Selecting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is a major decision, with choices driven by numerous smaller decisions ranging from “what are our must-have features” to “who can we trust to implement the software?” The path to selection is stressful, politicized, and filled with salespeople trying to promise more than they can deliver.
There’s nothing easy about the decision process, but there are ways to whittle down your list of potential vendors based on their ability to provide what your unique business needs. From unique functionality to industry experience, research often points to usability as an unsung hero in ERP implementation success stories.
Usability: How Accessible is Your Software?
One of the most critical components of an Enterprise Resource Planning Application is whether or not it is user-friendly. According to Nucleus Research, “What’s the point in having the best functionality if few people within the business can actually use it?”
Functionality may be one piece of the puzzle, but if the software features a steep learning curve or presents challenges in the overall uptake, users will opt for workarounds or ignore an implementation altogether.
This is where usability comes into play. Especially in the ERP world, where software touches a wide variety of users, the platform must give each user easy access to the data and insights he or she needs. In 2018, software needs to integrate, unlock value of the connected applications, and unlock data for end users, decision makers and executives.
Nucleus Technology’s ERP Technology Value Matrix 2018
In their recent Value Matrix report on Enterprise Resource Planning software, leading analyst firm Nucleus Research compared vendors by functionality and usability to compare vendors. This report is unique, as it discusses the impacts of a software implementation on end users and compares vendors on how well they provide solutions to customers.
“In this Value Matrix, Nucleus evaluates ERP market vendors based on their product usability and functionality and the value that customers realize from the capabilities of the product. As a snapshot of the ERP landscape, this research is intended to help inform consumers about how well vendors are delivering value to customers, and what a prospect can expect moving forward based on the investments vendors are making today.”
Using functionality and usability, this report provides a different look than many others in the space, finding which solutions have succeeded in verticalization, customizability, innovation and delivery to decide which vendors can provide the most value to customers. Companies are broken into four quadrants—Leaders, Experts, Core Providers, and Facilitators—based on their ability to provide functionality and usability (in relation to other comparable products):
- Leaders: High Usability, High Functionality
- Experts: High Functionality, Low Usability
- Facilitators: High Usability, Low Functionality
- Core Providers: Low Usability, Low Functionality
Acumatica Achieves Leader Status, Receives Top Usability Ranks on Nucleus Research
Following the company announcement of the new functionality provided in the 2018 R2 Release, Acumatica recently announced that Nucleus Research recognized them as a “Leader” in the 2018 ERP Value Matrix for both high usability and functionality, topping all others in usability while improving their status in the functionality rankings as well.
Among the highlights from the report:
- Acumatica continues to lead the way in usability, serving a wide variety of unique verticals.
- The company has seen continued triple-digit growth with no signs of stopping.
- Following their latest funding round, Acumatica now has more resources to invest in AI and machine learning, two critical components of the future of ERP.
- Acumatica continues to deliver on promises while improving the core product—notable improvements include more automation, improved multi-entity accounting, increased focus on verticals, better mobile accessibility, and adaptability to the current competitive landscape.
Better yet, Nucleus notes that even with three years of consecutive success as a leader under its belt, the company still has momentum, noting that “[the] focus on usability and customer value should continue to serve the vendor well in future editions of the Value Matrix.”
We invite you to download this research report here to learn more about Acumatica, its ability to provide both usability and functionality, and compare the platform with others you may be considering. Ready to learn even more? The team at ICS is a trusted Acumatica implementation partner who knows what it takes to help your business thrive with true cloud ERP. Get to know about Acumatica here, and contact us for more information.
