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Intuit QuickBooks and other desktop accounting software products are simple and relatively cheap bookkeeping solutions for smaller organizations to use. Once your business begins to grow, however, an off-the-shelf accounting system is going to hinder your dataflows and force you to go back to using spreadsheets. That is why companies scaling for growth should consider migrating to a full-fledged modern ERP.
Acumatica Cloud ERP is a state-of-the-art system that delivers unique cost value and the latest in enterprise-level technology yet can still be leveraged by SMBs. By providing a distinctive scalability model and multiple deployment options, it allows your business to match the software’s output to your needs. Companies migrating from desktop accounting software to Acumatica will see flexibility in their ERP implementation as well as access to modern tools and features.
Here are three key differences between Acumatica Cloud ERP and smaller accounting solutions like QuickBooks:
1. Technology & Functionality
Even the largest version of QuickBooks, the Enterprise edition, is still designed to function as a rudimentary in-house accounting system. It was built to fulfill a specific set of functions through a simplified interface and the features reflect that. The most advanced desktop accounting software solutions cannot compare with a modern ERP system when it comes to complex functionality and access to innovative technology.
Acumatica was built from the ground up as a “true cloud” solution that leverages the benefits of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) to deliver real-time feature updates without disrupting workflows. Users can stay up-to-date with the latest functionality enhancements and compliance releases by taking advantage of a privately or publicly hosted environment. As a born-in-the-cloud system, all functions can be accessed through a browser without going through external applications.
Additionally, Acumatica Cloud ERP’s investment focus has always been on driving Research & Development, and many of the latest upgrades corroborate this commitment. Integrations such Amazon Alexa for Acumatica and mobile apps for Android and iOS demonstrate the versatility of the ERP system in applying modern solutions for its users. Businesses migrating to Acumatica from desktop accounting software can capitalize on these advances while still retaining a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
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2. Growth & Scalability
Relying on desktop accounting software to manage your finances will force you to add or redistribute licenses to allow for additional users. Solutions such as QuickBooks also prevent you from having personnel use the system simultaneously without even more licenses, and these feature a user ceiling as well. These constraints will make it increasingly difficult to depend on your off-the-shelf accounting software as your sole financial solution, meaning that may have to purchase one or more extra products, or fall back on spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel, to process that data.
Acumatica features a pricing model that is unique among both traditional ERP and desktop accounting systems. Instead of imposing user limits, licenses are priced based on computing power and resource usage. Your business may add or remove applications at your discretion without having to worry about the number of users in your system.
3. Customization & Integration
Some off-the-shelf accounting software products allow for limited customization, but users may have difficulty connecting all their various systems written in different programming languages. Given that solutions like QuickBooks fulfill only one role, data siloes will inevitably form as the processes involved become disconnected. This prevents your business from maintaining organized documentation, electronic audit trails, and a single version of truth that helps you make informed decisions on developments.
This is what happened to Youngevity Solutions, a distributor based in California that relied on QuickBooks for their bookkeeping. Their desktop accounting software was unable to integrate with other systems that handled their inventory and customer management, which cut off their visibility into their supply chain. Migrating to Acumatica enabled Youngevity to connect their solutions, as well as leverage the internal customization tools to adapt the software for new data entry as they continued to grow.
Upgrade from Desktop Accounting Software to Cloud ERP
QuickBooks and other desktop accounting solutions are great for basic bookkeeping, but they do not feature the functionality or grant the same level of insight as ERP software. Only an enterprise system delivers the connectivity and scalability your business needs to capture a single version of truth across all of your processes.
Download our free white paper here to review the 12 signs that show you have outgrown QuickBooks and see if you are ready for Cloud ERP.