Sage is the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems, supporting the ambition of the world’s entrepreneurs.

Sage is now actively integrating its own Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and related services into UK-based companies. It asked Arlington Research to explore the perceived importance of different features of ERP software and ERP maintenance and support contracts to help shape its future marketing activities.

Sage also wanted to evaluate ERP decision makers’ views on the productivity of their organisation and of businesses within their sector in the UK. In addition to the role that technology plays in customer service. Of interest were companies in the manufacturing, services and warehouse & distribution (W&D) industry groupings.

Arlington conducted 407 interviews of ERP decision makers in the UK. This included 152 in the services sector, 150 in the manufacturing sector and 105 in W&D. All qualifying respondents worked in organisations with 250 or more employees, and either worked daily with ERP software and had a decision-making role in regarding to the purchase of ERP software or a maintenance and support contract for it.

Despite the challenging brief, Arlington delivered the research on time and with strong results, allowing Sage to progress an integrated marketing campaign internally. When rolled out nationally, the research was instrumental in gaining widespread coverage across the relevant trade sectors, in addition to a host of business and tech publications with high influence.