Annual Maintenance - its that time of year

[Macoladownunder]

It is likely that our annual maintenance invoices are printing as we speak.

I represent a 150+ user Progression/Esynergy/WMS/EBA client. I attended Engage in 2007 and asked the executive 'where is the company going' with the software and what do we need to do to plan for it. Since the first Engage in October 2004 when we were shown the 'One X' slide deck, we have been presented a different plan every year. For me, this is way too dynamic to forecast the future for our company's system solutions.

When I look at what we have received this year as part of our maintenance contracts, I question the value received and to be received next year.

I have not asked Exact for a chance to reply on that as yet. It is only fair to do so.

I am meeting in Dallas next week with 2 other CIO's from significant global Exact customers. It is a summit to consider this issue and the future.

Exact management will be invited to attend.

If anyone would like to contribute, please do so and we will collate all of your queries into a 'please respond' to Exact management.

MacolaDownUnder
Aussies using Macola

 

[FSRit]

MDU,

How did your summit turn out? Did anyone from Exact show? I have similar questions for them when I go to Engage again this year in Vegas. We are a smaller shop of 35 users of Progression/eSynergy/Interconnect and seeing a bug fix release of 400b all year is not worth the money even we paid in maintenance fees.

 

[JayTheGeek]

I would like to follow up on this issue in hope that a few from this message board can put a unified message forward in Las Vegas.

I am new to the product (close to two years now with Macola ES/eSynergy) and have a fairly broad understanding of ERP systems and the challenges that the vendors face.

With respect to maintenance cost, that is an industry standard. I don't think any business planning to continue using an ERP product should pass on a maintenance contract. The deliverables are where our questions should be focused.

With my limited history, I do find cause to believe that Exact Software is working to improve their testing and delivery of patches and new releases.

I certainly understand the opinions of those with a longer history - I have seen the downside too. I don't find six or twelve months an appropriate time frame for fixes to critical business processes.

Most of my opinions are focused around communications and accountability. Exact Software, as a selected business partner of my company, should proactively communicate the status of repairs to their software that occur following bug reports that I have made. (just my opinion)

I am scheduled to attend MAC414 "Benefits of Participating in the Macola ES Controlled Release Program". That might be a good venue to follow up on these maintenance issues.

 

[FSRit]

Jay,

MDU and I are on Macola Progression not ES. They are positioning ES to be the Progrssion replacement and as such seem to be pushing users toward ES by slowing down (i.e. stopping) improvments to Progression. Exact is also still charging us at the same rate as when Progression was new and actively developed.

Having been around for a while, I understand there comes a time to EOL a package, but have a clearly defined timeline and procedure in place. I've seen this game played before by other companies and it only serves to allow the end user to consider other solutions when it is finally time to upgrade or move on.

 

[JayTheGeek]

Thanks for the clarification. I obviously rushed over that in the original post.

I agree with your points on EOL. Macola has an opportunity to lock in the progression customer base with no-cost/low-cost upgrade and a ‘solid’ migration plan. Failing on those two points, the Progression user base will be right to investigate alternatives.

Oddly enough, that is how we got into Macola. From Accpac for DOS there was no straight forward migration path. So we end up with a different product.

Best of luck to you both.

Jay

 

[Macoladownunder]

Hi Jay and FSRit,

Yes, the meeting occurred.

Jim Kent and PJ Bain met with us in Dallas. We were very appreciative of that higher level representation. Nonetheless, it was very confusing.

They shared with us many things that I can not disclose directly due to commitments we made at the meeting. I need to honour that.

But we were told we would be invited to Columbus to see proof of what they represented. That is to occur some time in January or February. That has not occurred as yet.

We remain confused. They may make some announcements at Engage, but quite frankly, the history of announcements and product roadmaps at Engage since 2004 have been totally misleading. I have all of the slide decks from the 3 that I attended - they are all different. I do not think I will attend this year as a result. I need to get their views from the Executive, not from marketing. Even then, it is confusing and surprising.

Your threads do not include mention of the Globe product. That should be in the mix - very much so.

Please consider where the main stream of revenue for the Exact company ( as listed on the Amsterdam exchange) is derived. Follow the revenue and who has most control of it when considering how this will all pan out. Remember, the North American operations were an acquisition and its model differs drastically from the rest of the group.

If we do not get the answers that we were promised by end of February, my obligation to remain silent on what occurred at our meeting, ceases. Stay tuned.

MDU.

MacolaDownUnder
Aussies using Macola

 

[randva]

It is the end of February.

I have read with interest all of your posts in this thread. Any further information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Macoladownunder]

Randva and others,
The day after I plcaed my last post, Exact contacted us to arrange the meeting that was committed. Quite a coincidence, don't you think?
Unfortunalely, we could not agree on a mutual time in our diaries to meet in person. But we are meeting via phone conference some time in the week of the 3rd March (next week). That is still being determined via email.
Before I can say any more on this topic, I must do the correct thing by Jim and PJ.
But that is not to say that you all could not ask to hear the same story as we are. We all pay maintenance. We all deserve to know the roadmap. Looking at the agenda for Engage, I see little that promotes the life of Progression, but also little that tells us where it is going. Hence, we are seeking that information via other means.
Raj's speech will be interesting, but my money is on Globe from that source. The NA division has a different story.
I will update this post with what I feel is OK to say after our phone meeting next week.




MacolaDownUnder
Aussies using Macola

 

[NeWTRoG]

It's Friday arvo AEDT.
Do you have an update for us on this thread as yet please mate?

NeWTRoG
One of the other Aussies using Macola

 

[Macoladownunder]

Hello all,
We participated in a phone conference this week with PJ Bain et al of Exact NA. We are very appreciative of that. There are some plans for the future. I can tell you that the plans we were presented did not include Globe as the option for Macola ES and Progression users for the future.
The plan is in its infancy (about a month old) that I do not wish to mislead anyone with stating what it is. But, that is not to say you can not ask Exact or your reseller yourselves. I doubt that your reseller would know the details either. I also doubt that it will have developed enough to be presented at Engage in Vegas next month.
From our company's perspective, we agreed to participate in the plan if Exact can confirm that the new vision will be a globally suitable solution, globally supported by all Exact offices irrespective of region. We also asked that a statement be provided, not limited to specifying the above, signed by the CEO in The Netherlands and the CEO in North America. Bottom line, if they can't agree to remove the global 'divides' on ERP development and support, we are going elsewhere in 2009.
This is the 4th version of the roadmap that I have heard in the last 4 years. We have stated in a response to this week's meeting that enough is enough and now it is time to get agreement, signatures and commitments. We have asked for that by 31st May 2008.
Good luck to you all in preparing your 3 years plans.

MacolaDownUnder
Aussies using Macola

 

[JayTheGeek]

Thanks for the update MDU.

As a Canadian customer, I think that I understand some of your focus. We may be 'geograhically' closer to Exact in Massachusetts and Ohio. Perhaps our VARs and Reseller benefit somewhat from that proximity. But there are distinct gaps between US and Canadian business - mostly Tax.

I have a plan to approach that Tax topic in Las Vegas next month and hopefully meet a few other Canadians who share these issues. I now understand that my plan would benefit from including a few other 'international' customers.

Thank-you for the insight. Hopefully if I am able to make some progress next month, a few of you may benefit when and if you make the ES choice.

Jay

 

[dgillz]

David,

ES is currently NOT an option for Australia is it? Exact literally will not let you buy it correct?

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

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[Macoladownunder]

Don. Correct. And we were told in November Globe will not be suitable. And from what we heard this week, why would we upgrade/convert to have to do it again soon.???

MacolaDownUnder
Aussies using Macola