Sage 100

Sage should really give some type of warning when a data conversion is going to be required. Many customers (especially with payroll) have umpteen backup companies which they are forced to use to compensate for weaknesses in the payroll reporting. Some of the updates -- not even PU level -- surprise you with a ""A data conversion is required"". This is great on Mom and Pop single user site (anyone have any of these ??) -- however when you're going live with a customer that has a large number of backup companies it's a damn pain to have to explain that -- oops right as you were installing the latest patch something forced all those companies to re-convert. This conversion requires exclusive access and it's just sloppy to surprise us with the need to update data files.

A simple note at the begininng on what's included in PU update PDF would be great. But then since, resellers do most of the major updating and are the ones that get burned, they aren't the ones being surveyed by Sage. And the customer who is being surveyed, doesn't care because they don't do the upgrades or only get burned once and don't know any better so they don't fill this in under miscellaneous wants/desires.

Or perhaps the product update should be coded to prompt you to immediately update the data files. In most cases the conversion is quick - the important point being (a) it requires exclusive access and (b) it looks sloppy to tell a customer that they should do this on their own just before everyone leaves work for the day. I guess maybe I should just embrace it as yet another reason customers will likely continue to use consultants versus Sage direct.

Actually, Sage is their own worst enemy when it comes to talk about moving the reseller to the sidelines...........

I have every confidence that not only will they be unsuccessful but that we'll have a new regime again -- right on schedule -- within a year or two. My guess would be Pascal stays around but the product folks start to boogie. How much fun can it be for product people to work on providex and focus on integrating someone else's product?

Or, you could just have someone at the company convert the data themselves. All they have to do is go into Company Maintenance and click the Convert button. I've done this before then it shows the customer what's involved in doing the work, and they can do it when ever they get a chance.