Construction management
4.1/5 (339 Bewertungen)Vorteile
Sage is an amazing product, with so MANY complex programs and modules. There are (literally) dozens of reports and functions that I still know little to nothing about (after 3 yrs of working with the product). It's got everything a general contract would ever need, and then some. Customer support (GOLD) is awesome (tho expensive) . 99% of the time, I have had pleasant, knowledgeable, helpful, experienced assistance from Customer Support. The individuals who work in Customer Support helped me make it that first year, and there is no question of that. Their patience and their availability (and their sense of humor) helped me retain my sanity, that first year (04/14 - 04/15)....hands down.
Nachteile
The complexity of it....each module is multi-faceted and highly complex (and complicated). If a person comes on the scene (such as myself) with no prior construction experience, it's very difficult to simply "pick it up". Also, In order to have Gold Support (a genuine necessity, unless the office employee has a degree in accounting...OR...10 years of prior construction experience) is very expensive. We are a small construction company, and the thousands of dollars we pay, each year, for Gold Support, is not an easy check to write.
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.
Vorteile
The Project Management portion works fairly well. The reports are very clunky and hard to work with, but it's possible to get the info you need.
Nachteile
The accounting side of this software is horrible! Did you know that you can have a negative debit and negative credit? That's just part of the nightmare. If you want to see all entries going through both AP and AR, they only show up as summary entries. There is no detail as to vendor, invoice # or anything other than the date and amount. It groups AP entries together into batches depending on how you post. If you post 10 invoices in one AP session, it will group all 10 invoice amounts into one lump sum in the AP gl. Even if you go through the tedious process of posting everything individually, you'll still only have an amount to look at. There is no journal like in QuickBooks and Simply Accounting, so there's no possible way to see what was posted during any given timeframe. Nothing is intuitive and everything takes longer than it should. God forbid you need to reverse something. We always had to call the support line to get help, as it was not easy. Sometimes it glitches and values don't get posted from one module into another. Again, you have to stay on your toes to try and avoid this from happening. Phone support is expensive, and good luck trying to do anything without it. I have now switched back to Quickbooks and export my job costs over once per month into the Job Costs module. We spent a lot to switch to this software (including training), so that decision was not made lightly. It was a bit of a pain, but way less painful than having to stress everyday about how to find something, how to reverse something, or how to figure out where something was posted. I'm very technically advanced and I managed, but it wasn't easy. Accounting isn't difficult, and Sage 300 seems to go out of it's way to over complicate the simplest things. Payroll in Quickbooks takes me 30 minutes. Payroll in Sage 300 took me 3 hours. The software is like playing a computer game on a PS4 and then playing on an Atari, seriously!
Sage 300 CRE is a very detailed system but needs a complete revamping. It is able to store a lot of pieces of information, but getting them out of the system require a lot of work. When I evaluate software, I look at how many steps (clicks) it takes to accomplish my task. Sage is the absolute worst of all the software options available. Unfortunately our accounting has been using it forever and the cost to change would be too expensive right now. It can best be described as a Windows 95 database because that's what I think of every time I have to use it.
Vorteile
Able to store a vast amount of information. Everything is broken down into modules and works well with multiple users. Does allow for customization of certain tables and modules.
Nachteile
Requires too much work to get to what I need. Tables of data cannot be sorted. For example, a list of contacts on a project cannot be sorted. They are listed in order of entry, which means I have to scroll through an entire list to find a contact. Same goes for some drop down lists. If I don't know the person's name, I can't search. I have to scroll through the list one click at a time because the scroll bars on the side don't scroll proportionally. One click on a side scroll bar takes you down 75% of the bar even if the list is really long.
Getting information from the system requires customized reports, which you either pay for or get trained in Crystal Reports. I used to use Quickbooks Enterprise and was able to get more relevant information faster and easier than I do from Sage. Some of the screens can be expanded but do not show more information. It just creates more blank space so I spend a lot of time scrolling to get to what I need. The system as a whole is very out-dated. Search options are very basic...can't search for MEDICAL if the contact is entered as GREATER AREA MEDICAL CENTER. You would have to know it starts with GREATER AREA.
