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An Introduction To Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management [WEBINAR]

Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management in 45 minutes with Sue Coleman

Who is Enterprise Management for?

First of all, what is Sage Enterprise Management and who is it for?

Sage Enterprise Management is the ERP software that gives companies with complex requirements access to faster, simpler and flexible business management capabilities, at a fraction of the cost and complexity of typical enterprise ERP systems.

So, what do we mean by complex requirements? Who are these companies?

Enterprise Management is optimal for companies with more than 100 employees or an average of 30 ERP users, in distribution, manufacturing or services. With distributed or global operations, multi-currency, multi-language, multi-site/warehouse but limited budget and technology resources. Looking for a fast and affordable solution to optimise financial, production and/or supply chain management processes, following best practices.

Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management also embraces the latest technology trends in the market, such as web-based UI, mobile apps, visual process flows, automated business processes, real-time business intelligence and many other functionalities that help businesses improve productivity.

What do we mean by “complex requirements”?

Businesses that have a level of complexity within their operations. Complexity can be the result of several aspects within a business, such as:

Multi-language and legislation;
Multi-currency (all currencies);
Multi-ledger, multi-journal;
Multi-company, sites and warehouses;
Inter-company/inter-site transactions;
Multi-level structure/dimensions accounting – for more information read the article “Automated Bank Reconciliation With Sage Enterprise Management“
Multiple asset depreciation methods;
Multiple units of measure;
Multiple stock-costing methods;
Multiple production methods and mixed modes (ATO, MTO, CTO, MTS, MPM).

A large number of businesses currently operate a complex process.

It all starts with customers – customer demand comes from a variety of places (e-commerce, retail outlets,…). Material Requirements Planning (MRP) helps you plan for this demand – what to purchase, when and in what quantities to ensure successful production and delivery of goods. At the same time, inventory levels need to be accurate (components or finished goods) because customers want in full, on-time delivery of products. Everything needs to be tracked and optimised overtime to ensure that further efficiencies can be created within the business.

If we add the fact that many businesses operate multiple warehouses, multiple entities, and cross-country operations – we now have a complex environment.

Conclusion

Sage Enterprise Management aims to simplify and streamline complex daily operations for businesses. The is locally implemented and supported in Australia and securely hosted in the Cloud. In this 45-minute demo presentation, Sue Coleman from Sage Australia showed us just that.

At Leverage Technologies, we have implemented the Sage ERP software for many Australian complex businesses.

For more information on Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management or to set up a personalised demo, call us on 1300 045 046 or email [email protected]

Sage Enterprise Management Cloud Vs On-premise: Your Rollout Options

Sage Enterprise Management Cloud Vs On-premise

Sage offers you, the customer, choice. When considering Cloud ERP vs On-premise there are a number of factors to consider:

Current infrastructure;
On-going OpEx vs CapEx costs;
Internet speeds and reliability;
Functional requirements.

As an ERP software solution provider, we believe that the Cloud or On-premise deployment choice should be made by the customer, not the vendor.

Yes, there are multiple advantages to moving your ERP software to the Cloud but there might be specific reasons preventing you from doing so or you might have done the maths and you might be of the opinion that an On-premise ERP makes more sense for your business.

Sage Enterprise Management, offers all of the technology that you expect from a modern ERP solution:

Cloud
Mobility
E-commerce
Web client

In fact, Sage Enterprise Management was an early adopter of web client architecture for ERP, leading the way for Cloud and browser independent remote access from anywhere.

I am a huge fan and supporter of Cloud ERP solutions but let’s not forget that the Cloud is not always right for every business. We can still access Mobility, eCommerce and Big Data analytics from an On-premise ERP solution. As stated earlier, there might be specific reasons for still considering an on-premise solution.

Your deployment choices with Sage Enterprise Management

Here are some of the deployment options offered by Sage for your Sage Enterprise Management ERP software.

Traditional On-premise. Purchase your server, use your existing infrastructure and stay on-premise. In this instance your Sage Enterprise Management licenses are “purchased” and you pay an annual maintenance and support plan to cover your day to day support requirements.

Pros: There is a lower on-going software investment. Most of your software investment is made upfront with the software “purchase”. When calculating investment of On-premise vs Cloud you should consider all costs – hardware, IT resource, back-up and network costs.
Cons: This type of purchase requires a bigger upfront investment. – Maintenance of infrastructure requirements can prove expensive and time-consuming.

Private Cloud. At Leverage Technologies can provide private Cloud options. These private Cloud options include the ability to do an upfront software “purchase” and pay an annual support and maintenance fee or alternatively pay a monthly Software as a Service (SaaS) fee. This is often referred to as a hybrid model. Your Sage Enterprise Management Solution is hosted in the Cloud on infrastructure that is outsourced (you pay a monthly fee). You have access to your own Cloud environment, hence the term “private” cloud.

