Sage ERP Accpac 6.0 for ERP for Services Certification Report

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Enterprise Software Certification Report
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for Services
Sage ERP Accpac 6.0
Gabriel Gheorghiu and Philippe Reney, TEC Research Analysts
October 2011
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Table of Contents
TEC Product Certification Report
3
Background and Analyst View
5
Product Highlights
6
Product Analysis
8
Analyst Summary
19
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TEC Product Certification Report
Sage ERP Accpac certified by
Philippe Reney, Research Analyst, Technology Evaluation Centers
Gabriel Gheorghiu, Research Analyst, Technology Evaluation Centers
Demonstration conducted by
Rob Lawson, Field Service Engineer, Sage
Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) is pleased to announce that Sage ERP Accpac is now TEC Certified for online evaluation of
enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for services in the ERP Evaluation Center. The ERP Evaluation Center enables you to
compare and evaluate functionality based on TEC’s comprehensive model of ERP for services software. Data used in the
Evaluation Center are obtained from the vendor’s responses to TEC’s request for information (RFI). Certification ensures that
Sage has demonstrated Sage ERP Accpac's support for specific real-world business processes chosen by TEC analysts; and that
TEC analysts have analytically and comparatively reviewed Sage ERP Accpac RFI data against known benchmarks.
3
Benefits of Evaluating a TEC Certified Product
There are many benefits to evaluating a TEC Certified product. To potential clients of a software vendor, TEC certification
provides the following:

Reassurance: You can be assured that the data TEC provides about its certified products conform to a well-defined
standard of accuracy. When a vendor’s product is TEC Certified, it means that a trusted, independent third party has
seen the product up close.

Better communication with vendors: TEC certification helps ensure that vendors understand and respond accurately
to their clients’ RFIs. Certification with TEC analysts provides the opportunity to clarify any issues with the RFI criteria.
This ensures that the vendor is speaking the same language as its potential clients—and gives the clients an unambiguous specification of product functionality to inform their selections.
The certification seal is a valuable indicator for organizations that rely on the integrity of TEC’s research services for assistance
with their software selection projects. Organizations looking for a solution can be confident that they’re comparing the product
on an “apples to apples” basis with other, similar products.
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Background and Analyst View
The Basic Software Group (a company from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) launched Accpac in the late 1970s as an
accounting package for small to medium businesses (SMBs). Accpac initially used the Control Program for Microcomputers
(CPM) operating system, but was adapted for the MS-DOS and IBM operating systems in the 1980s, with the release of the
Windows version in 1994 (now used by 275,000 people in 170 countries). Computer Associates acquired the Basic Software
Group in 1985, and Accpac was sold to Sage in 2004, which rebranded the product to Sage ERP Accpac in 2011. Sage also
released a Web-based version of the solution, called Sage ERP Accpac Online.
Sage offers an interesting option to all its customers, the Sage Partner Solution Source (http://www.sagepss.com), which lets
users search for software products developed by its partners—by business need, industry, and even certification level (Sagecertified or -endorsed partners).
Sage ERP Accpac focuses on companies active in industries such as professional services, industrial equipment, building
materials and food and beverage, with up to 500 employees. In other words, Sage ERP Accpac is for companies that need more
functionality than that offered by QuickBooks or Peachtree, but not as complex as that offered by Sage ERP MAS 500. Sage ERP
Accpac vertical solutions are offered for mining, service, media and hospitality, and transportation. Sage ERP Accpac is delivered
in three editions: 100, 200, and 500, with the differences related to the number of companies allowed, the number of users, the
number of years of history, and certain functionality that is not included in all editions (for more information, please consult the
Sage ERP Accpac Edition Differences Overview sheet). Sage ERP Accpac integrates with Service Manager (provided by Technisoft,
a Sage Endorsed Development partner) to provide service and maintenance solutions to its customers.
Version 6.0 of Sage ERP Accpac brings three types of enhancements: technological improvements (support for HTML5, ATOM,
RSS, and XML); functional improvements (analytics and business intelligence, portals, workflows, financials, etc.); and a new
user interface. Sage ERP Accpac also provides functionality for companies operating in multicurrency, multilanguage, and
multisite environments. For more details on the functional enhancements and the level of support provided by Sage ERP Accpac
for services companies see the Product Highlights and Product Analysis sections of this report.
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Product Highlights
With version 6.0, Sage ERP Accpac provides not only a more user-friendly solution, but also a more flexible software that can be
more easily customized, managed, as well as integrated with other Sage products or add-ons provided by Sage partners. The
online version offers functionality for accounting, purchasing, sales, customer management, operations, and distribution; extra
functionality is available at additional cost, such as: time and billing, service management, purchasing workflow, check and form
printing, payroll, etc.
