate as an extension of our support model, helping us stay secure, compliant and ready while we drive the transformation."

Cost and support

Cubic cited a 50% reduction in SAP annual maintenance fees. It also pointed to operational benefits from shifting internal capacity away from day-to-day support and toward roadmap work.

Rimini Support for SAP provides a named primary support engineer and access to additional SAP specialists, with 24/7 coverage and response targets for critical issues.

The service also includes support for customisations. For many SAP customers, custom code and local variations make up a significant part of the operational workload, particularly in finance and compliance-heavy processes.

Rimini Street also provides tax, legal and regulatory updates through its Legislature-to-Live programme. It offers security services positioned as proactive and personalised, focused on protecting data and connected systems.

Lidington linked the choice of support partner to Cubic's broader business goals. "As a company whose mission is to provide innovative solutions that improve operational readiness and mobility worldwide, finding the right partner who can support that vision was a key factor as to why we selected Rimini Street," he said. "Rimini Street has a tailored approach, different than other vendors. They understand our existing technology stack and support us as we move from where we are today to where we're headed."

AI and automation

Cubic is assessing automation and AI initiatives across its application landscape while keeping ECC in place. It highlighted efforts to improve touchless invoice processing and reduce manual intervention in accounts payable.

These initiatives typically sit alongside, rather than inside, an ERP core. They often rely on workflow tools, optical character recognition and machine learning models for document classification and exception handling. Many organisations also connect these layers to procurement and supplier portals.

Rimini Street has been expanding its positioning around AI in ERP operations, alongside its established business in third-party support for Oracle, SAP and VMware products.

"Cubic Corporation exemplifies what it means to be a forward-thinking enterprise-strategically accelerating toward growth and profitability while sidestepping the costly, disruptive cycle of vendor-driven upgrades," said Eric Helmer, EVP and Global CTO at Rimini Street. "We're proud to serve as a trusted advisor and support partner to the Cubic team, delivering measurable value and working side-by-side to help realise their bold vision for the future of the defence and mobility industry."

Cubic plans to continue modernising its broader application landscape while keeping SAP ECC as a stable core, with further work planned around automation and AI-driven process change.