82% of SMBs agree that using new technology effectively is key to their company’s survival and growth.
91% of SMBs are investing in technology to fuel new growth initiatives.*
With the many challenges of the past two years, from supply chain issues, to labor shortages, and beyond, small-to-midsized businesses need to carve out areas where they can gain a competitive advantage quickly and leverage technology to become as efficient as possible.
The most critical piece of technology that SMBs should look to optimize is your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
ERP platforms are the heart of your business data – they connect and pump data through all of your other systems. Leveraging an enterprise-grade ERP system is foundational to making the most of all of your technology investments.
Savvy organizations are gaining a competitive advantage leveraging enterprise-grade technology that is available at mid-market prices. Here’s how.
How Do You Know an ERP is “Enterprise-Grade”?
According to TEC – Technology Evaluation Centers, an enterprise-grade ERP goes beyond a big name product and advanced architecture. It requires a combination of:
- An industry-leading platform
- Deep industry-specific functionality
- An engaged partner community
- Enterprise-ready service and support
- A financially-backed focus on future development
How Does Acumatica Cloud ERP Measure Up?
Platform
Unlike almost every other ERP solution on the market, the Acumatica xRP platform was developed in a modern, open-API, mobile-enabled, cloud environment. In addition to supporting all of the day-to-day operations of a business, the Acumatica platform enables integrations to additional technologies including artificial intelligence and IoT. The architecture of Acumatica makes it user-friendly while balancing an ease of customization with easy upgrades as new features are developed.
Industry
Acumatica delivers a core set of financial and operational capabilities while continuing to grow their list of “industry editions” that address the unique needs of various businesses. In addition to the industry capabilities that Acumatica is providing, many value added resellers (VARs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) continue to develop niche solutions for many vertical industries leveraging the flexible, Acumatica platform.
Partners
The necessity of a thriving partner ecosystem for the long-term success of a software solution has been routinely proven. Acumatica has a rapidly growing global network of carefully chosen VARs, ISVs, and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), through which they exclusively provide their solution.
Services
Part of what defines an enterprise system is the enterprise-level of services and support provided by the vendor. Acumatica fulfills this criteria easily. By running on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Acumatica delivers 24/7 access, disaster recovery, backup service, high availability, monitoring, updates, and maintenance. Acumatica goes beyond just ensuring that the system is running smoothly. It also goes to great lengths to provide education, resources, and more to ensure that customers are using the system effectively and partners are implementing and supporting it efficiently.
Financially Future Focused
Companies investing in an ERP system are making a long-term commitment, so it is vital to know from the outset that your ERP vendor is committed to the long-term growth and development of your solution. Acumatica has a visionary leadership team with deep experience in the ERP industry that is supported by impressive private equity investments in the future of the platform.
How Is Acumatica Accessible on a SMB Budget?
Acumatica’s through-partner sales structure enables the organization to keep costs low for customers. Additionally, Acumatica’s pricing structure is not based on user counts like most ERP solutions. Instead, Acumatica customers pay for the amount of data they are transmitting. This allows Acumatica users to scale the solution more easily to their needs while keeping costs manageable as they grow.
*Learn more about these stats in “The Path to Success in the ERP Cloud” infographic
Originally published July 26, 2019. Updated and republished with new information.