Finding the Right Acumatica Partner for Your Cloud ERP Success

Author: Yuriy Zaletskyy

CTO and co-founder of AcuPower

Acumatica MVP

Implementing an ERP system is a major undertaking. A cloud ERP like Acumatica brings added intricacies around customization, integrations, and change management. That’s why choosing the right implementation consultant as your partner can make all the difference for a smooth and successful deployment.

In this guide, we’ll cover how an experienced Acumatica partner helps you:

• Unlock greater value from the Acumatica platform with the aid of consulting services.

• Tailor Acumatica to your exact business needs through the help of a professional Acumatica consultant.

• Integrate seamlessly with other business systems

• Optimize workflows for efficiency

• Enable user adoption through training

• Choose Acumatica consulting services to set your business up for ongoing success with cloud ERP software.

As someone who’s been on the “inside” during dozens of Acumatica cloud ERP deployments over the years, I’ll share insider tips on what truly elevates an implementation beyond just software installation to business transformation.

Why Do You Need an Acumatica Services Partner? Can’t You Implement Acumatica Yourself?

Acumatica provides an exceptionally user-friendly system plus award-winning support. So why bring in added services to help?

While Acumatica’s framework speeds implementation compared to legacy ERP tools, the level of tailoring and integration needed for many mid-market firms requires specialized expertise.

Reasons you absolutely want to partner with an implementation consultant include:

1. Shorten your learning curve with their vast Acumatica experience and consulting services.

2. Gain greater ROI through advanced personalization and optimizations

3. Ensure flawless functionality of integrations with CRM, POS, ecommerce, and custom apps, thus meeting your specific business needs.

4. Ensure complex manufacturing and distribution scenarios translate accurately into Acumatica

5. Have experts manage tricky data migration from legacy systems

6. Enable user adoption through structured training programs

7. Prevent business disruption both during and after go-live

Keep reading as we explore exactly what key services to demand from prospective Acumatica partners to drive implementation excellence.

Assessing Potential Acumatica Cloud ERP Consultants

With so many Acumatica consultants out there, all offering Acumatica consulting services, selecting the right fit can be challenging. Here are the top criteria to evaluate:

Industry Vertical Expertise

Ideally, you want an implementation firm with proven success assisting organizations in your specific manufacturing, distribution, or field services niche. This vertical knowledge leads to better customization catered to your operational realities and terms your team understands.

Technical Solution Breadth

Ask whether they can handle complex integrations to CRM or POS systems as part of their Acumatica consulting services. Are they able to develop custom apps, workflows, and connectors that embed niche packages directly into Acumatica? Examine their technical capabilities beyond basic configuration, and see if they can provide a real-time dashboard.

Focus on User Adoption

Do they offer role-based end-user training programs both pre and post-go-live? Can they create video tutorials and Quick Reference guides tailored to your workflows? Find out their approach beyond IT go live to driving companywide usage.

Post-Go-Live Support Approach

Ask about their help desk response times, site visit policies and ongoing optimization services. Can they troubleshoot live if major issues surface? Get clarity upfront on the type of support delivered after the consultants leave.

The best fits thoroughly understand your key processes and requirements before making software recommendations. They should avoid generic one-size-fits-all solutions. With the right ERP experts as your partner, you'll be confident that Acumatica can handle your unique business scenarios.

Key Components of Excellent Acumatica Cloud ERP Implementations

Streamlining operations, improving visibility, and future-proofing your technology stack – an ERP deployment sets in motion enterprise-wide change.

Having guided over 50 mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and field service organizations through their Acumatica journey, I’ve seen firsthand how valuable a knowledgeable implementation partner is every step of the way.

Here are must-have services and project plan elements to require from prospective ERP consultants:

• Structured Project Governance - Demand fixed phases, staff roles/responsibilities between your team and theirs, and clearly defined deliverables every step pre and post go-live.

• Infrastructure Specifications - They should assess network capacity and performance to determine ideal server, bandwidth and endpoint requirements for optimizing Acumatica speed.

• Installation & Baseline Configuration - The right Acumatica consultant should execute software installation and baseline configuration promptly for quick user adoption.

• Customization Analysis - Through detailed workflow analysis and requirements gathering, they architect truly personalized configurations, custom fields/forms, screens, and reports tailored to how you operate.

• Integrations Buildout – They define touchpoints between Acumatica and surrounding sales, marketing, customer service, commerce, POS, warehouse and other niche apps essential for day-one sync.

