Would you ever choose a medical professional with “experience in the field” but who is not certified as an M.D.? Probably not. Even if that person is well intentioned, and has a working stethoscope and a copy of a Physician’s Desk Reference, you would probably decide they are not suitably qualified to make quality recommendations for your medical care.
The same could be said of software consultants.
Nonprofits often spending months evaluating specialized accounting solutions before investing in a system. They carefully compare systems, evaluate costs, and weigh a product’s features against their needs. They invest time and precious funds to getting it just right. And they should—accurate financial reports are critical to managing a nonprofit, winning and keeping precious grants, even staying in line with the law. Few would argue that it’s a casual decision.
Yet once they have just the right system in place, sometimes nonprofits choose to contract with independent “consultants” on their accounting systems. These consultants market their services to Sage clients, even though they have no real affiliation with Sage. Sage employees cannot vouch for these freelancers because they are not in our programs, and often are not even on our radar. Unfortunately, the typical way we hear about them is via customer support when a client is frustrated with the service that they received.
The truth is product certification matters. Often unaffiliated consultants claim a range of product expertise, and maybe they really do have a great deal of experience with the product. However, product experience is not the same as certification. How do you know that someone is an actual expert? Certification is our way of letting our customers know how to find the real experts.
Every Sage Software Certified Consultant goes through a comprehensive certification process that covers advanced functionality of the product, including installation, importing, and customization. Each must spend a week at our corporate headquarters working directly with us to train on the product. They are then rigorously tested by Sage on their knowledge of the product and awarded certification only upon passing the exams. Furthermore, each consultant in our program is also required to stay up to date on the product after each release. Consider Fund Accounting, with over 20 modules, and its multiple product releases a year, and you quickly see that this is no small level of proven expertise.
So, if you find yourself at the receiving end of a sales pitch for training or consulting on your Sage system, look for the Authorized Business Partner logo. You can also visit our website for a list of certified Sage Business Partners or you can also call us directly to confirm an individual is certified or request a referral. You would not put your own life in the hands of a freelancer. Don’t put the heart of your nonprofits finances in the hands of one either!
Christina Cockerham
Strategic Growth Account Manager
Sage Nonprofit
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