Abel is celebrating 30 years in business, and the continued growth of Abel®, our flagship Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for operations of every size – small, medium, large and enterprise.
Reaching thirty years is a significant achievement. We’re celebrating how far we’ve come, and we’re looking ahead to the next chapter.
Solving a Real Problem
Abel was founded in 1996 to address a gap. At the time, ERP systems were expensive and out of reach for many small and mid‑sized businesses. Manufacturers stood to benefit from full-featured ERP if it was available and affordable. Founder Allan Baird believed smaller businesses deserved the same operational and financial capability as big businesses.
That belief shaped everything that followed. Abel was designed from the outset to be practical and affordable. We grew steadily, with a focus on long‑term relationships rather than short‑term wins.
Growing With the Same Core Values
From the launch of Version 1 in 1998, Abel has continuously evolved. Our first customer implemented Abel in 1998 and reFrom the launch of Version 1 in 1998, Abel has continuously evolved. Our first customer implemented Abel in 1998 and remains a customer today. Since then, we’ve steadily expanded functionality in response to customer needs and our own innovations.
To support growing businesses moving from small to medium, and into large and enterprise operations, we developed features for global operations across multiple countries, and the capability to link multiple Abel databases worldwide. We developed our mobile platform, making key functions available on hand‑held devices. Abel Versions 6 and 7 delivered a professionally designed look and feel and a more intuitive user experience. Our Associates Program strengthened electronic ways of doing business, and the launch of Abel BI brought Power BI®-driven insights into customers’ everyday operations.
Today, Abel delivers a complete ERP solution encompassing:
- Customers, Sales and CRM
- Inventory, Warehouse and Logistics
- Suppliers and Purchasing
- Manufacturing and Production
- Jobbing and Time Recording
- Planning, Scheduling and MRP
- Batch Traceability and Quality Management
- Financials and Business Intelligence
Abel now supports businesses of every size — from small and medium businesses to large and enterprise businesses operating locally and globally.
Looking Ahead
Abel’s thirty-year milestone is both a celebration and a commitment. Abel is a safe, stable partner — big enough to deliver broad enterprise-level capability, yet small enough to care about every customer. We’re still guided by the same purpose we started with: helping businesses run better with ERP software that supports their growth and success.
To our customers, thank you for choosing Abel and for helping shape its future — your feedback continues to inspire our ongoing development. To our team, thank you for carrying our vision forward every day. For anyone considering Abel, please get in touch. We remain committed to delivering ERP that fits today’s needs and scales to support what comes next.
Read more about Abel’s history on our Story page.
