Sage 50 is an incredibly versatile entry-level accounting package that’s widely used within the UK. It provides small businesses with a software solution that’s capable of managing their overall business operations, including Accounts, HR, Payroll and Manufacturing. It does, however have its limitations.
Rapid business development, expanding product ranges, increasing employee numbers, and frequent trading with oversees customers can put pressure on the capabilities of Sage 50 and cause issues.
Common signs that a business has outgrown Sage 50:
- Slow, error-prone processes – As data mounts up in Sage 50, it’s not uncommon to experience time-delays and system crashes.
- Data errors and corruption – Mounting data can also lead to data errors. Whilst data can be recovered, it can lead to system downtime, which is not only frustrating but leads to time consuming delays.
- Struggling with off-premise access – Sage 50 is an on-premise solution and can’t be easily accessed off-premise. This can be an issue as a business grows and can hinder productivity. Remote working is also more important now than ever before and being able to access your systems anytime and anywhere is a priority.
- Limited multi-company capabilities – Whilst it’s possible to have multiple companies in Sage 50, each company is held separately from one another. As businesses grow, they can become difficult to manage with Sage 50.
- Employee numbers – You have an increasing number of employees that use and need access to Sage software.
If your business is struggling with any of these issues, then migrating from Sage 50 to Sage 200 Standard will probably be the best option for you.
Why migrate to Sage 200 Standard?
Sage 200 Standard is perfect for businesses that have outgrown Sage 50 but aren’t quite ready for Sage 200 Professional. Sage 200 Standard is the entry-level version of the Sage 200 product range and is a powerful, easy to use, and popular choice for businesses wanting to manage their accounts online.
The key benefits of Sage 200 Standard:
- Online – Sage 200 Standard is a cloud-based accounting solution. This negates the need for servers and allows access to data anytime and anywhere – all that’s needed is an internet connection.
- SQL Database – Sage 200 Standard is built on a more robust database that can handle more users and transactions.
- Multi-stock Location – Within Sage 50, users are limited to one warehouse/stock location. Sage 200 Standard supports multiple warehouse locations as well as multiple bin locations within each warehouse. Transferring stock between locations is also quick and easy.
- Improved Month End Processing – With Sage 50, many month end tasks have to take place outside the system. Sage 200 Standard allows greater control over month end processes with period end management, closed period accounting and automatic bank feeds.
- Customisable Reporting – Sage 50 offers a single-tier nominal structure. Sage 200 Standard offers a 3-tier nominal structure that allows you to further analyse and evaluate data.
- Back-to-back Ordering – Sage 200 Standard allows purchase orders to be created from a sales order, meaning both are linked together so when stock arrives it is automatically allocated to the sales order.
- Multi-company – Companies within Sage 50 are held separately from one another, which can make data difficult to manage as the businesses grow. Within Sage 200 Standard, the intercompany module and inbuilt consolidation tool helps to automate and streamline group reporting.
- Foreign Currency Management – Sage 200 Standard allows users to set up foreign currency bank accounts and enter both customer and supplier invoices in any currency. Exchange rates are managed within the system, allowing complete control over foreign currency transactions.
Why migrate to Sage 200 Standard with Onesys?
A Sage 50 upgrade is not something to fear. Many organisations assume that migrating data from one system to another will be a long and costly process, however at Onesys we take pride in making the process as simple as possible and keeping costs to a minimum.
We understand that data is businesses’ number one asset, therefore keeping downtime to a minimum is a key consideration within our system upgrade projects.
We have many years’ experience in helping Sage 50 customers upgrade to Sage 200 and are ideally placed to discuss and agree the best way to migrate your data into Sage 200 Standard. We can assist with the extraction and import of your data, as well as data cleansing and restructuring.
If you’d like to speak to us about migrating from Sage 50 to Sage 200 Standard, please call us on 01423 330335 or email us at
sales@onesys.co.uk