Embrace ERP Frequently Asked Questions

If your business is a medium to large business, especially one with lots of complexity (multi-branch/multi-company) and diverse operations, then Embrace ERP is a prime candidate. What sets Embrace apart is its comprehensive built-in functionality, coupled with world-class support and implementation. This allows Embrace to be implemented in these complex environments reliably with functionality that's designed to work seamlessly. If customisation is needed on top of that, you have access to the core developers to ensure you get solutions in months (not years) that are designed by people who know what they're doing.

Embrace ERP has a wide range of functionality and been actively developed for over 40 years. Unlike some other products which haven't stood the test of time, Embrace has solid design foundations which has allowed us to expand the product into one end-to-end system where everything works together. That means there is an impressive array of enterprise-grade functionality with more on the way. In the last couple of years, we've introduced mobile field service, mobile field sales, and configure price quote (CPQ) functionality, to name some highlights. We're currently looking at AI and machine learning applications, and constantly improving what we already have. There are not many ERPs out there that will take you from spreadsheets all the way to multi-branch/multi-company enterprises with 500+ users without having to upgrade or change systems like companies have done with Embrace.

Desktop Application: Embrace uses a desktop application built with the latest version of JavaFX - a modern UI framework - to communicate with the backend Embrace system. It is available on MacOS, Windows and Linux and delivers enhanced performance and security over web-based ERP systems.

Mobile: Embrace is fully available as an app on your mobile device. Specific applications have been further optimised for mobile use cases (barcode/QR code scanning, sign on glass, camera etc.) such as Field Sales, Field Service and mobile Workflow approvals, with more on the way.

Inventory: Embrace ERP's inventory is designed to deliver accuracy, control, and insight across all levels of stock handling, from basic tracking to advanced forecasting, ensuring that businesses can optimise their supply chain and improve profitability.

E-Commerce: Embrace ERP integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce, synchronising ERP pricing, specials, orders and more in near-real-time.

Service and Workshops: Embrace ERP's Service and Workshop solution streamlines maintenance, repair, production, installation and other services. Schedule work, manage costing and customer communication all with full real-time visibility.

Configure Price Quote: Set up configured products with rules and formulas that determine the quantity and type of parts/labour, or services needed. Think of quoting or selling a solar installation, custom machinery or fibre contract. Anywhere the product is custom, or what goes into it depends on location or other factors. After the sale is made, issue parts, manage the order from start to finish and even make changes along the way, which you may or may not decide to charge the customer for.

Finance and Asset Management: Finance and asset management are often overlooked in ERP selection as it's a basic requirement. The finance and asset management in Embrace is one of its standout features, something that finance teams new to Embrace ERP fail to tell us.

Rental and Hire: Embrace ERP's Rental and Hire functionality provides end-to-end management of equipment and asset rentals. With detailed scheduling and availability planning to automated billing and planned maintenance, Embrace ERP helps you maximise profitability and manage each asset's lifecycle.

Sales: The Sales and Distribution functionality in Embrace ERP integrates order management, inventory control, and logistics to streamline the entire supply chain cycle, ensuring fast, efficient fulfilment and higher customer satisfaction.

Warehouse: Embrace ERP's Warehouse Management (WMS) solution is fully integrated native functionality. This gives you access to real-time visibility across your ERP system as opposed to other ERP systems where the warehouse functionality is often a 3rd party integration. From receiving and put-away to picking, packing, and dispatch, everything is handled by Embrace, which makes all the difference when it comes to maintaining cold chains, managing batches, lots and serials and optimising your warehouse operations for efficiency and accuracy.

Manufacturing: Embrace has a full Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) module, which streamlines the entire production lifecycle. From integrated forecasting and BOM management to real-time shop-floor visibility, cost tracking, and quality control.

Reports and Visualisations: Embrace Realtime custom dashboards with the ability to drill into the underlying data as well as hundreds of built-in reports.

Retail: Embrace has Point of Sale (POS), VAT inclusive pricing (and of course VAT exclusive pricing), regional pricing, cash customers, account customers, both percentage-based as well as fixed price specials, automatic price updates (which synchronise to your e-commerce as well) and the capability to handle Buy One Get One (BOGO) deals, quantity discounts and more. Capture every customer into the system with their email address and have it link to their e-commerce account, or simply use a generic customer.

Supply Chain Management: Embrace ERP's Supply Chain Management functionality unifies procurement, inventory, manufacturing, and distribution processes, all with real-time visibility to ensure you're always in control.

APIs: Embrace has several types of APIs, from realtime, restful APIs to file-based XML APIs, with the ability to customise anything. Importantly, these APIs are subject to the same customisations you have in your system, ensuring everything is consistent.

