The Total Guide to Acumatica ERP
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Acumatica ERP integration including market-fit, pricing, features, and comparisons.
We’ve paired this article with a comprehensive guide to help companies bridge the gap between their ERP and AP processes. Get your free copy of The Last Mile of ERP: Payables Transformation Strategies!
What is Acumatica ERP?
Acumatica ERP is a SaaS, modular, cloud-based software system that handles many business processes and functions throughout the company. Businesses can pay by usage or transaction tiers with unlimited users or by the number of users. Acumatica cloud ERP offers industry-specific and company-size Editions, including a General Business Edition. ERP is enterprise resource planning.
ERP software from Acumatica can be deployed either on the Public or Private cloud. Private cloud licenses can either be subscription-based or perpetual.
Acumatica cloud ERP industry-specific Editions are:
- Manufacturing
- Distribution
- Construction
- Commerce
- Field Service, and
- General Business.
Functional area Acumatica modules Editions for the ERP and CRM are:
- Financial Management
- Project Accounting,
- US Payroll, and
- Customer Management (customer relationship management).
Financial Management includes accounting software with financial reporting. Acumatica ERP has a software solution for time tracking and expense management that helps companies capture and control labor costs, and bill for professional services and contract-allowable costs.
Acumatica Field Service Management software module is for service companies, wholesale distributors, construction companies, and manufacturing companies with operations in the field.
Acumatica company-size Editions are:
- Small Business
- 5 named users/1 tenant and upgrade to 10 users
- Advanced, and
- mid-market with 10-250 employees/5 tenants
- Enterprise
- larger companies with 250+ employees/20 tenants.
The linked Acumatica Licensing Guide lists Acumatica modules by Edition and company size and explains the licensing model.
Acumatica cloud ERP software is accessed using mobile apps and computers.
Which Types of Businesses Use Acumatica?
Acumatica customers are small businesses and mid-market companies (SMBs), although Acumatica sells its “enterprise” version to companies with more than 250 employees. Customers are located in the United States and international locations.
Acumatica customers are in these industries:
- Agriculture and Farming
- Construction
- Distribution
- Food and Beverage
- Healthcare
- Non-Profit
- Manufacturing
- Retail and eCommerce
- Services
- Software and Technology
- Telecommunication, and
- Travel and hospitality.
Manufacturing companies like Acumatica manufacturing modules for:
- Manufacturing bill of materials (BOM) and production management,
- Material requirements planning (MRP) for Advanced and Enterprise users, and
- optional Acumatica modules,
- Product Configurator,
- Estimating,
- Planning and Scheduling,
- Engineering Change Control, and
- Manufacturing Data Collection.
Companies with inventory like supply chain, inventory management (to track inventory and cost by item), warehouse management, and distribution management features in the Acumatica software solution. Companies with inventory can purchase the Order Management and Inventory Management modules instead of the Distribution Edition. Order Management with Inventory Management includes Sales Order Management, Purchase Order Management, and Requisition Management.
Companies that don’t have inventory, like service companies, can purchase the Acumatica Order Management to create sales quotes, sales orders, and purchase orders.
Construction companies like project management and project accounting that are included in the Acumatica Construction Edition. (Project accounting is also available as a module for other versions).
How Much Does Acumatica Cost?
Acumatica ERP cost includes:
• Acumatica cloud ERP pricing for selected Acumatica modules,
• computing resource usage or number of users,
• implementation and customization consulting costs,
• third-party add-on software,
• and optional upgrades, like premier Customer Direct Support or Fast Track Implementation.
Request a quote for Acumatica cloud ERP software and services from your local value added reseller (VAR) in the Acumatica partner program.
How Does AP Automation Software Integration Work With Acumatica?
Acumatica integrations with third-party SaaS add-ons are through a flat-file or API software connection. The Tipalti AP automation software uses flat-file integration, which automates global mass payments using large data files related to payables well. ERP system users access Tipalti features through the Acumatica login and user interface.
What Are The Primary Features and Advantages of Acumatica?
• Ease of use, with modern user interface
• Personalization
• Machine learning and AI-driven
• Real-time dashboards
• Industry-specific Editions
• Extensive Acumatica module selection, and
• SaaS subscription pricing model based on either usage/transaction tiers or number of users.
The Acumatica ERP solution is user-friendly, with a flexible and intuitive user interface. Acumatica ERP has built-in machine learning and artificial intelligence that powers contextual help and many other valuable software features.
Besides its customization tools for developers, Acumatica offers low-code or no-code personalization without a programmer.
Acumatica personalization includes:
- modifying the order of tabs,
- specifying visibility of tabs and report lines,
- defining valid values of fields,
- importing data,
- adding side panels,
- integrating third-party add-on apps and open API Acumatica modules,
- creating custom workflows using combo box values,
- building real-time dashboards using multiple data sources and add-on business intelligence software like Microsoft Power BI,
- and selecting report definitions, KPIs, and charts that meet your business needs.
Industry-specific Editions of Acumatica ERP software incorporate industry best practices. Users have an extensive selection of modules for a complete ERP experience matching their business needs.
How to Implement & Use Acumatica
Acumatica training is free at Acumatica Open University. The Acumatica University course catalog includes Getting Started with Acumatica ERP and implementation courses for Acumatica software modules. Acumatica customer support offers resources, Fast Track Deployment, and an upgrade to Premier Customer Direct Support. An Acumatica partner sells software and provides consulting services.
Which ERP Systems are Comparable to Acumatica?
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is cloud-based accounting software that becomes ERP-like with third-party add-on software. (QuickBooks Desktop is the on-premises Intuit QuickBooks product.) QuickBooks targets its software to users in the small business and mid-sized company market.
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct is a cloud-based modern ERP system that competes with Acumatica ERP. The AICPA endorses Sage Intacct.
Oracle NetSuite
Like the Acumatica cloud ERP solution, NetSuite is true cloud software with extensive features in many functional areas. NetSuite has customers of all sizes and excels in the mid-market niche.
Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains)
Microsoft Dynamics GP (from its Great Plains acquisition) is an ERP solution and MRP for many industries and customer types, including manufacturers. The older ERP system, GP, is deployed as cloud, on-premises, or hybrid, compared to Acumatica’s more modern, cloud-only approach.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the latest cloud ERP product in the Dynamics product line, serving customers in all industries and seamlessly integrating many Microsoft apps.
SAP Business ByDesign and Business One
SAP Business ByDesign and Business One are SAP ERP SME software products aimed at small and midsize businesses. SAP Business One is for small businesses. ByDesign is cloud-based and includes more features to compete with Acumatica. SAP also sells top-tier ERP systems for large companies.
ALERE ERP
ALERE is ERP software for accounting, supply chain, MRP, analytics, and customer relationship management (CRM). ALERE includes a real-time general ledger and financial management with analytics and business intelligence.
