• Did you know that slow performance, data loss or corruption could be your Sage 50 system telling you that you've outgrown it?

• Or perhaps it is telling you that a simple tidy up of unused data is all that is needed to increase performance.

• 

Answer the questions below to find our what your Sage 50 installation is telling you.

• • Q1. How many users access Sage 50 at the same time?

  • • a) Only 1
      b) 2 - 3
      c) 4+

  • • You answered: a) Only 1

      The likelihood of you having corrupt data in your system is low because your data is most likely stored on the same machine as your Sage 50 installation. You should consider backing up your data to an external source as if your computer was to break you could potentially lose all of your data.

      For more information please view our Why do I need a data strategy page, which shows you the importance of backing up your data and ways that it can be done.

    • You answered: b) 2 - 3

      As multiple users are accessing your data simultaneously you may encounter performance issues within your Sage system. This can be caused by large datasets, slowness on the network or virus scanning software. You are more at risk to data corruption when using a multi user system.

      For more information please view our Why do I need a data strategy? page, which shows you the importance of backing up your data and ways that it can be done.

    • You answered: c) 4+

      You are a high risk user of Sage 50 and it is likely that you experience slow performance when running reports and may also see anomalies in your data such as information disappearing or reports showing incorrect data.

      If you are suffering from any of the above or you are having other problems (such as needing more simultaneous users), then you may have outgrown Sage 50 and your best option would be to upgrade to Sage 200.

      Click here for more information on how Sage 200 can solve your Sage 50 problems.

• • Q2. How many transactions do you enter into Sage 50 in a month?

  • • a) Less than 100
      b) Less than 500
      c) More than 1,000
      c) More than 2,000

  • • You answered: a) Less than 100

      You are using the system within its means and are not overusing it with regards to the number of transactions you currently enter.

    • You answered: b) Less than 500

      You are using the system within its means and are not overusing it with regards to the number of transactions you currently enter. If this number is likely to increase you should be extra vigilant and think about putting some housekeeping routines in place.

      For more information please view our Why do I need a data strategy page, which shows you the importance of backing up your data and ways that it can be done.

    • You answered: c) More than 1,000

      You are entering a large amount of transactions into a database that is designed to run a small business – Are you really still a small business? With a large dataset you are likely to see data corruption unless you have a strict housekeeping policy and a robust networking solution. We recommend you look at housekeeping routines to help you keep your data corruption free.

      If you are suffering from any of the above or you are having other problems (such as needing more simultaneous users), then you may have outgrown Sage 50 and your best option would be to Upgrade to Sage 200.

      For more information please view our Why do I need a data strategy? page, which shows you the importance of backing up your data and ways that it can be done.

    • You answered: d) More than 5,000

      You are overusing the Sage 50 database and are very likely to encounter corruption at some point. Corrupt data can leave you without your accounts and stock data for anything between 1 day and 2 weeks – can your business afford this to happen?

      We recommend you ensure you have a robust housekeeping and backup policy in place. With the amount of transactions you enter every month you may have outgrown Sage 50 and should consider upgrading to Sage 200.

      Click here for more information on how Sage 200 can solve your Sage 50 problems.

• • Q3. Do you use a 3rd party piece of software linking to your Sage 50 system? (This may be a system that controls your invoicing or Sales order processes)

  • • a) Yes
      b) No

  • • You answered: a) Yes

      If your 3rd party software is posting a large number of transactions into your Sage 50 system we recommend you take regular backups and ensure you regularly run some of the housekeeping routines we have outlined here .

    • You answered: b) No

      Your Sage 50 system is at a lower risk of data loss or corruption than a system that is linked to 3rd party software. We still recommend you take regular backups and ensure you regularly run some of the Housekeeping routines we have outlined here .

• • Q4. How often do you backup your Sage 50 data?

  • • a) Every day
      b) Every week
      c) Once a month
      d) I don’t know how to take a backup

  • • You answered: a) Every day

      Well done, taking backups regularly is crucial to ensuring your business doesn’t suffer from data corruption or loss of data. Ensure your policy is not to overwrite existing backup files, using various mediums and always have a copy of your data externally from your machine for maximum protection.

