5 Sure Signs It's Time to Upgrade from Sage 100 to Acumatica
Introduction
If you are a small, medium, large manufacturing, distribution, retail or construction business, you know having the right ERP system is crucial for maintaining efficiency, scalability, and competitive advantage for your business. Most businesses are reluctant in switching their existing system due to several reasons that you may relate to like executives being comfortable with the current system making them resistant to change, cost concerns, disruption to operations, data migration challenges, vendor lock-in with dependency and long-term contracts. If you are aware of or have been a Sage group brand user, you know the software has been a reliable solution for many small to medium-sized businesses for decades. The latest version of Sage, referred to as Sage 100 Cloud or simply “Sage 100,” (formerly MAS 90/200) combines limited cloud-based technology with older software. Although Sage 100 once effectively served its business clients, its ability to meet today’s demands has diminished. Investment in the product has decreased to the bare minimums compared to 10 years ago. However, as your business grows and evolves, you may encounter challenges that signal it’s time to upgrade to a more advanced and flexible system like Acumatica. If your business is facing any of these five issues, it’s time to consider an upgrade.
1. Limited Scalability and Growth Constraints
Sage 100: Outgrown Its Limits Sage 100 has been a staple for many small businesses, providing robust features that cater to their initial needs. However, as your business expands, you may find that Sage 100 struggles to keep up with increased transaction volumes, complex processes, and multi-location management. The system’s architecture can become a bottleneck, limiting your ability to expand and adapt. For instance, if your company grows from a single location to multiple warehouses or offices, managing inventory and data synchronization across these sites can become cumbersome and error prone. You might have a bunch of addons that create problems in the software that are all out of the box with Acumatica. There is no mobile app to access anything on Sage 100, there is no web browser version to run on a mac or iPad. Staff are just done with all the 5 steps it takes to connect back to Sage when working remote – VPN, 2 factor authentication, RDP, start Sage, it will not print to your home printer. There is a lot of frustration expressed by people working on Sage 100 as they cannot do their work effectively.
Acumatica: Ready for Growth Acumatica’s cloud-based architecture is designed for scalability, effortlessly handling small to high transaction volumes and simple to complex operations across multiple entities and locations. It provides a unified platform that can manage your entire business operations seamlessly, regardless of how many locations or departments you have. With Acumatica, your ERP system grows with your business, ensuring you never outgrow your software. This means you can add new users, modules, and capabilities without worrying about hitting system limitations. And if there are more than 10 users, it is unlimited users. So adding another employee does not become a huge software cost.
2. Outdated Technology and Lack of Flexibility
Sage 100: Stuck in the Past – It’s programming language is ProvideX – a 50-year-old technology, that no college student is coming out school knowing. If you’re dealing with integration issues and find that Sage 100 doesn’t support the modern applications and services you need, it’s a sign that the technology is outdated. Limited customization options can further restrict your ability to adapt the system to your evolving business needs. For example, integrating Sage 100 with newer e-commerce platforms, CRM systems, or other business-critical applications often requires costly and time-consuming custom development work. We are also seeing many 3rd part addons shifting resources away from Sage 100 or walking away from supporting Sage 100.
Acumatica: Modern and Adaptable Acumatica leverages the latest cloud technology, offering a flexible and customizable platform that easily integrates with other modern business applications. It supports a wide range of industries and business models, allowing you to tailor the system to your specific requirements. With Acumatica, you can leverage APIs, web services, and other integration tools like third-party connectors to connect seamlessly with your existing software ecosystem, enhancing overall efficiency and reducing the need for manual data entry and reconciliation.
3. Inefficient Remote Work Capabilities
Sage 100: Challenging Remote Access If your team struggles with remote access and collaboration due to the on-premises nature of Sage 100, it can hinder productivity and connectivity, especially in a world where remote work is increasingly common. The need for VPNs, remote desktops, and other complex setups to access Sage 100 remotely can be frustrating and limit real-time collaboration.
Acumatica: Seamless Remote Work Acumatica’s cloud-native design offers unparalleled remote access capabilities, enabling employees to access the system from anywhere, on any device. This enhances collaboration and productivity, ensuring your team can work efficiently from any location. Whether your employees are working from home, on the road, or at a client site, they can access critical business data and perform their tasks without any connectivity issues. This flexibility is essential for maintaining business continuity and supporting a mobile workforce.
4. High Maintenance Costs and IT Overheads
Sage 100: Expensive to Maintain If maintaining your Sage 100 system requires significant investments in hardware, software, and IT personnel, along with ongoing costs for updates, backups, and security, it may be time for a change. The need for regular system maintenance, server upgrades, and security patches can add up, diverting resources that could be better spent on strategic initiatives.
Acumatica: Best Value for Your Money Acumatica’s cloud-based model reduces the need for in-house IT maintenance and infrastructure investments. The provider handles system updates, security, and backups, lowering your total cost of ownership and ensuring your system is always up to date. This shift allows your IT team to focus on more value-added activities, such as improving business processes and supporting innovation, rather than managing hardware and software maintenance. It provides the best value, performance, functionality, and ease of use of any ERP product currently available for SMBs.
5. Inadequate Reporting and Business Intelligence
Sage 100: Basic and Limited Reporting If your reporting tools are insufficient for gaining deep insights and require manual effort to compile comprehensive reports, you’re likely missing out on valuable business intelligence. The lack of advanced analytics and real-time data visualization can hinder your ability to make informed decisions and identify opportunities for growth.
Acumatica: Advanced Analytics and Insights Acumatica offers powerful analytics tools that enable you to create custom reports, dashboards, and real-time data visualizations. This provides deeper insights into your operations, helping you make more informed decisions and identify new growth opportunities. With features like role-based dashboards, predictive analytics, and mobile access to key performance indicators (KPIs), Acumatica empowers your team with the information they need to drive business success.
Pabian Partners’ Key Insights
If your business is experiencing any of these five challenges, it’s time to modernize your ERP and Acumatica can be a great option. By making the switch, you’ll unlock new levels of scalability, flexibility, and efficiency, positioning your business for long-term success in a dynamic and competitive market. Embrace the future of ERP with Acumatica and experience the benefits of a modern, cloud-based solution designed to meet your evolving business needs. Transitioning to Acumatica can help you stay ahead of the competition, improve operational efficiency, and support your business’s growth trajectory.