Sage Construction Suite Reviews

Sage 100 Contractor is a great business solution

Comments: Overall experience using Sage 100 Contractor is great.

Pros:

What I really like in Sage 100 Contractor is when we start setting up the software it was very quick to go live after short period, The annual revenue for the company I was working for is 35+ million. we shifted from old software to Sage 100 Contractor within two months, I did few demonstrations for my colleague about how to use Sage 100 Contractor and all of them they found Sage 100 Contractor easy to use and very helpful for our business, and reporting in Sage 100 Contractor is great.

Cons:

I didn't face any issue or something I didn't like in Sage 100 Contractor. but the developing in Sage 100 Contractor is impossible.

Sage 100 Contractor is a value adding 'asset'

Comments: Real and full visibility and near real time results. Utterly refreshing and makes my job that much easier. Excellent reporting.

Pros:

Sage 100 C offers employment costing solutions. Following budgets vs. real expenses is crucial in the construction sector, and Sage 100 Contractor assists us (my client and i) in meeting this demand.

Cons:

Data migration form the old software and Implementation was full of glitches but the client support were always available and willing to assist.

Don't waste your money.... Not Ready for Primetime

Comments: With more than 30 years of Construction and IT Management experience, working with numerous other platforms, I find my time on this platform the most troublesome and frustrating part of my job.

Pros:

There is nothing I like about this platform.

Cons:

The developer has created a platform on the most narrow and arcane perspective of construction contracting and management. Nothing about this platform is congruent with industry standards and methodology, particularly if you work in the government sector. It is like someone took shortcuts in the SQL database development rather than truly thinking though the numerous permutations of the business processes associated with construction management. Every GUI for every module forces you to follow the developer's narrow methodology which frankly exposes their inexperience and poor understanding of construction management. You will find it takes far too many incongruent steps through too many screens creating cognitive disconnect just to perform the simplest tasks. You will likely find yourself developing workarounds just to get by..... only to find they don't work either. Just wait till you try to enter a contact's company title only to realize that you're forced to select from a drop down that can only be edited at the Contact Management Settings module! Utterly Stupid! And every element of every module is constructed this way. The canned reports are mediocre and tools to build custom reports harken back the old SQL and Access crap report builders. Don't even bother with the Excel import tools: besides having to downgrade files to 97/03 formats you have to use their canned spreadsheets only find numerous manual steps are still required to complete entries. I could go on......

Sage 300 Helps Get The Job Done!

Comments: Any large-sized construction enterprise with revenues of $2 million or above should absolutely consider this software. It keeps track of your fixed assets and performs a number of additional robust accounting tasks.

Pros:

dependable software with an excellent and strong support staff. Sage is one of the top market leaders in the field of building software, and its moderate degree of integration complexity with third-party apps makes it a remarkable choice for businesses that already have their Master set well-defined in terms of construction standards.

Cons:

Without the right capacity assessment, total cost of ownership can be prohibitive. By sending your administrators and staff to Sage University for training, you can maximise your investment. Custom features need special consideration from knowledgeable advisors.

Estimate Management

Comments: Overall Sage SQL Estimating is a very stable and robustly powerful estimating tool.

Pros:

One of the best things about Sage SQL Estimating is the ability to breakdown an estimate into an unbelievable number of different ways allowing both company standard breakdowns and complex bid form breakdowns at the same time. This also allows standard estimate formatting across all different divisions of our company while working together to complete very large estimates.

Cons:

The two most limiting drawbacks of this software is the inability to create a specification driven takeoff system. The second drawback is the ability to error check the takeoff against a specification to make sure the entry is conforming to the specification and/or is correctly entered. Some of this can be done through assemblies, but not all of this can be done and is why this is very limited for the use of Process Piping System.

Sage 100 Contractor - Honest Feedback

Comments: It covers the basics of what we need, but really has not raised the level of service we are providing through technology. Sage 100 seems to have a good base, but needs a lot of development to make it standout.

