Exploring alternative business solutions for Sage 1000 & Sage Line 500 users

If you use Sage Line 500 or Sage 1000, you really should be preparing for your migration to a new product. Companies relying on this software after the hard stop on 31 December 2024 will be at risk of not being able to function compliantly or at all should something should cease to work. But, on premise Sage users are already missing out on up-to-the-minute technological functions, which competitors could be using to get ahead.

As digital transformation has been accelerated by worldwide events and changing working practices, you need to think about how your organisation will benefit from a cloud-based, future-proof system. While Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 will continue to be functional in their current forms, the end of support means no more new functionality or features. In an ever-evolving business landscape, this could become a real hindrance to operational efficiencies.

Some of our Sage customers – like precision engineers and toolmakers Duckworth and Kent, Monro and Fendercare – have understood the reasons to migrate from Sage during the last two years and are now live on Oracle NetSuite. Here we take a look at how a switch to the cloud-based solution can help your business.

The benefits of a cloud-based solution

With hybrid working now the norm across many industries, implementing the infrastructure to support this is something many firms have invested in. While Sage remains a solution that can be accessed remotely, this is via VPN connection, and it can only be done via a laptop or desktop computer.

Having the flexibility and capability to access the solution on any device – whether that be a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop – from anywhere, is an advantage no business could deny is valuable. Using a solution such as Oracle NetSuite that enables all the functionality of Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000, integrated with other key business operations such as inventory management, procurement or customer relationship management (CRM), gives an organisation a 360-degree view of the business. One version of the truth from which key business decisions can be made is provided, with dashboards offering reporting, visual KPIs and automated reminders.

And with Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 requiring on-premise servers, a modern cloud platform solution also negates this, which is another benefit of a switch. Swap implementation, hardware, IT operatives, maintenance and training costs for cost-effective subscription fees.

Putting an end to upgrades

Users of Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 will be familiar with the need to buy service packs to upgrade, to ensure compliance with security requirements and legislative changes, and to access upgrade dependent applications. Cloud-based solutions such as Oracle NetSuite provide automatic updates. There are no upgrade costs, and twice-yearly new releases will ensure you’ll always be on the latest version with no disruption – it really is the last upgrade you’ll ever make. Back-ups are also done automatically, and deployment of the system is fast.

Whether you’re looking to deploy in a small business or on a multi-location, regional or global scale, Oracle NetSuite offers flexibility, scalability and facilitates the agility needed to succeed in a competitive and challenging economic landscape.

An additional factor to consider in the decision on whether to stick with an ageing product is the diminishing skills to help you maintain the software. As cloud solutions have become the norm, the partner and consultant skills have evolved in line with this. Because everyone has cross-trained for the latest solutions, in the future it may be difficult to find the expertise needed to keep your organisation on track with a solution for which there are no development plans.

In a world where technology is rapidly and continually advancing, and many business functions are moving to cloud-based access, making the switch from Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 to an intuitive solution such as Oracle NetSuite futureproofs your business operations. Sticking with a product for which there is no development means your business will stand still – but will your customers be willing to?

For more information on how we can help you make the switch from Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 to Oracle NetSuite, complete our call back form here. And if you’d like to speak to one of our customers that has successfully migrated from Sage to NetSuite in the last 6 months, we’d be happy to put you in touch so you can hear direct what the transformation had meant for their business.