• Data Migration Plan – They transfer datasets from legacy systems into Acumatica while cleansing data to maintain integrity and continuity of information that keeps business operations humming.

• Testing & Validation - Through simulated software usage testing and scenarios evaluation, they validate personalized processes, integrations and data conversions well in advance of go-live.

• Ongoing Support - Post-go-live, they provide unlimited training webinars, Quick Start guides, unlimited user support cases/tickets, and defined response times/SLAs.

The right consulting services partner aims to make your company self-sufficient in the Acumatica cloud ERP software long-term. They equip administrators and key users with platform expertise for ongoing management while providing support safety nets.

Let’s explore a few of these components more closely...

Getting Personal with Acumatica – Customization for Optimal Workflows

While out-of-the-box Acumatica tackles 90% of common ERP needs, we find savvy customization delivers the last 10% of functionality for truly elevating business performance.

This is where leaning on an implementation provider skilled in tailored configurations pays dividends. Rather than forcing internal changes to match generic software, they mold the software precisely to existing workflows.

Examples of Impactful Customizations We Commonly Build:

● Punchout Catalog Connectors – Integration to major retailers provides seamless product data sync, empowering B2B e-commerce sales;

● Route Planning Tools – Optimization algorithms integrate with Acumatica shipping for efficient scheduling and dispatch;

● Production Data Workflows – Bi-directional sync between CAD programs and Acumatica PLM maintains intricate Bills of Material (BOMs) and routings;

● Partial and Consolidated Payment Options – Specialized AR/AP features and credit card processing meet industry payment norms;

● Quality Inspection Checklists – Incorporate failure codes, disposition rules, and notes capture directly into shop floor and return workflows;

● Barcode/Mobile Scanning – Tailor inventory, warehouse, fulfillment, and field workflows for speed and accuracy via mobile devices;

This list just scratches the surface. The right partner provides open minds and technical skills to handle even your most nuanced scenarios.

Integration Proficiency Critical for ERP Implementations

As much as 30% of a successful ERP deployment focuses just on integrations with existing software both around and within Acumatica. With specialized connectors and APIs now automating real-time data flows between various apps, choosing an Acumatica consultant proficient in integrationAcceleration is essential.

Here are common integration needs we handle for wholesale, retail, and manufacturing clients:

● Sync Acumatica ERP to CRM systems like Salesforce for bi-directional customer data flows

● Embed online shopping cart and POS checkout data directly into Acumatica for central order/inventory visibility

● Update product pricing, Availability-to-Promise (ATP) and orders via EDI with major retailers like Amazon and Walmart

● Interconnect shipping systems like UPS WorldShip to synchronize shipment processing details

● Digitize field workforce operations using Acumatica mobile and IoT apps with work order data, asset histories, e-signatures capture and beyond

●Embed advanced planning, quality control, product data management, customer management, and other niche apps directly within Acumatica screens using modern APIs that offer real-time interoperability.

On projects with over 50 distinct app touchpoints, integrations become complex puzzles. We assemble connections seamlessly – and certify Bulletproof reliability.

Being unique, your integration needs can be fulfilled by choosing Acumatica and the right consulting services. We love solving complex puzzles, made even more fun when it straight-through business productivity!

Key Takeaways – Getting an Acumatica Partner Investment Right

Hopefully, this guide has shed light on the potential pitfalls of tackling a cloud ERP implementation solo - and, more importantly, the benefits of bringing on an implementation partner.

To recap important takeaways:

√ Define your key requirements and processes upfront – does the consultant deeply understand your needs before making recommendations?

√ Assess technical abilities around customization, integrations, and niche solution connectivity beyond basic ERP setup.

√ Examine post-go-live support plans and response times to ensure your long-term success.

√ Structure Implementation project plans should provide visibility and accountability into consultant and internal staff responsibilities at each phase.

√ Demand solutions tailored to your actual workflows versus forcing the adoption of rigid, generic software.

No two businesses are exactly alike. Your Acumatica partner should handle common scenarios yet customize readily to your unique processes.

I encourage you to contact AcuPower and entrust them with your Acumatica implementation. This is due to their proven track record of guiding businesses to outperform peers through ERP excellence.

While ERP software provides the technology foundation, realizing goals of increased efficiencies, insights and competitiveness requires a consultative partnership - make sure you find the right fit.