Excel has been a mainstay of work environments for some time. While Excel is good for listing data, and to some extent calculating prices, it’s not ideal for a manufacturing business. Excel lacks many features of Acumatica Manufacturing Edition. Today’s manufacturers need maximum visibility into projects, pricing and business processes. Here are six reasons to give up Excel for Acumatica’s all-inclusive solution.
1) Lack of Integration
Acumatica Manufacturing Edition offers seamless integration with Acumatica’s software suites for distribution, financial and customer management as well as project accounting. All your business activities can be coordinated in real time and all data are available in a centralized location. Excel does not offer this functionality on its own. Also, it’s only available for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, often making compatibility an issue.
2) Pricing Rules Are Hard to Manage
Excel does not enable an effective value-based pricing system. It only supports simple pricing strategies. On the other hand, Acumatica supports multiple costing methods, provides sales integration and enables users to estimate non-inventory items. Production orders can be created from estimates, while the software includes complete accounts receivable and accounts payable systems. And, to mitigate issues with formulas, Acumatica integrates formula validation.
3) Lack of Security
Data security, fraud and corruption are issues with Excel. It lacks user friendliness. Breaking down large data files can lead to losing or misplacing information. Excel does not integrate with other business systems or provide a means to spot mistakes quickly. Acumatica minimizes the risk of human error. It automates the entire fulfillment process, provides a complete audit trail and includes CRM integration and revision control.
4) Tracking Information on Excel Is Difficult
Spreadsheet data are often scattered across multiple sources and locations. Tracing the logic of formulas from one cell to the next can take time that impedes high volume production. Acumatica lets you track production steps, expiration dates and lot and serial data. Users can also manage production order changes and financials from a single location. The software even streamlines integration of sub-accounts and allows for intercompany accounting.
5) Excel Isn’t for Collaboration
Manufacturers often collect information from different departments and corporate locations. Spreadsheets can only be exchanged via email, so tracking all the files going back and forth can be tedious. There’s also a risk of sending out-of-date file versions. The lack of collaborative support can make quick decision-making a challenge. But with Acumatica, all the information stakeholders need is in one place.
6) Excel Doesn’t Grow with Your Company
Acumatica adapts to every step of the manufacturing process and supports project-centric tasks, batches and repetitive manufacturing. Engineering changes are handled seamlessly, from change requests to change notices and approvals. There’s no guarantee an Excel spreadsheet will provide the required accuracy and dependability. Plus, data recovery can be difficult, so Excel does not support business continuity very well.
If your manufacturing company is still relying on Excel, these are just some of the reasons you should consider switching over to Acumatica Manufacturing Edition. Contact us today.
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