Sage Intacct Construction is cloud-based, but switching ERPs is not the only way to put your accounting system on the web. A hosting partner can move your current Sage 100 Contractor or Sage 300 CRE environment to an offsite server that you reach through a browser. Cloud access and ERP replacement are separate decisions, and your company can make them years apart.
We host these secure offsite servers and implement Sage Intacct Construction. For this article, we brought in Audra Speth, Troy Guevara, and Mohammed Ali to explain everything about the cloud.
You do not have to move to Sage Intacct Construction to get to the cloud
Audra takes calls constantly from construction firms that want off an on-premises accounting system. Most are looking for relief from the work and cost of maintaining their own servers and software. Or, they just want to have flexibility in where they can work from.
Sage 300 CRE is an on-premises product, but a hosting partner can move the existing environment to an offsite server and give employees access over the web. The company continues using the same software through a different access method. Hosting does not turn Sage 300 CRE into Sage Intacct Construction. It gives companies web access without requiring them to change their accounting system and daily routines at the same time.
A lot of people want to get to the cloud but aren't actually ready for Intacct — that's an easy solution: they don't have to go to Intacct to get to the cloud. We can host them. They stay on their existing on-prem product, but we put them in an offsite, hosted environment. They don't even realize they've "gotten to the cloud" — they're just accessing their same software over the web. The insecurity people feel about being in the cloud gets lifted by about six months sitting in a hosted environment. Interacting with it over the web seems simplistic, but for users who've only ever been on-prem, it's a big step. Once they're comfortable there, the transition to Intacct gets much easier, and I can start showing them what Intacct can really do. After that point I bring in our ERP advisor for the high-level Intacct demo.
Audra Speth · Customer Success ManagerOnce cloud access is separated from ERP replacement, the next question is what your company needs from each.
What construction CFOs ask us
For controllers and CFOs, questions about the cloud quickly lead to questions about security.
Not all of them really know this but they all want to know it is secure.
Troy Guevara · Construction TechnologistYou need to know how your people get into the system, how your data is protected, and where that data actually sits. Prospective implementation or hosting partners should explain their environment and security responsibilities in plain terms. Cloud and hosted arrangements differ, so keep asking questions if a partner gives vague answers or makes broad claims about “the cloud.” Customer references provide another useful check. Many construction leaders want proof that another contractor has successfully made the same move, preferably a company that started with a similar accounting system, team structure, and set of concerns.
Choosing the right product is also important. Sage Intacct Construction is different from standard Sage Intacct. General searches often return information about Sage Intacct, so contractors should confirm that they are evaluating Sage Intacct Construction.
Apply the same standard when choosing a partner. Look for a firm with specific experience implementing Sage Intacct Construction, not just standard Sage Intacct. The right partner should understand construction accounting and the systems contractors use, including Sage 100 Contractor, Sage 300 CRE, Sage Estimating, and Sage Intacct Construction.
A partner who has only read about retainage will learn it on your implementation.
Why the change is harder than a feature comparison suggests
Moving from Sage 300 CRE to Sage Intacct Construction affects the employees who use the accounting system every day. People who have spent years working in Sage 100 Contractor or Sage 300 CRE know where to find information and how to complete their work, so a different system represents a larger change than a comparison chart can show.
Mohammed Ali compares the transition to replacing older technology with the tools a new generation of employees expects to use:
Imagine you hire three college kids to come work for you. They all have accounting degrees — and then you hand them Nokia cell phones where they have to text on number pads. They're going to hate their job. It's going to be slow, it's going to be foreign to them. So if you're planning on your company being around in the next 10 to 15 years, you've got to give them iPhones. That's the same leap as moving from a system like 100 or 300 into Intacct.
Mohammed Ali · ERP AdvisorA modern cloud ERP brings a different operating model. The screens are only one part of that change, and your company can take its time getting there.
The benefits of a new ERP will only matter if the company understands the problems it needs to solve. If the server remains dependable and current workflows still fit the business, pressure from a salesperson will not make the company ready.
I just don't have the conversation with people who are not future-minded. If someone's like 'I love my server, my company's always going to be the way it is, it's just me and Beth here' — that's great, we love having you as a customer. Someone who still thinks having a server at home is more secure than the cloud — you're not going to break that mentality on a phone call or a Zoom meeting.
