Sage 100

I am working on a proposal for a big (to me) Sage Intelligence job.  Three service levels are being presented: Basic, Enhanced, and Premium.  Does anyone have a suggestion for the value that can be provided in each service level?  For starters, maybe 1. How long it takes to develop all of the reports.. 35, 25, or 14 days.  2. Offering "post live" tech support for 7, 14, or 30 days.  What other value can be provided?

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Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
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Training on how to maintain once they're done?

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Beth Bowers
(269) 358-0989
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@Beth Bowers  Excellent idea!

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Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-19-2025 10:29
From: Beth Bowers
Subject: Sage Intelligence Proposal

Training on how to maintain once they're done?

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Beth Bowers
(269) 358-0989
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Doug, I've had good results including these elements:

1. Be certain of the "why" they want the report. What is the larger business problem? I try hard to think about this from the CFO-level, not the Finance Mgr perspective.
2. Now think about what other reporting/BI elements could be offered to address that larger problem. This might become part of a Premium offer.
3. SI project failures/frustrations usually arise from the customer not self-defining the important details of the report. Once they start working on it, they get "good ideas" of what else it could be. The Basic level includes an extensive definition process to define pro forma layout, filter/sort/collapse-expand options, etc. Once they agree to this, ANY other modification involves a prepaid fee "starting at $500" which is a level high enough to get their attention.
4. Many useful reports require using Rollup Codes which most customers haven't implemented until this need came up. Their delivery cycle must be explicit and have deadlines-with-penalties if not met. 
5. After defining the report, you create a draft. For complex reports, you might define two distinct cycles for each phase.
6. Now the key part: for each of these parts that involves a customer defining, creating, reviewing, or approving, you give them turn-around times and define how many review cycles they get.
   1. At the Basic level, you can say "you have 2 days to review the draft we send you - if we don't hear from you then we consider it accepted. Extensions incur $300 prepaid fee to proceed."  
   2. Enhanced and Premium levels include longer turnaround times and more review rounds to get it right.
7. Bake in a training/coaching if you want. Use # of sessions instead of hours. The sessions must be used in X days from delivery These become self-limiting because employees have other things to do.

Customers too often think of report writing as they might car body work. Just something that happens. They are wrong because their need for the report is immediate but arises from deeper problem that they've ignored for one reason or the other. You build value in what offer by first painting the vision of the larger problem you can address and then illustrating how much work THEY must put into the solution. 

I hope this helps.

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Jerry Norman
Smartbridge Partners
(512) 653-7498
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Thanks @Jerry Norman  Your comments and perspective is greatly appreciated.

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Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-19-2025 14:13
From: Jerry Norman
Subject: Sage Intelligence Proposal

Doug, I've had good results including these elements:

1. Be certain of the "why" they want the report. What is the larger business problem? I try hard to think about this from the CFO-level, not the Finance Mgr perspective.
2. Now think about what other reporting/BI elements could be offered to address that larger problem. This might become part of a Premium offer.
3. SI project failures/frustrations usually arise from the customer not self-defining the important details of the report. Once they start working on it, they get "good ideas" of what else it could be. The Basic level includes an extensive definition process to define pro forma layout, filter/sort/collapse-expand options, etc. Once they agree to this, ANY other modification involves a prepaid fee "starting at $500" which is a level high enough to get their attention.
4. Many useful reports require using Rollup Codes which most customers haven't implemented until this need came up. Their delivery cycle must be explicit and have deadlines-with-penalties if not met. 
5. After defining the report, you create a draft. For complex reports, you might define two distinct cycles for each phase.
6. Now the key part: for each of these parts that involves a customer defining, creating, reviewing, or approving, you give them turn-around times and define how many review cycles they get.
   1. At the Basic level, you can say "you have 2 days to review the draft we send you - if we don't hear from you then we consider it accepted. Extensions incur $300 prepaid fee to proceed."  
   2. Enhanced and Premium levels include longer turnaround times and more review rounds to get it right.
7. Bake in a training/coaching if you want. Use # of sessions instead of hours. The sessions must be used in X days from delivery These become self-limiting because employees have other things to do.

Customers too often think of report writing as they might car body work. Just something that happens. They are wrong because their need for the report is immediate but arises from deeper problem that they've ignored for one reason or the other. You build value in what offer by first painting the vision of the larger problem you can address and then illustrating how much work THEY must put into the solution. 

I hope this helps.

------------------------------
Jerry Norman
Smartbridge Partners
(512) 653-7498
------------------------------

Basic: I do one report with delivery within 30 days of receipt of payment and you have 5 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 5 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee. We have one meeting where I demonstrate how I created this report and you are responsible for creating the remaining reports. An additional fee applies if you ask me to assist with more than one report. In no instance does my work extend past 5 days from when I present the completed report to you. Any such additional works is subject to an added fee.

Enhanced: Report delivery of all reports within 30 days of receipt payment and you have 15 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 15 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee.

Premium: Report delivery within 15 days of receipt payment and you have 30 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 30 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee.

And the fee for these reports should be so the first report is very expensive with each additional report slightly less. Don't just say "$200 per report" because the customer teases they have 30 reports they (might) want developed. Once you quote a less expensive price per report (anticipating doing lots of reports)  you are setting yourself up for the customer to suddenly decide they only need one report -- and it will be the most difficult report.

Any changes in company personnel will require a new project.

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Wayne Schulz
wayne@s-consult.com
Schulz Consulting
(860) 516-8990
CT
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Great perspective.  I never thought of approaching it the way you are presenting it.  Thanks @Wayne Schulz !

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Doug Higgs
Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
(312) 315-0960
Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2025 17:00
From: Wayne Schulz
Subject: Sage Intelligence Proposal

Basic: I do one report with delivery within 30 days of receipt of payment and you have 5 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 5 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee. We have one meeting where I demonstrate how I created this report and you are responsible for creating the remaining reports. An additional fee applies if you ask me to assist with more than one report. In no instance does my work extend past 5 days from when I present the completed report to you. Any such additional works is subject to an added fee.

Enhanced: Report delivery of all reports within 30 days of receipt payment and you have 15 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 15 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee.

Premium: Report delivery within 15 days of receipt payment and you have 30 days to present any corrections. Changes I make to the report functionality are extra and priced additionally depending on the change(s). After 30 days all corrections or changes are a new project subject to an additional fee.

And the fee for these reports should be so the first report is very expensive with each additional report slightly less. Don't just say "$200 per report" because the customer teases they have 30 reports they (might) want developed. Once you quote a less expensive price per report (anticipating doing lots of reports)  you are setting yourself up for the customer to suddenly decide they only need one report -- and it will be the most difficult report.

Any changes in company personnel will require a new project.

------------------------------
Wayne Schulz
wayne@s-consult.com
Schulz Consulting
(860) 516-8990
CT
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