Business Checks

Sage Advice and Information

July 2006
by Margot Carmichael Lester

Barbara Parent hasn’t made a move without Sage Software’s Peachtree Accounting software since the product hit the market in 1976.

“I’ve used it at a swimming pool company, a home-improvement company and a mineral supply retail company,” she says. Parent currently uses the software at Control Concepts & Technology Corp., an off-shore safety control systems service company in Maurice, La. “I have to be able to trust my numbers,” Parent says. “And that’s why I’ve stayed with it.”

That kind of customer loyalty is the hallmark of Peachtree’s developer, Sage Software. “Our focus is on the customer,” says Doug Meyer, president of Sage Software’s small business division. The Gwinnett County-based division distributes Peachtree Accounting and the company’s other marquee products, ACT!, a contact management solution, and Timeslips, a time- and billing-management tool. “We believe there is nothing better for our business than a customer who will recommend our software.”

Founded in Atlanta as Peachtree Software, the company moved to Norcross in 1985 and was acquired by U.K.-based Sage Group PLC in 1999. The small business division employs 650 people in Gwinnett County and expanded to a new technology pavilion at 1715 N. Brown Road in Lawrenceville that can accommodate 1,000.

The division brought in about one-third of Sage’s $586 million in North American revenues for 2005. That’s not bad considering its deep-pocketed competitors. Intuit, makers of Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax, saw revenues grow 13 percent to $2.04 billion last year. Microsoft, developer of Outlook, posted 8 percent growth for revenues of a staggering $39.79 billion in the same period.

“Sage’s biggest challenge could be sim-ply the competition in the marketplace,” notes Judy Thornell, president of Bayteck, an authorized Peachtree Software Resource Center in Las Vegas. “The market is always changing so companies have to stay ahead by understanding what customers need. Sage always does that.”

Sage delivers the features users need, but its real competitive advantage, Meyer says, is service after the sale.

“The biggest difference between us and most technology companies is tech support,” he explains. “Theirs is horrible. We view it as a core competency. We have invested in providing a high-quality customer support experience.”

And that investment is paying off. Sage’s small business support center has held Support Center Practices certification since 2001. The designation is given by Service Strategies Corporation to companies that exhibit best practices in customer support.

“In business software, it’s not network issues,” Meyer explains. “It’s how can you help me get more out of software. How can I apply this software to this process? It’s more than break-fix; our customers want advice on how to be more productive.”

Peachtree and ACT! are building on their success. Peachtree Quantum Accounting, a higher end enterprise product, debuted in June. “This is for those businesses that are outgrowing the capabilities of Peachtree,” Meyer says. Two years ago, ACT! introduced a more powerful and scalable platform that made it more useful to businesses.

“We’re capitalizing on exciting customers in a way that allows them to move up seamlessly without learning a new product or database,” he continues. “It’s a terrific growth opportunity.”

Parent can’t wait for the upgrade. She tested the beta version of Peachtree Quantum. “It was really nice being able to be a part of the process,” she says. “They listen. And I know that as long as you are truly listening to your customers, you’ll be successful.”