Implementing Acumatica Cloud ERP: 8 Steps to Success

Implementing Acumatica’s cloud ERP solution can be done in eight steps with help available every step of the way.

Buying and adopting a cloud ERP solution isn’t a simple process. It’s a major undertaking (and a huge investment) that requires time, effort, and attention. You must first obtain company buy-in, which is a process in-and-of itself. Then you must decide which ERP system is right for your business (after much research and evaluation). Once you’ve made your decision, you finally get to start the implementation.

Thankfully, when your company chooses Acumatica, you’ve chosen a solution built on a proven intelligent business cloud platform. Along with your implementation partner and access to Acumatica’s intelligent business services, you can make the cloud ERP implementation a successful one.

How Does Acumatica’s 8-Step Cloud ERP Implementation Process Work?

The picture some statistics paint about ERP implementations is somewhat grim. For example, according to a Facts & Stats on ERP Systems infographic by TEC, an impartial advisory firm, 50% of ERP implementations fail the first-time round. The good news doesn’t stop there. TEC says that ERP implementations take, on average, 30% longer than estimated and cost three-to-four times the budget.

Though discouraging, these statistics don’t reflect what many of Acumatica’s over 6,500 cloud ERP customers have experienced. Take Fabuwood Cabinetry, Acumatica’s 2018 Customer of the Year. With the help of Acumatica VAR NexVue, the kitchen cabinet manufacturer implemented Acumatica’s manufacturing software in five months–and their cloud ERP implementation included nine integrations, among them CRM and Acumatica integration for a unified view of customer and operational data.

Sendy Stern, Fabuwood’s Senior Vice President of Technology says, “Most people told us it would take about nine months to go live from when you start the process. It was amazing. Within five months, we were live. [Acumatica] has a great platform and a great system that helped us go so fast.”

How are companies like Fabuwood Cabinetry able to implement Acumatica’s cloud ERP software so quickly? Acumatica and Acumatica’s partners have perfected an eight-step plan for cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation success.

1. Choose your deployment option: Acumatica customers can deploy in the cloud (Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS) or on premises, depending on your business, compliance, and infrastructure requirements.
2. Assemble your team: Your internal team will consist of both full-time and part-time members during the installation process.
3. Define your requirements: The requirements are generally classified as Essential, Desirable, Not an immediate need, and Nice to have
4. Develop a project plan: The project plan will keep the project on time and on budget while ensuring the requirements are met.
5. Develop a data migration plan: Data migration falls within the project plan, but it’s critically important that you define and order the tasks involved in preparing and migrating data from your old system(s) to Acumatica.
6. Develop a test plan: This plan ensures that the new system meets the requirements.
7. Develop a training plan: Training your staff fully ensures adoption and user satisfaction. As part of Acumatica’s intelligent business services, training should also cover capabilities such as intelligent document management, automated workflows, and AI-driven reporting so teams are equipped to take full advantage of the platform from day one.
8. Plan for go-live: Decide which go-live approach works best for your organization and start reaping the benefits of Acumatica’s intelligent business cloud. Your Acumatica partner will help you evaluate the three main go-live approaches and select the right strategy for your production environment.

Though go-live feels like the finish line, there are a few other considerations you and your Acumatica partner will need to discuss. These include third-party and custom applications, continued refinement of your business processes, planning for your ongoing support needs, and confirming that all production data and systems meet go-live criteria.

Which Go-Live Approach Is Right for Your Cloud ERP Implementation?

There is no single approach that works best for every enterprise software company moving a system into production. Acumatica supports three go-live strategies, each with distinct tradeoffs:

Big Bang: The new system goes live all at once and the legacy system is deactivated, retained only for archival purposes. This approach is the fastest option because cutover happens just once and everyone in the company transitions to Acumatica at the same time. The tradeoff is higher risk if the system is not fully configured and tested before cutover.

Phased Approach: The new system is activated in stages–by module, geographic location, or business unit–minimizing disruption to ongoing operations. Each phase is smaller and lower-risk than a full cutover, and migration issues can be resolved before moving to the next phase. This method requires careful coordination but is well-suited for complex or large-scale implementations.

