The Top 3 Acumatica ISVs

Introduction

Step into the world of ERP Solutions, where finding the perfect 'one-stop-shop' often brings us to the crucial role of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). These ISVs are key players in tailoring and enhancing ERP Solutions to meet the unique demands of different industries. In Acumatica's thriving network of ISV Partners, we're here to highlight the best of the best. Join us as we explore the achievements, innovations, and insights of the top Acumatica ISV partners, celebrated at the 2024 Acumatica Summit. Through exclusive interviews with key leaders from each award-winning ISV, we'll reveal the stories behind their outstanding solutions and their collaborative journey with Acumatica.

The goal is to provide an inside look at what makes these solutions best-in-class. The ISV partners highlighted include:

• eWorkplace Apps - ISV Partner of the Year for Manufacturing Edition
• SPS Commerce - ISV Partner of the Year for Distribution Edition
• Workforce Go! - ISV Partner of the Year for Construction Edition

eWorkplace Apps - Process Manufacturing and Quality Management

eWorkplace Apps is an Acumatica ISV Partner that specializes in Process Manufacturing and Quality Management software. The company was founded in 2020, based on a strategic relationship between eWorkplace Apps and Acumatica to develop an integrated Quality Management System (QMS) and Process Manufacturing Solution.

eWorkplace Apps offerings include:

• Process Manufacturing: A formula-based manufacturing solution tailored for industries like chemicals, paints and coatings, food and beverage, and more. Key features include handling of weight/volume tracking, multiple pack sizes, laboratory management, and complex labeling requirements.
• QMS: A quality management system focused on quality testing and compliance across the supply chain. Capabilities include creating testing plans, managing Acceptable Quality Limits, nonconformances, corrective actions, validation testing, and, soon to be released, Vendor Rating and Performance.

The eWorkplace Apps solutions stand out as best-in-class for several reasons:

• Tight integration with Acumatica's cloud ERP provides a unified platform and user experience.
• Decades of domain expertise in process manufacturing and quality testing informs the design and roadmap.
• Flexible solutions tailored for the complex needs of process manufacturers.
• Customer input directly drives over 70% of product enhancements through feedback and working with Acumatica.

Among the myriad of benefits offered by eWorkplace App's solutions, one stands out as truly invaluable: their commitment to being "Always Current." This ensures that customers enrolled in Acumatica's Always Current Program enjoy seamless access to the latest updates from eWorkplace Apps products, synchronizing effortlessly with Acumatica's bi-annual General Releases. Such synchronization not only guarantees access to cutting-edge features but also alleviates any concerns about add-on solutions malfunctioning with each new Acumatica release.

According to Ralph Kubek, Director of Sales and Services at eWorkplace Apps, their success is deeply rooted in their relationship with Acumatica. “I think the real success that we have is our close working relationship with Acumatica, that we do meet with their team twice a month to go through and make certain that what we're designing is designed and embedded in a way that works best for them. So, I think one of the key contributing factors is our working relationship with Acumatica.”

Acumatica is as steady as they come when talking about ERP Companies and Ralph agrees, “I think that the Acumatica team has been great to work with. They are probably the best software manufacturer I've seen so far, who has laid out what they're going to do and how they're going to do it and have lived by those words. So that's been a pleasure. Working with Acumatica, you know what to expect.”

While eWorkplace Apps is a relatively new company, they are no stranger to the Acumatica Community as they have won the Manufacturing ISV Partner of the Year award two years in a row and have become Acumatica’s Go-to ISV Partner for Process Manufacturing and Quality Management. So, what makes eWorkplace Apps so great? Ralph said it best, “I think my favorite part about working with eWorkplace Apps is the people. We have a great team that is focused on success. I think the other part that's exciting to me in terms of eWorkplace Apps is creating something new, right? This is a new venture. We're taking our IP, I should say, and putting in new products, I think between the people internally with the excitement of creating something new, in building something. And then the last part of that is, I really like working with partners and end users in that. So, it's the people, in the two places, both internally and externally.”

SPS Commerce - EDI

SPS Commerce, a publicly traded company established in 1987 and headquartered in Minneapolis, boasts a global footprint with offices spanning Australia, Hong Kong, Europe, and beyond. Specializing in EDI solutions, they seamlessly integrate with Acumatica, enhancing supply chain management for distribution companies worldwide.

Setting themselves apart as the sole full-service EDI provider, SPS Commerce takes pride in managing all facets of implementation, testing, support, and maintenance for their clientele. With over a decade of partnership as an Endorsed By and Fulfilled by Acumatica ISV Partner, SPS Commerce offers native integration into the Acumatica ERP platform. This integration facilitates direct access to EDI data and workflows within Acumatica, streamlining operations without the hassle of switching between systems.

Some key benefits of SPS Commerce's EDI solution integrated with Acumatica include:

• Real time visibility into order and inventory data shared with trading partners
• Automated sending/receiving of purchase orders, advanced ship notices, invoices etc.
• Error handling and data structure translations native within Acumatica
• Support for omnichannel sales models with marketplace/ecommerce order integration

As the "world's retail network", SPS Commerce handles over a trillion B2B transactions annually. This gives them immense amounts of supply chain data and customer experience to leverage when helping distribution companies optimize their operations.

However, volatility in global supply chains has been an ongoing challenge - from COVID disruptions to political/environmental factors. SPS Commerce aims to provide stability via their EDI platform, enabling customers to rapidly adapt and pivot as needed when facing unpredictable supply chain issues. Maintaining scalable information flows between the many entities involved in order fulfillment is key.

