The manufacturing industry is entering a defining era. Technology is no longer a competitive edge — it’s the foundation for survival. From global supply chain volatility to rising production costs and growing sustainability mandates, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where manufacturers must think smarter, act faster, and operate more efficiently than ever before.
The good news? The right technology stack can make that transformation achievable. At the centre of this shift sits MYOB Acumatica, a modern, cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) designed to give manufacturers full control of their operations — from the shop floor to the boardroom.
With the guidance of Acacia, a trusted MYOB EXO on-premise and MYOB Acumatica cloud partner – and experience with multiple legacy systems (Attache, Tencia and Sybiz) Acacia provides manufacturers across Australia with the tools and expertise to remain resilient, data-driven, and profitable in a rapidly evolving market.
Here are the five technology shifts that have helped definemeanin manufacturing in 2025 — and how MYOB Acumatica helps you lead the way.
1. AI-Powered Forecasting and Decision Making
Artificial intelligence is no longer futuristic — it’s a working reality for manufacturers who want to predict and respond faster. AI-driven forecasting tools within MYOB Acumatica analyse patterns in sales, production, and supply chain data to create highly accurate demand projections.
Instead of relying on guesswork or outdated spreadsheets, manufacturers can plan raw material purchases, schedule production, and allocate labour based on real-time, data-backed forecasts.
This predictive capability directly impacts profitability: reducing overproduction, minimising stockouts, and optimising cash flow.
How Acacia helps: Acacia’s consultants collaborate with manufacturing leaders to establish AI forecasting dashboards customised to their unique production cycles, empowering smarter decisions daily — not just at month-end.
2. Connected Data for End-to-End Visibility
Disconnected systems are the silent killer of manufacturing productivity. When accounting, inventory, and production data live in separate silos, managers waste hours reconciling numbers instead of making meaningful decisions.
MYOB Acumatica breaks down these silos by linking all business functions within one central platform — finance, production, purchasing, sales, and service.
With real-time visibility across every department, manufacturers can see the true status of production orders, understand where delays are occurring, and measure profitability down to the product line.
How Acacia helps: Acacia specialises in integrating MYOB Acumatica with existing tools and data sources, ensuring information flows seamlessly across your operation. The result? A single version of truth that every department can trust.
3. Intelligent Automation Across the Supply Chain
The move toward automation isn’t just about robotics on the factory floor — it’s also about automating the digital processes that slow your teams down.
MYOB Acumatica’s workflow automation tools replace manual approvals, data entry, and routine updates with smart rules that keep operations running smoothly. For example:
- Assist your purchasing team to trigger purchase orders when stock hits predefined levels.
- Generate production orders based on sales forecasts or customer demand.
- Route approvals to the right managers without email back-and-forth.
By removing repetitive administrative work, manufacturers can reallocate time toward continuous improvement, customer service, and innovation.
How Acacia helps: Acacia configures automation rules within Acumatica to align with your unique manufacturing processes — so the system works for you, not the other way around.
4. Real-Time Insights Through Cloud Mobility
Manufacturing leaders can no longer afford to wait for weekly reports or static spreadsheets. They need live visibility, anywhere, anytime — whether on the factory floor, in a meeting, or working remotely.
Because MYOB Acumatica is entirely cloud-based, all data is available in real time and accessible securely from any device. Dashboards, alerts, and production metrics update in real time, giving decision-makers instant visibility into performance.
Operations managers can monitor work-in-progress remotely, finance teams can track profitability in real time, and executives can approve decisions on the go.
How Acacia helps: Acacia helps manufacturers design tailored dashboards and mobile access points to ensure every key decision-maker has the right data at their fingertips — no matter where they are.
5. Data-Driven Sustainability and Compliance
Sustainability has moved from being a marketing initiative to a business necessity. Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to track and report on energy use, emissions, and waste — not just for compliance, but to remain competitive with customers demanding greener supply chains.
MYOB Acumatica supports sustainability initiatives through data transparency. It enables manufacturers to track material usage, waste, and energy consumption across production runs. With accurate reporting, you can identify inefficiencies, reduce waste, and demonstrate compliance with environmental standards.
How Acacia helps: Acacia assists manufacturers in setting up the right data capture and reporting frameworks within Acumatica — turning compliance obligations into performance insights that help both the planet and the bottom line.
Why These Shifts Matter in 2026
Manufacturers that embrace digital transformation are proving significantly more resilient. They can adjust production based on live demand, scale without adding overhead, and navigate supply chain disruptions with confidence.
But technology alone isn’t enough. Implementation, integration, and adoption make the difference — and that’s where Acacia adds value.
With more than 35 years of ERP and business systems experience, Acacia understands the unique challenges of the manufacturing sector. From costing accuracy and materials planning to multi-site production visibility, their consulting team ensures MYOB Acumatica is tailored to your business — not just installed.
Start 2026 Ready for Anything
The pace of change in manufacturing has never been faster—modernising now isn’t optional, it’s essential. The manufacturers thriving in 2026 will be those that connect data, automate workflows, and make decisions driven by intelligence, not intuition.
If you’re still juggling legacy systems, disconnected data, or manual workarounds, it’s time to step up to a smarter way of working.