We certified the on-premise version of Sage ERP Accpac, and the highlights below as well as the functionality described in the
Product Analysis section refer to this version.
Based on four main principles, here are the product highlights for Sage ERP Accpac:
Ease of Use
•
Layout: The new Web interface makes navigation easier and gives more flexibility to the user in creating shortcuts and
dashboards, customizing views, etc. The home page is made up of snapshots, which are tabs that contain either
graphs, reports, or the most frequently accessed features. A toolbar with icons helps users easily navigate to the
functionality they need. All these shortcuts can be customized by the user. An example of the home page of a typical
user is shown below:
•
Task performance: As mentioned above, navigation is made easier by the use of shortcuts, and expandable menus are
available for all major functionality types. Most screens have several tabs, and navigation from one tab to another is
easy, so that users do not need to use several screens. The new Sage ERP Accpac Portal also improves task
performance by allowing users to connect to the system.
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•
Integration capabilities: Sage ERP Accpac integrates with many other Sage products, such as Sage Abra and SageCRM,
or their modules, depending on the needs of the customer. Service Manager from Technisoft is also fully integrated
with Sage ERP Accpac.
Workflow Design
•
•
•
Information retrieval: Buttons to move to the next, previous, first, or last record are also available, and records can be
filtered and grouped by using various criteria. Search functionality is also available for many fields, which are marked
with a magnifier icon so that users know they can use them for that purpose. Filters to retrieve the information
needed can be created and saved for future use. The new Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry feature can be used to rapidly
retrieve information from the system.
Security: Role-based security rules can be defined and managed for access to screens and reports. Audit trail
functionality is also present and can be used to keep track of who's doing what and when. For Sage ERP Accpac
Online, Sage offers SAS 70 certified storage facilities and service level agreements for performance and availability.
Reporting capabilities: Forms can be used to customize and print reports. Using Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry, the data
retrieved can be exported into a file or printed as a report. Sage ERP Accpac Intelligence is another tool released in
version 6.0, which enhances reporting and analytics functionality. Integrated with Excel, the new tool allows users to
manipulate data in a spreadsheet and save the changes to a report or dashboard. The Security Manager can be used
to schedule reports and limit access of users to the data. Sage ERP Accpac Insight is a business intelligence tool that
can be used for advanced information management (some of its functionality requires a Data Warehouse module).
Ease of Implementation
•
•
Server and DBMS platforms: Sage ERP Accpac works with three database types: Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and
Pervasive SQL. From the server and client perspectives, only Microsoft operating systems are supported. Sage ERP
Accpac Online is available on demand and only requires a Web browser.
Flexibility: The new Web technology used to redesign the solution can be used by administrators to not only manage
the system, but also build and deploy applications as well as manage integrations between Sage ERP Accpac and other
solutions. To extend existing functionality, users can search for add-ons and partner solutions in the Sage Partner
Solution Source.
Innovation
•
•
New features: The new Web interface is one of the major enhancements in version 6.0, and it improves the navigation
and flexibility of the system, and allows integration with more tools and add-ons. Reporting and analytics is enhanced
by new tools: (Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry, Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry Insight, and Sage ERP Accpac Intelligence); Sage ERP
Accpac Portal allows internal and external users to easily access the system remotely, and SageCRM Workflow
enhancements improve the integration between front- and back-office modules.
Pricing: As mentioned in the Background and Analyst View section, Sage ERP Accpac is delivered in three editions:
100, 200, and 500. Each edition offers different functionality, database options, deployment methods, and payment
options. Sage ERP Accpac Online offers a pay-as-you-go model, with a commitment for minimum of one year and the
option to move to on-premise if required.
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Product Analysis
The following high-level graphs identify this product's functional focus and competitive strengths. All data may be reviewed in
depth, using the TEC Advisor decision support system in TEC's public Evaluation Centers.
The TEC Focus IndicatorTM
This TEC Focus Indicator shows you which types of functionality are most likely to differentiate Sage ERP Accpac from other
products in the ERP for services software space. It includes three zones indicating the product's functional focus: the Dominant
Zone, Competitive Zone, and Minimal Support Zone. TEC's model of ERP for services systems is designed with a comprehensive
breadth; generally vendors will deliver a common base of functionality. While it's necessary to know whether a product
supports a base of common functionality, it's very helpful to understand how a product really differs from the crowd.
