If your organization is evaluating enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that combine breadth with intelligence, Sage’s X3 ERP deserves a spotlight at the Enterprise Software Showcase (ESS) 2026.
Sage, a long-standing vendor in financial, manufacturing, distribution, and service industries, continues to invest in cloud technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and improving agility via X3. At ESS 2026, attendees will have the opportunity to see Sage X3 (also known as “Sage Business Cloud X3”) in action, including recent advances like its AI-powered Copilot features.
This solution is particularly relevant for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-market companies in discrete or process manufacturing, distribution, food & beverage, and industrial equipment—companies seeking modernization without sacrificing flexibility or domain functionality.
Logo Image Courtesy of Sage
Sage X3 provides a full-featured ERP platform, available in cloud, on-premises, or hybrid configurations, enabling businesses to choose deployment models based on regulatory, operational, or cost considerations.
It supports multi-company, multi-legislation, multi-currency, and multi-tax settings, making it a viable choice for businesses operating across borders.
Core industry verticals served by Sage X3 include manufacturing (discrete and process), distribution, food & beverage, chemicals, and equipment—any organization needing tighter control over its supply chain, inventory, regulatory compliance, or quality management.
Key Functional Areas of Sage X3
Sage X3 delivers a broad set of core ERP capabilities designed to streamline financial operations, optimize production and supply chains, and empower data-driven decision-making. The following key functional areas highlight where the system provides the most value:
• Financial management: Real-time visibility, budgeting, AP & AR, fixed assets, multi-currency/tax compliance.
• Production & shop-floor control: bills of materials (BOM) planning, quality control, project management, scheduling, and shop floor modules.
• Supply chain and inventory management: purchasing, inventory visibility, sales order management, supplier, and fulfillment tracking.
• Business intelligence: Reporting, and analytics, with dashboards, role-based workspaces, mobile capabilities, and now AI-driven features.
One of Sage X3’s most recent and differentiating developments is Sage Copilot for X3, announced in mid-2025. Copilot introduces conversational interaction, allowing users to ask questions in natural language (English, French, Spanish) about customers, orders, lead times, or fulfillment issues. It also surfaces real-time alerts on anomalies or potential problems, embedding operational intelligence directly into daily workflows.
Another strength is automation in Accounts Payable, including invoice capture, document extraction, automatic classification, and duplicate identification, all designed to reduce manual work.
Sage X3 has also improved its API framework and developer tools with improved connectivity via GraphQL, new web scheduling APIs, and cloud-native shop floor control apps. These improvements enable faster extensions, integrations, and adaptability with third-party systems.
Moreover, Sage excels in managing industry-specific regulatory and compliance requirements, particularly in industries like food & beverage (traceability, quality control), chemicals, and manufacturing industries with multi-site operations and complex global tax environments.
Sage X3 Screenshot (Courtesy of Sage)
From a TEC research perspective, a clear trend has emerged: mid-market companies increasingly demand ERP solutions that are intelligent, flexible, and built for global complexity.
Sage X3 aligns closely with this trend. It combines broad industry coverage, strong regulatory support, and AI-augmented decision tools—all without forcing companies into rigid, one-size-fits-all templates.
Sage X3 bridges the gap between legacy robustness and modern intelligence, offering deep domain capabilities in manufacturing and distribution while supporting modern extensibility and analytics. Its strengths shine in environments characterized by regulatory demands, operational complexity, and cross-site or multi-company operations.
Areas to approach with caution include heavy process manufacturing with ultra-specialized requirements, or organizations expecting a fully plug-and-play AI or automation experience out of the box with minimal configuration. Still, X3 is moving steadily in that direction.
“Sage X3 is a state-of-the-art ERP solution. We ended up making a really good decision. Having Sage X3 in the cloud, means we can do anything we want from wherever we are.”
Nicolette Kavanagh, VP Operations, Starborn Industries
At ESS 2026, attendees will have the opportunity to see Sage X3 in action and gain direct access to Sage’s team to discuss how the solution addresses real-world challenges faced by mid-market manufacturers and distributors. This is your chance to consult with experts about specific pain points including: supply chain disruptions, demand variability, compliance, cost control, customer service expectations, and operational visibility.
CEOs, COOs, and CFOs should come prepared with questions about strategic capabilities. For example, you might explore how Sage Copilot turns reactive processes into proactive insights—identifying fulfillment risks, spotting at-risk customers, and catching delays before they escalate. These are capabilities that can directly impact on customer satisfaction and profit margins.
IT Directors and Managers should prepare questions about the system’s extensibility, deployment flexibility (cloud vs. on-premises), API infrastructure, and ease of integration or customization without compromising upgrade paths. Also, consider asking about shop floor control, particularly how manufacturing edge data (such as weighing, lot tracking, scheduling) feeds into the ERP and alerts.
Do not Wait—Register for TEC’s ESS 2026
If you are seeking an ERP capable of scaling globally, adapting to industry demands, and infusing AI into your operations, don't miss Sage X3 at ESS 2026.
This solution is more than an ERP, it’s a platform evolving to meet the needs of today’s mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and industrial firms.
Register today for ESS 2026 and make sure to attend the Sage X3 session to see firsthand how it could transform visibility, control, and agility in your business.