If you’ve had your morning coffee, you might feel up to contemplating the grand paradox of enterprise software: Every business is unique, yet every business can benefit from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which offers standardized functionality. How can this be? Well, for one thing, although each company has its distinctive way of doing things and operates in an industry with its own norms, all businesses are essentially alike. They all buy and sell. They have operations and support workflows. They generally have employees split up into teams and similar departmental structures for finance, sales, procurement and so forth.
Then, the software can be configured to meet the unique needs of your business. You can adapt a ERP solution’s out-of-the-box features to fit your special way of doing things. And, perhaps most importantly, you can integrate your ERP with other systems, as well as with various add-on modules, so its fit around the way you do business. Indeed, ERP, while appearing monolithic, often involves many different programs operating different segments of the business.
That’s how the paradox resolves. With configuration and integration, the generic ERP application adapts to your company’s unique way of doing business. The right ERP program can help manage all aspects of the business seamlessly through one integrated solution. That solution should be able to manage everything from eCommerce, sales, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, customer management, financial management, and more.
Acumatica Cloud ERP and the Potential for Integration
Acumatica’s Cloud ERP solution adapts to your business’s evolving needs by incorporating enhancements beyond the traditional ERP system when needed. These include modules for Customer Relationship Management (CRM), data visualization and so forth. With integrated CRM, for example, you can track each step of customer interaction and service from initial contact through purchase and support.
The integrated solution may also track and manage inventory in real-time, while automating customer orders from order placement through invoicing and receiving payments. Critical data from all levels are integrated into an intuitive, user-friendly solution that offers a flexible data visualization and reporting. The benefits of achieving this functional and data-level intregration are huge, including real-time reporting, increased productivity, reduced operational costs, and improved business insights. The ERP system comprises a single source of truth for an organization—a real-time view of your business anywhere, any time, from any device.
Module Integration and ERP Optimization
Acumatica offers an array of modules and industry-specific editions that integrate with one another, effecting ERP optimization. Each company will have its own specific needs for functionality and integration. With Acumatica’s straightforward API-based integration capability, a business can adopt and connect Acumatica modules as needed. Options include:
- General & Financial Management
- Distribution Management
- Manufacturing Management
- Commerce
- Field Service Management
- CRM and Case Management
- Project Accounting
- Project Accounting and Professional Services
Working from this collection of modules, a company might for example connect Field Service Management and Distribution Management with its core ERP application. This way, the business can have smooth, automated processes for service delivery and warehouse management that link directly to accounting and financial reporting. By adding CRM, the company then gains a 360-degree view of the customer.
This is just one of a nearly infinite number of use cases.
Integrated Solutions and ERP Optimization
It’s also important to consider the robust and growing number of third-party integrated solutions developed by technology partners like Advanced Solutions & Consulting. Solutions in the Acumatica Marketplace allow customers to extend Acumatica to meet their unique business needs with solutions for credit card processing, EDI, ecommerce, and so much more.
In fact, at Advanced Solutions & Consulting we offer many Acumatica ISV solutions that save serious time and money for supply chain and accounting applications. Our solutions are written in native Acumatica xRP. They address complex ERP requirements extending Acumatica’s market breadth and competitiveness. ASC augments Acumatica with elegant solutions that monitor and automate ERP functions to improve Acumatica’s competitive landscape and save customers (and their VAR’s) serious time and money.
Contact Us To Get Started
If you want to know how you can achieve ERP optimization through integration, let us demonstrate Acumatica for you. We have helped hundreds of companies with ERP in the last 23 years.
Additional ERP Resources
Getting the Most Out of ERP: Accessibility, Ease of Use, and Optimization
How Acumatica’s Infrastructure Positions Customers For Growth