When it comes to successful business, there are a lot of decisions to be made. For example, hiring the right people for your team or investing in the right equipment; but making those initial decisions is not where it ends.

Once you have made the initial choice, there are future choices about investing in the training of those employees or the maintenance equipment to maximize their value, sometimes those investments make sense, and sometimes they don’t. Your ERP systemo and Sage ERP maintenance plan is no different.

Just like the value of your employees and equipment, you want to maximize the value of your ERP investment while also getting the best ROI.

That is exactly why Sage ERP maintenance plans exist- so you can get the most out of your system through access to upgrades, new releases, knowledge resources, troubleshooting guides, and Sage’s support team. While all of that is great, many companies let their ERP maintenance plans lapse because it is money they don’t want to spend.

So, do you stay on plan or let it lapse? The choice is yours, but here are a few things to think about before making your decision when the time comes to renew.

Why Companies Choose to Stay on Their Sage ERP Maintenance Plan

• The system remains a dynamic and expandable asset by allowing you to purchase new modules for your existing solution and add new users as needed.
• You have instant access to product updates, upgrades, service packs, new version releases, minor updates, fixes, and enhancements as well as access to Sage’s online Knowledge base, downloads, documentation, online training, installation and troubleshooting guides.
• Access to Sage Forums where you can discuss and learn about minor issues among users and experts alike.
• Access to online and phone support from Sage’s support team, as well as online chat options.
• Quarterly tax updates to make sure you’re always aware of critical information.
• Extends the life of the system to help you achieve the best ROI from your investment.
• Access to the Sage Investment Protection Plan which provides credit for companies who may need to migrate to a different Sage ERP system with more functionality as their business grows.

Why Companies Go OFF Their Sage ERP Maintenance Plan

The companies who choose to go off-plan may do so for many reasons, usually having to do with the cost. But here are a few things you may not know about discontinuing your support plan:

• When you leave the plan, your system becomes static which means you will not be able to access new versions, features, bug fixes, etc.
• You will no longer receive any tax tables, 941s or W2s updates and will then be required to do this manually.
• You lose access to Sage’s support staff and your Sage ERP partner may be limited in how they can help you now that you are no longer an “active” customer.
• You lose access to educational assets and user groups, troubleshooting guides, etc.
• You lose all current and future credits for the Sage Investment Protection plan, so migration to a new system should it become necessary will be MUCH more expensive.
• You cannot add new modules or new users unless you pay to reinstate your plan … and getting back on-plan is not cheap.

There is no one-size-fits-all and you have to do some research to find the best ERP solution for you. Learn More Here