What makes Netflix so good at predicting movies you'll like? A recommendation algorithm based on your viewing history, and the viewing histories of others like you, of course. While consumer technology is rife with such technology, HarrisData president Lane Nelson sees a future when ERP applications augmented with machine learning algorithms can automate nearly all of the back-office decisions currently made by people. Machines have been taking over the back-office since the days of the typewriter. But the next wave of innovation occurring around big data analytics and machine learning will likely make the transition to a people-less office nearly complete, according to Nelson, who's also holds the title of chief evangelist at HarrisData, the Brookfield, Wisconsin-based provider of enterprise software that runs on IBM i. "Automation is coming at the back office. It has been for 10 years at least," Nelson tells IT Jungle.