Data Visualization has become the norm with modern ERP dashboards. One quick glance and you can tell what’s happening in your business. What is sometimes forgotten is that there is a lot of detail behind those dashboards that must be input to make the pretty picture on the dashboard. The detail begins with the most minute transactions of your business processes and that depends on the people inputting those transactions.
New User Interface Improves User Experience
The adoption of a modern, browser-like interface offers a more intuitive and streamlined user experience. This design approach simplifies navigation, reduces training time, increases user personalization, and enhances overall productivity. Users can now access critical functions more quickly, make a screen look the way they want it to look, and provide reports with even more accuracy and data visualization than Acumatica already provides. This all leads to faster decision-making processes.
Performance Boosts and Faster Data Processing
An ERP “platform” refers to the software that acts as the central hub for managing and automating the data of your business transaction across departments but within a single, shared database. That’s how the ERP provides a single source of truth, real-time data, and eliminates duplicate entry to improve overall efficiency and decision making.
Acumatica version 25R2 has modernized its core platform resulting in a 30% increase in overall system performance; i.e., it’s faster. Data screens such as Sales Orders and Bills and Adjustments load or reload approximately 50% faster, enabling users to work more efficiently. These improvements are crucial for organizations handling large volumes of data and requiring real-time access to information.
Personalization – the Heart of a Modern UI
Acumatica has always won awards for usability, but the format of each screen was basically set unless you paid for a customization. Not anymore.
With the enhanced User Interface (UI), most screens can be configured with their blocks of data being placed in the order the user needs or wants in order to maximize their efficiency. We’ve all been there. We want the data in a different order than the programmers placed it because we “see” it differently and think about the data differently.
Generic inquiry columns were always easy to change but not the detail grids on set screens. Now, the detail grids on screens like Sales Orders are just as easy to reposition.
25R2 also includes an overhaul to how filters are created. Instead of the blocky, confusing matrix, filters now easily show what data is to be included or excluded. The system suggests data fields as you create the filter. You can accept or continue typing until you find the field you are actually looking for.
GI + SQL = GISQL
The 25R2 version introduces advances for Generic Inquiries (GIs), making them faster to construct and faster to load. Basically, the new generic inquiry is based on the previous technology enhanced by elements of SQL. Hence, GI + SQL is now known as GISQL. Generic Inquiries have always empowered Acumatica users to perform complex data analysis. This integration facilitates more insightful reporting and data visualization, supporting strategic decision-making.
Tools like pivot tables from Generic Inquiries have become much simpler to use, thanks to the separation of the presentation layer of programming from the data layer. Not only can a pivot table be set up more intuitively, but Users can easily switch between table views and pivot tables through a new user interface. Basically, data analysis is even more flexible and accessible than it used to be, and Acumatica has consistently won accolades for its usability.
Financial Report Writer – ARM Reports - Improved
Analytical Report Manager (ARM) reports have also been improved with a more intuitive formatting process. The grid is now separated into its own tab with how the report is structured and the data formatted in separate tabs. Manual setup is minimized resulting in faster report generation and easier customization. All existing standard reports will be converted to the new ARM user interface when your existing site is upgraded to 25R2.
The new interface also provides features such as real-time row format updates, automatic row numbering, and auto-adjusting formulas which better ensure data accuracy and responsiveness. Drag-and-drop functionality in Row Sets allows users to reorganize rows effortlessly. Column Sets and Unit Sets also enjoy new simplifications to formatting and structural changes, making data management more efficient.
Dashboards
Anyone who has ever tried to change the position of a widget on a dashboard knows that it used to be the most frustrating experience. Not anymore! The new UI allows easier design of widgets and much easier placement – wherever you want them to be on the screen. Need we say more?
Emerging Technologies: AI Studio and External Integrations
AI Studio, currently in an experimental phase, aims to reduce repetitive data entry and minimize errors, thereby decreasing inconsistencies and operational costs. After licensing and enabling this feature, organizations can define instructions, format outputs, and test prompts to optimize AI data analysis. For instance, AI Studio will allow you to set up instructions on the closing notes of a case, production order, project, etc. The closing notes can be constructed by the instructions input to AI Studio and the notes that result from using AI Studio will be consistent throughout regardless of who closed the work.
You can read how AI Studio works in this Acumatica blog.
Additionally, system tools such as the REST API have been updated to be ISO2022 compliant, ensuring better compatibility and security. Date handling for integrations has also been simplified. Dates used to always include time, not just the date. Now there is the option to exclude time information, streamlining data entry and reporting processes.
Conclusion
These technological advancements represent a significant step forward in enterprise system capabilities. By adopting these features, organizations can improve efficiency, accuracy, and user satisfaction. Staying updated with these innovations ensures that your business remains agile and competitive in an increasingly digital world.