I highly recommend Sage 300 to any contractor out there. It's ease of use and numerous modules make tracking things like inventory, job costing, cash management etc a breeze. All modules sync up to the General Ledger and at the end of each month, we are able to see how we are progressing. This has helped us catch numerous mistakes on our end. Whenever there is a problem, we will phone the Sage call center. They are able to troubleshoot things in no time. Not only do they help fix the mistake they also teach you how to spot them yourself. The odd time we have had to escalate a problem to the programmers they always end up contacting us back the same day. I started using Sage 2 years ago with very little knowledge of the platform and accounting in general and through the proper training, customer service, excellent help articles and Sage U I can confidently say that I have mastered this program. I could never see myself using another product after Sage 300.
Vorteile
Ease of use
Customer Service
Training and Sage U
Reporting
Custom Reports to fit your business needs.
Nachteile
Other than the odd Software Glitch which Sage is more than happy to fix I have no real complaints. Anytime I seem to bring something up that would make the product better Sage seems to be working on/implementing that change.
Vorteile
By far the best thing about Sage 300 is the customer support. It is simply phenomenal. For whatever shortcomings the software has, it is made up in the ability to pick up the phone and directly contact Sage employees who speak our language, understand our concern, and our very knowledgeable of their product. You don't get the "run-around" when you call in. They are very willing to remote into your computer to explain and help with troubleshooting the problem or implementing the solution. They aren't perfect as some experiences have been disappointing, but many times as I conclude a customer support phone call I am reminded just how impressed and pleased I am with their service.
Nachteile
Many of the user interfaces are somewhat archaic and not the easiest to work with. That said, there seems to be a modernization process underway that will be addressing this in future versions. There are minor quirks/irregularities with the software, but that is to be expected since it has so many capabilities and tries to fill diverse needs.
I don't have a reason to change software products.
Vorteile
Ease of use
Easy to learn and get accustomed to
Has been around a long time
Recent improvements (last 7-8 years) to the software (Xcel downloads, employee set ups, My Assistant)
More 3rd party products that communicate well or easily with Sage 300 (i.e. PO/AP software, electronic clocks)
Nachteile
I don't like the extra layer on support. It is inevitable that we need the 2nd level for almost every call.
No drill down links between modules.
There are a few things (I can't think all of now) that you can tell an accountant was not completely involved in setting up. One example, putting a negative in front a number in the credit column on some reports and not on others. The inconsistency can be confusing. Is it a credit or a negative credit (which = debit).
Sage is the software we utilize for all of our PM/project accounting and budgeting tracking. This program allows us to enter budget, commitments, costs and track and report on these with up to date information and integrate with our other PM software for a more streamlined workflow.
Vorteile
For the price, this can't be beat. It can do all of the same things as the more expensive software out there. This communicates with our online PM software, and our invoice review and approval software to streamline all aspects of our project management work flow and improve productivity.
Nachteile
Not the most user friendly. It doesn't have the fancy icons that other software does, but once you past that first layout learning curve and develop any custom reporting it is easy to understand and does everything you need.
I feel that the knowledgebase needs a lot of work. Too many steps to get to your product. Most of the time, if I pull up a request that has more than one page of listings, I get an error message when I try to go to the second page. It has become almost useless.
Vorteile
I like the simplicity of the accounting side and the integration between job cost and general ledger. I feel it is user friendly for learning the product in almost all aspects.
Nachteile
Would like to see a simpler change order process with more connections between the subcontractor and the owner changes. Would like to see fewer glitches such as the "use last job" option does not work in project management under certain versions and occasionally I get invoices that show that the payment is open when the checks are cleared.
If you already have SAGE 300 ERP and need to manage projects and job costings, you need not go any further. Truth be told, if I didn't have all that stuff and found this first it would convince me to buy the other stuff.
Vorteile
I have SAGE 300 ERP with the PJC module and to tell you the truth we had been looking for a system to manage costs of our projects for years that the years would actually use and not complain about. PJC is great but we just couldn't get the users to be all in with its use. Then I discovered CRE aka Timberline. I cannot believe this thing existed, where have you been all my life. This solution integrates with my existing ERP modules and PO making my life so much simpler. It integrates with outlook, I can export to excel and do analysis. I can manage invoices, check late payments, make change request and manage contracts and subcontracts ALL in the same solution!. I can manage project retainage and even choose when payments and costs hit my GL. I can give my managers the reports they need on the fly and customize them as needed.