Pros: All of the advantages of a multi-tenant Cloud (public Cloud) offering. Easier access to specific development tools and customization. Upgrades can be timed to your specific requirements because you have your own environment you can decide on the timing and planning associated with system upgrades. This is particularly useful if you have multiple developments or integration requirements.
Cons: Will be a more expensive option than multi-tenant Cloud.

Multi-tenant Cloud. You are sharing secure infrastructure with multiple other companies.

Pros: Automatic upgrades (reduced on-going cost of ownership), lower monthly fees, no need for your own expensive infrastructure, back-up and security are world class.
Cons: On-going cost of ownership should be compared to other available options (on-premise and private cloud). Remember, as stated earlier, when comparing the investment requirements of on-premise, private and public Cloud one should compare all relevant costs – infrastructure, upgrades, IT staff and security.

Conclusion

As consumers we love choice, so why should ERP be any different?

With an ERP solution from Sage you, the customer, can choose a world class ERP solution with the deployment option that works best for your business.

Whether it’s a traditional On-premise setup, private Cloud or multi-tenant Cloud, Sage Enterprise Management give you the solutions for setting up your ERP the way you prefer.

At Leverage Technologies, we have helped numerous Australian companies understand the various options and implement the solution seamlessly. For more information on the ERP options offered by Sage call us on 1300 045 046 or email [email protected].

Brett Mundell

Managing Director

Brett has more than 20 years of business software sales and company management experience. Brett has been involved in more than 300 ERP projects. His passion is customer satisfaction, making sure every client is more than just satisfied. Brett wants our customers to be driven to refer their friends and peers because we offer the best services and technology available and because we exceeded their expectations.

Is Sage X3 the right ERP Solution for my business?

Sage X3 ERP Software Review – Answering Your Questions

So how does Sage fit into the ERP market? What size customer is well suited to the Sage ERP software? Which industries are well suited and what are some of the reasons that many Australian mid-market companies are choosing Sage X3 to run their business software?

Firstly, cloud or on premise does not matter to Sage X3 – you, the customer, can decide.

Sage ERP is available on-premise or in the Cloud and yes, offers an HTML web browser interface – browser and device independent – outstanding for cloud and mobility.

Let’s answer some other questions:

What size business should purchase Sage X3?

This is a generalisation but we would say a typical mid-market business should consider Sage Enterprise Management. I say this is a generalisation because sometimes relatively small businesses can have complex business requirements and therefore need a higher end ERP solution. But as a general rule Sage X3 should be considered a mid-market solution suitable for larger SME’s and bigger corporates. Check this article for a high-level guide to ERP software pricing.

What are some of the strengths of Sage X3?

A great web-based user interface, strong inter-company functionally, distribution and manufacturing (strong core functionality) and great configure to order / engineer to order (this blog will give you some additional information on the Sage X3 configure to order / engineer to order module.

How many days does it take to implement Sage X3?

The answer to this question will obviously depend on a number of factors which we covered in an earlier Sage X3 blog . On average I would say that it takes 60-90 days of consultancy time to implement (assuming a typical wholesale / distribution environment) and 100-120 consultancy days is required for manufacturing.

Are there any particular industry strengths (industry verticals) that Sage X3 is particularly good at?

The answer is yes – the Sage ERP software has some specific functionality for certain industries – food processing, medical / pharmaceutical and configure to order are all good micro-verticals for Sage X3. But more generally speaking Sage ERP does some broad market sectors really well.

These include:

Complex financial and inter-company or multi-national requirements;
Distribution/warehouse management;
Manufacturing – process and discrete (including scheduling, MRP and planning);
Food processing;
Engineer to order manufacturing.

Within these broad market sectors, individual Sage X3 resellers tend to focus on market micro verticals (food, medical etc.).

What about Sage X3 implementation and support?

Sage works through a network of partners (resellers). Sage is locally represented in many global regions (including Australia). Sage partners are responsible for the sales, support and implementation of Sage X3 in Australia. The good news for Sage X3 customers is that you have a local network of local partners to help you with your implementation and support – backed by a local Sage office – providing you with the best choices for your on-going Sage X3 support.

Check out how we have helped this Australian business overcome challenges relating to complex manufacturing operation historically run by a lot of spreadsheets and manual processes. Read the case study.

Conclusion

We have been implementing the Sage ERP software for many years and gained recognition as one of the top implementation and support partners in the world.

Over the years we have seen the solution work exceptionally well for small and medium-sized organisations in the manufacturing, configure/engineer to order, distribution and similar industries.

If you want to know more about Sage X3, check some Sage X3 demo videos on our YouTube Channel – demo videos.

In summary, if you are considering a mid-market, scalable, web browser based ERP solution for your business Sage X3 should definitely be on your candidate list.

For more information or to speak to an experienced Sage Platinum partner give us a call on 1300 045 046 or email [email protected]. In under 10 minutes, we might be able to tell you is Sage Enterprise Management (Sage X3) is the right ERP software for your business.