For Sage 50 customers who are experiencing growth, business needs will ultimately exceed the capabilities of the software. Although Sage 50 is a great solution for smaller businesses, it simply doesn’t offer the scalability needed to handle large volumes of data, increased workloads, more users or any other additional business requirements.
If you’re currently using Sage 50 and are finding it increasingly restrictive in terms of functionality, it’s likely you have outgrown the software and require something more scalable, more flexible and with a little more bang for your buck.
Why should I migrate from Sage 50 to Sage 200?
The simplest answer to this question is to facilitate business growth and streamline processes. Every business experiences growing pains, many of which can be alleviated by ensuring a robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system like Sage 200 is in place. Here are some of the tell-tale signs that your business has outgrown its current systems;
- Your software is struggling with increased volumes of transactional & customer data.
- Your headcount has increased and your software can’t cope with more users.
- You require more complex processes than your current systems can offer.
- You use different disparate systems for different functions of the business.
- You lack visibility of KPIs, which makes decision making and planning difficult.
- You need greater depth of insight when it comes to analysis and reporting.
- Your business lacks the flexibility to expand into new areas and markets.
- You require access to your data on the move at any time.
- You need better stock control measures including bath & serial number processing.
- You require greater control and flexibility over financial periods.
Sage 50 Vs Sage 200 at a Glance?
Comparing Sage 50 with Sage 200 is like comparing an apple with an orange. Yes they’re both fruit, but they are two completely different things! Sage 50 as the name suggests, is designed for up to 50 users and up to 1.5 million transactions. It provides a great accounting solution for smaller businesses, encompassing all of their basic accounting needs.
Sage 200 on the other hand is designed for up to 200 users, and here’s where the differences start to become apparent, up to 9 millions transactions. It’s the perfect step up for businesses who are experiencing growth, both in employee numbers and revenues. It’s unlikely your business could outgrow Sage 200 in a hurry, making it a great choice with serious longevity. Migrating between business systems can be a daunting task, so getting it right first time and future proofing your business for years to come is a smart move.
One of the biggest benefits of Sage 200 over Sage 50 is its level of customisation and scalability. Sage 50 is a basic set of accounting tools with minimal scope for modification or extension. With Sage 200 on the other hand, the possibilities are endless. From Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, to industry specific modules designed to better serve different types of businesses, Sage 200 can be tailored to the unique needs of your business. Better still, being a modular solution, you only pay a subscription for what you need.
Although Sage 50 does have various integrations available (such as it’s ability to integrate with Salesforce), the level of customisation just doesn’t compare with Sage 200. Sage 200 also offers advanced customisation when it comes to reporting. Whilst Sage 50 has a basic library of reports available, Sage 200 reports can be engineered to analyse and report on your data in the exact format you need it to, through Sage 200 Business Intelligence (BI).
Sage 200 boasts a whole host of additional benefits compared with Sage 50, including stock across multiple warehouses, serial and batch number traceability, multi-currency, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality and increased cloud functionality to name just a few. The list of additional features goes on and on but we did call this section “Sage 50 Vs Sage 200 at a Glance”, so we’ll leave it there. If you’re wanting more, you can learn more about Sage 50 and Sage 200 by reading this article.
The Process of Migrating from Sage 50 to Sage 200
When migrating from Sage 50 to Sage 200 Standard, there are two main options. Firstly, you can choose to start afresh, taking none of your transactional data and customer information with you. For some businesses, this fresh start might be preferable, creating a good opportunity to clean things up. You could then manually input the information you want to carry over, in a potentially more organised way.
If your business choses this option, it’s important to remember that there is a legal requirement to hold onto your records for 7 years. This means before your Sage 50 subscriptions ends, it’s important you store all of your data as both digital and hard copies in order to remain compliant, and avoid any future issues.
The second option for migrating from Sage 50 to Sage 200 is to use Sage’s migration tool. In advance of the move, your business can decide what data they want to carry over to Sage 200, and the process can be done seamlessly using specialist software. Although there are limits as to what data can be migrated, all of the important stuff is covered.
It is however essential that the necessary pre-migration tasks are completed in Sage 50 before using the tool to migrate your data. Sage 50 and Sage 200 process and store data in different ways, and changes need to be made to your data in Sage 50 before the migration. Likewise, there are steps you need to take configuring Sage 200 before the migration, along with further steps required once your data has been migrated.
Sage has an extensive guide on migrating between Sage 50 and Sage 200, including all the pre-migration tasks required. You can also rely on the expert advice of your chosen ERP partner to guide you through the process.
At Eventura, we have clearly defined steps we take to ensure Sage 50 to Sage 200 migrations are executed with precision, ensuring there is no disruption to your business. A typical Sage 50 to Sage 200 migration with us looks something like this;
- Scoping – Assessing your current data and configuration and creating a plan.
- Installation – Installing the Sage 200 software on your servers.
- Pre-migration tasks – Editing your Sage 50 data and configuring Sage 200 settings.
- Data validation – Ensuring all of your data is formatted correctly for the move.
- Migration from Sage 50 to Sage 200 – Transferring your data into Sage 200.
- Post-migration tasks – Further configuration within Sage 200.
- Testing – Ensuring all Sage 200 functions are working correctly & data is accurate.
- Training – Making sure your team is equipped to carry out their roles.
- Go Live – Pushing your ERP project over the finish line.
- Support – Ongoing advice and support to help navigate any challenges faced.
If you found this guide helpful and want to read more helpful guides, tips and FAQs you can visit our Sage Guides Page.
Why should I choose Eventura to deliver my Sage 50 to Sage 200 migration?
As a Sage Partner, Eventura has delivered countless Sage 200 projects spanning almost 20 years, including a host of Sage 50 to Sage 200 migrations. Changing business systems can be daunting, with the potential for serious disruption to the business. We pride ourselves on guiding our customers through their ERP projects with ease, avoiding any potential pitfalls, and delivering a fully realised solution that will transform their business.
Our expert team of business analysts, developers, consultants, technicians and support staff are on hand to deliver your Sage 200 project, from initial scoping right through to the end result. If you would like to speak with one of our Sage 200 experts, you can request a free call back here.