I cannot say enough about this software. I also love that I am not crowded with information. The drill down feature makes everything clean. I am literally in love and the users are all smiles now. It makes you happy to see a pile of paper to input. soon I will be almost paperless.
Dennis Anderson Construction Corporation began using this software in 2005 when the product was called Timberline; however, at that time we only utilized some of its many functions, such as Accounts Payable, Payroll and General Ledger. In 2013, we decided to extend our contract with Sage and to take advantage of some of the other functions that we had not previously been using, such as Project Management, Billing, and Contracts, in hopes of tying all of our project information together into one software.
Personally, I have only been using Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate for about five years but I utilize this software multiple times every day. It is my opinion that Sage 300 CRE is a user-friendly software (for the most part) and the modules we utilize capture all of the information exactly how we want it.
Vorteile
Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate support are PHENOMENAL! Whether it be through a live chat or a phone conversation, Sage support is always very helpful and they always show such care and concern in making sure your issue is resolved.
Nachteile
Year-End Support is very slow (1 hour + wait time) due to the high volume of customers in need of support. I would recommend that Sage hire additional support members to assist customers with Year End issues.
Vorteile
Support is great. Every problem I've had they have been able to walk me through the steps to fix. The integration of all the modules eliminates duplicate entry (except as detailed below). Ability to customize fields and use the Desktop to customize My Tasks.
Nachteile
Some areas need definite improvement - Address Book! No easy way to access or send emails to groups. Address Explorer (an Add-on) helps connect to Outlook, but lots of room for improvement. Sage Construction Anywhere should connect to Address Book. You have to manually add contacts to the companies to be able to give them access to the software, even though they are already set up in Sage Address Book. Some fields are too short to enter all the information needed.
Flexibility with documents - Most are created in Crystal and hard to customize. Hopefully the new Word Integration program in development will solve this problem.
Have been a user for over 30 years, dos based till current
Vorteile
Very user friendly, the help button and the knowledge base are awesome places to go to when you need help in finding an answer to how to. Each application is easy to do the work flow. If you make an error in any one entry, the process to fix the mistake or the entry to reverse the error is a very easy step in all of the applications. I love the software!!
Nachteile
My only issue is job cost is not user friendly with cash management in respect to if you enter a line item job cost that affects cash then you also have to enter the same in cash management to stay in balance.
Vorteile
It was extremely easy to use and our accounting department even said it was fantastic. On the project management side, the staff liked the cost codes you could integrate and use. and the ease of sending financial information in. It was also used for monthly job cost review meetings with project management and operations. I believe it was relatively easy to generate thorough documents for review.
Nachteile
You couldn't do things through a mobile device. A lot of field staff and other personnel in various industries were always on the go and we couldn't have remote access on smartphones.
Coming from Simply and QuickBooks this software take you way beyond their functionality. Highly recommend for any construction companies to take this software on as it really goes above and beyond allowing you to track multiple projects, invoice using different products. The app entry allows such variations including Manual Cheque, E-transfers, Credit Card (entry by a vendor) and regular cheque runs. As a company we want to streamline double payments and this system allows us to catch many duplicate submissions. I can't say enough of how happy I am that it integrates with Excel and if you don't want to invest in excel custom reports if your accountant uses ODBC at all they can extract the information easily.
Vorteile
AP system (easy of entry, avoid duplicates
Job Cost (track multiple projects, ensure they are invoiced, reports by vendor, by code)
Cash Management System(reconcile your statements so easily, transfers between companies are so simplified, make an entry on the fly)
GL (reports ...allow you to analyze your accounts)
Nachteile
Financial Reporting (out of the box reports are functional but not friendly to them eye comparable to simply/QuickBooks) but they do the job but would be nice to have better out of the box reports. That being said you can also order customer reports if that is what you are looking for.
Reporting is relatively easy once you have done the set-up. Able to export to excel for outside users such as auditors is helpful.
Vorteile
Input is quick and easy. It has been around long enough that most bugs are sorted out unlike some software. Once you learn some of the tricks/shortcuts it is even easier.Updates are frequent and the help desk resolves issues quickly. Able to customize reports.
Nachteile
Like most software it takes some time to setup. Customizing to your business is a feature but then you need to learn to us crystal in order to make updates. Closing month in one module doesn't always update or close the others.