Pros:

We liked the fact that Sage 100 has Accounting, Service (work order management), and New Construction (Job management) in one package. Our goal was to make sure all programs are seamlessly communicating by having the same platform. None of these products really standout as special, but have the basic functions.

Cons:

Basic functions in Accounting were set up strange and go against GAPP principles. Payroll is cumbersome to manage and Sage does not have a really good field time capture solution. SSO is basic and inconsistent. Basic navigation to look up customers and manage service contracts are not streamlined. It takes to many steps to access information and no easy wildcard "look up" functions.

Timberline Property Management Software Review

Comments: When we first purchased Timberline in 2002 we were extremely satisfied with the software. Their Customer Support & Third-Party Consultants provided the best & knowledgeable support I have ever been involved with in over 40 years of use. They still provide great support in answering and fixing my problems, but the response time has been degraded. Unfortunately, once Timberline was acquired by Sage, the Real Estate (Property Management) portion of the software seemed to become "orphaned" in favor of the Construction portion of the software and has not "kept up" with today's technology.

Pros:

When we first purchased Timberline Property Management Software 19 years ago, we felt it was the best Property Management Software on the market. It had all the modules we needed at the time and they were tightly integrated to each other. The report designer module made it easy to produce both "canned" and "custom" reports. Bottom line, it fit almost all of our Property Management needs with minimal reliance on third-party software.

Cons:

Timberline Property Management Software was acquired by Sage Software and in my opinion over the years since acquisition, became Sage 300 Construction Software. If you look at the focus of the software today, it seems to be over 95% focused on the Construction industry and only 5% on the Real Estate industry.

Sage 100 Software by General Contractor

Comments: We are a general contractor and we probably don't utilize all the bells and whistles available in the software that a subcontractor might use to their benefit. We were mislead on the reports available when we purchased the software and spent significant dollars getting a custom report to suit our needs. The software has been very reliable.

Pros:

Integration of accounting information with project management information; Real time information/status of the job; Ease of using drop-down to source; Ability to export information to excel and third party reports.

Cons:

When the vendor is shown on a report or screen and the vendor number isn't. The reports section is missing a comprehensive (in detail) project manager report that captures and compares budget, contracts, change orders, purchase orders and costs to date. Learning how to use change orders as they impacted reports was difficult.

Thoughts in the Second Year

Comments: Training wasn't smooth. Our trainer was a good person but we were mislead in regards to the cost of getting started so that was a negative from the beginning.

Pros:

That it worked well with Procore and gave us a more detailed accounting system.

Cons:

The double entry with using Procore and Sage 100. I also don't like that it isn't very user friendly. Lots of clicks to accomplish a simple task. I will use looking at the checkbook register as an example. I should just be able to click and look at at it. It should take 5 or 6 clicks to get there.

The Truth behind estimating

Comments: Sage allows all the estimators in the department to work similarly without everyone needing to do them exactly the same. One estimator or company may want 1 line item for windows that includes labor material and equipment. Another might want a line item for furnish while and a separate for install.

Pros:

This software is easy to use. Its also been around the longest so its easy to find other estimators with familiarity with the software. Its longevity in the market has created several other software integrations. The product is secure no worry about formulas not working when its sorted a different way.

Cons:

The ability and flexibility of the software is so infinite you can spend hours creating templates and short cuts that aren't even needed or actually become to in depth.

T.MPOFU Review sage 300

Pros:

i like this system because it makes it easy to users like me who are in the construction and real estate sector to run projects on time and deliver the best.

Cons:

nothing much really but i can mabey say they can try reduce the price abit so that it has a wider reach to their users.

Best accounts management system for Construction and real estate companies

Pros:

Easy of use . Not required any expertise to use this program. We can make functions,modules using crystal reports program. Very easy to build new modules. Maintaing inventory, job postings , invoice design and printing, batch management becomes easy .

Cons:

If it has any API to intigration with SIMEM plant, Marcantonin Plant data bases that will be of great feature .

