The much-anticipated release of the latest version of Acumatica happened Sept. 8 at a conference in Boston, and the world of cloud ERP is buzzing! Since you may not have the time to do all the research on your own, Clients First makes it our job to make your work life easier, so this article will be a quick Q&A on everything you need to know about Acumatica 6.
Acumatica is already known for being a truly cloud-based, all-in-one ERP solution that was designed with SMBs in mind. Now, Acumatica has reintroduced itself with a simpler and even more user-friendly interface for increased productivity in the workplace.
Q: So, what’s new in Acumatica 6?
A: The new Acumatica 6 is equipped with:
- New Data Manipulation Capabilities
- Universal Integration with Outlook
- Enhanced Dashboard Customization/KPIs
Q: What kind of data manipulation capabilities does it have?
A: In the past, if you wanted to analyze or manipulate your data you would have to export it into an Excel sheet and make a Pivot Table. Why not just create a Pivot Table in your ERP system? With Acumatica 6 you can add pivot tables right to your dashboard, and instead of having to print or email the tables, you can easily share them with the click of a button once you’re done. It's another way Acumatica tries to save their customers time and make their work life easier.
Q: How does its integration with Outlook work with my CRM?
A: To put it in one word, “masterfully!” Acumatica’s integration with Outlook is probably my favorite of the new features, because it’s such a timesaver and enables users to multitask without having to switch between screens and/or software. With the Acumatica add-in, users can easily access and store information through their Outlook emails.
For example, John Smith is a client in my fictional company called Umbrella Boxes, Inc. He emails me a question about one of the umbrella boxes he received. As I read the email in my Outlook account, I can open the Acumatica add-on as a sidebar, then select his name, and just like that, I can log that email communication to the CRM. I can also view previous communications, as well as other activity histories I’ve had with him and his company from the CRM directly to my Outlook. Simply put, this add-on brings your Acumatica CRM to your Outlook and seamlessly connects your Outlook activity to the CRM in real-time.
Q: What can I do with the enhanced dashboard features?
A: A lot, my friend! Acumatica understands natural language, so finding the information you need in Acumatica’s responsive search bar is as easy as typing in “GL,” and it will know you’re talking about General Ledger. Once you select the information you want to work with, you can easily customize what kind of dashboard you'd like to view it as. You can choose whether you want to view it as a donut graph, pie chart, or table. You can also put web pages, widgets, alerts, and various other KPIs on your dashboard. Even more, the style and format in which this information is displayed is entirely customizable. You can also import dashboards from Power BI, but with Acumatica 6’s increased functionality, you may not have to depending on your level of need. Basically, Acumatica 6's dashboard capabilities far outshine other ERPs by a long shot.
Q: How is it different from Acumatica 5.3?
A: Of course, it’s still the versatile, award-winning, cloud-based ERP system that you know and love, it just got even better. How? As said by Ali Jani, Acumatica's VP of Products, the vision and driving focus for Acumatica 6 was to listen to the feedback their customers gave them about Acumatica 5 and take action. Their customers loved their CRM, so they decided to make it easier to collect information for it. Customers liked the freedom Acumatica gives in their pricing model, so they gave them more options to customize the way they view and interpret their data. Acumatica noticed their customers liked that Acumatica is an all-in-one solution that can be used to support all areas of their business, so they made sure to find new ways to reduce the number of software their customers have to use by making it readily available on one screen and one software.
Are you curious to learn more about the new Acumatica and how it could fit into your organization's operations? Contact Clients First's sales team today by calling 800.331.8382 or emailing sales@cfbs-us.com. Clients First's Texas office implements and supports clients across the U.S.A. and in 11 countries. Our team of professionals is ready to help implement the best finance and operations solutions for manufacturers, distributors, project-based manufacturers, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), and professional services.