How Does Acumatica ERP Implementation Differ from Other ERPs?

Gavin Bell, Acumatica Pre-Sales Consultant, highlights the Eight-Step Acumatica Implementation Plan

At Pinnacle, we know that selecting the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a crucial decision for any organisation. It takes countless hours of research and discussion before a final decision is made. And, once that decision is made, that’s just step one. You now have to successfully implement that ERP.

Implementation includes everything from installing the system to migrating your data, to getting your staff trained. This could literally be the biggest undertaking your company commits to, maybe ever.

So, it can be a bit disconcerting when analysts at Gartner report that 55% to 75% of ERP migration projects go over budget, miss crucial milestone dates, or just outright fail. With those sobering stats in mind, we’re here to tell you that the company you partner with to help you implement your ERP can make all the difference.

That’s why we rely on Acumatica’s eight-step ERP implementation plan. It’s a streamlined and scalable process that’s been proven successful with thousands of organizations of all sizes.

But before we get into the eight-step process, let’s look at the three types of implementation projects.

Three Types of Implementation Projects

We know that every project shouldn’t be treated the same. We’ll start by identifying the complexity of your ERP implementation, which will fall into one of these categories:

• Express implementations are for single-entity organizations with fairly simple processes. The ERP is functional right out of the box and no add-ons or customizations are needed.
• Standard implementations are appropriate for single or multiple entities that need minor customizations. They are single currency and a single language.
• Advanced implementations are best for entities with multiple locations, currencies, and languages. Their business processes and integrations range from moderate to complex.

We’ll be responsible for identifying the level of complexity of your firm’s ERP implementation and then using Automatica’s methods and tools to ensure a smooth and successful implementation.

The Eight-Step Automatica Implementation Plan

It’s the eight-step Acumatica ERP implementation plan that sets it apart from other ERPs. The eight steps of the plan are:

1. Team Assembly: A project team is assembled before any work is started or there’s any spend of money. It includes employees from Pinnacle and the client. This team is needed for all the steps that follow.
2. Discovery: The discovery phase is where we define the need, vision, scope of the project, and obtain a commitment from the client to continue.
3. Plan & Monitor: This is when we develop a strategy to complete the work and define metrics to measure progress.
4. Analyse: The analysis stage is a deeper dive into the client’s requirements and business needs to ensure we understand every last detail.
5. Build: Here’s where we hit the ground running. We use the strategy defined in step 3 as our guide to actually install the system and start migrating data.
6. Stabilise: In the stabilise phase, we ensure that the solution we built meets the client’s requirements and is ready for full deployment to a live production environment. At this phase, we also ensure that the client is ready to make the switch by ensuring everyone is trained, ready, and even excited, about the change
7. Deploy: The solution goes into a production environment. This can be done in stages or by just “flipping the switch” so everything comes online at once. We don’t consider the project to be completely “live” until the old system is shut off.
8. Post Go-Live: In this phase, the new ERP is online, and we’re supporting the client for months after. Users and technical support resources will continue to verify proper operation. User training continues to show users more of what the ERP system software has to offer and help them reap the full benefits of the system. This eventually leads to project closure.

Delivering a Seamless ERP Implementation Experience

Implementing a new cloud-based ERP solution doesn’t have to be a nightmare. As an Acumatica Gold-Certified Partner and the UK and Ireland’s leading business solutions provider, we are ready and able to get your Acumatica ERP system into place, configure it to your specific needs, and keep it running smoothly. Acumatica is an award-winning Cloud ERP solution that can be tailored to your business, thereby accelerating your return on investment, and decreasing the time spent training employees.

If you would like to learn more about cloud-based ERP software or to schedule a free Acumatica demo, then contact our team today! You can also join our “Acumatica Lunch & Learn” online demonstrations to learn more while enjoying lunch on us.