{"id":9966,"date":"2021-06-07T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T19:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=9966"},"modified":"2024-08-20T01:41:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T05:41:50","slug":"how-to-build-a-best-in-class-tech-stack-for-services-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-build-a-best-in-class-tech-stack-for-services-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a best-in-class tech stack for services companies"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/accountants\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Accountants<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to build a best-in-class tech stack for services companies\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-06-07T15:22:00-04:00\">June 7, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to build a best-in-class tech stack for services companies\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-build-a-best-in-class-tech-stack-for-services-companies\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/leanna-michniuk\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/leanna-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/leanna-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/leanna-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/leanna.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Leanna Michniuk<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Once upon a time, integrations were expensive, never worked, and required a third party to manage them. Fast forward to 2021, where tech stacks reign supreme and legacy\/all-in-one solutions are becoming a thing of the past. And while it can sometimes feel overwhelming to navigate through the different products and software out there, finding the right tech stack for your professional services firm doesn\u2019t have to feel impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We teamed up with Sage Intacct in a recent webinar to help answer the question, \u201chow do you build a best-in-class tech stack for your services company?\u201d Keep reading to learn when it\u2019s time to make the switch from an all-in-one approach and how it can help boost your company\u2019s productivity, performance, revenue, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-evolution-of-integrations-and-niche-software\"><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">The evolution of integrations and niche software<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 15 years ago, integrations were a huge pain for all involved. A cumbersome process, software used to be customized and things would often break. We knew back then how important and how valuable getting those connections were, we just weren\u2019t in a place to build and execute them properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s great to see how far we\u2019ve come and it\u2019s also cool to think that we\u2019ve known for a long time the true power that integrating data and systems could bring to the table. But now, we finally have advanced integration technology and solutions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/industry\/services\/\">Professional Services Automation (PSA)<\/a>, Business Intelligence (BI), Client Relationship Management (CRM), and Human Capital Management (HCM). We also now have the ability to find the best pieces of each solution that are needed and leverage them together to get the best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s thanks to this new technology that we\u2019ve seen a huge rise in niche software. Because there are so many new options out there for specific needs and specific types of businesses, companies are no longer looking to get their solution from one thing in a box, there\u2019s a whole ecosystem of stuff and it just makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tell-tale-signs-your-current-system-is-broken\">Tell-tale signs your current system is \u201cbroken\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you experiencing any of these common challenges?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Data is disconnected and managed manually<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Managers rely on back-office for reporting<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Billing cycles and close times are extended<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Existing processes are not scalable<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Business is run based on software capabilities<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These time-consuming challenges can really be tough. People feel disconnected and data can be siloed, resulting in a ripple effect. For example, when billing cycles take forever due to the delay of internal review and client approval, it can be anywhere between 60 to 90 days between work being done and getting paid for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Searching for a perfect \u201call-in-one\u201d solution can create even more pain points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legacy, suite-style systems tend to be strong in one category and below average in others<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disruption with an all-in-one system is felt company-wide<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These suites are very expensive and difficult to replace<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tough to scale as the company grows and needs change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These pain points and challenges reveal why there has been a surge in niche software over the past few years. It\u2019s easy to be lured into an all-in-one solution but when you step back and think about these issues, turning to a tech stack approach should be a no-brainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-building-a-scalable-tech-stack-that-fuels-your-growth\">Building a scalable tech stack that fuels your growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you end up running your business based on what your software is capable of doing, not what you need your software to do, it\u2019s time for a change. For professional services, at the core, you need a solid financial management system and a solid PSA system. Building your tech stack can be pretty great in this day and age. It doesn\u2019t matter if you have Gmail or if you have Microsoft, you can still do the same things. As a business, you can ask yourself, what do I need today and what do I need for the future?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A tech stack doesn\u2019t force you into the mindset of \u201cI bought all this stuff and I\u2019m never going to use it\u201d or even, \u201cI have all these pieces and I don\u2019t like them.\u201d The beauty of a tech stack is that if you\u2019re using a PSA solution like BigTime and you don\u2019t have the need for a CRM today, that\u2019s okay. Need one in a year from now? You can integrate that and it\u2019s seamless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things change and businesses grow. The operative word when building your tech stack is momentum. You need to build it as you have momentum and are growing\u2014 pick the right thing at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bigtime-amp-sage-intacct-the-foundation-of-your-tech-stack\">BigTime &amp; Sage Intacct: The foundation of your tech stack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The BigTime + Sage Intacct integration seamlessly synchronizes your projects, employees, financials, and accounting data to provide your team the best possible toolset for their specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several ways BigTime &amp; Sage Intacct work together to take your firms\u2019 accounting to the next level:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No more double entry on all things time, expenses, and invoicing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determine settings for posting and importing data with default accounts, default items and locations for posting to Sage Intacct<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timesheets can be entered and submitted by the staffer and posted directly into Sage Intacct<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure consistency and skip a step by linking BigTime labor codes or categories to a Sage Intacct Time Type and Items<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create invoices in BigTime and have them appear directly into Sage Intacct with the click of a button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #444444;\"><em>\u201cEver since adopting the software, we\u2019ve never looked back. BigTime not only met our requirements but opened our eyes to 20 other features that we could use to enhance productivity. We\u2019ve taken advantage of the app\u2019s workflow and functionality to take our business to the next level.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<cite><span style=\"color: #444444;\"><em>Harry H., President<\/em><\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigtime.net\/integrations\/sage-intacct\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more<\/a><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> about how BigTime seamlessly integrates with Sage Intacct to help you better run your firm. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once upon a time, integrations were expensive, never worked, and required a third party to manage them. Fast forward to 2021, where tech stacks reign supreme and legacy\/all-in-one solutions are becoming a thing of the past. And while it can sometimes feel overwhelming to navigate through the different products and software out there, finding the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1455,"featured_media":9115,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[158,48],"tags":[2,4,420,201,154],"business_type":[312,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[418,429],"industry":[55,450],"persona":[150],"imagine_tag":[209,436],"coauthors":[855],"class_list":["post-9966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accountants","category-technology-innovation","tag-accountants","tag-business-intelligence","tag-cloud-financial-management","tag-sage-colleagues","tag-technology","business_type-accountants","business_type-growing-business","industry-professional-services","industry-software-saas"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Leanna Michniuk","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1313131444.jpg","imagine_tags":{"209":"Accounting","436":"Intacct Accounting"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1455"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=9966"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=9966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}