Needs More User Friendly Features

Comments: We would not purchase it again and would prefer to go back to our old system, but we've invested too much to do that at this time.

Pros:

Widely universal so integration software more readily available with management systems and customer relation software.

Cons:

We came from ComputerEase, which is very user friendly. Sage appears to be outdated. The installation and upgrade process is very time consuming and for most would require hiring their services to install or your IT personnel. The biggest issue we have is the font size. If you try to change the font size in your screen, the windows will distort and you cannot access certain information within Sage, so it strains your eyes to view the information. My other big concern, is that when processing applications for payment within Billing, it will allow you to go over 100% on a scheduled line. If you don't manually check via print preview, you can very likely overbill. Additionally, when voiding applications, there are some major hassles when it comes to stored materials on jobs that don't carry over stored each month. Lastly, if you do not post in the order and timeframe that you are trained to do, it results in a large hassle and time-consuming elimination process. There are several other items that are not favorable, but these are the top ones on our mind most frequently.

Comments: Why choose Timberline estimating over Excel or the Big Chief notepad? 1. Integration, Integration, Integration
a. Dynamic link to Onscreen takeoff tools (I can be in the estimate quantity field and jump to the plans, measure the quantity while color coding it using the mouse, and it inserts the quantity in the estimate).
b. Quotation/Procurement - one of the most important add-ons. Allows the user to create quote sheets from takeoff items, email them to vendors, negotiate prices, then choose to use that quote in the estimate budget or push it through to a purchase order or subcontract. Remarkably powerful integration tool, plus you develop a bid history library.
c. CAD - beyond onscreen takeoff (which is only an image of the drawing where you still measure quantities). CAD integration uses CAD item libraries to electronically feed CAD driven quantities from the drawings (but you still have to "estimate" the work to be performed). CAD primarily provides the material components and quantities.
d. Scheduling Integration - the ability to generate a text file recap of the estimate sorted by a schedule activity, or export the recap to a Microsoft Project Schedule native file format, or to create a Primavera native file format. NOTE - it is not a scheduling program; it is a utility to convert the estimate to specific data file format used by specific scheduling software products. 2. Reduction in errors.
a. Database formulas work every time and warn you when something is missing. Excel can break formula links, fields, worksheet links, and references and become too complex to manage and generate a wrong calculation with no warning.
b. Database estimates can be sorted in almost unlimited ways using "WBS codes" (work breakdown structures). This is a fancy name for tagging an item with a sortable field such as material class, building number, floor number, alternate, and then sorting the estimate by those tags in a multiple level sequence - on the fly. Very important with so many cuts and adds taking place in today's estimating processes. It also quickly generates field-oriented docs (bill of materials; by floor, by area, etc.), Budgets - sort by job cost summary instantly, etc.
c. Cuts and Adds are a given in today's fast paced estimate environment, recalling a scope section and revising it repeatedly is a reality. This is the most common cause of estimating errors when bidding. Having an audit trail of changes and to quickly make a revision to all components by answering simple questions is very powerful (see smart assemblies and Modeling as well).
d. Parametric estimates - increase the production of an estimator without increased rework or errors. Answer a set of parametric scope questions and the assembly generates all detail components for the estimator. Eliminates errors, reduces rework, ends the "takeoff for a bid - then takeoff again to build it" issue. 3. Database standards
a. A standard item library for everyone in the company to use creating ease of assimilating new estimators, improving cross training of roles, having common logic that can be reviewed easily to see how the result was generated. How many times has an excel estimate template morphed into multiple complicated versions within a company? Not with a database central price book and takeoff system.
b. Flexibility - allows the estimating "artist" to be flexible with their style of results. The assemblies will allow scope questions to be used differently by each estimator (one wants unit price, another wants man-hours, another wants total Square Footage). They can get all of that with a single common system setup.
c. Pricing - many cost pricing service products integrate and can be combined with a company's own in-house price components. Run into that goofy system you have no idea what it costs - look it up in the pricing service system (and by regional pricing in the market). Have your own factors - apply them to the pricing. There are many other reasons to consider a database driven integrated estimating system. The above are just a few that show why excel or paper are outdated for today's fast paced estimating demands. It is not just the takeoff - it is all the other integration of "clerical / admin" grunt work stuff that an integrated solution improves within an organization. Four stars - there is no PERFECT system... but no others come close to this overall solution.

