Cloud 9 ERP Solutions Blog

In our blog explaining the new features in Acumatica 2018 R2, we explored the improvements that Acumatica made in their latest release, breaking down the updates to each module and each industry edition. The R2 release was game changing as a whole and provided a swath of enhancements, but for those of you who may be in the consideration phase, you may be wondering more about the editions than about the updates. Today, we would like take the time to explore each and discuss why it matters.

Leading a manufacturing operation is a series of potentially business-changing decisions. From minute details to major changes, one hiccup could cut into profits, strain customer or supplier relationships, or damage your reputation. From equipment to suppliers to software, your manufacturing business differs from nearly every other manufacturing organization, and your path to business growth is unique.

Twenty-four years ago, Amazon was still doing business as Cadabra, two percent of households had access to the internet, and a CD order set in motion a wave of change that brought us to today’s retail environment. Lauded as the first ecommerce transaction in history, Phil Brandenberger sat down at his computer, visited a website, and ordered "Ten Summoners' Tales" by the rock musician Sting.

Acumatica is designed for its customers, built to make it easier for end users to do their jobs. However, there is no such thing as complacency for the firm, and they continually work to make improvements to the product. Whether they are compliance necessities, interface improvements, or better integrations, Acumatica continues to make twice-yearly improvements based on customer requests, with the most recent update, R2 2018 featuring big changes to make the product better.

For the product-based business, inventory is a significant investment, an important part of your operating strategy, and far too often, one of the riskiest cost centers of your business. Inventory control is one of the most challenging tasks for any manufacturer, distributor, ecommerce brand, or retailer; even field service firms like audio and visual companies have the visibility and control to maintain a healthy balance of inventory if they hope to serve customers without driving up costs.

Business Management Software decisions are complex processes that require a lot of input, a lot of planning, and a lot of time, resulting in a tenuous period for executives, end users, and others within your organization who have to prepare for a major shift in the day-to-day activities presented by an upgrade.

When companies choose the cloud for their business management software, they see a lot of benefits. From straightforward pricing to anytime, anywhere access, one of the biggest benefits that exists is that companies who choose cloud get robust, timely, and automatic updates. These updates are announced in advance and rolled out on a specific date with minimal IT intervention.

When it comes to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation process, very little comes easy. While the right implementation partners can make it look easy, there are a lot of moving parts that make the process much harder than it looks. The infighting, the politicization and scrutiny over your decisions from end users and department heads, and the brushback from people clinging to the status quo make every step a challenge—and that’s before you even decide on a product.

When it comes to running a business, there are few things as stressful as a change to your enterprise resource management software. Why? Because it changes every facet of your business operations. Often this switch requires not only a change in software, but a change in culture as well, creating a very tense, politicized environment before you even decide on which product you want to use. Some people are apprehensive to change, others fear that the upgrade could result in pink slips. And with all the backfighting that happens before the project, you still have the hardest part—implementing the software, moving the data, and training the people.

Audio/visual companies that install and service A/V and related systems are unique because the product and service are equally important. Whether that’s wiring a phone system for an office building, designing an audio system for a church, playing the role of ‘unsung hero’ for the trade show world, or helping warehouses protect their assets with video security; everything about the planning, installation, and support needs to be accounted for and implemented with the customer in mind.