Mohammed Ali · ERP AdvisorA good partner will respect that. The discussion should help your company understand its current problems, future needs, and the scale of the proposed change rather than become an argument about servers.
How to know when you are ready
Wanting cloud access does not automatically mean your company is ready for Sage Intacct Construction.
You don't have to go tomorrow, you don't have to go yesterday. You go when you're ready, and we'll be able to help you know when you're ready.
Audra Speth · Customer Success ManagerRevenue alone does not decide it. The more important question is whether your accounting team has enough people to carry the implementation and then run the system. Implementing Sage Intacct Construction requires more attention than one employee can provide as a side project.
A company can process substantial volume in Sage 100 Contractor with a small accounting team. If that company wants web access but cannot spare anyone for an ERP implementation, hosting can solve the immediate problem while leaving the larger decision for later.
When the company is ready to replace Sage 100 Contractor, it can move directly to Sage Intacct Construction without first adopting Sage 300 CRE. Hosting Sage 100 Contractor can still be a useful step before that transition.
The process can be straightforward:
- Keep using your current accounting system.
- Host it if web access is your immediate need.
- Prepare your people and processes for a larger change.
- Move to Sage Intacct Construction when your company has the capacity to support it.
What cloud access changes day to day
Cloud access changes where information goes, which systems your accounting software can connect with, and how quickly you can identify a job that needs attention.
Interstate Mechanical & Core, a mechanical contractor specializing in HVAC and plumbing, moved from Sage 300 CRE because it wanted a cloud solution that could work with Procore for its project managers. Sage Intacct Construction provides cloud access, multi-entity management, and dimensional accounting. Its open API allows the accounting system to exchange information with the construction software your project teams already use. Systems such as ServiceTitan and Bluebeam may also be part of a contractor's technology stack, and integrations can connect those systems. These connections keep the ERP from becoming an isolated source of information.
Connected workflows also reduce the time between an event and a decision.
Cloud-based automation changes everything. Instead of an invoice sitting on someone's desk for days before it gets entered, it comes in, gets read automatically, and routes directly to the approver. I just get a notification: 'Troy, do you approve this? Yes or no.' Done. If my job cost report isn't current, and I've got 30 invoices sitting in the queue waiting for my approval, that's on me — I can see it. It puts accountability where it belongs. For payroll, we integrate with a preferred payroll provider since Intacct doesn't have it natively. We bundle it into the overall solution.
Troy Guevara · Construction TechnologistWork that once sat on desks or in inboxes becomes visible, along with the person responsible for moving it forward. That visibility also protects the business when a key employee leaves unexpectedly.
Her bookkeeper left — didn't even give two weeks, left on day three. She logged in and had no idea how Sage 300 worked.
Mohammed Ali · ERP AdvisorWhen the ability to understand the business depends on one person knowing where to click, that knowledge can walk out the door. A well-designed cloud system gives owners and executives a more direct view of the business:
if my controller quit, I'm not going to miss a beat, because I can open up the dashboard and read it myself. I need them there to manage it, but I don't need them to help me click.
Mohammed Ali · ERP AdvisorA dashboard does not replace a controller's judgment or the work required to complete a financial close. It does allow an owner to check the company's position without needing someone to guide them through the system every time.
Three options: stay, host, or move
A construction firm has three reasonable options: remain on-premises, host its existing software for web access, or move to Sage Intacct Construction. The right choice depends on what your team can support today and whether it has the capacity for an ERP implementation.
Sometimes the trustworthy partner is the one slowing the project down.
There'll be more longevity out of them if we give them that extra six months. And the slowdown comes from us, so they trust us more. In the end they're like, 'thank goodness you guys slowed us down.'
Audra Speth · Customer Success ManagerAn ERP transition requires employees to learn new processes while continuing to run the business. Your plan should account for the time and training that work requires.
This is not a flip of a switch. This is a process. It's a new bicycle your team's riding — let's just make sure we're all being patient through the process.
Audra Speth · Customer Success ManagerIf your company wants web access but is not ready for Sage Intacct Construction, host what you already run. When your team is ready to replace it, choose a partner that understands Sage Intacct Construction, not just standard Sage Intacct, and will work at a pace your team can sustain.
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