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Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

  • 1.  Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-25-2021 17:30
    I read a few threads but most seem dated, and I've been asked for current recommendations / feedback.
    The original question related to MSI Service Pro, but what I read seems to indicate negative experiences.  Is that still true?
    What other options are there?  It's for a dispatch / mobile field service tech type business.

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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  • 2.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-25-2021 18:23
    You should explore TimeLinx. It is integrated into Sage CRM, but they are working on a stand-alone version. Keep the project/service details in TLX and move the GL and Inventory between Sage 100 and TLX as needed.

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    Jerry Norman
    VP, 90 Minds
    Smartbridge Partners
    512.419.1444 x112
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  • 3.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-25-2021 22:31
    Kevin

    You should probably check out www.ascent.com as well.
    www.ascent-sys.com

    MSI is really for commercial field service and ascent is for home field service.

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    Douglas Luchansky
    ACI Consulting
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  • 4.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-26-2021 07:26
    I have not heard any updates with MSI. I’d definitely look for a current reference who has been on the solution 18 months or more

    WRT Ascent I had an orphan approach me a year or so ago. They had a quote for an upgrade. Ultimately I was unable to find much positive feedback in the group. It seemed like Ascent went through a rough upgrade.

    Ultimately Ascent bid and presumably did the upgrade for the customer and the feedback I got was that the enhancement upgrade was so complex that Ascent might as well do the whole thing. This was all second hand from an orphan so take it with a grain of salt.
    M

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    Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
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  • 5.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-26-2021 08:52
    Edited by Madeline Stefanou 02-26-2021 08:51
    There is always the "old" Field Service and Dispatch powered by JobOps.  It does not require them to license Operation Manager.  However, no technician tools are available, and it certainly would not be considered "modern".

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    Madeline Stefanou
    RKL eSolutions, LLC
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  • 6.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 02-26-2021 10:33
    Thank you Jerry, Douglas, Wayne and Madeline!  The insights / suggestions are appreciated, and I've passed them on.

    What about IIG's Field Service Management?  Anyone have experiences / thoughts to share?

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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  • 7.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 03-02-2021 11:46
    Nobody has thoughts on / experience with IIG's Field Service...?

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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  • 8.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 03-03-2021 08:56
    We only had one customer that used it in an older version.  They have since migrated away from Sage.  But we did not have issues with it,  they underutilized it for what it could do.  Generally IIG does good work.

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    alan niergarth
    Velosio LLC
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  • 9.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 12-31-2021 11:04
    @Kevin Moyes did you ever get to try any of these solutions? We have a current Ascent customer asking for other options.
    We have a few clients using Ascent but it doesn't work for Premium, it isn't in the business framework, everything is a custom mod & expensive, which then makes every upgrade ridiculously expensive, & its just aging. It does a lot but its painful to navigate & work with.
    Just wondering if there is any update on options. Thx!​

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    Dana Young
    Lehman Wesley & Associates
    Lansing MI
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  • 10.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 12-31-2021 12:03
    Dana, We had some customers using Field Service and other wanting it. They’ve moved to Acumatica for this functionality. I know that doesn’t help as a Sage 100 solution, but they are all happy with their chosen solution.

    Michelle Taylor
    CS3 Technology
    918-388-9772




  • 11.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 12-31-2021 12:51
    I think Michelle's point is worth expanding and emphasizing. An "accounting" system must support the firm's goal of making their customers' experiences easy and effective (from the customers' perspective); if it doesn't, the firm must make whatever changes necessary to change, or they will slowly lose out. 

    Over the past 20 years, all these systems have changed dramatically. It used to be that nearly all of them were general-purpose systems with extensions added on way or the other. Now there are some specialized for just about any functional focus. Field service, in particular, has more than a few very strong solutions now; in a reverse of 20 years ago, the service-management is the hard part and the base accounting functions are nearly generic -- and reliable. 

    90 Minders have many Sage 100 customers whose customer-delivery functions are working just fine. But there are others who are operationally tangled up like Dana's are. As great consultants, we need to be able to actively help those with this need to figure out the right direction to go for them -- even if it means the pain of uprooting the current system and implementing a new one.