Vorteile
process data very quick, strong customer support, user friendly, Easy upgrade from entry-level accounting applications. Easy to change dashboard widgets. Customizable, ribbon-based navigation menus. Successful mobile access from multiple operating systems using Google Chrome. Customer relationship management (CRM) available in the 300 product line.
Nachteile
Custom report design is not easy to learn; Payroll and inventory unavailable as 300 components. No hard timetable for adding modules. No flowchart/process navigation. Limited dashboard widgets on screen. No drill-down or navigation capability.
I am manager of accounting for a low income housing construction contractor. We use Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate for our job costing and general ledger accounting. I have found this product to be efficient, but not very user friendly. It is not easily compatible with Microsoft excel or other spreadsheet programs without the purchase of additional modules. Additional modules can be purchased, but are costly.
Vorteile
It is very difficult for someone to go into the product and make changes unintentionally.
Nachteile
It can be difficult to create customized reports and it is costly to add additional modules.
I was asked by software advice to do this review. We have an older version of the software, so the cons I listed may have been solved.
Vorteile
Timberline offers a lot of reporting capabilities and customization; Every piece of information you need regarding a job or a customer's account is easily accessible.
Nachteile
Cumbersome-- have to do a lot of double entry, cannot easily find information needed in one application while working in another (must have multiple windows open at the same time), accounting information is very involved and not easy to use for someone who does not have an accounting background.
Enabled us to use more efficient processes and procedures - we are now entirely paperless with respect to A/P and becoming more so with the rest of our processes.
Vorteile
Stable backend software that has been around long enough to have lots of 3rd party add-ons to do pretty much anything you would need.
Nachteile
Some of the architecture is a little dated so some things require convoluted workarounds. The user interface can also be a little dated. Newer modules have modern interfaces, original modules have old interfaces. Service Management is a backend processor only - the user interface is terrible.
Again, Sage Customer Support can not be beat with their knowledge and professionalism to their clients.
Vorteile
Our company specializing in millwright, rigging and custom metal fabrication and Sage 300 CRE helps our company with certified payroll, union payroll and dues, job costing, purchase orders and subcontractor tracking. Also account payable and accounts receivable modules are easy to use, and it really helps us to streamline our operation. Sage Customer Support are most wonderful people to help solve issues you might have with financials or with a payroll.
Nachteile
The only con with Sage 300 CRE - it will take time to be trained all the modules this software has to offer. If you make a mistake my advice is to look at Sage Knowledge Base for answers or call Sage Support Team to make an appointment to help resolved the issue. You have to be very careful and pay very close attention with accounting dates and closed months with this software.
Vorteile
The separate modules work very good. Certified Payrolls are easily done thru the payroll module. Payables and Receivables modules work nicely, with some help. Has a ton of reports available.
Nachteile
Although it has a lot of reports, they are hard to find the one you want/need. The separate modules seem like they came from separate companies sometimes and without an expert help or customer support, it would be really hard to get what you need out of them. I have had to pay for custom reports to be done to get what I need several times.
Vorteile
Sage 300 is a user-friendly, fairly easy to navigate software. It is especially helpful in tracking subcontractor change orders and budget adjustments. The standard reports provide information that is easy to understand and is very helpful in figuring out where your project stands financially at any given point in time.
Nachteile
It is easy for users to document change orders inconsistently, there is a lot of room for variance which means that the documents produced can vary in appearance from one user to the next.
I've tried other programs, but Sage/Timberline is the best and most efficient accounting program I've found.
Vorteile
1. outstanding customer service and technical support
2. excellent job costing and subcontractor commitment tracking, both of which are most important to me
3. custom reports are a fantastic way to see exactly what I want to see and not a bunch of unnecessary info
Nachteile
it can be a little picky about the server it likes best. software updates need to be done one at a time, so if your IT misses a couple, you can't skip ahead.
Vorteile
Good accounting system to use in the construction industry. Accounts payables module is very efficient and ties in well with the General Ledger. Project management module is easy to use and to track commitments is a simple process
Nachteile
Occasionally we find certain functions that do not work well and have to contact Sage support. It is a little challenging when adjusting receivables especially when you have to void payments first and then later go back in and apply the payments again.
If I wasn't working such long and demanding hours, I would like to look into Sage University educational opportunities...as I do believe many questions I STILL have, could be answered there. ONE THING that would be useful, IMHO, would be a detailed listing of the online classes/tutorials that are available, and the list of topics/subjects that they deal with.