Where are the user instructions available for special reports and features?

Pros:

I did not do the integration, that was done by IT and they do not use the same day to day features that most users deal with. I'm sure the system is much easier for the IT people, but it needs to be easy or have instructions available for the every day majority of the users in the office. It seems very easy for day to day use for the majority of the work done in the office, there are just a few reports and features that would be nice to have. Possibly they are available but I'm not sure where to get instructions.

Cons:

We were not provided with any sort of ongoing instructions or help for specific issues that we encountered after we fully implemented and starting using the software. Sometimes it will take a while to get use to something to realize you need other types of reports/information or functions, we had to just learn by trial and error. There is limited space when adding Vendors and no way (at least not know to us) to get rid of a vendor once it is added. We ended up with MANY double entry vendors. Additionally, making a vendor inactive in AP does not stop that vendor from being used in the SM module which creates issues importing. One of the biggest problems we have had is that the PO field allows users to accidentally type in random various characters, such as a / or lower case letters, which causes an error in the program importing. The system does not recognize the random characters which has cause a never ending loop posting. The system should not even allow someone to put in a character it will later not recognize, as we now have no way to get rid of these errors. Even customer service cannot fix the problem. We have POs that now have 492 lines as they are stuck in a loop and every day that we post another line gets added. Also we could use a reference guide on how to run specific reports we desire.

Data entry intensive

Comments: Forced to use it due to the initial cost. We are looking to replace at the earliest sensible moment.

Pros:

It does integrate with many other programs. With the right knowledge, it can be very flexible in reporting. The support is also much better than most programs.

Cons:

Constant and repetitive data entry. Just a few examples... To record payment of multiple POs electronically, the Sage requires individual acceptance for each PO. So when paying 45 POs with one ACH transaction, Sage requires over 100 individual clicks of the mouse as well in addition to keyboard input. Data entry often requires both mouse and keyboard input, making it slower. If you make a mistake on a date entry, (like accidentally entering Dec 45th) there is no indication. No popup, no change of color on the field, nothing. You eventually just have to realize what happened. With acct #s or Job #s, there is a pop up to say it didn't recognize the input. With general ledger entry, Sage does not automatically fill in an amount to balance the transaction. You have enter each line. Seems silly, but that one feature would save many hours over a year. Every other accounting program I have ever used in over 30 years will default to the amount needed to balance the entry, and you merely type over it as you go, but its right there for that last line when you do need it. Just simple, easy, things that could be done that in many years of development have never been fixed.

Sage 300 CRE Review

Comments: I have used Sage 300 CRE for 3 years and the previous software Timberline for 13 years. I am very happy with the software and would highly recommend it to other companies.

Pros:

The visibility offered across all the financial modules. Job Cost reports give a project overview. Accounts Payable is very user friendly and far superior to other programs I've used.

Cons:

We are integrated with Procore Construction Software. It would be extremely helpful if Sage 300 was fully integrated across all the financial tools in regards to exporting data. The flow of A/R billing/payment data and A/P invoice/ payment data would greatly impact the ability to manage all aspects of the projects.

Good with Property Management, Mediocre with Accounting

Comments: Whereas Sage 300 CRE does have some good functionality for property management, we are also suffering from poor accounting functionality. Some days I'm happy with the software, some days not so much.

Pros:

I like the Property Management side of Sage - our office manages a number of commercial real estate properties, and we are able to track the leases, and the PM side of things does link in with the accounting side of things. And I know there are more features in the PM side that we don't even use.

