Acumatica vs Macola

Macola is a legacy ERP system widely used in manufacturing and distribution companies, featuring BOM, routing, MRP, inventory management, order entry, EDI, and more. Macola also supports payroll, project accounting, CRM, and portals.

Here’s how Macola compares to Acumatica:

Feature Comparison

Functionality Acumatica Macola
True cloud (built for public cloud)
True mobility (supports all devices with no special apps)
Built using modern technology
Full function ERP
Modern APIs for integration
Customization using industry standard tools
Upgrade on your schedule
Flexible licensing options based on customer requirements
Multiple deployment options
Scale as you grow
Superior Return on Investment (ROI)

Background

Macola started in the 1970s and currently has three versions: Macola Progression, Macola ES, and Macola 10. Macola uses COBOL for its core functions and VBA for the API functionality.

Macola suffers from an old client-server architecture. This problem is made worse by ECi’s acquisition of Macola from Exact in 2018. Specifically, Exact, a Dutch company, wrote much of Macola’s core Accounting and CRM functions. Under ECi’s control, Exact is no longer maintaining these core capabilities within Macola, and ECi is struggling to keep up with needed functionality. The disconnect between ECi and Exact has resulted in several deficiencies in the product:

  • Several Macola tables display in Dutch
  • Dashboards and reporting tools are challenging to use and configure
  • Macola’s API has limited functionality and relies on an interface written by Exact
  • Macola is supported by only a handful of third-party software developers to extend the product
  • As a result, some Macola customers fail to renew maintenance, deciding instead to remain on unsupported server hardware and OS with no support, no upgrade path, and exposing themselves to potential security risks.

Acumatica offers multiple deployment options, access to your data anytime, flexible licensing, and no cost for adding users, lowering your company’s TCO.

Acumatica’s dashboards and reporting offer no-code/low-code options to make reporting easy to use and personalize, so everyday users can make data available to external analysis tools, such as Power BI.

We encourage you to know your needs and to ask the hard questions when considering the purchase of any ERP system, not just ours. We believe Acumatica provides the best price/value, performance, functionality, and ease of use of any ERP product available for small- and medium-sized businesses.

And watch this quick (3 minute) demonstration of Acumatica in action.

Differentiators

True cloud

“True cloud” means all functionality is accessible through the internet using a standard browser without additional software installation on the user’s device. Users can deploy Acumatica on either a public or private cloud. Macola’s architecture requires a client-server setup, so even though Macola can run in the cloud with a web front-end, it is not a true cloud solution.

True mobility

Out-of-the-box, the entire Acumatica suite can be accessed on the device of your choice. Acumatica will resize every page and every screen to match the display of the device you are using, whether it is a PC, tablet, or phone. Macola does not support true mobile-friendly screens and does not offer a mobile app.

Built using modern technology

Acumatica is built for the cloud using current web technologies and development tools. Macola is decades old and still leverages older computer architectures and development tools.

Modern APIs for integration

Acumatica’s modern API supports easy integration with other cloud applications. Macola only provides limited capabilities through its web services API, and that API is not available across all the Macola products.

Customizations using industry-standard tools

Acumatica is highly configurable using industry-standard C# and .NET. Macola can be modified using VBA, but users are limited in what they can customize in the product.

Multiple deployment options (public cloud, private cloud)

Acumatica’s deployment options include public cloud (like Amazon Web Services), and private cloud (hosting of your choice). Acumatica supports true cloud deployments while Macola does not.

Lower TCO

Acumatica offers consumption-based pricing, unlimited users at no extra cost, and robust support and deployment options, significantly reducing the TCO for Acumatica compared to Macola.

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