The rankings in this Focus Indicator represent neither the quality of the product nor an absolute quantity of supported
functionality. Rather, the rankings show support relative to the quantity of functionality supported, on average, by software
products in this market space. The functional focus axes indicate the modules of a typical ERP for services product. Red dots that
are near the center of the functional focus axes reveal where Sage ERP Accpac is more likely to differentiate itself through
breadth of functionality. If your needs tend toward the type of functionality for which the red dots are located closer to the
center of the Focus Indicator, this product will be a strong competitor for what you need.
Criteria Legend
1 Portfolio and Project
Management
2 Resource Planning and Scheduling
3 Opportunity, Contact, and
Contract Management
4 Time and Expense Management
5 Financial Management,
Budgeting, Costing, and Billing
6 Knowledge Management,
Collaboration, and Analysis
7 Third-party Integration
8 Back-office Functionality
TEC Focus Indicator for Sage ERP Accpac
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Competitive Zone
Sage ERP Accpac has seven modules located in the Competitive Zone: Portfolio and Project Management; Opportunity, Contact,
and Contract Management; Time and Expense Management; Financial Management, Budgeting, Costing, and Billing; Knowledge
Management, Collaboration, and Analysis; Third-party Integration; and Back-office Functionality. Sage ERP Accpac is competitive
with most products in these core areas. Strong functionality for these modules is provided either out of the box or through
integration with other Sage solutions (e.g., Sage Abra for Human Resources and SageCRM for Customer Relationship
Management) or partners (Accellos for Warehouse Management System).
Minimal Support Zone
Sage ERP Accpac has one module located in the Minimal Support Zone: Resource Planning and Scheduling.
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Understanding the TEC Focus Indicator Zones
TEC defines an average solution using data about real software products available on the market. We assess the capabilities of
the software and assign numeric ratings representing various levels of support in our models of enterprise software. Depending
on the model, we use anywhere from a thousand to several thousand criteria to determine average scores. These models and
product scores may be accessed through our publicly available Evaluation Centers.
We calculate what an average solution would look like based on the features and functions about which software vendors have
provided us with recent information. We then normalize the scores of this solution as the circle labeled "Industry Average"
bisecting the TEC Focus Indicator graph. We also define boundaries on the high and low ends of the average, which are the
demarcation points for passing into Dominant or Minimal Support zones. Next, we determine the quantity of functionality
supported by the product for each module in our model. We assume that all criteria are equally important. In a real-world
situation, of course, you would give a greater priority to criteria that are more important for your needs. However, for the sake
of the TEC Focus Indicator analysis, we want to draw conclusions about the product's focus independently of any priorities.
The Industry Average forms the benchmark from which we calculate the difference in functionality offered by the product. The
difference between the product score and the Industry Average is plotted as a positive or negative distance from the Industry
Average line. For example, if the product offers a greater quantity of support than average for a particular module, the red dot
will be located toward the inner focus of the graph. Note that a product is not “good” or “bad” just because it has more or less
functionality than other products. To understand whether it will do what you need it to do, at a price within your budget, you
must evaluate the product in depth.
The Zones
The area of functional focus within the green Dominant Zone indicates where a product has a much greater level of support for
functionality than the average solution in this market space. Dominant modules are likely to be competitive differentiators.
The area of functional focus falling within the pale Competitive Zone indicates where the product has a level of support for
functionality that is generally on par with what you can find from other solutions on the market. The functionality provided by
the vendor likely remains a core part of the product's focus. In some cases such a module may be considered a commodity
within the market: many vendors offer the majority of the functionality, which makes it difficult to differentiate a product based
on breadth of that functionality alone.
In other cases, a vendor may intend its product to compete on a level that satisfies most customers' requirements, with a
market focus requiring that it differentiate itself through other modules or through the qualitative manner in which it provides
its functionality.
The Competitive Zone is bisected by the Industry Average circle, which shows the quantity of functionality supported, on
average, by software products in this market space.
The red Minimal Support Zone indicates where the product supports fewer features and functions than the average solution in
the market. Modules listed in this zone are unlikely to be as important to the vendor’s target clientele as the other modules. If a
product has rankings in this zone, it generally offers the bare essentials and isn't focused on competing for clients that highly
prioritize this functionality.
Even if a product has modules in the Minimal Support zone, it may still be entirely capable of satisfying your requirements,
particularly if the average solution on the market offers more functionality than you require.
In all cases, it's likely that you will need to review the product in more depth to determine whether the functionality it provides
in any zone is applicable or sufficient for your requirements.
