Don't get caught out by out-of-date Sage: How to plan for your NetSuite migration project

With our feet now firmly in 2023 it really is apparent how time can fly, and for those companies operating on software that’s fast-approaching end-of-life, the ticking of the clock is getting louder.

Sage Line 500 and Sage 1000 are only functional in their current forms and after December 31^st, 2024, there will be no support or updates available. This leaves your business open to potential security attacks, risk of non-compliance and high additional costs to obtain support in the future if something ceases to work. That’s just a few items from the list of consequences of sticking with out-of-date software. In a rapidly evolving and technologically advancing business landscape, it’s a precarious position to be in.

Nevertheless, we understand that change can be daunting, and the perceived time and hassle associated with implementing a new solution can be a major barrier to adoption for many firms. But the time for burying heads in the sand is over, and with an array of features, functionality and infinite efficiencies to be discovered, it’s time to embrace what cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions have to offer. With careful internal planning steps, robust research on the solutions available and finding an implementation partner with the right expertise and experience, the migration process can be far less painless. You’ll be wondering why you hung onto legacy software systems for so long.

And if all that isn’t enough to sway you, an added incentive is the tax super-deduction introduced by the government in 2021. The previous 18 per cent tax relief on the cost of ERP technology was increased, translating to a 25 per cent reduction in the cost of software purchased and implemented (including consultancy fees) from April 2021 through to 31^st March 2023. There’s still time to capitalise on this incentive if you act fast – why not pick up the phone and call us on 0330 133 5000.

Prioritise internal planning

Just like any business project, planning is key and sound preparation will drive success. Putting a project lead or team in charge will help make migration smooth with minimal disruption. Clear roles and responsibilities are the kingpin of any successful project team, so make sure responsibilities for tasks are clear to each member – whether that’s setting timelines, managing stakeholder communication or liaising with the implementation partner. Stakeholder engagement can be a key element, as there will always be some more likely to embrace change than others – and with buy-in being another key to success, it’s an area not to be overlooked. Also consider the approval processes and ensure key decision makers are aware of required involvement so they can be available to approve decisions, to avoid the timeline being affected.

Next, think about what you need from your solution, how it will be used and who by in the organisation. Having a clear brief of your requirements and vision is the key to meeting objectives and getting a solution that best fits the organisation from the outset. A comprehensive brief also removes risk of ambiguity and means there’ll be no nasty surprises with regards to a higher bill for extra requirements not made clear, or an outcome that’s any less than the desired. If this process seems daunting in itself, a solutions implementation partner with experience in your sector will be able assist and guide you towards a successful and efficient approach. Here at BrightBridge we often suggest team structures, timelines and approval processes based on the hundreds of projects we have delivered. Many of our customers are happy to share their experiences too, so we welcome any and all questions.

While you will need a solid strategy for the migration of existing data such as financials, customer details, stock, payroll, order processing, this is also something a solutions partner like us will manage. Using an integration platform, data is transferred from one system to another. Should your data not be 100 per cent organised or even complete, we can help with that too and devise a plan to get it ship shape as a first step.

Cloud-based solutions, such as Oracle NetSuite, facilitate all data being in one place and the software can flag when data has not been inputted – messy and missing data can be a thing of the past. As the cloud allows access from any device, from anywhere in the world – vital for the remote working that has become the norm – the challenge of people creating personal processes should also be eliminated.

What to look for in a solutions implementation partner

Just as important as the solution you choose is your implementation partner – they should not only be an expert in solution functionality and bespoke development, but also have the right experience and expertise for a business like yours. You should aim to work with a provider that has demonstrable sector experience so they understand the pain points your business may face, and the compliance and evolving regulatory obligations your organisation is affected by.

When you don’t know what’s possible, we advise on how best the solution can be utilised for your workforce and business needs, giving you examples of customer success and satisfaction. Having well-matched, sector savvy teams to guide you through implementation and training – as well as be on hand to support far beyond implementation – will head any issues off before they arise.

And don’t forget rapport and personalities – above all else, find a bunch of people you’ll be happy working with for weeks or months!

How a NetSuite implementation project works

At BrightBridge, we assign a NetSuite project manager and consultant team that will ensure a smooth migration. We deliver projects in a hybrid agile sprint and waterfall method and they follow these steps:

• Understanding requirements and unearthing information
• Designing and building
• Testing and training with customer input
• Circle back to designing and building where necessary
• Approval and deployment
• Hypercare
• Ongoing support

We’ll take your brief and dig deeper, peering right into the corners of your business to get to the crux of your needs and challenges, even uncovering issues you didn’t know were there! That involves workshops, meetings with individuals and everything in between to get the most out of your team so we can spin it into gold. We believe that combining our expertise on the out-of-the-box solutions with our knowledge and experience of additional apps is a recipe for success. But we don’t stop there – our capabilities extend to developing customised solutions and bespoke coding where required, so the sky really is the limit.

We’ll help save your business valuable time by advising on ways to configure the solution to increase productivity and create efficiencies. By automating time-consuming repetitive tasks – such as invoice creation or stock take – time can be freed up and dedicated to other business operations or growth activities.

It’s also important that relevant management team members have full training on how to effectively use the system. As each section is built and available in a sandbox – or test – environment – your teams can get hands on. In many large organisations, we train the trainers, and the customer manages that roll out. However, simply put – we’re flexible and work as one team to reach the goal. With feedback, tweaks can be made, and this process is repeated until approval.

After go-live we get to hyper-care support – so we won’t love you and leave you, and most customers take out an ongoing support contract with us. You can start enjoying the benefits of your new solution and reaping a return on investment from day one but our hyper-care support means we’re right on hand to answer any questions, remind your team members of the right buttons to press if they forgot and to fix any glitches that arise.

Keep your eyes on the prize

If you’re still unsure of whether you’re ready to make the migration leap, here’s a recap of why you should:

• Government incentive of 25 per cent reduction in the cost of software purchased and implemented – and consultancy fees – until 31^st March 2023.
• Retaining an unsupported software to run your business represents a huge risk, if something goes wrong there will be no quick fix
• No more disruptive upgrades – you’ll always be running the latest version
• Hardware, software and maintenance costs negated – it’s all in the cloud
• One single version of the truth – fully integrated solution with real-time data
• Cloud-based means you can access the solution from any device, from anywhere in the world, at any time – perfectly for an increasing remote and hybrid working scenario
• World-class, built-in security and legislation compliance – you need never be worried about security or non-compliance again
• Scalable – as future-proof as you can get regardless of whether you’re a single entity, multi-site or global business

If you’re still worried about the disruption or time investment in software migration, speak to us about multi-phase implementation to ease you into the process. One thing is for sure, the consequences of doing nothing are far more detrimental to a business, its operational functions and growth.

See our ‘Reasons to Switch from Sage’ guide for more information, or call our friendly team to discuss options.