Cons:

Sage 300 CRE does not mix well with any outside software. We recently took over management of a dozen new properties and we had to manually input all the data to get the new companies in our system. There was no reasonable import feature available. We could have paid someone thousands of dollars to bring basic information into the system for us, but what they could import was not everything we'd need, and there would be no previous year data option. That was frustrating. And the accounting system is also lacking. As much as all of the modules to integrate with each other, the accounting system does not perform to my expectations. And if you want to export a report into Excel, forget it! Sure it will export the data, but not in any kind of usable format! The numbers don't export as numbers, the formatting is all skewed. I just found out that there is a 'third party' software to use as a fix, but I just spent $2500 on that fix and found out that if we want to export the income statement and balance sheet, that is an extra $800. I'm not happy with the accounting system.

Affordable with some value loss

Comments: Able to function but not real happy with our purchase.

Pros:

Project management is its best selling point. This is one of the only affordable software solution in a mid-range cost.

Cons:

The input is antiquated and not user friendly at all. Extra key strokes are required to do just about anything. Many of the canned reports are generated by record number instead of date. There are no month to month comparative reports for balance sheet which you would expect to be easily available. Tracking of payments to vendor requires way too much effort to view invoices a check paid. Inability to create cash basis statements requires a lot of work at end of year to convert outside the system. This should be part of the basic package.

SAGE 300 for all

Comments: I like that you can produce great estimates with SAGE 300 which can help if you need to come up with projections and profits for your projects. There are more than 500 reports that are available and you can easily modify them. They will help you make informed decisions. You can also create your own reports.

Pros:

You can easily track or manage your project. It also provides you with accurate financial reporting so everyone has visibility into every aspect of the projects including progress and financials. You can easily identify gaps and issues before early while they can be easily resolved before they become problems and incidents. You can easily print both cost based and fixed price invoices

Cons:

The software is a bit pricey if you are to enjoy fully all the modules which small businesses might struggle to raise.

Newbie Controller Review

Comments: As a prior QuickBooks user (at another company) the transition to Sage 300 was ideal. The logic behind Sage 300 is very clear and simple. There really is no overthinking when it came to designing this product.
Sometimes there are glitches or "speed bumps" but those are always overcome with a call to support.

Pros:

I like that there are many work arounds and alternate ways to "get what I need". For example, If someone is in AP, I can generate a report that I need by going to IA. I can also trust but verify results by running multiple reports and annotating their correlation and reconiliation.

Cons:

I wish there were automatically more User licenses available for the AP and JC module. We are a SME and often run into the issue where two staff members need to be in AP or JC at the same time. They are performing separate functions too. For example, if I am cutting checks in AP my accounting assistant has to wait until that task is done before she can export new invoices from Paperless into AP. Perhaps, based on either sales volume or entity size, more licensing can be included with our renewal each year at no additional cost.

Yesterdays technology for yesterdays prices.

Comments: The only benefit can think about using Sage is the money I could make building add-ons and consulting opportunities it provides because it lacks the basics. Financial reporting is a joke.

Pros:

It works. It's fairly cheap. Not that buggy. I assume this is so because you haven't hired a team of developers since the late 90s. I'd bet the head of the user experience if you have one, has been ready to retire for the last ten years.

Cons:

You have not put any effort into improving the product. For example how hard would it be to put a link from the transaction inquiry to the entry batch by clicking a button. The standard reporting is terrible. Have you ever asked what an accounting team needs? Also, in 2021 one should be able to copy and paste into your tables (e.g. JEs). Another example of how sloppy your user experience is when you close the books for the month, someone has to open the prior month one at a time. We have 90 companies. I had to program a python script to do this! I also use an Oracle product for financial reporting.

