What Is Acumatica?
Acumatica is a cloud-native ERP platform built for mid-market organizations that need modern financial management, flexible operations, and unlimited user access—without the complexity or cost of traditional systems.
Understanding Acumatica Cloud ERP
Acumatica is a comprehensive, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed specifically for growing mid-market organizations across distribution, manufacturing, construction, retail, and services.
Unlike legacy ERP systems that were built in the 1990s and retrofitted for cloud delivery, Acumatica was designed from the ground up as a true cloud platform. This fundamental difference shapes everything—from how it's priced and deployed to how quickly it adapts to changing business needs.
Acumatica provides the financial management, inventory control, project accounting, and operational capabilities organizations need to run their business—while eliminating the server management, manual upgrades, and per-user licensing constraints that burden traditional ERP systems.
What makes Acumatica different:
- Built entirely for cloud deployment—no legacy on-premise architecture
- Unlimited user licensing based on consumption, not headcount
- Automatic twice-yearly updates with new features and functionality
- Open API platform that integrates seamlessly with other business systems
- Industry-specific editions pre-configured for distribution, manufacturing, construction, and retail
- Mobile-first design that works on any device, anywhere
Being "cloud-native" means Acumatica doesn't carry the technical debt of systems designed for client-server architecture. It scales effortlessly, updates automatically, and integrates naturally with modern tools like e-commerce platforms, CRM systems, and business intelligence applications.
What Acumatica Does
Acumatica consolidates the systems and spreadsheets that most mid-market organizations rely on into a single, integrated platform.
Financial Management
Complete GL, AP/AR, cash management, budgeting, multi-currency, and consolidation across entities.
Inventory & Distribution
Multi-location inventory, warehouse management, purchasing, fulfillment, and integrated shipping.
Manufacturing
Production planning, BOM management, MRP, shop floor control, and job costing for manufacturers.
Project Accounting
Time tracking, expense management, project billing, contract management, and profitability analysis.
CRM & Sales
Customer management, opportunity tracking, quote-to-cash workflows, and customer portals.
E-Commerce Integration
Native connectors to Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Amazon for unified order management.
Who Uses Acumatica?
Acumatica serves over 9,000 organizations globally—primarily mid-market businesses with $5M to $500M in revenue that have outgrown QuickBooks, Sage, or legacy on-premise ERP systems like Dynamics GP.
Typical Acumatica Customer Profile
- Growing organizations needing more sophisticated financial and operational capabilities
- Companies with distributed teams requiring remote access to business systems
- Businesses managing multi-location inventory or complex supply chains
- Manufacturers tracking production, materials, and job costs
- Project-based organizations billing time, expenses, and contracts
- Companies integrating e-commerce, CRM, and other business applications
Industries Where Acumatica Excels
While Acumatica works across virtually any industry, it has particularly strong capabilities in:
- Distribution and wholesale - Inventory, purchasing, fulfillment
- Manufacturing - Production planning, BOM, MRP, job costing
- Construction and field services - Project accounting, subcontractor management
- Retail and e-commerce - Omnichannel inventory, POS integration
- Agriculture and nursery - Lot tracking, grower contracts, seasonal inventory
Mid-market companies face a unique challenge: they've outgrown small business accounting software but don't need (or can't afford) enterprise-level ERP complexity. Acumatica fills this gap perfectly—delivering enterprise-grade capabilities with mid-market affordability and ease of use.
How Acumatica Works
Acumatica runs entirely in the cloud, accessed through any modern web browser. There's no software to install, no servers to maintain, and no infrastructure to manage—everything is hosted and maintained by Acumatica.
Cloud Deployment
Your Acumatica instance runs on Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (AWS), depending on your preference. Acumatica manages security, backups, performance, and availability—you simply log in and work.
Automatic Updates
Twice per year, Acumatica releases major updates with new features, enhancements, and security improvements. These updates happen automatically during scheduled maintenance windows, with no manual upgrade projects required.
Mobile Access
Because Acumatica is browser-based, it works on any device—desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. Dedicated mobile apps provide optimized experiences for common tasks like time entry, approvals, and inventory management.
Integration Platform
Acumatica's open API architecture makes it easy to connect with other business systems. Pre-built connectors exist for popular platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, and Microsoft Power BI, while custom integrations can be built using standard REST APIs.
How Acumatica Pricing Works
One of Acumatica's most distinctive features is its consumption-based pricing model, which differs fundamentally from traditional per-user ERP licensing.
Unlimited User Licensing
Instead of paying per user, you pay based on transaction volume and resources consumed. This means everyone in your organization can access Acumatica without incremental costs—encouraging adoption, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.
How Consumption Is Measured
Acumatica measures consumption through a combination of factors including transaction volume, database size, and API calls. You select a tier that matches your business size and usage patterns, with the ability to scale up or down as needs change.
Why This Model Matters
Traditional per-user licensing creates artificial barriers to adoption. Finance departments restrict access to control costs, which limits visibility and slows decision-making. Acumatica eliminates this tension—if someone needs data or functionality, they can have it.
For organizations with 20+ users, Acumatica's model typically delivers lower total cost of ownership than per-user platforms. Learn more in our Acumatica ROI & TCO Guide.
Getting Started with Acumatica
Acumatica is sold and implemented exclusively through certified partners like Innovative Cloud Solutions. This partner model ensures you receive expert guidance, industry-specific knowledge, and hands-on implementation support.
Typical Implementation Timeline
- Basic implementations: 3-4 months for core financials with limited complexity
- Standard implementations: 4-6 months including distribution or project accounting
- Complex implementations: 6-9 months with manufacturing, multiple locations, or heavy integration
What to Expect
A structured implementation process includes discovery, configuration, data migration, testing, training, and go-live support. Your implementation partner guides you through each phase, ensuring the system is configured to match your business processes.
The best way to determine if Acumatica fits your organization is through a live demonstration tailored to your industry and requirements. Contact ICS to schedule a demo and discuss your specific needs.
See Acumatica in Action
Experience how Acumatica can transform your operations through a personalized demonstration. We'll walk you through real-world scenarios specific to your industry and answer all your questions.