ERP decisions are complicated. Over the course of months, you’re going to hear dozens of vendors and their partners touting product benefits you didn’t know you needed, watch demos of features you may or may not want, and feel your eyes glaze over as each company’s sales team tries to convince you that they’re the best.
Yes, it’s important to find the best solution—for your unique needs. But this is where many companies run into problems. Decision makers will often find themselves looking at a great product with one dealbreaker or promise that corners them into a choice that may not work. Despite promises of flexibility, many players might not offer this benefit where you need it.
How Acumatica Does Things Differently
Something we discussed in our article on Acumatica’s sales model and the ways it increases customer value, Acumatica takes a different approach to ERP.
- Instead of hiring a sales team at the expense of its channel partners, the company skips the internal sales staff to focus on R&D.
- Instead of relying on per-user pricing or a confusing mix of user and resource pricing, Acumatica’s resource-based pricing offers users greater flexibility.
- Instead of forcing users to update on the vendor’s schedule, Acumatica gives customers a bit more time to test and optimize before installing new functionality.
- Instead of cornering customers with a single pricing structure, Acumatica customers can choose an upfront cost structure or leverage a pay as you go subscription.
- Instead of offering one deployment method, the born-in-the-cloud Acumatica Solution is ready to deploy on-premises, in the public cloud or on a private cloud hosting environment.
Though each of these provides customers with unique benefits, it’s the last of these five differences that is perhaps the most intriguing. Many wonder why a company who promises true cloud ERP would offer a non-cloud deployment option.
Because even if you need the best and the newest technology, there are some cases where the cloud isn’t the best option.
Why ERP Flexibility Matters
From complexities in regulation to geographical challenges, certain companies need to get the benefits of the cloud without the cloud delivery method. This is where Acumatica’s unique value proposition comes in. Rather than existing as a legacy system with a cloud facade, Acumatica is a cloud solution ready to deliver in ways that others can’t.
Why Most Cloud Companies Are Cloud-Only, Not Cloud-First
The cloud has created a new business model for vendors. Not only did the cloud change the way that products are priced—many offer strict per-user and subscription-only policies—it also created a public cloud-only deployment mentality.
Though a cloud-only delivery model does provide a variety of benefits for most customers, it doesn’t deliver for all customers. Added to this, it puts the vendor in a lot more control. But why? First, it’s pragmatic for the vendor. In a public cloud-only offering, everyone is updated on the same schedule. Second, it’s cost effective. Though customers do benefit from the economies of scale that come with public cloud configurations, they may not receive the most benefit.
Risks of ERP Deployment Inflexibility
From a risk of lock-in to a lack of control over updates and upgrades, a cloud-only mentality can limit ERP customers. Here are just four of the biggest problems that a cloud-only mentality creates.
1) Compliance Challenges
Achieving compliance is a moving target. If you’re in a heavily regulated industry such as Healthcare, remaining compliant may require you to deploy based around these regulations. Unfortunately, if your provider doesn’t offer deployment flexibility, you’re stuck, or, at the very least, you’re looking at an expensive and time-consuming fix.
2) Geographical Challenges
The cloud is great when your internet is fast. But not every company exists in a major metropolitan area—and as a leading ERP partner who serves both connected locations like Los Angeles and Silicon Valley as well as those in Central California, Nevada, and Alaska, we understand that many customers may not exactly be on the grid. In these environments, it might be tougher to realize the potential of a public cloud deployment.
3) Control Challenges
Cloud ERP is built to integrate. But even the most connected and flexible solutions might run into a few hiccups during update season. Pure cloud players will force customers to update on the vendor’s schedule, leaving IT teams scrambling to fix things.
4) Business Change Challenges
Companies change. Organizations may need to adjust business processes due to industry shifts, customer demand, or to improve productivity are inevitable. This is where a lack of flexibility can hurt. Whether you grow into a company who would benefit from economies of scale or one that needs to change into a different regulatory environment, your software should enable this.
Delivered by the Best: Advanced Solutions and Consulting
As you weigh your options, your ERP checklist should include ERP deployment flexibility, such as what Acumatica provides with public cloud or private cloud options. Deployment flexibility is your right as a customer and Acumatica has gone so far as to included it in their Acumatica Customer Bill of Rights.
Advanced Solutions & Consulting Co. is an MVP VAR and an MVP Developer with offices in Southern California, San Francisco, and Chicago. Our team of ERP experts implements Acumatica and Acumatica ISV solutions designed to optimize business processes and give you the most from modern technologies. And this is why we are among the best of the best—we help customers realize the benefits of the “Digital Transformation” Acumatica offers.
Whether it’s implementation or development, when you work with ASC, you’re leveraging the collective experience of a team who brings 23 years of results and more then 350 implementation projects. Don’t wait any longer. To learn more about how Acumatica can help your business, schedule a free consultation or give us a call at (858) 755-9200.
Additional ERP Resources
Acumatica Cloud ERP vs. NetSuite
How Cloud ERP Integration Can Build the Perfect System
ERP for Millennials: Five Key Features for ERP Software Systems