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Functionality Benchmarks
The following functionality benchmark graphs represent the quantity of support by Sage ERP Accpac for the functionality within
each module identified in the TEC Focus Indicator, on a scale of 100 points. The closer the plotted value is to 100 (toward the
outside in spider graphs; toward the top in bar charts), the more functionality Sage ERP Accpac supports. For the sake of
comparison, you can see an average of what competitor solutions offer by referring to the dashed orange line (in spider charts)
or orange bar (in bar charts).
Portfolio and Project Management
Project portfolio management organizes a series of projects into a single portfolio consisting of reports that capture project
objectives, costs, timelines, accomplishments, resources, risks, and other critical factors. Executives can routinely review entire
portfolios, allocate resources appropriately, and adjust projects to produce the highest departmental returns. As its name
implies, project portfolio management groups projects so that they can be managed, the same way an investor would manage
stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
Portfolio Management
49
Project Management
278
Demand Management
6
Process Management
27
Workflow Management
16
Risk Management
17
Earned Value Management
20
Idea Management
13
Sage ERP Accpac falls below the industry average for the Portfolio and Project Management module. The solution relies heavily
on third-party support for most of its functionality, but calls for partner support in regard to business intelligence and workflow
management. Additionally, customization is required for all aspects of project analytics.
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Resource Planning and Scheduling
Resource planning and scheduling is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are
needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, and information
technology.
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
Resource Allocation
35
Multiple User Management
10
E-mail Notification
6
Message Board
6
Chat Room and Discussion
5
Forum
6 Contacts
3
7 Users Preferences
12
1
2
3
4
5
Resource Planning and Scheduling calls for third-party support for just about all criteria in this module, which explains the lower
rating of Sage ERP Accpac compared with the industry's average solution. Most vendor solutions integrate with a partner
solution to provide support in this regard.
12
Opportunity, Contact, and Contract Management
Opportunity management systems (OMS) store sales opportunities and related information. Each sales lead can be tracked with
information such as source, type, worth, status, likelihood of closure, etc. An OMS can also perform other related tasks, such as
prioritizing sales calls and generating analyses that assist the fine-tuning of marketing strategies. Contract management systems
provide tools to create and edit contracts, as well as to monitor and manage the provision of service in line with the agreedupon terms and conditions. Contact management systems enable organizations to easily store and find contact information,
such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers. Sophisticated contact managers provide reporting functions and allow
several people in a workgroup to access the same database of contacts. Some also provide calendar functions, which blurs the
line between contact managers and personal information managers (PIM).
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
Customer Service and Support
57
Marketing Automation
30
Sales Management
138
Contract Management and
19
Creation
5 Partner Management
14
6 Account and Contact
45
Management
1
2
3
4
Sage ERP Accpac provides more support than its competition for the Customer Service and Support, and Marketing Automation
submodules, where it attains a near maximal score. The Sage product exceeds the average ERP for services solution in Sales
Management, and by a smaller margin in Account and Contact Management, where some third-party integration is needed,
particularly for bid management, contract management, and partner management. For the Account and Contact Management
submodule, Sage customers can expect full out-of-the-box support for customer management, but must rely on partner addons for managing a highly organized hierarchy of their contacts in order to leverage business structure and relationships.
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Time and Expense Management
Time management refers to the development of processes and tools that increase efficiency and productivity. Time
management tools include electronic timesheets, which capture both work and nonwork-related activities, and thus allow
organizations to capture and track data for payroll and project-related activities. Expense management refers to tools that
streamline and automate the submission and approval of multiple expenses and expense types, such as travel, lodging, car
rentals, meals, etc. In accounting, an expense is a general term for an outgoing payment made by a business or individual.
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
1 Time Management
58
2 Expense Management
64
Time and expense management puts to profit partner add-ons for supporting this set of functionality. Sage Timesheet is the
solution often recommended for time management, while other partner solutions are available for expense management. Most
vendor solutions tend to build-in a partner solution for their customers, which have probably diverged slightly from Sage in this
module.
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Financial Management, Budgeting, Costing, and Billing
Financial management systems in a professional services automation (PSA) solution automate the tracking and submission of
project budgets, costs, and assets. In addition, they provide the capability to track multiple billable details and generate
customized invoices.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
Budgeting and Transactions
16
Project Billing
22
Invoice Generation
5
Project Costing
27
Capital Assets
4
Resource Sharing
4
This module is well supported by the industry, despite a stronger need for partner integration. While budgeting, project billing,
and invoice generation are areas that require third-party support, Sage ERP Accpac offers more direct out-of-the-box support in
project costing, resource sharing, and capital assets, where the solution obtains a maximal score, by managing construction in
process (CIP).
