General Consultant Discussion

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  • 1.  Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 08:18

    Has anyone else run into this issue. The customer didn't previously own Work Order. They purchased Production Management. Now they have three separate subscriptions with three separate renewal dates.

    Did I mention this is accounting software purchased from a company who presumably should figure out these types of problems and not sending multiple subscription invoices.

    And I have customers where Sage helpfully removed WO and (slammed) PM and those customers aren't getting a separate subscription invoices.

    Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah - PM is a separate line item on price list ( as is WO ). I get it. I also think that subjecting a customer to three different invoices (all of which lack sufficient detail to tell exactly what's been billed ) is just a sloppy bad business practice.

    Or have I run into a one-off issue that Sage can correct?



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
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  • 2.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 08:22

    If they did not own WO previously, and purchased PM, it should show as a separate line item.  I'm not sure if Sage is paying a fee to Scanco for developing PM, or if that ended when Sage took the module back.  I agree the invoices lately, are non descript.  New client had a Gold Renewal this week and it took them 10+ emails asking for the break down of the modules they have.  Best Sage could provide is the "bundle name" and our sales team had to give the breakdown. 



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    Madeline Stefanou
    RKL eSolutions, LLC
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  • 3.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 08:23

    We have many clients with this issue - and one that added IRP after PM so they have a fourth separate subscription.  We routinely have to review the renewal invoices from Sage with our clients because they are so confusing.  If I had a nickel for every "Is this a legit invoice?" email with a Sage attachment......



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    Bernie Lehman
    Partner
    Lehman Wesley & Associates
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  • 4.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 08:59

    Thanks - it sounds like this isn't just a one-off problem with my customer. I think Sage made a mistake taking back the billing from the VAR. For all the various people and EVP and VP executives that Sage throws at this issue ( paperflow and invoicing ) it seems like the best that they've been able to come up with is a bunch of homebrew smartsheet data entry forms.

    And from my corner of the ecosystem ( as a DSD affiliate ) - ROR filings are also a nightmare



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



  • 5.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 13:32
    Edited by Gary Feldman 09-21-2023 13:32

    This issue is not unique to Sage.  I think there are many publishers, developers and hosting companies with this issue and sometimes it is up to the partner to figure out workarounds.   With Microsoft you can put a customer on a monthly billing for Office 365 and then synch with other subscriptions or add users to existing subscriptions.   With SAP they actually do well at synchronization but can't get billings correct.   Third party products often have to be demo'd until you can synch the subscription.   

    One of the questions I have been asking cloud service providers for the guide I am working on is if they will synchronize their hosting contracts with subscriptions.   Many have month to month options and most work on calendar months, while others have annual or longer subscriptions.    In the end, too many SaaS companies are about the revenue and not the customer, but there are some who get it!



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    Gary Feldman
    Principal
    I-Business Network
    Marietta GA
    16786270646
    http://www-i-bn.net
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-21-2023 13:49

    This is the answer: 

    In the end, too many SaaS companies are about the revenue and not the customer, but there are some who get it!

    And, sadly, the ones who get it are usually bought out by those who don't get it ( or don't care ).



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

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-22-2023 19:47

    Don't know why you HAVE to do this but if you find a caring person at Sage, they will consolidate the billings into one.  To me, an even bigger PITA is that the Sage commission credits are very skinny on useful information.  I have thought many times that If I ran my operation like Sage, I would be out of business.  



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-25-2023 09:16

    Just as an FYI

    1. This customer already owned Work Order - and actively used it
    2. Customer is on subscription and pays monthly
    3. I noticed that PM is listed separately and that it has a renewal date which is the same as the primary product


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



  • 9.  RE: Sage Subscription Billing

    Posted 09-25-2023 09:26
    Edited by Madeline Stefanou 09-25-2023 09:27

    @Wayne Schulz  Thiis is what we see also, since Sage issued (3) PM Licenses to everyone that owned Work Order, when PM (by Scanco) was released.  That three users equates to what the WO Annual Maintenance equaled when it was legacy.  If they buy it at a different time, the don't "pro rate it" as they would if someone added the BOM Module (as an example).  Maybe becasue of royalty payments to the third party, not sure. 



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    Madeline Stefanou
    RKL eSolutions, LLC
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    Original Message


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