Pronto adds AI tools to Xi ERP as it marks 50 years

Pronto Software has added new artificial intelligence tools to its Pronto Xi ERP suite as the Melbourne-based company marks its 50th year in business.

The additions include generative, predictive and agentic AI features built directly into the software. They cover natural language interaction with enterprise data, predictive inventory demand and fulfilment forecasting, voice-enabled business intelligence reporting, machine learning for service and maintenance, assisted purchase order approval, automated inventory checks, stock recommendations and B2B eCommerce agents.

The AI functions sit inside Pronto Xi rather than relying on separate tools or integrations. The features use existing customer operational data and follow the platform's role-based permissions.

Pronto Software has also invested in GPU computing infrastructure within Pronto Cloud to support the AI environment. The cloud setup uses access controls, encryption and data isolation, and customer data is not used to train shared or public models.

The announcement reflects a wider shift among ERP suppliers as customers look for AI features tied to operational systems and governed data. Pronto Software argued that integrated ERP platforms are becoming more valuable as businesses seek cleaner, more connected information for AI use.

Chad Gates, Managing Director of Pronto Software, outlined the company's position on the new tools.

"AI has moved from curiosity to expectation in an extraordinarily short time," Gates said. "Our approach is practical, secure and trusted. We are not implementing AI as a marketing exercise. Every capability we introduce is designed to solve a real problem for a real business user, reducing manual effort, improving a decision or eliminating a bottleneck."

Gates said the changes expand the role ERP systems can play inside companies, moving beyond record-keeping towards analysis and action. Some functions may eventually take autonomous steps within defined controls, he added.

"We're using AI to elevate workers, not replace them. ERP is moving from being a system of record to a system of insight and action, interpreting data, predicting outcomes and, in some cases, taking autonomous action with the right guardrails in place," Gates said. "Our approach is to not only leverage and protect enterprise data, but to facilitate interaction with a broad ecosystem of evolving AI capability to ensure our customers have access to every opportunity."

Long history

The AI rollout comes as Pronto Software marks five decades in the Australian technology sector. Founded in Melbourne in 1976 as Prometheus Software Developments, the business later rebuilt its core platform in the 1980s under the Pronto name.

A major change followed in the early 2000s, when the management team completed a staff buyout. That employee ownership model remains in place, and the company describes itself as independent, Australian-owned and employee-owned.

Pronto Software said more than 1,500 organisations use its products. Its longest continuing customer relationship has lasted 38 years, while 71 customers have been with the company for 30 years or more.

Gates said that longevity is unusual in enterprise software, where consolidation and ownership changes are common.

"Fifty years is an extraordinary achievement in any industry, but in enterprise software it is genuinely rare," Gates said. "Reaching this milestone as an independent, Australian-owned, employee-owned company makes it all the more meaningful. It proves that a disciplined, customer-first approach, combined with a culture of continuous reinvention, is a viable and enduring business model."

Customer focus

Customer workshops, focus groups and feedback programmes have shaped product development over many years, according to the company. Those discussions have informed expansion into sectors including manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail, mining, building and construction, food and beverage, and facilities management.

Pronto Software also pointed to recent recognition of its local ownership. It received official Australian Owned certification in 2025, which it said reflects its roots in the domestic market and its investment in local jobs and innovation.

Within the business, Gates said long staff tenure has also been a distinguishing feature. He linked that continuity to customer relationships and the company's ability to adapt its software over time.

"Our employees are not just a part of the story, they are the story," Gates said. "Their expertise, commitment and genuine care for our customers is what makes Pronto Software different. Fifty years is their achievement, and the next fifty will be built by the people here today and the people who join us along the way."

The company said its next AI work will extend into financials, manufacturing, project management and industry-specific modules. It also argued that the quality of the underlying data remains more important than the choice of AI model.

"AI is only as useful as what it can see," Gates said. "After fifty years of building that foundation, the technology has moved so rapidly that some think it's more about the tech than the data, but the opposite is true. Our platform is technology-agnostic and evolves with the times."