How do I choose a business management software solution?
Your business management software is one of the most consequential decisions you can make for your business, and your chosen software provider will become one of your closest partners. It is hard to overstate the importance of choosing the right solution. Unfortunately, the market for ERP software can be bewildering and many prospective customers do not know where to begin, what to look for, or what to expect.
Searching For Business Management Software
1) Familiarize yourself with the market. Focus Research is an excellent source of unbiased information on the ERP market. You can find white papers on costs and benefits, risks, questions to ask your vendor, and more. Invest the time necessary to equip yourself for the process. Most ERP vendors appreciate an educated client.
2) Use a free match-making service. At
FindAccountingSoftware.com they will interview you, ask all the right questions, help you set expectations, and match your business with a list of five or more software solutions. After reviewing a handful of packages you will find yourself gravitating to certain ones more than others. This process will help you identify what software features are important to you. Be sure to specifically request aACE 4.0 to be included in your list of results.
3) Expand your search. With a better understanding of the market and a few options in your back pocket, expand your search to include other options. Match-making services are neither comprehensive nor unbiased. If you prefer additional assistance, companies such as
Panorama Consulting can help you with the process and even negotiate the deal on your behalf.
How long does an implementation take?
The typical length of the process from start to finish is between three and six months. The discovery process is usually completed within a month of the start date. Customization, configuration, and implementation team training can usually be completed in one to two months depending on the work required. The Go-Live process includes data migration, end-user training, IT installation (if applicable), and the Go-Live itself, followed by several weeks of high availability on our part. For more details, read about our
Purchase and Implementation Process.
When can we start?
We typically need at least 4-6 weeks between the time when we sign an agreement with a client and the time when work begins. This is because we dedicate large blocks of time to software implementations in the early stages in order to ensure a fast, strong start. However, the period between November and January is our busiest time of the year given the number of clients wishing to Go-Live on or around January 1. After November 1 we typically will not schedule new projects with a start date prior to February 1 the following year.
When is the best time of the year to Go-Live?
Many people wish to Go-Live with aACE Business Suite when their fiscal year begins. Very few clients, though, adopt a "shuttle launch" approach to going live (i.e. having a clean break between old and new systems) and will instead phase the software in to some extent. This will result in some level of overlap between your current system and aACE, which makes no one date particularly better than another from an accounting perspective. The best time to Go-Live with the software, therefore, is during your slowest time of the year when your staff will be able to spend the most time testing, training, and helping to ensure the overall success of the project.
How does AGIS conduct training for aACE Business Suite?
Together with our clients, we structure a training agenda and schedule web-based training classes based on specific needs. In most cases, a pre-determined focus group is trained first. The focus group then trains other users within the company while we stand by for support. We find a top down approach works best and is most affordable.
Do you come onsite?
We are more than happy to perform work onsite with our clients when doing so makes sense, but most work is performed remotely.
Can I customize aACE myself?
Yes. If you are a certified FileMaker® developer you can customize aACE for yourself or your clients through the AGIS Resale and Customization Program. More information about developing with aACE Business Suite can
be found in the
AGIS Developer Center.
I’m interested in running my business on a Mac. Do you have any advice?
When companies change their business management software they often consider updating their IT infrastructure as well. For more and more small and midsize businesses this means contemplating a switch from Windows to Mac. Apple has made strides to facilitate business management on Mac OS X and because aACE Business Suite is cross-platform, we can advise most clients that yes, it is possible to switch to Mac. We can also recommend Apple Authorized Service Providers that provide exceptional IT services for Mac-based businesses.
Read more about switching to Mac
Do you provide references?
Yes. Our references are perhaps our greatest asset and we are happy to share them with a prospective client before any documents are signed. However, we respect our existing clients’ time and believe that reference checks should be used as a way of confirming one’s decision, not as a way of making it. Therefore, we provide references after we have come to an agreement with a prospective client regarding the product’s fit, the budget and timeline. See
Final Proposal & References in our
Purchase and Implementation Process.
What if AGIS goes out of business?
While there is always some risk when choosing a software provider, please consider these factors: AGIS has been in business for over nine years; we have self-funded ourselves via profitable operations through two recessions; we have low overhead; we currently have no investors, loans, or other debt service requirements; and we have a great product that competes successfully at a world-class level. We also chose to build our product using FileMaker. FileMaker, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apple, Inc. and FileMaker-based solutions can be supported by thousands of consultants.
Why is there a 10 user minimum for aACE?
Our software is designed for user groups of 10 or more individuals and organizations with multiple departments. aACE includes sophisticated tools for traffic management, hand-off events between departments, and segregation of duties controls (e.g. separating purchasing personnel from payment personnel). These are powerful and value-added features for midsize and larger organizations but are overkill for smaller companies. While 10 users is the minimum, aACE is ideally designed for organizations with 50-100 users.
