When it comes to accounting software, two brands, Sage and Pastel Software have become experts and dominate the market, making them the most preferred and most used accounting software across the globe

Notably, the Sage Division of Chips Computing Services, the Zimbabwean franchise, last month launched to the Zimbabwean market, a new product, Sage ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) X3, that is aimed at meeting the most elaborate business processes, while remaining cost-effective, quick to implement and simple to use.

On the same day it also launched Sage Retail, a fast software system for retail shops that is particularly ideal for companies with several branches that may or may not have wide area network communications.

Over 100 people from different industries attended the launch.

Addressing the delegates, the managing director of Sage Enterprise’s South African subsidiary, Softline Enterprise, Mr Jeremy Waterman, said business computing is moving from a desktop to a web environment.

Mr Waterman said this new product, Sage ERP X3 is designed as a web-based system, although it operates well with or without the use of the worldwide web. It is a real time system and fully web-compatible. It increases business insight, optimises business processes, streamlines operations, controls financial risks, boosts sales, grows a business, enhances collaboration and reduces costs.

Mr Waterman is also managing director of Softline ACCPAC.

Also speaking at the launch, Chips Computing Services managing director Rob Watson explained that Sage ERP X3 had been launched to feel the need within the market for this type of high-powered and more sophisticated system in comparison to the popular and commonly used Sage Line 500 and 1000.

Sage ERP X3 provides a complete range of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer resource management (CRM) solutions, Softline’s Sage ERP X3 sales director Keith Fenner, who was part of the four-man Softline team that came to Harare for the launch, said.

He further explained that Sage ERP X3 is a full-service enterprise management software system for medium sized to large businesses. Although designed for the mid-market internationally, he said it was intended for a company with a network of up to 1 000 computers, which he said would be a substantial enterprise in southern Africa.

The system provides business management solutions that can be easily implemented at multiple locations and in as many sales markets.

“It is multiple everything – multi-lingual, multi-legislation, multi-enterprise, multi-location, multi-warehouse and multi-currency – one single coherent system,” Mr Fenner said.

Chips Sage Division managing director Charles Kuyayama said Sage X3 had overcome the difficulties that users found with many other software packages and was designed to grow with a customer’s business.

The system optimises purchasing and replacement processes and is excellent, he said, for after-sales customer care. It integrates all the enterprise's information and business processes within one single software system and database, allowing users to have an extensive view of their activity in real time, no matter where data has been created or stored.

The system manages finance, sales, inventory, CRM, purchasing and manufacturing operations globally and streamlines all of the enterprise's processes.

In addition to manufacturing, distribution and accounting functions, Sage ERP X3 offers a set of core enterprise-wide features that help transform a business into a real-time, on demand organisation, responsive to the needs of customers.

Sage ERP X3 workflow enables companies to automate the flow of information within and outside a business based on company-specific work practices and procedures for handling important and exceptional events.

The system helps boost sales, increase inventory turns, manage project costs and profitability, reduce production costs and improve quality.

Sage ERP X3 is ideal, Mr Fenner said, for any line of business from pharmaceutical and life sciences, agriculture  and mining to food and beverages.

Among the examples he gave of major companies in Africa that are using Sage ERP X3, were steel, mining, plastics, chemical and medical companies.

The Sage Retail package launch was given a boost when a local clothing chain representative announced that his company had been impressed by it when it was demonstrated to it the day before by Softline retail division head Karl Wagner.

He said he would recommend any company with a branch network to attend the launch and watch Mr Wagner’s demonstration of its capabilities.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Wagner said Sage Retail was fast, easy to upgrade and included about 700 choices when doing an initial configuration. It was a point of sale system with provision for sales, quotations, lay‑bys, invoicing and credit notes. He demonstrated its use and impressive speed, especially at point of sale.

It was well-suited for companies with multiple branches, he said. All transactions went back to the head office. When on-line actual prices and stocks were reflected. The system could still be used when off-line. There was a company in South Africa with branches throughout Africa that was using it, he said. There were no individual user licences required.

Globally Sage has more than 5,8 million customers. It is the market leader in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe and South Africa. In Zimbabwe it has more than 100 clients.

upgraded version of Sage Line 500, Sage Line 500 Version 7.1 in order to make business processes easier.

It has also introduced Sage 1000 and Sage Line 500 Multi Currency.

The release of Sage Line 500 v 7.1 is a major release and was facilitated by the need to provide customers with enhanced finance, distribution, manufacturing and service functionality.

Among its features, Sage Line 500 v 7.1 has a General Ledger Transaction – Archiving that allows one to enter a cut off year and period, rather than the number of periods to save.

Purchase Order summary enquiry, another feature that comes with Version 7.1 has new sequencing options by alpha code, supplier and product code, while Accounts Payable and Purchase Order Processing checks for duplicate invoice numbers.

SOP Picking Lists and Dispatch Notes can also be printed in customer sequence and it is possible to move orders to dispatch note sent status without producing the dispatch note if it is not required.

A new selection option is also now available on Aged Creditors Report to make this a closer match to the Aged Debtors Report.

General Manager for Chips Sage Division Charles Kuyayama explained that Sage Line 500 v 7.1 was introduced after identifying areas for improvement through feedback from customers.

“Sage Line 500 v 7.1 was designed with the customer in mind, taking into consideration their increasing need for upgraded versions of accounting software in line with the advances in information technology.

“With v 7.1 the aim is to maximise customer satisfaction by providing significant incremental functionality that is applicable to a wide range of customers as well as making improvements to the usability of the product,” said Mr Kuyayama.

He said Sage Line 500 v 7.1 also had SOP Line insert which provides a functionality that allows one to insert additional order, invoice or credit note.

“The market place is changing and these changes have an impact on business processes, which our products aim to address,” said Mr Kuyayama.