How to choose a Sage Intacct implementation partner: what to look for in a reseller

Two construction companies can buy the same Sage Intacct Construction license and end up in very different places, and the implementation partner is usually why. Look for consultants who have worked in construction, honest answers during the sales process, a staged first year, and support that continues after go-live.

We are a Sage partner, and we specialize in helping guide construction firms of all shapes and sizes. Audra Speth and Troy Guevara explain what to ask before you sign with anyone.

Look for construction experience

Start with a simple question: Who on the proposed implementation team has actually worked in construction?

Ask whether the consultants have worked as construction controllers, CFOs, project managers, estimators, or owners. Knowing how to configure a general ledger is useful. However, direct construction experience helps a consultant understand how money, work, and risk move through your business.

A consultant who understands construction will not ask you to explain the difference between conditional, unconditional, partial, and final lien waivers. They will recognize that terms such as “task” can mean different things across trades. They will also discuss job costing, project management, estimating, and AP workflows using language your team understands.

This experience matters because implementation decisions rarely affect accounting alone. A change to one workflow can affect field teams, project managers, estimators, and executives.

You should also verify the partner's experience with the specific product you plan to use. Sage Intacct Construction is different from standard Sage Intacct, so experience implementing Sage Intacct alone is not enough. Some companies buy the standard product expecting construction job costing. Others buy the correct product but receive an implementation that fails to use its construction capabilities.

Look for construction advisors who also know the software, not software dealers who happen to sell to construction companies.

As Troy explains, “I told the previous CEO, ‘Right now, you're an Intacct dealer that sells construction. When we do this right, you'll be a construction dealer that also sells Intacct.’”

Evaluate the partner during the sales process

Do not wait until implementation to learn how a partner handles difficult conversations. The sales process will usually tell you what to expect.

Pay attention to what the partner says about timing, process, and the work your company will need to do. Ask which parts of an implementation are usually difficult, where projects tend to stall, and what your team must be prepared to change.

A credible partner will not make the project sound effortless. Sage Intacct Construction will change how your company operates, and your team will need to participate throughout the implementation. You will need to make decisions about job and entity structures, complete testing and training, and make adjustments after the first month-end close.

That honesty protects both sides. When the partner sets clear expectations during the sales process, the services team can focus on the implementation. When the sales pitch promises nothing but ease and speed, the implementation team must correct those expectations after the contract is signed.

Pay attention to how the partner discusses change as well. Implementations tend to go more smoothly when the client is willing to reconsider old processes and the partner assigns the right people to guide that work. Even good software will not produce the expected results if no one is willing to examine the processes around it.

The most realistic sales conversation may be less exciting than the easiest pitch. That is often a good sign.

Assess whether your company is ready

Sometimes the right implementation decision is “not yet.”

A good partner will ask whether your accounting team has enough people and time to implement, operate, and maintain Sage Intacct Construction. Revenue alone does not answer that question. A large contractor may still lack the internal capacity required to support a new system.

The number of entities can provide a clearer sign of complexity. With two entities, intercompany accounting may be simple enough to manage manually. With three or more, errors in intercompany entries can begin to accumulate, and a consolidated view across the organization becomes more valuable. Entity complexity is still only half of readiness. The other half is whether you have the people to run the system once it is live.

A trustworthy partner will point you to a smaller step first. For example, if remote access is the main problem, a company using Sage 100 Contractor can often host its existing product and allow employees to work from anywhere.

This separates two decisions that companies often combine: where the software runs and whether the company needs a new system.

A good partner should also advise against moving from Sage 100 Contractor to Sage 300 CRE when Sage Intacct Construction is the intended destination. That interim step costs a full migration and leaves you no closer to what you actually need.

In some cases, the right recommendation is to scale back. One customer moved away from Sage Intacct Construction after its transaction volume declined during an economic downturn. Keeping the company on a system that no longer fit its needs would not have served the customer.

Readiness is a practical assessment of what your company needs and can support today. It is not a judgment about the quality or potential of your business. A partner who is willing to delay a sale is showing that the long-term relationship matters more than the immediate transaction.

Ask how the partner will stage the first year

You can see what the whole system does, and you will want all of it. A good implementation partner sees it too, and still knows when to say no.

Ask these questions:

• Which capabilities will you deliberately hold back?
• What should be included in phase one?
• How will you use the first entity as the foundation for the second?

Most companies should begin with accounting. Once the accounting foundation is stable, you can move into later phases involving operations, payroll, service, CRM, or estimating. Introducing every capability at once can divide your team's attention when focus matters most.

Even so, the first entity should be designed with the rest of the organization in mind. Its workflows, structure, and controls will become the foundation for later phases.

This is especially important in construction, where privately held businesses, ESOPs, and other ownership structures often include multiple legal and operating entities. Your partner should understand how those entities fit together while treating each one as a separate implementation.

The core workflow may carry forward, but the partner should not copy it without reviewing how each entity operates. The implementation team should confirm where the common model applies and account for valid differences. Templates should reduce repeat work without overlooking the details that make each entity different.

A staged approach also allows entities to remain on their legacy systems until their implementation begins. Your partner can implement and train one entity before moving to the next. This reduces the pressure of forcing the entire organization through the transition at the same time.

Plan for the relationship after go-live

Implementation may end at go-live, but learning continues. Your team will see how the system works in daily use, identify workflows that need improvement, and decide which capabilities to add next.

Before signing, ask who you will call after go-live. The answer you want is a name: someone who knows your company and is still picking up the phone a year after the contract closed.

With Sage 100 Contractor and Sage 300 CRE, some maintenance and support may come directly from Sage, while the business partner handles issues outside standard product support. Do not assume Sage Intacct Construction follows the same model. Regardless of how responsibilities are divided, you should have one clear first point of contact and a partner who will coordinate with Sage when necessary.

Post-go-live support for Sage Intacct Construction should begin with the basics. Is reporting working as expected? Is month-end becoming easier? Is your team comfortable using the system?

The answers should determine what happens next. A confident team may be ready to move external reporting into Sage Intacct Construction or consider equipment management, AP automation, AI, or Copilot capabilities. A team that is still struggling may need to revisit core workflows before adding anything else. Renewal dates should not determine whether your team is ready.

This is where the value of a long-term partner becomes clear. A lasting partner will help you plan the next year, assess which entities are ready, and introduce each new phase at a manageable pace.

Discovery Land provides an example of this long-term approach. Its program began with more than 400 entities using products that included Sage 50, Sage 100 Contractor, and Sage 300 CRE. The program is approaching seven years, with the final two or three entities still waiting to be completed.

At that scale, shared structures create efficiency. However, each entity still needs individual attention, training, and a clear path into Sage Intacct Construction.

A good partner also continues learning from your team. Software and construction expertise do not replace the knowledge of the people who understand your business best.

You are buying an ongoing relationship with a partner who understands your company, helps determine when to add the next capability, and keeps planning with you after the original implementation team has gone home.

On your next partner call, listen for construction knowledge and a practical rollout plan. Pay close attention to whether the partner is willing to tell you when your company is not ready. If the partner cannot discuss lien waivers and job costing without asking you to explain the basics, tries to sell the whole buffet before you have built the accounting foundation, or never says “not yet,” keep looking.