Comments: I have used Sage 300 since 2010 and have found it the most troubling accounting software I have encountered. It has the capability to do a lot, but the product is so difficult to use that it makes doing a lot impractical, at least for a smaller company. Sage acquired Master Builder in around 2008 and has yet to implement many of the "smart" features I had expected after they bought it from Intuit in that acquisition. In Master Builder/Sage 100, you can drill down on just about any field or report for more data. This drill down does not exist in Sage 300. The built-in calculator in Sage 100 is so handy; it does not exist in 300. The feature to advance the date using the + and - keys in 100 does not exist in 300. The feature to verify successful check runs through a certain check number does not exist in 300. The use of non-accounting terms intermixed with accounting terms is frustrating to me. When looking at the Cash Management Module, it refers to Debits and Credits as Additions and Subtractions. It posts certain entries as a Negative Debit instead of a Credit or vice-verse. GL is driven by the modules and never the opposite. In 100, you can enter accounting entries and have the job costs updated, but not in 300. If you have to enter a GL transaction that will affect job costs, you have to then go into the job cost module and enter a direct job cost and debit and credit the same account for a net zero GL affect. It can only print one thing at a time. Let me clarify; you open one report, an AP aging. You realize you paid a vendor more than you thought. You then run an open invoice list for that vendor. You realize they haven't been paid on a draw that they should have. You then decide to print the Open Invoice list to give to the PM, Controller, etc., but you can't. The first report that is open gets the print priority. Then if you try to close your AP aging to print your Invoice list, you can't. When you opened the second report, apparently the first report tells the second that it is not allowed to print. You then have to close the second report and re-run it. My biggest issue with 300 is that it is extremely prone to being out of balance with itself. That phrase may not make sense to most accounting users. I am referring to the concept of the GL not matching the AP, AR, Cash, etc modules. I have had so many instances of something being off; most recently, certain sales accounts were showing a previous balance after closing the fiscal year. This required manually changing the previous year account balance on the sales account and changing the retained earnings by the same amount. These sort of internal errors are very scary to me because Sage doesn't know why they happen, and if it can happen in one place, it can happen just about anywhere, I would think. Sage support is decent; they are all pretty used to the odd quirks and defects of the program, so they seem to be able to get these problems solved. If you are a daily user of the software, I would recommend not getting Sage 300.

Pros and Cons of Sage 300

Pros:

On par with some other offerings, but does not excel in any specific area, hence no one are where it really excels.

Cons:

The overall accounting approach to how information is presented is lagging, in my opinion. Various inquiries need to be made in order to retrieve specific vendor, or client information, instead of making the reports and inquiries available through either the A/P, or A/R modules - all of them. The software also needlessly complicates interaction with the GL through the Cash Management and the Register feature(s), all this in my opinion should be centered around and through the GL module. Certain options under Agings are also puzzling, offering various reports that have little to do with actual aging(s), such as presenting the outstanding amounts in aged-buckets. When one is also more used to dealing with Debits and Credits, Sage presents some of these as 'Additions' or 'Subtractions'... which takes away the purely accounting approach to dealing with transfers, and debit and credit activity within various GL accounts, while a non-accountant might find the 'Additions' and 'Subtractions' easier to work with when it comes to dealing with actual bank accounts, the layout becomes more puzzling when dealing with other, non-cash accounts, where straight up Debit and Credit columns would be a lot more appropriate - for any entries. The 'Register' module mitigates this to some extent by a pop-up box, where some of this is automatically pre-filled, but in my opinion it's just an extra step that adds to the confusion and easiness of entries through GL only.

Not a good product

Comments: This is possibly the worst software I've ever supported. My opinion is based on my observations of:
- Lack of functionality
- Unknowledgeable support people
- Upgrades that are frustrating and usually immediately need another release to fix that release
- Software pieces don't work together ie: Paperless, 200 CRE, eCapture, SageCPC

Pros:

The ability to create specific roles for users.

Cons:

The upgrades are a nightmare. Have to touch all desktops while doing an upgrade is extensively time consuming. The support is atrocious. I open a ticket online and get an answer that doesn't even relate to my question. I've already scoured the knowledgebase, but the response I get it just sending me to a knowledgebase article. Then I'm told to call in. When I do call in, I get to listen to a message for 1 minute that tells me to go online and look at the knowledgebase (waste of my time), than I sit on hold for an hour to get a first level support person that doesn't know the answer and I need to schedule time to get a call back from some one else.