Study reveals top reasons for switching ERP providers

- 36 percent want to reduce IT costs and maintenance
- 28 percent believe that superior or cheaper alternatives are available
- 25 percent want more flexible access to their business information, including via mobile devices
- 24 percent want to streamline and automate manual business processes
- 19 percent believe their on-premise solution is unable to handle its finances and scale with their company's growth

These reasons all point towards the need for a cloud-based ERP system that frees organisations from the challenges typically associated with on-premise systems such as costly software updates, a lack of mobility and disparate systems. Despite this obvious need to move to the cloud, the research also revealed that almost half (44 percent) of the respondents using Sage ERP don't believe Sage has a strategy to get them into the cloud.

The study, sponsored by NetSuite, was conducted by YouGov UK earlier in 2013. It questioned 531 ERP decision makers (including CFOs and finance directors), 187 of which use Sage and 441 of which are using on-premise ERP systems, in UK businesses with 50 to 1,000 employees. Seventy percent of the respondents were at the Director level or higher.

"Using software that was originally developed before the Internet age is a sure way to stifle your growth ambitions. The reasons these companies give for moving away from their existing provider points straight towards the need for a cloud-based solution," said Pete Daffern, President of NetSuite EMEA & EVP of Verticals. "Finance leaders need to break free of the constraints of their legacy applications to find new ways to drive efficiency and reliability, whilst scaling for growth."

These results come at a time when NetSuite has taken first place in the Best Financials and ERP Software category in AccountingWEB's Software Satisfaction Awards 2013. UK software users chose NetSuite for the ERP crown over seven other shortlisted entries including Sage 200, Microsoft Dynamics GP and SAP Business One due to NetSuite's comprehensive functionality and sophistication, as well as its high quality customer support.

Ambitious businesses see scalable, reliable and automated solutions and processes as a must as they apply their energy and focus to growth. Technology which is unable to meet these demands and support strategic goals will seriously constrain operations and expansion. NetSuite enables businesses to transform their performance by taking their systems online, and manage their operations end-to-end with one integrated cloud-based application—from accounting, inventory and sales through to customer support and commerce.

Award-winning companies such as international taxi app Hailo, children's travel product manufacturer and retailer Trunki, Siracom, SOI Group, Islabikes and Blitz Sport have all successfully moved from Sage on-premise offerings to NetSuite's integrated cloud-based solutions over the last year. They did so to lower costs, streamline key business processes, boost productivity and competitiveness; and joined the more than five-hundred organisations which have done the same.

NetSuite