So, you’re making the switch from QuickBooks to Acumatica. You know it’s a solid decision that will help your business grow and compete. But now that it’s time to move, are you worried about migrating your data and processes and leaving your old software behind? Is your team already grumbling about the extra work and challenges of changing to a new system?
Those concerns can be expected anytime a business upgrades a system, whether software, processes, or equipment. We’ve helped dozens of companies transition from QuickBooks to Acumatica. Our process smooths out some common bumps so they quickly experience the benefits of their new ERP system.
In this article, you’ll discover how to navigate common pitfalls, along with proven strategies and tools to make your transition to Acumatica easier.
Key setbacks you’ll face migrating from QuickBooks to an ERP system
The truth is that moving from QuickBooks to any ERP system—whether it’s Acumatica, NetSuite, or another ERP software— can be messy. It’s a full-scale project that takes time and effort from your team.
In our experience, almost every business leaving QuickBooks behind for a modern ERP platform will face one or more of these challenges:
- Convincing reluctant ERP users
- Allocating the people-powered time and effort needed
- Leaving non-standard accounting and business processes behind
- Establishing numbering systems and standardizations built for the future
- Finding and cleaning your master data
- Getting comfortable with uncertainty
We explore each of these challenges in the sections below.
Employees are uncomfortable switching to an ERP
Recognize that everyone in the company will experience change during this project. For humans, change can cause anxiety and resistance. To counter this, communicate often and clearly. Leadership must openly support the project, and challenges should be openly acknowledged.
Share the “why” behind your company’s ERP implementation decision. Be clear on the benefits to the company and each employee’s role.
It may take a while for most of your employees to be on board. Some people might never adapt, choosing instead to leave the company. That loss can be painful, but your company can’t grow without change.
ERP projects take real time and effort from your employees
Your internal project team will be involved in meetings, planning sessions, and intensive review of your ERP software personalization and configuration.
All employees will need to be trained on the new system. To be fully onboarded, they must learn, practice, and complete the requested “assignments.”
If you have an external accountant or bookkeeper, they will also need to participate in the project.
Assign an internal project manager to oversee the implementation and ensure alignment across departments. This person can be the touchpoint between your company and your Acumatica implementation partner to ensure timelines and milestones are set and met.
Short-changing the time allowed or the availability for any of these people will impact your project. Failing to allocate adequate resources could result in missed deadlines, poor system adoption, and unnecessary costs.
You need to adopt different accounting and business practices
QuickBooks is built for people who aren’t accountants. This means simplicity but not necessarily a foundation for best practices.
In a true ERP system, core accounting functions are based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
If your business hasn’t been using GAAP-approved practices, the move to an ERP system will take perseverance. Once fully engaged with your ERP system, your business will be much more audit- and compliance-ready. Getting there might be challenging, but it’s necessary.
An eCommerce company we work with experienced this firsthand. As a sole proprietorship, the owner focused on product development and sales. QuickBooks was easy to set up, and he didn’t need any special accounting knowledge.
Now, the company has outgrown QuickBooks and is migrating to Acumatica. Because QuickBooks allowed mismatched transactions, unknown cost of goods, and data entry changes, his books were out of balance. Something he wasn’t aware of until we worked with him to migrate his data. Ultimately, the company had to hire an outside CPA firm to properly close its books so we could import them into Acumatica.
Adopting GAAP practices enhances compliance and also makes your business more appealing to investors and partners. Think of this shift as moving from a casual spreadsheet to a professionally audited financial system—it’s a big leap, but it pays off.
Wondering if Stellar One is the right QuickBooks to Acumatica ERP migration partner for your business?
Creating number systems and standards
QuickBooks’s loose approach to standardization and configuration probably made it easy for your business to set it up and start.
Now, your business needs to work through the ramifications of that indifferent onboarding method.
This could mean establishing a chart of accounts (COA), setting up an item numbering sequence, and defining your business categories.
Building those items correctly will help your business continue to scale without reinventing processes. It also provides protection you didn’t have with QuickBooks. For example, being able to modify a transaction is not an accepted accounting practice. It is, however, an excellent way to hide misdeeds.
Consider the cautionary tale of a company with an in-house accountant using QuickBooks. The accountant took off when it was announced that the company was moving to an ERP system. True story—the police caught up with him at the airport, where he was headed out of the country with a bag of cash.
Without proper standardization, businesses risk data errors and inefficiencies that can disrupt operations. For example, consistent numbering sequences can save your team hours during inventory reconciliation.
Want to know more about how the process works when you migrate from QuickBooks to Acumatica? See step-by-step details on our blog.
Finding and cleaning your master data for import into your ERP
Working through the issues created by QuickBooks’s loose data entry protocols can mean a lot of manual work. Any data imported into your new ERP system needs to be “harmonized” and correct.
This process should start with identifying where your data is, including the data outside of QuickBooks and what historical data you want to integrate. Then, this data needs to be validated for correctness and updated with consistent formatting.
You can hire services to help with this, but for most businesses, it means a lot of manual cleanup using spreadsheets.
Though tedious, this process ensures data integrity, laying the groundwork for reliable business operations.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
This challenge covers a lot of ground. It applies to everyone in your company—those using the ERP system and those affected by the changes an ERP platform brings the organization.
For leaders, it can mean adapting to using your ERP system for real-time views instead of printed reports. The advantage is accuracy. Printed reports are outdated as soon as they come off the printer. Make the effort needed to shift your thinking and work style to align with modern business practices provided by your new system.
For others, it means letting go of manual entry and spreadsheets. For example, an employee who follows established steps to complete tasks but doesn’t necessarily understand the process outside of a spreadsheet will struggle. Employees willing to learn should be given every opportunity to do so. Set a precedent that adapting to the new ERP system is a job requirement.
While the process may feel uncomfortable, it’s a necessary part of evolving into a modern, agile organization. Encourage team members to share success stories as they adapt to the new system—this can build morale and foster collaboration.
Go all in on the transition to Acumatica Cloud ERP
Switching from QuickBooks to Acumatica might feel overwhelming, especially when faced with reluctant users or messy data. But these challenges can lead to lasting benefits for your business. At Stellar One, we’ve helped numerous companies successfully navigate these transitions, ensuring they move forward confidently and efficiently.
Remember, every obstacle you face during this transition is an investment in your company’s future. Moving past outdated workflows and embracing robust ERP tools like Acumatica ensure you’re growing on a strong foundation.
Your next step? Kick-start your migration from QuickBooks with us. We streamline the process and guide you every step of the way.