SPS Commerce has become the trusted EDI provider for many Acumatica Customers. As Moh Damerchi, Senior Channel Manager at SPS Commerce, states, “EDI really is the backbone of moving item data, moving that information, connecting all different systems from the supplier, distributor, to the buying organization, to the E-Commerce platform, the shipper, the delivery and the end user, and making sure all that flows, every touch point has their own system, their way of communication, their data formats. And that's where SPS really excels and manages all that on behalf of all these entities. Being able to maintain all that and pivot on the fly as a new E-Commerce or a new platform or a new sales channel that emerges and customers come to us expecting SPS to solve that. And that's where we are always there to help our customers.”

SPS Commerce’s EDI Product is not the only thing that makes them Best in Class. As Moh Damerchi states, it’s the culture and the people. “What I love is the culture, the technology, the people that we work with and the support that I personally get and in extension with the Acumatica practice that we have. We keep improving and listening to employee feedback in terms product enhancement, internally, things that employees are asking for and we've won, in terms of diversity and inclusion, women in tech, in terms of leadership, several awards whether it's local, in the state of Minnesota or nationally and internationally. So, we're very proud of SPS Commerce as a company.”

When I asked Moh what immediately springs to mind when he hears "Acumatica," his response was unequivocal: "Community – the strong sense of community. And I'm sure you experienced it firsthand at the Acumatica Summit. Whether you're a Customer, Prospect, VAR, or ISV, whether you're rivals or collaborators, there's this palpable feeling of camaraderie and shared purpose, everyone coming together and simply enjoying the moment," remarked Damerchi.

I couldn't agree more with Moh's sentiment. It's the first aspect that struck me as a significant differentiator from other software providers. Every individual involved with Acumatica shares a common goal: continuous improvement of the product and client experience, collaboratively shaping the future of business.

Overall, SPS Commerce's deep EDI expertise combined with its seamless Acumatica integration empowers distribution companies to optimize supply chain efficiency and trading partner collaboration.

Workforce Go! - HCM

Workforce Go! has been an HCM provider for over ten years and focuses on human resources (HR), payroll, and time and labor management technology for customers seeking to enhance business processes related to human capital. The solution has three main components - HR, payroll, and time and labor management - which can be implemented separately or together in any order. The end-to-end employee experience and seamless data flow between these components is a key benefit of Workforce Go!'s platform. They have been part of Acumatica's ecosystem since 2018 and became a Fulfilled By Acumatica partner in 2022.

Workforce Go!'s solution also features robust mobile capabilities to permit easy access to critical employee information on-the-go. Their ability to meet complex and unique requirements was cited as a top differentiator, especially for construction customers.

The construction industry presents many complex challenges in managing human capital and paying employees properly. These include:

• Nuances between union and non-union staff
• State and local compliance rules that differ across project sites
• Managing crews that work across multiple job sites with varying pay rules
• Specialized reporting and documentation needs

Workforce Go! designed their platform specifically to handle these complexities through functionality like union fringe calculations, certified payroll reporting, crew punch features, and integration with compliance software like LCPtracker.

Like the other two ISVs highlighted, Workforce Go! is also an Always Current solution. Kimber Crumlish, Director of Channel Development at Workforce Go!, highlighted the importance of ISV Solutions being on the Always Current program. “The ability to get advanced access, know what's in the release, having access to the technical teams over at Acumatica to ensure that those gotchas, if you will, and are always there, are worked out by the appropriate resources ahead of time. (As a customer) You're not getting left behind in features that were added wherever the market was five years ago. You're the most current and all of our organizations have to react to ever changing landscapes and challenges that come up. And that's the importance of really being always current.”

In any ERP community, there is a prevailing understanding that the success of ISV Partners hinges greatly on the support they receive from Software Providers and Resellers. Kimber Crumlish, for one, attests to this truth, attributing a significant portion of her company's achievements to Acumatica and the Partner Channel. "The partner relationship is truly the cornerstone of our operations," she emphasizes. "We're incredibly fortunate to be part of the vibrant Acumatica community. Our reseller partners are not only exceptionally skilled but also deeply committed to understanding and addressing our customers' needs day in and day out. Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of managing our relationship with Acumatica, and I must say, their team's dedication is unmatched. From their day-to-day operations to their ISV management team, Acumatica sets the gold standard. Their leadership provides clear, transparent guidance, outlining their vision, goals, and growth strategies, which in turn, helps us align our own strategies. Their commitment to shared growth and genuine partnership is evident in every interaction. It's a collaborative effort where ISVs, VARs, and Acumatica all work hand in hand towards a common goal: meeting the diverse needs of our customers, no matter how complex, ensuring satisfaction every step of the way."

Conclusion

Choosing an ISV that is endorsed by Acumatica provides tremendous value through seamless integrations, a unified user experience, and the ability to leverage innovative capabilities without having to cobble together disparate systems.

eWorkplace Apps, SPS Commerce, and Workforce Go! have each built award-winning, best-in-class solutions that solve complex business problems for Acumatica customers. Their commitment to customer success, product innovation, and the Acumatica partner ecosystem has fueled their recognition as leaders in their respective areas of expertise.

If you are looking to extend your Acumatica ERP with specialized functionality and are in the Manufacturing, Distribution, E-Commerce, or Construction industries- these ISV partners deserve strong consideration. Reach out to us at Stellar One for more information on how their solutions can help your organization capitalize on the Acumatica platform to meet your unique industry and operational requirements.

By leveraging these exceptional solutions tailored for the Acumatica framework, you position your business for greater agility, connectivity, and competitive advantage in the future.