Custom dashboards / integration with Sage

[ses1]

Hi, I work for a software company and I've been asked for advice from someone who runs a business with several premises setup as different companies (all in the same sector) and around 200 employees . They are currently using Sage Cloud 50 and want to get information across all companies aggregated in one place with custom dashboards etc. and are thinking of going down the bespoke software route. Currently they pull the data out of Sage somehow into an Excel spreadsheet to get the report format they want.

I don't know a lot about this stuff as we don't really work much with accounting software, but my gut feeling is they probably need a different Sage package (that may be able to offer better reporting). Also I'm not convinced the business structure is quite right yet for them to consider getting software built that brings everything together. My recommendation to them would be to hire someone (either on a contract or full time basis) to look after their IT that knows about plumbing existing software together rather than outsource to a software company to build something new. Part of the problem is I don't think they really know what they want and they need someone to work with them to figure that out. It's certainly not a project our company would be suited to get involved with.

Just interested in your thoughts on the best way forward for them as I think they are hoping I can point them in the direction of a quick and easy solution.

 

[johndon68]

Sage 50 comes with an ODBC driver which, whilst not directly supported by Sage, does allow for data to be extracted in to something like Excel or, indeed any other software that is ODBC compliant.

If they were to go for another Sage package you'd be looking at Sage 200 but it is, as a rough comparison, 10 times the price of Sage 50. If does have an MSSQL database so, again, data can be extracted but to do so, you'd need a good knowledge of the underlying database tables which are more complicated than those in Sage 50.

I've done a couple of custom dashboards for clients with Sage 50 using .NET and ODBC

John

 

[ses1]

Sage 50 comes with an ODBC driver which, whilst not directly supported by Sage, does allow for data to be extracted in to something like Excel or, indeed any other software that is ODBC compliant.

If they were to go for another Sage package you'd be looking at Sage 200 but it is, as a rough comparison, 10 times the price of Sage 50. If does have an MSSQL database so, again, data can be extracted but to do so, you'd need a good knowledge of the underlying database tables which are more complicated than those in Sage 50.

I've done a couple of custom dashboards for clients with Sage 50 using .NET and ODBC

John

Thanks that's interesting to know - I'd originally assumed the only way to communicate with Sage 50 'Cloud' would be an API but it seems it's not actually cloud based nor does it have much of an API? They seem convinced everything they use is 'in the cloud'. But from what I've read and what you're saying the ODBC driver seems a good option.

They want live / real time updating dashboards that are web based. In your experience is this doable with Sage 50 and ODBC?

 

[johndon68]

The ‘cloud’ part of the name relates solely to some add on functions that work with Office 365.

While there is a read/write API for Sage it is only available to members of their developers program and, for data extraction is slower than the ODBC.

‘Live’ depends on the data that is required and how large the datasets are. The ODBC driver only exists as Sage use it for their own report writer, it was never meant to be used by third parties so parts of aren’t optimised very well and some data extracts can be quite slow.

 

[ses1]

OK thanks for pointing me in the direction of ODBC - I hadn't thought of that and it could be a viable option for them, but perhaps not ideal for a long term piece of bespoke software they want to build alongside their business.

The more I look into it the more I am convinced that despite the significant additional costs Sage 200 (or an existing third-party product that already encapsulates the ODBC integration for better reporting) might be the way for them to go.

Comparing the costs, in the short term Sage 200 actually makes a lot of sense especially as they have just received a significant round of funding and are growing their business further.

In the long-term the pay-off of having a bespoke solution may work in their favour, but then there is more safety / security in them going with Sage (or transitioning to another major accounting software). As I say I don't think it's really something our company can help out with as it seems like a long term commitment that would tie up our staff. I think they need to employ the services of someone who is more of an expert in this field that can work alongside them and help devote their time to getting the solution they want.

 

[ses1]

Does anyone else have any experience of taking the plunge with Sage 200 or other software and can offer any insight? Does it offer much more scope for better reporting, customisable dashboards etc.?

Particularly interested whether it works well for those that operate a chain of companies looking to get data about them all in one place.

 

[johndon68]

If you don't know how the database tables link together then Sage 200 is no better for reporting or dashboards than Sage 50 and, as I mentioned the table links are a lot more complex in 200 than 50.

You might want to take a look at these guys who do dashboards for both Sage 50 and Sage 200:

Roveel - ANY Report You Want

Transform your Sage or Xero data into dynamic, vibrant dashboards & reports. Gain instant insights into cash flow, credit control, sales, and more.

roveel.com

Disclaimer, whilst I don't have anything to do with the company now, I did do some consulting work for them a number of years ago when they were looking to integrate with Sage 50.

 

[ses1]

Thanks. I'll pass on the link.

What I'm getting at with a Sage upgrade is as I understand it there is better reporting features in Sage 200 including integration with Power BI. To me that would be a better way to have custom built dashboards accessible online especially if there business is already outgrowing Sage 50. Then there is no bespoke element really needed. But like I say I don't know enough about this area so I could be wrong about that.