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Life After Sage 500—What's Next?

 

Read the second and third part of this three-part blog series about what's next for you after Sage 500:
Part 2: Life After Sage 500—Why Now?
Part 3: Life After Sage 500—We're Here to Help You Prepare!


If you have been wondering when you should plan your move off of Sage 500 ERP, the time is now.  While it's common for us to put off things that disturb our status quo, we need to address these things so that our business doesn't face unnecessary risks.

Many of our Sage 500 ERP clients have been trying to put off the inevitable for as long as possible.  However, most companies typically take a full year to migrate off an ERP solution. It could take two or more years in more complex environments.  So, while you might get a couple more years out of Sage 500 ERP, you need to plan for what’s next now so that you can be there within 2-3 years.

Is RKL eSolutions Ending Support for Sage 500?

We have had customers reach out to us to ask us why we are ending support for Sage 500 ERP.  The truth is that we are not ending support for it.  This natural progression started 12 years ago when Sage announced at Sage Summit 2012 that they were “committed to supporting Sage 500 ERP for at least five more years.”  With that announcement, the investment in Sage 500 ERP from customers, partners and third-party providers began to steadily erode.

While we fully expect to continue supporting Sage 500 ERP for some clients over the next few years, we will not be providing extra resources for the product. As our Sage 500 team continues to integrate into our existing Sage product teams, we want to make sure that you are fully aware of the limitations you will face with the continued use of the product.  Our goal is to allow you to make an informed decision about the software you use for your critical business processes.

We know that there will be a small group of companies that will still be using Sage 500 ERP in another 12 years. However, the ability to get quality assistance and support for the product will be greatly reduced.  If you can find a resource willing to assist, you should expect that the quote you receive will be in line with the supply available.  This means it won’t be cheap.

To be clear, there is no retirement date set for Sage 500 ERP.  RKL has not determined a date upon which we will end support for the product.  However, we would be doing a major disservice to our clients if we didn’t share with them the reality of Sage 500 ERP.

Russ Griffith

Written by Russ Griffith

Working as the Director for our Sage 500 Practice, Russ assists companies who need to improve their business processes and evaluate how to make their business systems work for them. By working with the key resources at each company he is able to understand the needs and challenges that are present in each unique environment.