Parallel Operation: Both the legacy and new systems run simultaneously. Users learn the new system while continuing to work in the old one, with no risk of data loss during the transition. This is the lowest-risk scenario, though it requires the most time and effort and can result in duplicate data entry.

Some companies opt for a hybrid strategy–using Big Bang for the core modules essential to business continuity and a phased rollout for remaining functionality. Your Acumatica partner will help you determine the right approach based on your company’s size, complexity, and risk tolerance.

What Should You Check Before Going Live with Acumatica?

Before activating your production environment, confirm each item on the following checklist:

1. Execute and pass all user acceptance tests on the test system.
2. Complete subject matter expert (SME) and end-user training.
3. Ensure financial data is up to date–general ledger balances, open AP and AR transactions, and inventory are accurate and ready for go-live.
4. Establish a backup plan in the event the go-live is not successful.
5. Document the roles and responsibilities of team members during the go-live process.
6. Confirm that essential systems and personnel are available for go-live day.
7. Practice data migration and cutover activities on a pre-production system.
8. Verify that production data and systems are ready for go-live.
9. Re-run user acceptance tests in the production environment and confirm all tests pass before cutover.

Define the criteria and timeline for discontinuing the use of the legacy system.

Cloud ERP implementation success begins with choosing Acumatica

Cloud ERP implementation success begins with choosing Acumatica

Acumatica cloud ERP is a comprehensive business management solution built on a future-proof platform. It provides anytime, anywhere access to your data as well as the core financials, reporting tools, customizable dashboards, drag-and-drop automation (and more) that will help you meet the financial and operational needs of your business.

We want you to begin experiencing the benefits of Acumatica as quickly as possible. Our eight-step process is designed to make your cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation a success, just as it did for Power Storage Solutions, a company that offers, installs, and services DC-power backup systems.

They implemented Acumatica Financial Management, Acumatica Customer Management, and Acumatica Intercompany Accounting, going live and transforming their business in 60 days.

“In 60 days, we went from nothing in Acumatica to launching a $24 million company with 20,000 parts, 5,000 customers and having sales orders, projects, inventory, payables, receivables, and going live Dec. 1,” says Derrick Elledge, one of the company’s owners. “It’s astronomical when you look at what we did and how Acumatica’s cloud ERP system supports us.”

If you’re ready to implement a modern, scalable, and innovative cloud-based ERP solution, look no further than Acumatica. Our eight steps to implementation success, with help from your Acumatica partner and their business expertise, will work for your business just as it has for thousands of other Acumatica customers.

Contact our team today with any questions and/or to request a demonstration and stay tuned for more informative posts on Acumatica implementations.

Why Is Acumatica the Right Intelligent Business Cloud for Your ERP Implementation?

Acumatica cloud ERP is a comprehensive business management solution built on a future-proof platform. As an award-winning, AI-powered cloud ERP solution recognized by G2, Gartner, IDC MarketScape, and Nucleus Research, Acumatica delivers intelligent business services across every function–from core financials and CRM and Acumatica integration to intelligent document management, customizable dashboards, and drag-and-drop automation. It provides anytime, anywhere access to your data to help you meet the financial and operational needs of your business.

We want you to begin experiencing the benefits of Acumatica as quickly as possible. Our eight-step process is designed to make your cloud ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation a success, just as it did for Power Storage Solutions, a company that offers, installs, and services DC-power backup systems.

They implemented Acumatica Financial Management, Acumatica Customer Management (CRM), and Acumatica Intercompany Accounting–going live and transforming their business in 60 days. The CRM and Acumatica integration gave the team a unified view of customers, projects, and financials within a single intelligent business cloud platform.

“In 60 days, we went from nothing in Acumatica to launching a $24 million company with 20,000 parts, 5,000 customers and having sales orders, projects, inventory, payables, receivables, and going live Dec. 1,” says Derrick Elledge, one of the company’s owners. “It’s astronomical when you look at what we did and how Acumatica’s cloud ERP system supports us.”

If you’re ready to implement a modern, scalable intelligent business cloud ERP solution, Acumatica offers the platform, the partner network, and the proven eight-step process to make it happen–whether you’re a growing mid-market company or an enterprise software company moving a complex system into production.

Contact our team today with any questions and/or to request a demonstration and stay tuned for more informative posts on Acumatica implementations.