15
Knowledge Management, Collaboration, and Analysis
The major focus of knowledge management is to identify and gather content from documents, reports, and other sources and
to be able to search that content for meaningful relationships. In project portfolio management (PPM), knowledge management
also includes robust business intelligence capabilities from the extracted repository of information in the system.
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
1 Business Intelligence and
153
Reporting
2 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
13
3 Document and Records
275
Management
Sage ERP Accpac requires integrated partner support when it comes to reporting, dashboards, and analytics. However, the
solution comes with a report builder out of the box that allows for conducting basic reporting. The Sage product supports
Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, where it achieves maximal score, whereas the average solution relies on partner support and addons for compliance. Documents and records is an area that calls for third-party support for Sage ERP Accpac, with the exception
of document workflow, where the solution integrates with a partner for support.
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Third-party Integration
Numerous solutions of best-of-breed PSA and PPM vendors integrate with third-party project management systems, customer
relationship management (CRM), and back-office systems to provide complete PSA functionality for organizations.
1
2
Criteria Legend
No. of Criteria
Project Management
12
Application
ERP, Accounting, and Payroll
31
Sage ERP Accpac is a solution that draws significant support from third parties and taps into an extensive network of partners
for a variety of functionality and therefore offers a strong level of support compared with the industry average. For project
management, Sage ERP Accpac offers integration through partner add-ons. For ERP, accounting, and payroll solutions, out-ofthe-box integration is offered with other Sage products (Sage Abra; Sage ERP MAS 90, 200, 500; Peachtree) and with ADP and
Ceridian, while integration with Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP solutions is provided through third-party support.
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Back-office Functionality
Back-office software does not interact directly with the customer. It provides functionality for internal operations, such as
financials, human resources (HR), and procurement.
1
2
3
Criteria Legend
Financials
Human Resources
Procurement Management
No. of Criteria
962
447
268
Sage ERP Accpac offers strong support for core back-office operations. As the platform was designed to service a multiplicity of
industries, this dictated a more extensive out-of-the-box level of support than that offered by most ERP for services solutions.
The Sage product obtains a near maximal score for the Financials submodule, as it requires a fairly limited level of integration
with partners, as opposed to its competitors, which rely more heavily on their network for support. For HR, the solution
leverages Sage Abra, a fairly mature HR solution, to provide support on most aspects of HR, allowing it to compete with
solutions that favor best-of-breed partners.
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Analyst Summary
With version 6.0, Sage ERP Accpac demonstrates that it's more than a financial package by providing not only good functionality
for opportunity, contact, and contract management (compared with the average solution), but also a more flexible and userfriendly solution. Its core functionality can be extended through integration with either other Sage products or solutions
provided by Sage partners. This is an important advantage for Sage ERP Accpac, as customers with up to 250 users nowadays
require both strong and flexible systems.
The online version of the system can be used on demand with the option to migrate to on-premise, and portals can be used to
allow telecommuting workers or partners to use the system. Also, functionality for reporting and analytics has been enhanced
through the release of new tools, such as Sage ERP Accpac Intelligence, Sage ERP Accpac Insight, and Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry.
From a functional perspective, Sage ERP Accpac provides a very high level of support for financials and HR (mostly through
integration with Sage Abra). When it comes to functionality specific to services companies, the general level of support is higher
than that offered by the average solution for opportunity, contact, and contract management, but lower for portfolio and
project management, and resource planning and scheduling. Sage's approach is to integrate Sage ERP Accpac with other Sage
products, add-ons from partners, and third-party solutions that already provide strong functionality for services or back-office
operations, instead of developing new functionality. For service companies, Sage ERP Accpac is fully integrated with Technisoft's
Service Manager to provide service and maintenance functionality.
When evaluating Sage ERP Accpac, services companies should consider not only the core functionality for this industry, but also
advanced features. The fact that Sage ERP Accpac provides advanced services functionality through different types of
integration can be not only an advantage for companies already using Sage products and compatible operating systems and
databases, but also a challenge for those that aren't. Finally, nonfunctional factors only briefly mentioned in this report, such as
pricing, delivery model, professional services, etc., should be considered during an evaluation process.
Compare ERP for Services Solutions Now!
Use TEC Advisor to compare Sage ERP Accpac with other ERP solutions for
services, according to your organization's needs and characteristics. It's
free, fast, online, and easy—and you'll see the results immediately.
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