Since we started The ERP Update this past May, I’ve coordinated features with no less than six major ERP developers, and I’ve also written several articles that compared and contrasted the various ERPs we’ve covered. My goal has been to let you decide from the information we’ve provided which solution(s) might be the best for you, or your clients. Or at least the one(s) you should examine more closely.
But each time I prepare a comparison I always get feedback or emails from readers saying things like, “Good comparison, but which one should I pick?”
So, let me take this opportunity to give you a synopsis of the ERP(s) you should consider in your further exploration, based on what you really need, what you can afford, and what you are willing to accommodate. Please note that I am listing these six ERPs in alphabetical order, NOT order of preference or by functionality offering(s).
Consider Acumatica if you need unlimited users and want pricing that is based on how much estimated data you will use, and how robust your computing requirements will be, without really penalizing you for growth. It offers construction, distribution, and manufacturing as well as general financials appropriate for most mid-sized businesses. One thing I really like is their ‘price-it-yourself’ option so you can at least get a rough estimate before setting down formally with their salespeople.
Consider Intuit Enterprise Suite if you and your team have been using QuickBooks, especially QBO for your business, and you have multiple company subscriptions. It offers you a relatively smooth transition, only modest hike in price, and a minimal learning curve but you should be willing to wait for some of the more advanced inventory features you had in Desktop Enterprise to become available in the next couple of years. I also like the fact that many members of the ProAdvisor community are getting onboard with supporting or reselling IES.
Consider Microsoft 365 Business Central if your business has been making extensive use of Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, Access, OneNote, OneDrive, Teams, Visio, Outlook (for calendar and email) and others. This is especially true if you are looking for accounting software that works seamlessly (with pretty much all of them) as well as with AI copilot, and which also offers inventory and light-to-moderate manufacturing. It's good for project management which makes it applicable for non-profits and professionals that work on a project-basis (like architects, engineers, etc.).
Consider NetSuite if your growing company needs financials for parent organizations with multiple subsidiaries, and multi-entity transactions and consolidated reporting are critical functionalities. It offers a variety of features for specialization, but many involve deep-integrations with 3rd-party developers like point-of-sale, field service management, eCommerce, etc. Native inventory, supply chain, distribution and warehousing may meet organizations of average size and complexity. They do offer a very large 3rd-party app developer network including developers who build custom applications for NetSuite.
Consider Odoo if budget is a significant constraint for your growing small business and you are willing to accept a plug-n-play modular configuration that may require some learning curve (for self-implementation) or a 3rd-party Odoo partner for integrations (if you can't do-it-yourself) including custom requirements. Odoo definitely offers a great deal of flexibility, and absolutely the lowest price point, regardless of feature-set configuration, of all the other options listed in this article.
Consider Sage Intacct if 'financials' are your primary focus. It is considered by many accountants as the single-best financial management ERP of the solutions mentioned in this article. To that extent, it is the only one officially endorsed by the AICPA. It meets almost all the needs for professional businesses, non-profit entities, and many other businesses with financial management requirements as their primary concern; however, if you have major inventory, warehousing, manufacturing, supply-chain, distribution or eCommerce requirements, you will most likely be looking at one or more 3rd-party add-on solutions to get your ERP where it needs to be.
Once again, take each of my 'consider' options (above)for what they are intended to be. They are NOT "do or don't" formal recommendations, nor are they endorsements. They are summaries of what stands out to me when I look at each of these offerings, and how I view each of the ERPs' primary strengths when it comes to helping your clients with making at least a first choice for consideration.
Best of luck in your review and considerations.
Murph
Disclosures:
The various trade names used herein are the property of their respective registry or trademark owners; they are included in this content for informational and educational purposes only. Registered Trademark ® and other registration symbols (such as those used for copyrighted materials) have been eliminated from the articles within this publication for brevity due to the frequency or abundance with which they would otherwise appear or be repeated. The ERP Update fully acknowledges the trademarks or copyrights of each of the respective owners.
This is an editorial feature, not sponsored content. No vendor associated with this article has paidThe ERP Update or the author any form of remuneration to be included within this feature. The article is provided solely for informational and educational purposes.