    • You answered: b) Every week

      Well done for having a backup policy in place but are you backing up as regularly as you should be? If anything happened to your system can you afford to lose a week’s worth of data? If the answer is no, you should try and take daily backups on a variety of backup media to ensure your busy carries on running smoothly in the event of data loss or corruption. For advice improving your backup strategy click here .

    • You answered: c) Once a month

      Can you afford to lose a week’s worth of data? If the answer is no then we strongly recommend you take backups on a daily basis to ensure your business will run smoothly even in the event of data corruption or loss of data.

      For more information please view our why do I need a data backup strategy? page, which shows you the importance of backing up your data and ways that it can be done.

    • You answered: d) I don’t know how to take a backup

      Can you afford to lose all of the data stored in your Sage 50 system? If the answer is no then we strongly recommend you take backups on a daily basis to ensure your business will run smoothly even in the event of data corruption or loss of data.

      We recommend you look over our guide on backing up data and also our backup strategy guide. These guides will show you a step-by-step guide on backing up data, the different ways you can store data and much more.

      > Why do I need a Data Management Strategy
      > Data Management Strategy
      > Backing Up Data in Sage 50
      > Reindexing & Compressing Data Files in Sage50

      Click here for more information on how Sage 200 can solve your Sage 50 problems.

• • Q5. Have you ever experienced data corruption?

  • • a) Yes
      b) No

  • • You answered: a) Yes

      By experiencing data corruption you know how painful it can be to lose data. Click here to view our guide on how to avoid data corruption .

    • You answered: b) No

      The fact you haven’t experienced data corruption means your business is running Sage 50 as intended. To ensure your business can run efficiently even in the event of data corruption we recommend you implement a backup policy and putting housekeeping routines in place.

      > Why do I need a Data Management Strategy?
      > Data Management Strategy
      > Backing Up Data in Sage 50
      > Reindexing & Compressing Data Files in Sage50

• • Q6. How would you rate the speed of your Sage 50 system?

  • • a) It works fast and I have no problems at all with it.
      b) It generally works ok, but can be slow when I run reports.
      c) It is affecting my business as people cannot use Sage when running certain routines or running reports.

  • • You answered: a) It works fast and I have no problems at all with it.

      The fact your system works fast is a good sign, on face value you appear to have a fast and efficient system that shouldn’t cause you any problems in the near future. We believe that you are fine with Sage 50 and should continue as normal.

    • You answered: b) It generally works ok, but can be slow when I run reports.

      There could be a variety of reasons why your system is running slow. It could be down to the quality of your network, the volume of account or stock transactions or even your Anti-virus software.

      By having good housekeeping measures in place such as archiving old transactions and compressing your data at year end, tweaking your anti-virus software to not scan Sage 50 files on your server and employee computers and also ensuring your network meets the requirements of your business to help increase the speed of Sage 50.

      > Why do I need a Data Management Strategy? .

    • You answered: c) It is affecting my business as people cannot use Sage when running certain routines or running reports.

      There are potentially many reasons why you are experiencing slow performance with Sage 50 such as the your network, the volume of stock transactions or even your anti-virus software.

      By having good housekeeping measures in place such as archiving old transactions and compressing your data at year end, tweaking your anti-virus software to not scan Sage 50 files on your server and employee computers and also ensuring your network meets the requirements of your business to help increase the speed of Sage 50.

      > Why do I need a Data Management Strategy?
      > Data Management Strategy
      > Backing Up Data in Sage 50
      > Reindexing & Compressing Data Files in Sage50

      Slow performance could also be down to your business outgrowing Sage 50. It may be worthwhile looking into upgrading to Sage 200. Sage 200 solves many issues that you may have with Sage 50 and to see whether this is a viable option we can provide you with impartial advice on whether it is a worthy upgrade.

      > Read the benefits of upgrading to Sage 200 .

      Please contact us if you would like more information.

• • Q7. How many transactions are currently on your system? Tell me how?