Many more: Embrace has a whole range of functionality, built, tried and tested in the real world for over 40 years. Distribution Requirements Planning, Auto Procurement, Tyre Management, Document Management, Cloud Printing, Multi-currency, Concurrent Units, 3rd Party Logistics, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Forecasting and many more.

Yes, Embrace can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud self-hosted, or as a fully managed cloud service. We have a team based here in Johannesburg South Africa who can manage your ERP administration, backups, coordinate upgrades, patches and customisations as well as deal with any issues you may have.

Yes, Embrace can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud self-hosted, or as a fully managed cloud service. Our professional services work with your IT teams to ensure your Embrace instance is secure, up-to-date, optimised, and set up for your success.

Embrace is highly capable and customisable. While that might be true for some of our competitors, the difference is who is doing the design, implementation and customisation for your business. Embrace ERP is primarily implemented by us, ACS Embrace, the owners and developers of Embrace. Where VARs are used, they work closely with us to ensure the design makes sense and is achievable. In more complex environments where complex integrations are required or there are unique constraints, overconfidence on the side of the VARs can lead to disastrous consequences. We have a 100% implementation success rate over the 40 years we've been in business. This is because we have a deep understanding of our product, business expertise and the ability to customise or change the software if necessary.

In terms of core features, the financials and inventory capabilities of Embrace are some of the best. The service and workshops functionality is also highly flexible and comprehensive. These are available however in all other ERP systems with varying strengths. What sets Embrace apart is this strong core functionality combined with functionality that isn't commonly found as native ERP functionality. Rental and Hire, Configure Price Quote (CPQ) and Warehouse (WMS) functionality are all examples of native Embrace functionality that typically require an integration when you use other ERP systems.

Yes, with native point of sale, e-commerce integrations, and advanced functionality for managing stock (warranties, bins, lots and serials, WMS, auto procurement, distribution requirements planning (DRP) and more), Embrace has everything a retail business could need.

Yes, Embrace is particularly strong with business-to-business. Our per-customer pricing is highly flexible. You can set pricing on specific products, categories or products, bulk discounts and more. Since Embrace is particularly strong with its inventory management, it's particularly suited to wholesale businesses, where real-time visibility of your stock is necessary to reduce costly mistakes and avoid embarrassing phone calls to customers. The fully integrated advanced warehouse functionality is there if you need it and gives you this real-time visibility while also giving you the ability to optimise and manage your warehouse floor effectively.

Any medium or large business, particularly in South Africa or Southern Africa, which is looking for a system which will enable growth and give them a competitive edge. Industries like automotive parts, retail, wholesale, rental and hire, service, or complex businesses which combine multiple offerings like telecommunications, IT infrastructure, etc. In particular, there is a growing number of business owners who are looking to spend their money wisely and aren't as interested in making a so-called safe choice on a well-known ERP. Embrace has an unbeatable track record.

Yes. Although Embrace is developed and primarily supported from South Africa, Embrace is available all over the world and has multicurrency support for companies with global operations. In particular, we have partners in America and are able to integrate with various tax systems to handle the complex tax requirements for American companies.

Apart from Embrace ERP itself, our implementation and support are what set us apart. The ability to pick up the phone and call someone you know will sort your problem out (even in the middle of the night) is invaluable. Many of our clients are not aware that companies on other systems have to wait a year or more for customisations or bug fixes in some cases. Our fast turnaround times give our customers the ability to adapt to changing market conditions and keep up with regulatory requirements.

Embrace ERP is particularly effective when it comes to the rental/servicing and sales of expensive assets. Assets which have a lifespan that should be tracked, that require servicing, and where maximising the time spent on contract is important, get the maximum benefit out of Embrace. This is because all the different functionality sits within Embrace, allowing the full lifecycle to be tracked. These assets can be rented out at fixed rates or with usage (or a combination), and particularly works well for longer-term rentals where invoices are generated monthly. Often, businesses like this do a combination of selling and rental and repair/service, both on their own assets but also client assets on warranty and out of warranty. Embrace ERP handles this and more.

Yes, Embrace ERP has Configure Price Quote (CPQ) functionality, which allows you to create configured products. You replace your quoting spreadsheets with formulas inside Embrace ERP, which use the pricing or costings of the component parts/labour/services and calculate the amounts of each and what options are valid. The sales staff can create these products while talking to the customer by asking them questions (or have the choices sent through from an e-commerce). Once the client is happy with the quote, it gets converted into a sales order, and the related processes get initiated and parts issued. Having it within the ERP system gives you the full picture of all the costs involved and helps ensure you're making the profits you hope you are.

Embrace ERP has always been owned and developed by Associated Computer Solutions (Pty) Ltd/ACS-Embrace from 1985 to present (2025+).