This is great feedback, Wayne! Thank you very much. I'll take a page out of your book and do a TLDR version and a more in-depth explanation.
TLDR
-
I'm structuring CRM implementation around a similar Crawl / Walk / Run model so Sage 100 customers can start small with a much lower risk of failure.
-
Because Creatio is SaaS and uses the Sage 100 REST API, upgrades don't break things, Sage tables aren't touched, and Creatio upgrades happen automatically without breaking pre-existing functionality.
-
ERP partners don't need to get involved in CRM - I can handle sales, support, and delivery after a brief introduction. Partners that refer can earn recurring margin on licenses, the API, and fixed-fee projects (not support plans).
The longer version
For additional context - what you're suggesting with the Crawl / Walk / Run concept is essentially how I'm attempting to sell CRM going forward. Creatio being a fully cloud/SaaS platform really makes things easier from my perspective... especially since this product does not impact Sage 100's data table structures at all. Here's more context on your crawl/walk/run comments:
- Crawl - little to no customizations to the base product. This is for companies with little to no experience with CRMs historically. The goal is to familiarize them with the toolsets that are there and the barebones CRM capabilities it offers, and have a frictionless path to understanding how the solution can expand on the original value. Average cost for something like this starts at $15k/year for a 5-user system. Naturally, the smaller user counts feel high from a cost per user standtpoint, but to add additional users to something like this is $840/user annually. The "packaging" or "bundling" of the software and the support is what creates an inflated cost per user perception.
- For transparency, the "starts at" number above includes the software, $0 implementation, Sage 100 REST API, and a fixed-fee support plan that eliminates hourly billing almost entirely. Ask as many questions as you want, and anything that falls out can be wrapped in a fixed-fee project or included in the support plan.
- Walk - this includes minor customizations to the base product. You'll typically find most customers with some familiarity to a CRM or those that want more of a customized CRM experience. Not fully custom, but enough to make the system really feel like it's tailored to them. Average cost for something like this starts at $18k/year and a minimal, fixed-fee implementation cost (averages thus far run about $6k fixed-fee implementation).
- Run - this includes a lot more customization to the base product (workflows, automations, custom objects in the system, etc.). These are the customers that have a high degree of comfort in CRM and know what they want and are happy to pay a little extra to get it. Most companies still centralize this in one department (e.g., sales, service, or marketing), but not uncommon to do multiple departmental rollouts in the initial CRM project. Average cost for these projects vary more widely due to the nature of what these folks want, but it generally starts at $21k/year with an accompanying fixed-fee implementation cost averaging $12k fixed-fee.
I hope that helps support the mindset around how I'm structuring my approach to Sage 100 customers. I'm hoping to keep most people closer to the "Crawl" or "Walk" tiers in the above examples to help CRM be a success versus another failed project and a new three-letter swear word in "CRM."
And to the comment about "you don't make money on CRM" - I do rev share on license margin, Sage 100 REST API, and fixed-fee projects (not the support plan) with my partners. So... ideally if you sent me customers and I closed the CRM sale (which I am happy to lead 100% after an initial introduction). And by "you," I don't mean you only, but any ERP partner that I partner with. I'm trying to be most ERP partners' fully outsourced CRM resource but also say "thank you" in the form of consistent margin payouts to my partners.
I'm not sure if anyone else has any feedback, but my hope is that most clients will live in "Crawl" or "Walk" - it makes CRM adoption manageable and keeps budgets realistic and digestible. They're also structured more for success for Sage 100 customers. And compared to other CRM projects I've seen quoted at $30k+ that don't deliver much, this keeps the door open for success and expanding to other areas of the business (operations, portal experiences,etc.).
On the partner side: I know most ERP consultants don't want to dip into CRM. That's why I structure this as full CRM outsourcing - I take the lead, you don't touch it, and you still share in the upside through referral margin.
------------------------------
Best Regards,
Basil Malik
President/CEO
e: basil@malik-inc.com
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2025 10:48
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Alternative CRM to integrate with Sage 100
Maybe something like this breaks down into three broad category of client:
Crawl
Walk
Run
Each category has different features / capabilities that are important to them and various levels of CRM usage
As a Sage consultant one issue I have is that I don't do onesies and twosies.
So I don't, for example, dip my toe into CRM or MFG/Job Ops aka areas where I'm highly unlikely to do more than one or two engagements. Therefore I'm most interested in how easy this is to refer for ongoing maintenance/support and more importantly ease of upgrade, how easy is it for the client to get support, does the client have to go out and spin up a new server with every Sage upgrade or can the CRM be upgraded somewhat independently.
I think until you get to the "Run" type of client most of them don't really want to know how the sausage is made. They probably aren't even buying CRM except their star sales manager ( who they may have just hired ) is insistent. That's not to say that how the sausage is made isn't vitally important - because it is. But for the entry level CRM users they seem to fall into a lot of categories with reasons for why they are using CRM ( Is glorified note taker a category? ).
The problem with Sage CRM is that the population of consultants who enthusiastically and actively support it seems to be dwindling quickly. And the "saw it at a trade show" option is usually Salesforce which seems way overpowered (and expensive) for what the majority of clients need.
TLDR: I don't want to support CRM. I don't make money on CRM. I don't want a CRM practice. However, I do want to have a solid resource to refer clients to when they ask as well as some pros and cons of Sage CRM vs ________. And I want to pass along options to clients and not be seen (by them) as forcing them to use XYZ brand of CRM. I want to provide quality information and let the client make their decision ( which I'm trying to do with all integrations ).
And because I don't get heavily involved with CRM I don't have a good list of "missing features" other than the pain points that come up every time we need to upgrade Sage 100 (which increasingly is about once every 3 to 5 years ). And Sage seems to have narrowed the window of compatible CRM versions making it tricky/impossible to first upgrade Sage CRM then use it for a month or two followed by a Sage 100 full upgrade.
------------------------------
Wayne Schulz
wayne@s-consult.com
Schulz Consulting
(860) 516-8990
CT
------------------------------