“Built Different:” Why Acumatica Has Been the Best Cloud ERP Since Birth

We hear Acumatica often touted as “built in the cloud.” But what does that really imply? Why would that factor into the “best cloud ERP”? Acumatica is the new guy on the scene, which means that it was developed in an entirely different world than the legacy ERP systems: nearly 10 years after NetSuite and Intec. And in the technology world, 10 years is an eon.

Modern Solutions for Modern Problems

The earliest instances of a bow and arrow are estimated to have appeared around 61,000 years ago. The Ancient Egyptians improved on that design and are suspected to be the first civilization to regularly use it for hunting and warfare beginning around 3,000 BC. Fast-forward to today, and your local hunting supply store will sell you a compound bow capable of shooting an arrow 1,000 feet, at a speed of over 100 feet per second. We ask you: if your life was at stake, which bow would you want?

That simple bow was revolutionary at the time but wouldn’t beat the new guys in any quality today. The compound bows are lighter, stronger, more durable. Bow makers today must take modern users’ needs into account, and have new technology available to them, modern materials, and 61,000 years of observing how a bow needs to perform.

End-to-End Connectivity

The developers at Acumatica have all that, too (give or take 59,000 years). The goal was to create a system that could perform all the necessary accounting tasks for a business, but take the functionality to a higher level, and ALL on one platform. It was a brilliant combination of how the platform was built, why they made the choices they did, and the system itself.

Most ERP systems were designed to be used solely on a computer (obviously, because many predate the proliferation of cell phones altogether). But Acumatica was born in 2008, and while our devices are infinitely more powerful now, they knew that responsive design and mobile capability was absolutely imperative to keeping business processes connected. NetSuite wouldn’t have thought about that because in 1998, they wouldn’t have needed to.

xRP Engine Powers Customization

Acumatica calls their unique platform “xRP,” as in “ERP,” but they use X to represent all the possibilities. The xRP framework is the engine that drives the versatility of the software, and what makes Acumatica so different from legacy systems. It’s built on the “world’s best cloud and mobile technology” and enables companies to build a solution that is truly bespoke for their unique needs and industry while still providing that “single source of truth” (more on this in upcoming blogs). Sure, you can connect two, three, four external systems, but why would you?

With the xRP model, businesses can tailor their system to fit them perfectly. The benefits of housing all of a company’s accounting and business processes in one spot are innumerable, for employees and executives alike. In the olden ERP days of the late 90s, it simply wasn’t possible to have that level of customizability.

The Future of Cloud ERP

Built in the cloud means built for growth and adaptation. Acumatica built itself to be intuitive and versatile, and their commitment to continuous improvement for their software enables business owners to continuously improve their own processes. CAL Business Solutions, in the upcoming blog series, will break down many more elements to Acumatica’s up-sides, such as:

• The addition of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning to automate tasks
• Integrated modules that most companies outsource like CRM
• Built-in reporting tools
• The elimination of multiple databases within the system
• Streamlined routine processes like bank reconciliation

Download the white paper:  The xRP Platform

And much more. You can see we’re passionate about what Acumatica can do. What’s not to love about a completely end-to-end connected platform? If you’re tired of the Stone Age tech, the only choice is Acumatica and CAL Business Solutions. Talk to our team today about the Best Cloud ERP available!

By CAL Business Solutions, Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner, www.calszone.com