MYOB Acumatica, implemented and optimised by Acacia, gives you the power to lead with insight, not react under pressure.
Now is the perfect time to prepare your systems for what’s next.
👉 Talk to Acacia about upgrading your systems in 2026. Learn more at acaciacs.com.au
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Calendar Year-End ERP Checklist
Year-End ERP Checklist for Manufacturers
(Powered by MYOB Acumatica)
The final weeks of the year are the perfect time to clean up your data, tighten your workflows, and ensure your systems are fully aligned for a stronger 2025. If you’re running (or considering) MYOB Acumatica, here’s the checklist that will keep your operation sharp, accurate, and ready to move.
1. Reconcile Your Inventory
Inventory errors accumulate throughout the year. Fixing them now prevents a lot of trouble in the new year.
In MYOB Acumatica, you should:
- Run a full cycle count or complete a stocktake.
- Compare physical counts to system records and clear variances.
- Review BOM accuracy, WIP balances, and scrap rates.
- Check slow-moving, obsolete, or dead stock.
- Confirm safety stock levels heading into Q1.
- Validate serial numbers, lot tracking, and expiry dates (if applicable).
Why it matters: Accurate inventory affects your costing, scheduling, production planning, and purchasing. If your stock levels are incorrect, everything else falls apart.
2. Review Your Financials
Year-end is your chance to tidy up your books and ensure you’re entering 2026 with clean financial data.
Use Acumatica to:
- Close out or reconcile AR/AP accounts.
- Confirm landed cost allocations and freight adjustments.
- Review production variances and examine outliers.
- Ensure all open production orders are completed or properly rolled over.
- Verify revenue recognition rules.
- Reconcile bank accounts and credit cards.
- Conduct profit analysis by product, customer, and job.
Why it matters: Clean financials give you clarity on actual margins and performance — not guesses, not assumptions.
3. Audit Supplier Performance
Your supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Now’s the moment to evaluate who helps achieve your goals and who delays progress. In Acumatica, review:
- On-time delivery percentages.
- Quality and defect issues.
- Price changes over the last 12 months.
- Responsiveness and communication.
- Lead time accuracy compared to actuals.
- Performance during peak periods and disruptions.
Why it matters: Strong supplier performance reduces disruption, improves planning accuracy, and stabilises cash flow.
4. Clean Up Open Production & Purchase Orders
Loose ends cost time and money.
Check for:
- Old or incomplete production orders.
- POs left open that should be closed or receipted.
- Duplicate orders caused by manual workarounds.
- Orders with mismatched quantities or pricing.
- Completed jobs missing labour or material transactions.
Why it matters: Closing out stale orders ensures accurate reporting, costing, and forecasting.
5. Review Your Forecasts & MRP/DRP Planning
This is where Acumatica gives manufacturers an edge.
Use MYOB Acumatica’s forecasting and MRP/DRP to:
- Refresh demand forecasts based on 2024 data.
- Predict post-holiday restock and production requirements.
- Update lead times for more accurate planning.
- Identify overstock or understock risks heading into Q1.
- Simulate production schedules with reduced holiday staffing.
Why it matters: Smart planning now means you start 2025 with momentum — not backlog.
6. Update Workflows, Approvals & Automations
Your processes evolve — your system needs to keep up.
Check and update:
- Purchase approval routing.
- Production workflow steps.
- Notifications for low stock, late orders, or exceptions.
- Automated report delivery.
- Security roles and access restrictions.
Why it matters: Automation keeps your operation moving smoothly even when staff are on leave.
7. Review User Access, Roles & Permissions
Holiday periods often expose security gaps.
Audit:
- Former employees still listed as active users.
- Generic or shared logins (remove them).
- Incorrect access rights for seasonal staff.
- Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) settings and administrator roles.
Why it matters: A secure system is a compliant system — and reduces the risk of accidental errors.
8. Refresh Dashboards & KPIs for 2025
Your dashboards should reflect how your business works now — not two years ago.
Update:
- Production KPIs
- Inventory turnover metrics
- Supplier performance widgets
- Profitability dashboards
- Sales and demand forecasting visuals
Why it matters: When your dashboards are accurate, your decisions are faster — and better.
9. Plan Your 2025 ERP Improvements
Don’t wait for issues to blow up in Q1.
Identify:
- Modules you’re not using but should be (MRP, DRP, CRM, Service).
- Manual processes you still haven’t automated.
- Reporting gaps costing you time each month-end.
- Integrations that need tightening.
- Customisations no longer serving the business.
Why it matters: Small improvements add up — especially in manufacturing where efficiency drives profit.
10. Book Your Calendar Year-End ERP Review with Acacia
Have our experts perform a Health Check on your system.
Acacia’s MYOB consultants help manufacturers:
- Fix data accuracy issues
- Optimise forecasting and planning
- Improve costing precision
- Streamline reporting
- Strengthen automation and workflows
A clean system now means a stronger, more profitable 2026.
Ready to get your ERP in shape?
Talk to Acacia about reviewing or upgrading your MYOB Acumatica system before the new year.
https://acaciacs.com.au/
