Most software publishers offer support plans that include basic services such as product support, bug fixes, security patches, and enhancement releases. In that context, Sage Software offers choices commonly referred to as Silver or Gold Business Care plans. Sage Business Care plans provide tremendous value through access to online product knowledge-bases, customer support, SageU eLearning curricula, software patches, service packs, new product releases, and software enhancements.
But sometimes support from the software publisher falls short because their plans are limited in scope.
For example, Sage Support is not designed to help customers with:
- Add-on software from 3rd party developers
- Enhancements or customizations to your system
- Integrations to other applications like eCommerce or shipping software for example
Many of our customers have third party add-ons, customizations, and integrations that extend beyond the Sage ERP solution. In these cases, Sage cannot and will not support these applications beyond the “core” Sage ERP software.
And in all fairness, they can’t be expected to support software code that they didn’t originally develop and don’t own.
So Are You REALLY Protected with Your “Standard” Support Plan?
If you’re like many of our customers using Sage ERP solutions and you depend on integrations and customizations to manage your daily operations, you may not be covered adequately with a basic Sage Business Care plan.
For example, customers with eCommerce storefronts, industry-specific add-ons, or integration to legacy applications may not have support coverage for their most critical and vulnerable processes. In this case, you might want an ‘insurance policy’ beyond your core ERP support investment.
A Personalized Layer of Protection
At RKL eSolutions, we deliver services like custom software development, integration, and broader IT support that extend beyond just the core ERP features.
As such, we also offer accretive support plans that add another layer of protection for these business-critical add-ons, enhancements, and customizations that our customers rely on to run their business.
Supporting these personalized, company-specific functions should be part of a sound overall IT strategy.
For example, our RKL Support Plans include Sage ERP plus applications that integrate with it. We also consider the unique configuration of your Sage ERP servers and performance to ensure that the whole environment is working efficiently when you need it most.
What’s more, our team is knowledgeable about your specific business processes and unique workflow which helps us identify and resolve issues quickly for our customers. That’s not something that a software publisher – who didn’t implement the application in YOUR environment – can offer.
In short, we don’t pass the buck. We get right to work and tackle the issue regardless of your customizations, integrations, or the number of add-on products you might use.
We personalize our customer support based on the unique components included in the plan and your expected usage - so the amount you pay is relative to the value you receive.
One-size does not fit all!
What about my Sage Business Care Plan?
Consider these personalized support plans as a supplement, not a replacement, to your Sage Business Care. We never recommend that customers allow the Sage Business Care to expire or lapse in coverage. Doing so limits your ability to access Sage resources, download new product releases, and ‘freezes’ your current environment eliminating the ability to add modules and users should your business change.
What’s next?
If you’re concerned about gaps in your support plan coverage or have questions about the cost-value benefit, send us an email. We would be happy to evaluate your current systems and introduce you to our RKL Support Staff led by Cliff Horst, VP of Customer Support.