    @Dana Young, if you want to discuss possible ways to do this, feel free to contact me.​

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    Jerry Norman
    At-Large BOD Member, 90 Minds
    Smartbridge Partners
    512.419.1444 x112
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  • 12.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-03-2022 08:39
    @Dana Young have you looked into TimeLinx?  https://www.timelinxsoftware.com/information_center/  ​

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    alan niergarth
    Velosio LLC
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  • 13.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-04-2022 14:22
    Dana,
    I have nothing to share... this question was for a colleague pursuing a prospect, and I don't think anything came of it.

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
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  • 14.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-05-2022 09:04
    @Dana Young Another option you may want to explore is SageCRM with Dan Cousins of myCRMmanager (https://mycrmmanager.com/).  We are currently working with Dan to quote a prospect who needs field service, and there is a field service add-on for SageCRM.  However, this is not an out-of-the-box plug-and-play solution.  SageCRM is a development platform and fully customizable/configurable.  The field service add-on can be built-out to the customer's specifications.  It is mobile friendly (there is a mobile app for technicians in the field), and field techs can do all sorts of things like check-in/out, scan bar-coded items (parts used), process payments, and collect signatures.  The benefits for our prospect is that it will be designed to do exactly what they need, mobile friendly for techs, CRM meets their need for sales tracking, Google Maps integration, and it will be fully integrated with Sage 100 using the GUMU integration from Greytrix.  Most of their users will live in CRM (browser based access), and they will not need as many user licenses for Sage 100.

    From an investment perspective, I believe the initial implementation is where the majority of the investment will occur to design exactly what they need, but the ongoing licensing for Sage 100, SageCRM, GUMU and any add-ons will be similar to what they are probably paying now especially if they reduce the number of users in Sage 100 and limit field techs to using the mobile app for field service (no user license required for SageCRM for mobile app users).

    We haven't sold it yet, and we don't know all the numbers, but it is definitely something to consider going forward especially for Sage 100 users who are not ready to move to another solution. 


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    Brian Kelly
    Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI)
    Columbia SC
    803-454-6262
    http://www.asifocus.com/
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  • 15.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-05-2022 11:18
    Not sure if this is useful or not, but perhaps 90 Minds would host a showcase (or whatever you might call it) of field service solutions with known integrations to Sage 100. xkzero would be happy to participate. In 15-20 minutes we could present 1) core capabilities 2) nature and extent of integration with Sage 100 3) pricing 4) where it fits and where it doesn't fit, and 5) very brief demo. I imagine others like Time Linx, MSI, IIG, maybe others. may be interested in participating. 

    For example, with xkzero Mobile Commerce, orders for service can be dispatched to drivers in advance, or throughout the day. Service orders can be completed, parts can be consumed, assets can be serviced, payments can be collected, electronic signatures taken - all integrated with Sage 100. But xkzero has no concept of certain things like contract management, warranty work, maintaining availability of technicians. In other words, it fits for some, but not for all. Sign us up if 90 Minds would like to do such a thing.

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    Paul Ziliak
    co-f0under
    xkzero
    847-416-2009

    www.xkzero.com
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  • 16.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-05-2022 11:59
    @Paul Ziliak I love this idea.  I'm in a rut with the same product suggested time after time, which is now old, tired and not very flexible.  We need new solutions and a "show off" like this would be great.  Either as a webinar with 15-20 minutes per product, or as something Live at a 90Minds Event. @Anne Sawyer​​

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    Madeline Stefanou
    RKL eSolutions, LLC
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  • 17.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-05-2022 17:15
    Please, if you do this, someone make a FAQ type document that we can share for the next next 18 months. 
    Also be aware there is at least one ISV whose name repeatedly comes up but has gathered almost entirely negative feedback ( they are not a member ). Due to the public nature of the discussion forums you are unlikely to read the really negative publicly but perhaps if you had an anonymous survey of some type attached to the FAQ.  I'd like to see us work smarter rather than resorting to repetitive posts.

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    Wayne Schulz
    Schulz Consulting
    860-516-8990
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  • 18.  RE: Field service options (integrated with Sage 100)

    Posted 01-05-2022 17:29
    Excellent idea Wayne.  I was thinking about something along those lines, but such enhancement feature lists would have to be prepared somehow. 

    (If something is done, I can think of at least a couple other topics I'd like to see a similar list of options / features / feedback... website integration options, and a detailed comparison list of the current manufacturing offerings... maybe something on the different custom reporting solutions everyone uses...).

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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
    ------------------------------