Sage 300 CRE is that monolithic ERP that you sometimes hate to see show up on your screen but sometimes cannot live without.
Updated November 24, 2021

Sage 300 CRE is that monolithic ERP that you sometimes hate to see show up on your screen but sometimes cannot live without.

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate

Sage 300 CRE is our ERP application that we use for all Accounting and Project Management functions. It also has HR modules however we do not use that part of the application. Our whole organization uses it though sometimes for different pieces of their daily jobs. Accounting uses it extensively for GL, billing and other accounting related functions while our operations department uses mainly the Project Management functions with some limited accounting use. Since it is our almost complete ERP application it's considered our main bread-and-butter app though the good and bad sides of it.
  • Sage 300 CRE, formerly Timberline, has been on the market for dozens of years and is a very mature application. You cannot go wrong with using it for day-to-day construction company business.
  • Their support department, though sometimes a little weak on the front line, is built to handle the needs of very large companies thus even though it may sometimes take some extra calls you can always be assured of getting a needed answer.
  • Since this is an almost all-in-one ERP the applications/modules are linked such that doing work in one will lead to information and data being entered throughout all the modules related to that data.
  • Since this is a construction/real estate specific package, contractors need little customization to be able to use the application fully within the limits of construction terms and typical construction needs such as RFIs, Dailies, and Transmittals.
  • As mentioned in the pros, Sage has been around for a long time and the user interface really shows it. It has a Windows 3.1 look to it and it can be irritating to users who want a more refreshed look.
  • Using an old fashioned Pervasive database, Sage is not fast. The speed of the application really relies on the infrastructure of the servers, workstations and network involved but even in best-case scenarios some screens and reports are slow to load without the help of third party items such as their SQL Replicator piece.
  • The out-of-the-box Sage 300 CRE experience is NOT at all mobile friendly. The only way to use it in a mobile sense is through Terminal Services type connection but that does not scale well to mobile devices thus it is basically not usable on anything except a decent laptop. They have come out with add-ons to make it more mobile friendly but that adds to the complexity of the install.
  • The old interface has a lot of trouble with unique monitor arrangements whether extra monitors or non-standard resolutions.
  • Sage is very expensive (though not as bad as some SaaS alternates) so the ongoing maintenance fees drag down on the final ROI.
  • With its all-in-one module setup, Sage 300 CRE has made it easier for our companies different departments to have one singular database for its ERP implementation. This fact allows our employees to require less work for duplicated efforts which may be required in some less connection situations.
  • Mentioning we use Sage 300 for our Accounting is usually a positive when it comes to speaking with larger customers who want to see us using a mature product.
  • On the negative side, the lack of mobility in Sage does have an impact on user happiness with the product. Some more technical users complain about it quite frequently.
In the case of Procore vs. Sage it's like apples and oranges. Procore is not an accounting software although they do offer some accounting tie-ins to Sage's data so it's possible for a company to use both but the cost of that is astronomical, Sage already having a larger yearly fee along with Procore's astronomical fees. In comparing I will concentrate on the Project Management side where I would give the big edge to Procore both for usability, interface and mobility however when you compare the price differences it becomes difficult to recommend Procore at all. Considering yearly costs for every $100 one has to pay for Sage they have to pay $500 for Procore so if your year Sage maintenance cost is $25,000 you will have to pay between $100 to $200K for Procore and that is only for the PM side of things. If one is cost-conscious then Sage is by far the better choice.
Sage has great support once you get by the first line of defense. They have a decent online community that they monitor and answer questions as they can, have chat available for people who do not want to call in, and have a second tier of support that you will get set up with if the first contact is unable to help. This second tier support really knows their product and can usually help you solve anything.

Do you think Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate's feature set?

Yes

Did Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate again?

No

Sage is not at all well suited for small companies who want an agile, nimble setup for quick moving situations and mobile use. These type of companies should look elsewhere such as a SaaS offering from another vendor. In addition Sage is very expensive both in its initial outlay and ongoing support.
Medium and larger sized companies benefit from a Sage install much more than the smaller constructor. Having the modules all work in unison is important when a company is of a certain size as is having the long tenured support structure. In addition Sage requires the terminals services setup to use it remotely and the larger companies are more likely to have the infrastructure and support for that type of setup.