Sage Software — Sage MAS 90 & 200 ERP

From the Sept. 2008 Review
of Mid-Range Accounting Systems

Sage MAS 90 and 200 ERP is an accounting and financial management product line
designed primarily for mid-sized businesses. A mature product, Sage MAS 90 and
200 has continued its tradition of providing all types of businesses with a
scalable product that can grow as the business grows. The latest version release
(4.3) contains numerous system upgrades and enhancements designed to provide
users with better integration and improved usability.

Ease of Use/Transaction Entry – 5 Stars
The Sage MAS 90 and 200 Desktop provides access to all installed product modules,
and is fully customizable, allowing users to choose the views they want. The
user interface screen contains a drop-down menu at the top with a toolbar to
the right. The ‘My Tasks’ panel to the left of the screen offers
access to various system features along with system modules. Data-entry screens
use customizable grids, allowing users to view only the fields they need with
field-specific lookup options to speed data entry. Browse options are available,
and data is easily navigated.

Other data-entry options include the grid buttons, which allow users to insert,
delete or move between rows. The right-click feature provides access to system
information, form settings and any related tasks. Sage MAS 90 and 200 utilizes
both real-time and batch processing for transactions so users can opt to utilize
the batch feature when there are numerous transactions to enter.

Modules & Notable Features- 5 Stars
Sage MAS 90 and 200 core accounting modules include GL, AP, AR, Bank Reconciliation
and Fixed Assets. A host of other modules are also available for a variety of
industries, including Distribution, Manufacturing, Time and Project Management,
Customer Relationship Management, Human Resource Management, Business Intelligence,
and eBusiness.

As previously noted, Version 4.3 of Sage MAS 90 and 200 offers quite a few
system upgrades and updates. Some of these new features include a more user-friendly
Business Insights Dashboard; an enhanced Paperless Office feature that now provides
a wider variety of electronic documents, forms and reports; enhanced Payroll
and Accounts Payable Tax Reporting functionality; and a Direct Deposit option
that is now available as an add-on payroll feature. The Business Insights Explorer
offers key new views and charting capabilities. Specific module enhancements
are extensive and include the ability to view a warning on all entered sales
discounts, the ability to search the system for shipping status, and the reduction
in the number of screens needed to process forms and reports.

Integration/Import/Export- 5 Stars
Sage MAS 90 and 200 modules are designed for integration and ease the ability
to purchase only the modules currently needed with the option to add on as the
business demands. Sage Software also offers an extensive line of industry-specific
products that integrate with the core accounting module along with numerous
third-party applications that can interface with Sage MAS 90 and 200.

Those looking to upgrade to the more powerful Sage MAS 200 will have no issues,
as data is interchangeable between systems. Sage MAS 90 and 200 ERP also supports
numerous data formats for both import and export capability, including Excel,
XML, *.CSV and ASCII. Data can also be exported to Word or PDF for more flexibility.
The Visual Integrator, found in the Business Intelligence module, provides seamless
integration between Sage MAS 90 and 200 and any ODBC-compliant application.

Reporting – 5 Stars
Sage MAS 90 and 200 offers excellent reporting options with reports that are
easily modified to suit the user’s needs. Version 4.3 of Sage MAS 90 also
features improved financial reporting options such as better report selection
criteria and increased formatting options. For more comprehensive customization,
users can utilize Crystal Reports or one of the other options available, such
as the Business Insights Reporter (which quickly produces high-quality reports),
the FRx Desktop (which allows custom formatting options), or F9 (which produces
user-defined spreadsheet reports). And as previously noted, the new Business
Insights Explorer provides inquiry and analysis functionality that leads to
the discovery of crucial information across the business that can then be turned
into actionable knowledge.

Support/Training/Help – 5 Stars
Varying levels of support plans are available including Gold, Silver and Silver
Plus. All Silver and Gold plan levels offer unlimited telephone and e-mail support
along with access to the online Knowledgebase. Basic and Basic Plus subscription
plans offer product upgrades, updated tax tables and support on a per-case basis.
All Plus level plans also offer access to Sage Software’s Anytime Learning,
the vendor’s on-Demand training service. The excellent Help function will
guide new users through everything from program customization to entering data
and reporting.

Relative Value – 5 Stars
Sage MAS 90 is an excellent accounting system that can easily grow with a business.
More robust versions of the product can be found in Sage MAS 200 and Sage MAS
500, and users can easily upgrade to either without losing data. Scalable and
flexible, Sage MAS 90 and 200 is an excellent piece in the Sage Software family
of products. Cost for Sage MAS 90 is $3,800 and up, depending on configuration
and number of concurrent users.

2008 Overall Rating: 5 Stars