I've found that some of the most satisfied resellers in our industry are NetSuite dealers, including most of the largest Sage resellers who also represent NetSuite. It's not a perfect relationship, and the software isn't perfect, which are true with all publishers and software. Right now I think the combination of factors are:
1. It's a true, multi-tenant cloud product.
2. List prices are higher, so the profits are higher.
3. It's Oracle, implying to the market that it's better (because of marketing).
4. It's a status symbol among executives (the Oracle brand).
5. It has a similar reputation as IBM once had (and still does) "No one ever got fired for choosing/buying IBM."
When NetSuite started in 1998 as NetLedger, there was little demand for cloud products, so it was not widely adopted. It evolved along with cloud deployment options and capabilities, and the power of marketing put it where it is today. Even though it is a suite of products, it is sold as a single product, which is easier for the market to understand. Users license NetSuite and choose what functions they need.
Sage has way too many products and the silos which
@Wayne Schulz pointed out. Notably, the HRMS and FAS groups do what they want and have their own procedures. They also are in separate offices. Sage didn't make them move to Atlanta. As far as marketing, Sage constantly changes names, thus confusing the market. Adding cloud to a name doesn't make it a cloud product, although maybe the marketing people thought it would. I'm not convinced many of them have a clue as to what the products do.
Finally, and I mentioned it in the Scott Ehmen discussion, Sage does not have a visionary leader, either in the UK or in NA. The Board directs the company. They have a purpose, but IMO this is not it.
Since marketing most likely created the surveys, I doubt the questions cover the above.
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John Hoyt
Forming Solutions:
john.hoyt@formingsolutions.comNext Level Manufacturing Consulting Group:
johnh@nextlevelMCG.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 12:24
From: Bob Tobey
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
Bingo! That was it!
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Bob Tobey
I-Business Network, Cloud Channel Manager
I-Business Network, LLC
Marietta GA
678-627-0646 x231
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 12:22
From: Kevin Moyes
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
I believe "X" was that partners wanted to sell a higher priced product with lower margins.
...suuuure, that sounds feasible.
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Kevin Moyes
Technical Systems Analyst
Munjal White Consulting Co.
Toronto ON
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 12:13
From: Bob Tobey
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
A few years ago at a MOTM, S.Ehman said they surveyed a bunch of Partners and we told them "X". I can't remember what "X" was but I do remember it didn't make any sense and everybody looked around the room and started asking each other if they were surveyed and not one person in the room said they were. It seemed like Sage made a decision and backed it up with a fake survey. Hopefully they'll use this survey to learn from and just won't toss it out.
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Bob Tobey
I-Business Network, Cloud Channel Manager
I-Business Network, LLC
Marietta GA
678-627-0646 x231
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 08:57
From: Brian Kelly
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
"Ultimately, I get the feeling Sage comes to these Summit events mostly because they feel like they have to." - I know exactly how Sage feels.
Perhaps the best way to get Sage's attention for a true collaborative effort is for the entire 90Minds membership to attend these Sage events in complete solidarity. I am not entirely sure what that looks like, but there's enough of us to stand out in the crowd by taking up large sections during the keynotes and wearing 90Minds shirts, for example. We can do the same in the sessions and ask really tough questions. I guess we can be the voice of the unionized workers or the angry mob demanding better working conditions or social justice. At this point, it is a half-baked idea, but maybe it has legs.
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Brian Kelly
President and Head Cheerleader
Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI)
Columbia SC
803-252-6154 x210
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 08:42
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
I lobbied every Sage person I came into contact with at Summit to form a tighter relationship with our group which would include not just talking about what's going to be announced/released next week but longer-term planning/collaboration.
There are some issues Sage hasn't paid enough attention to which I think could have been managed better with close group collaboration.
Ultimately, I get the feeling Sage comes to these Summit events mostly because they feel like they have to.
Then when they leave it's with a sense of relief the event is over and they feel the event was successful.
Everything goes silent until the next event.
Repeat.
This is a difficult chapter in Sage's long history because things are very siloed and North America appears to have very limited autonomy.
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Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2019 08:23
From: Brian Kelly
Subject: Anyone else receiving Sage Surveys?
I did and completed it, but I am not sure why. I don't expect much to come from it either especially since the ones in previous years where I actually spoke with Anne Seidel about my responses did absolutely nothing for any positive changes to the channel. It is almost like the more we complain the better Sage feels about the decisions it is making to crush our spirits and destroy the channel. Perhaps I am having a bad day and completely misreading it.
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Brian Kelly
President and Head Cheerleader
Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI)
Columbia SC
803-252-6154 x210