Should I Switch to a New Cloud ERP?

In recent years, there have been many new mid-market, mostly cloud-based, ERP software solutions entering the industry. While these are attractive to organizations who want to minimize the headaches associated with having software on a local server, it’s good to remember that you don’t necessarily have to switch to a new cloud-based SaaS product from a traditional ERP. Instead, you can continue using the features of your existing Sage ERP system with the added benefits of remote accessibility, IT maintenance, backups and more by migrating your software into the cloud.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why, when it comes to ERPs in the cloud, newer isn’t always better.

Sage Experience Counts

Many of Sage’s products such as Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90), Sage 300 (formerly Accpac), and Sage 300 CRE (formerly Timberline) have been on the market for upwards of 30 years. That’s right, they’ve had 30 years to encounter just about every need and situation their customers may experience and adapt their solutions accordingly, continuously fine-tuning based on user feedback.

Contrast that with newer cloud-based solutions who are just trying to reach parity with the functionality these Sage products have offered for decades.

Crowds Attract Innovation

And for the situations where the users have needs that Sage doesn’t deem a priority? Sage has one of the largest communities of third party add-on solutions out there. With tens of thousands of users operating Sage products, these third party companies are willing to invest in writing products for Sage because of the large market potential they see in the customer base.

If you’ve ever attended Sage Summit, you’ll see an expo hall brimming with these companies, many of whom have built their entire business around rounding out their customers’ Sage solutions.

Many of the newer ERPs don’t have large enough customer bases to attract these companies to invest in integrating with their products, so your options with a new ERP are limited.

Documentation and Tribal Knowledge Are Key to ERP Success

Need help with Sage? Use their online community, Google it, or just ask your Sage reseller. Chances are he or she has heard it before or knows someone who has. Sage resellers work together in groups like 90 Minds, TPAC, and TUG to help solve problems and improve the customer experience.

Using a new SaaS ERP? Your reseller may have a few implementations under their belt, but there is still much to be learned. They’ll be learning right alongside you.

Good News: Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds

You CAN get all the benefits of a veteran solution and still take advantage of all that the cloud has to offer.

If you’re already using a Sage product, chances are you’ve spent a lot of time refining and customizing it to meet your business needs. All of your setup, your custom reports, your add-on solutions, and your team’s knowledge of how to operate the solution are in place, and you spend less time worrying about your software and more time focusing on your business. Switching to a new ERP just for the sake of being in the cloud would cost a great deal of time and money, and you still may not be better off in the end.

If you’ve found yourself on the hunt for a new ERP, don’t limit yourself to a Sage on-premises solution. Instead, check out cloud-based Sage application hosting - it could be the answer you’re looking for. For example, when you choose Summit Hosting as your Sage cloud hosting provider, you can enjoy all of the benefits of 10+ years of hosting experience, dedicated servers and more:

• Your own dedicated private-cloud server – no shared environments.
• Own your data.
• Access Sage from anywhere, on any device.
• No large up-front capital expenditure and no long-term commitment.
• Add or remove users as needed.
• 24/7 customer service support.
• A secure, modern cloud environment without all the risk and headaches that go along with maintaining a local server.

At Summit Hosting, we’re experts in what we do - that’s why over 20,000 users trust us to host their QuickBooks and Sage software editions. We’re able to host just about any Sage product on the market, including:

• Sage 50, Sage 50cloud
• Sage 100, Sage 100cloud
• Sage 300, Sage 300cloud
• Sage 500
• Sage EM (Sage X3)
• Sage 100 Contractor
• Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate
• Sage CRM
• Sage Fixed Assets (FAS)
• Sage BusinessWorks
• Sage HRMS

Contact us today if you have any questions or if you’re interested in learning about our cloud-hosted Sage solutions, dedicated servers or QuickBooks hosting services. Our hosting specialists are always happy to provide a solution that works best for your unique business needs.