A Guide to Switching Support Partners
Melissa Ferguson, Customer Success Manager, Percipient, looks at some
of the key things to evaluate when switching support partners.
When it comes to Sage Intacct, the right system support is key to optimising productivity, minimising friction, and ironing out any issues which might impede the quality or timeliness of financial reporting.
If you’re considering a change, or you’ve already made the decision to switch to a new support partner, take a look at our 10-step guide to a seamless transition.
Evaluate Key Criteria for Moving Support
Before making the switch, it’s important to identify precisely why you’re changing partners. Common themes include:
- A disproportionate reliance on tickets or overly automated approaches
- Lack of proactive support or slow response times
- Poor understanding of your business needs
- Lack of experience in your industry
- Misalignment in organisational values and approach
- High support costs with little value in return
Do Your Research
Finding the right Sage Intacct support provider involves more than just technical expertise. You’ll need to look at:
- Reputation & customer endorsements
The best support partners won’t need to sell their services, customer success stories and testimonials will do the talking for them - Industry expertise
Does the partner have experience in your sector? - Company values & cultural fit
Ensure their approach aligns with your organisation’s way of working - The people factor
Can you pick up the phone and talk to a trusted contact if you have an issue or do you have to log a ticket and await a response? - Certifications & Sage partnership level
Verify their official Sage Intacct accreditations - Scalability
Always choose a provider who can grow with your business needs
Review Terms
A full understanding of terms prevents unexpected costs and ensures a clean transition so always check your current agreement for:
- Notice periods and termination clauses
- Any potential exit fees
- Data ownership and access rights
Establish a Timeline
To ensure a seamless transition and minimise disruption, creating a well-structured timeline is important. This will need to factor in the following:
- The date when the old provider’s support ends
- Onboarding time required for the new provider
- Overlapping support period to ensure continuity
- A good service provider will collaborate with you to establish clear timelines and remain available to address any questions or concerns before service acceptance
Ensure Security & Data Access
Ensure a handover of the below from your old provider to the new provider:
- System access and administrative permissions
- API keys and integration credentials
- User access rights for employees and the new support team
- Ensure the old partner’s access is revoked once the transition is complete
Identify Open Support Cases & Custom Configurations
To avoid loss of critical information the handover will need to:
- Document all unresolved support tickets
- List any system customisations and third-party integrations
- Provide details of automation scripts or custom reports
Define Support Scope & SLAs
Before signing a new agreement, the following should be confirmed:
- Scope of support
What is included? Does it cover break/fix issues only or wider consultancy? - Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Response and resolution times for different priority levels - Communication and escalation paths
Who to contact and how urgent issues will be handled
Ensure Knowledge Transfer & Training Scope
To maximise the success of the new relationship, it’s paramount to:
- Arrange an onboarding session for your team
- Update internal documentation on new support processes
- Train key users on any new workflows or best practices
Prioritise Data Security & Compliance
In ensuring regulatory compliance, ensure your new service provider follows best practices as follows:
- Compliance with GDPR and other industry-specific regulations
- Regular data backups and disaster recovery procedures
- Strong cybersecurity policies to prevent unauthorised access
Establish a Relationship Management Framework
A strong relationship with your support partner is key to long-term success and should encompass the following:
- Regular performance reviews and check-ins
- Feedback on service levels and responsiveness
- Ensuring the service, they are providing continues to align with your business values and goals
A Case in Point
Lakeland Leisure Estates switched to Percipient from another provider to help maximise the value of its Sage Intacct investment. The move was based on Percipient’s credentials, experience and expertise in the hospitality industry as Finance Director Dan Fisher explains:
The team’s understanding of our industry, including the nuances, nuts and bolts of the sector, and best practice model, gave us immense confidence from the outset. The Percipient team were genuinely so easy to build a relationship with, bringing insight, and experience around the nuances of hospitality, ideas, friendship and laughter to the table throughout the project.
“We’re already looking forward to a health check session later this year, where we review how the system is working, and they make recommendations as opportunities present themselves.
“Sage Intacct, supported by Percipient, represents somewhat of a dream team, giving us as an organisation both the capabilities and the confidence to extract insights, generate meaningful, personalised reports, and run our business in the modern, innovative way we strive for.”
The Percipient Value
For further information on why Percipient is the right partner to support all your Sage Intacct needs, get in touch or call our support team on 01606 871332.