  • • a) Less than 5,000
      b) Between 10,000 and 25,000
      c) Between 25,000 and 100,000
      d) More than 100,000

  • • You answered: a) Less than 5,000

      a) The amount of transactions on your system is fine and you shouldn’t be experiencing any performance issues within your system. By taking regular backups you are unlikely to be affected by data corruption due to over-entry.

    • You answered: b) Between 10,000 and 25,000

      You have a large volume of transactions in your system and as a consequence you may find some of your data is corrupt. If you do not currently have a housekeeping routine it may be worthwhile implementing one to ensure you get the maximum efficiency from your system. Click here to view our guide on implementing an effective housekeeping routine .

    • You answered: c) Between 25,000 and 100,000

      You have a large amount of transactions in your system and you are close to the limit that Sage 50 can support. Sage 50 uses a flat windows file structure and is not designed to hold such a large amount of data. Upgrading your system to Sage 200 may be the best alternative for you as you can store much more data than in Sage 50.

      > Read the benefits of upgrading to Sage 200 .

    • You answered: d) Over 100,000

      By having such a large amount of transactions on your system it is highly likely that you have experienced data corruption and you will know that this can bring your system to a standstill whilst under repair.

      The best option to ensure you safeguard yourself from future data corruption is to upgrade to Sage 200.

      > Read the benefits of upgrading to Sage 200 .

      Contact us today to see whether upgrading is a viable and necessary option for your business.

• • Q8. How many stock items do you have?

  • • a) Less than 500
      b) More than 500

  • • You answered: a) Less than 500

      Your current system can easily deal with the level of stock items you hold and you should be fine for the foreseeable future.

    • You answered: b) More than 500

      You may experience performance issues when running stock reports due to the level of products you offer. It is advisable you backup data and use good housekeeping to make your system more efficient.

      > Why do I need a Data Management Strategy? .

• • Q9. How many invoices do you print or send out per month?

  • • a) Under 100
      b) Over 100

  • • You answered: a) Under 100

      The amount of invoices you print and use suggests you are unlikely to overload your current system.

    • You answered: b) Over 100

      You may encounter performance issues when printing due to the volume of invoices you have in your system. If you do have any performance issues, it is advisable to backup your data and use good housekeeping procedures to make your system more efficient.

      View our guide on making your system more efficient:
      . > Reindexing & Compressing Data Files in Sage50

• • Q10. How many Sales / Purchase Orders do you raise per month?

  • • a) Less than 100
      b) Over 100
      c) Don't use the order module

  • • You answered: a) Less than 100

      The amounts of orders you print suggests you are unlikely to overload your current system.

    • You answered: b) Over 100

      You may encounter performance issues when printing due to the volume of orders you have in your system. If you do have any performance issues, it is advisable to backup your data and use good housekeeping procedures to make your system more efficient.

      View our guide on making your system more efficient:
      . > Reindexing & Compressing Data Files in Sage50

    • You answered: c) Don't use the order module

      You don’t use sales or purchase orders so therefore it is unlikely you will see corruption within the stock side of your system.

• Q11. Please mark the below questions out of 5 on how they would benefit your business if they were implemented into Sage 50. (One being of no importance to you and 5 being important)

• • • 1) Multiple stock locations and the ability to use warehouses or depots.
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 2) Faster access to data without waiting for reports or the system to complete tasks.
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 3) Cost centre and department breakdown.
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 4) The ability to use traceable stock items / batch items.
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 5) Period control within accounts (the ability to choose if you want to close a period off properly).
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 6) A Purchase order authorisation process.
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        
  • • 7) A back to back ordering system (the ability to create a purchase order automatically when raising a sales order).
    • • 1
        
      • 2
        
      • 3
        
      • 4
        
      • 5
        

• AboutYou.

• Please provide us with the minimum of contact details so we can help advise you on your results to the above survey. If you would require any additional information or would like to discuss your options with your current Sage 50 installation further, please contact one of our Sage Specialists on 0800 0433 106.

  • • Your Name:
  • • Your Email Address:
  • • Your Company Name:
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