The Options for Outgrowing Sage BusinessVision: BV, BVEssentials, or Something New
With over 30 years in the marketplace, Sage BusinessVision has built a large following in Canada and beyond as a great solution for the small and midmarket. Traditionally, users have relied on its basic functionality until they have outgrown it, at which point they migrate to a more complex enterprise-wide solution.
A company’s software needs grow as the business grows, and decisions have to be made on current and future software. There are always software options, but for growing companies currently using BV, there are three common choices: stretching its functionality with the third-party enhancement like BVEssentials, staying with BV, or upgrading to a new solution. Companies should always look at all three options to see not what is best for them now, but which is truly best for them in the long run.
Option 1 – BVEssentials: Loss of Migration Benefits
As some companies using Sage BusinessVision start to grow, they may have looked to BVEssentials to enhance BV’s functionality. BVEssentials is a third-party add-on developed by BC-based Tritech that runs parallel to Sage BusinessVision. It offers new features while replacing some out-of-the-box BV functionality, however with mixed success.
While third-party add-ons can successfully bridge minor gaps in functionality, a growing company’s needs will soon surpass what third-party providers can offer. Companies that rely on third-party applications like BVEssentials need to consider the benefits of their relationship with Sage in providing options for the future vis-à-vis moving more toward a direct relationship with BVEssentials and not continuing to stay current with their standard BusinessVision. They run the risk of being left stranded, their initial investment locked away in a solution that is stretched thin, and with nowhere to upgrade to.
To avoid this scenario, Sage offers a range of ERP systems with scaling functionality and a credit plan called Sage Investment Protection Plan (SIPP). SIPP offers customers a migration path to more complex solutions as the need arises and protects companies against future risks.
Option 2 – Sage BusinessVision: Out-of-the-box Functionality Could Be All You Need
Both in the past and recently, we have had client cases where companies had added enhancements, namely BVEssentials, as they grew, but these enhancements were now causing issues. After removing BVEssentials and going to out-of-the-box BusinessVision functionality, we found that we had significantly improved the users’ experience.
BVEssentials functionality replaces existing ones within Sage BusinessVision, causing redundancy. As Sage continued to develop and enhance BusinessVision through upgrades, this functionality is improved, but will not be utilized when a company is using the same functionality through BVEssentials. Users experiencing problems with BVEssentials functionality or support should consider this an option to restore the system and improve their experience with BusinessVision.
Option 3 – Outgrowing BusinessVision: Something New Could Be the Best Option
For many companies, solutions like Simply Accounting (Sage 50) or BusinessVision will be enough to meet their needs. These companies can often rely on third-party applications, such as BVEssentials, to round off any additional functionality requirements. However, companies stretching the functionality of basic solutions should be cautious when treating the add-on as an upgrade.
There may be better options out there that provide functionality to meet today’s needs and also support growth. Whether you are using BusinessVision or something else, there are migration plans to solutions like sage X3, Sage 300 (Accpac), and Sage 100, which offer all the functionality BV and BVEssentials can offer and then some.
Features like built-in business intelligence, workflow management, CRM, and mobile access are included in all these ERP suites. Migration plans are made worthwhile through the aforementioned Sage Investment Protection Plan (SIPP) that secures initial investments in the form of credits for companies that upgrade from solutions like BusinessVision to more complex ERP systems.
Companies investigating additional functionality needs should look at all the options out there and think about their functionality wish list for now and for the future, not just the “must haves”. Software providers are addressing these needs by lowering the cost of ownership of more advanced solutions and encouraging companies to make these a part of their future strategy with increased scalability and functionality, and thus giving more options to the growing business.