Ledgerwood Associates Boosts Sales and Customer Satisfaction with Sage Hosted Solutions from Trapp Technology
Having a hosted solution from Trapp Technology helps us close the sale and keeps the customer happy. Before Trapp, we would have advised a client to research their own cloud solution, possibly putting a sale in jeopardy. With a cloud-based option, the transaction moves along more quickly. It’s a win-win for everyone.
— Ed Ledgerwood, President, Ledgerwood Associates, Sage Select Authorized Partner
Customer: Ledgerwood Associates, Inc.
Web Site: LedgerWood
Country or Region: Western U.S.
Industry: Construction Software and Services
Partner: Trapp Technology
Website: www.trapptechnology.com
With offices in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Scottsdale, Ledgerwood Associates, Inc. is one of the largest Value Added Resellers of Sage Construction and Real Estate software products and services, providing a comprehensive suite of software solutions to more than 2,000 construction and real estate industry customers throughout the West.
Ledgerwood Associates provides software implementation, training and support services, specialized material and resource database development, computer hardware and network integration or hosting services; and outsourcing trade-specific applications and tools.
Sage Hosted Solutions from Trapp Technology helps Sage Business Partner, Ledgerwood Associates, Inc. close sales and increase customer satisfaction. Hosted customers are easier to support and new customers enjoy an installation process that is simpler for them and more predictable for Ledgerwood Associates. More than 25 Ledgerwood Associates customers host Sage 300 CRE (formerly Sage Timberline Office), Sage 100 Contractor (formerly Sage Master Builder) and related third-party applications with Trapp Technology.
Business Needs
Timberline on Mac
In 2010, a design-build firm purchased Sage Timberline Office from Ledgerwood Associates. Since Timberline Office is a Windows-only product, Coaction Group, a Mac-friendly office, initially tried running it on their Mac works stations using Parallels Virtual PC. Soon, Parallels was causing so many problems that it drove them to seek a more seamless solution. Coaction Group’s IT consultant recommended Trapp Technology to host their Timberline applications.
Growing Interest in the Cloud
With the construction industry recovering, growing companies with tight budgets are looking for solutions to minimize capital investment and IT expenses. The trend towards cloud computing made it critical for Ledgerwood Associates to offer a Cloud solution.
“When prospects wanted a hosted solution, we didn’t have an option,” stated Ed Ledgerwood, President, Ledgerwood Associates. “Before, I used to estimate 50% of our prospects asked if we have a hosted or Cloud solution. Now, I know it’s far more than half. And I just see it increasing more in the future.”
Problems with Other Providers
Ledgerwood Associates had another large client in the housing industry who selected a local IT services company to provide hosting for their Sage 300 Trade Specialty software. After several months and thousands of dollars it wasn’t working properly. “It was very costly for the customer,” stated Kathy Blakesley, Senior Enterprise Certified Consultant, Ledgerwood Associates.
Need for Total Cloud Solution
In 2012, Sage released Sage Construction Anywhere, which adds cloud functionality to on-premise Sage systems. The need for a cloud solution to handle existing back office systems became apparent. “It will take a long time to get the modules we need on the cloud with Sage Construction Anywhere,” explained Ledgerwood. “This is going to be where we are at for quite a while. The easier we can make that on the customer, the better.”
Solution
Trapp Technology
In January of 2011, Ledgerwood Associates partnered with Trapp Technology to set up the “Cloud” implementation of Timberline Office at Coaction Group, eliminating the problems with Parallels. Coaction Group’s employees access their software and data remotely on their Macs from the Trapp Technology servers located in a secure Phoenix Data Center.
Trapp Technology’s customized Cloud for Sage software offered dedicated servers and advanced data security creating a stable, secure hosting environment for Coaction Group. Trapp Technology also hosted Ledgerwood Associates demo site.
As additional customers selected hosting, Trapp Technology developed onboarding specialists and procedures to streamline installations, which were usually accomplished in a few days, with customers down only over a weekend.
Trapp Technology worked together with Ledgerwood Associates’ marketing director to develop standardized migration pricing and co-branded marketing materials. “The sales support materials they developed accelerated the sales process,” stated Kent Sorensen, former Director of Marketing at Ledgerwood Associates. “Trapp Technology became a great partner in promoting hosting to our customers. They made the sales process easy.”
Implementations and Support
Ledgerwood Associates’ consultants work closely with Trapp Technology on implementations. “I have direct contact with the techs doing the server build,” stated Blakesley. “They are very good at keeping me informed and giving me access. They have the technical knowledge to configure the Sage 300/Timberline software correctly.”
Ledgerwood Associates’ customers save time and money with outstanding high-level support from Trapp Technology. “Trapp Technology worked into the early morning hours, coordinating efforts with our IT tech, to restore our failed servers to the Cloud within 12 hours. In my book they are a 14 on a scale of 10!” Sonny Jumani, Principal Tulfra Realty
The relationship with Trapp Technology is very positive. “The people we work with at Trapp Technology are outstanding; Adam and Josh in particular,” said Blakesley. “They bend over backwards to make things happen.”
Benefits
Helps Close Sales
More than 25 Ledgerwood Associates customers have selected hosting at Trapp Technology over the past two years. Sage software sales are picking up and having a reliable hosting partner helps. “Our relationship with Trapp Technology has made the sales process much easier in this Cloud environment,” stated Ledgerwood.
Easier to Support
“The best part is knowing that customers have good support [from Trapp Technology], and that they have the latest version of hardware,” explained Ledgerwood. “Taking the variable of the hardware out of the equation makes it easier to support the customer. We don’t have to worry about what version they are on, or upgrading them, or hardware issues, they just log on. We know it’s going to work.”
Smooth Installations
“Installations are easier for the customer because they don’t have to do anything. They just say, ‘Hey, we want it hosted,’ and we do everything from there,” stated Ledgerwood. “We do the install, we know what’s going on, and we don’t have to fight with their IT guy if he says I don’t want it on that drive, or I’m not giving you security, or we’ve got to upgrade our server…”
Increased Customer Satisfaction
Customers are happy with Trapp Technology Hosting. “I don’t get any complaints where people say they can’t access it, or I’m having problems with Trapp or anything like that. Once it works, it works,” said Ledgerwood. “They don’t have to hire an IT guy or worry about it being backed up or any of that, and they like it.”
A Total Cloud Solution
Trapp Technology’s Sage Hosting is the key piece of a total cloud solution for Ledgerwood Associates’ customers. “Obviously, it’s easier for the customer because if they are using Sage construction anywhere and Trapp Technology, then everything is on the Cloud,” stated Ledgerwood. The results are impressive. “Compared to local servers, Trapp Technology hosting works far better,” stated Blakesley.
Another Ledgerwood Associates’ customer sums it up: “I am seriously thrilled with Trapp Technology, both from a cost standpoint, and from ease of accessibility, security and everything like that. Any issue that we have always takes less time and money to solve than we expect,” Bill Lillycrop, Treasurer, The Trump Group.
If your company could benefit from cloud hosting in a similar way to Ledgerwood Associates, feel free to contact us and a Trapp Technology employee will get in touch with you.