Accountancy software vendors fail to satisfy

A recent survey of users' views on the IT industry has shown a highlevel of customer dissatisfaction

Market research firm Tate Bramald Consultancy has revealed that 70 per cent of customers are fed up with their accountancy software vendors.

This dissatisfaction was exposed by the Richmond-based company after it produced a series of reports based on customers' views about vendors and the industry.

Research into the small business market showed that Megatech beat Sage, in terms of delivering customer satisfaction, despite Sage's position as market leader in the sector.

Computer Associates and its product Accpac trailed behind Sun Systems and Sage in the medium-sized market. It met only 56 per cent of users' expectations. In the corporate sector, SAP and JD Edwards both performed well, with 90 per cent of JD Edward's users saying the software met with their expectations.

John Tate, director of Tate Bramald, said: 'There is an awful lot of dissatisfaction. We can't say it's worse than other IT sectors, but it's certainly not a bed of roses.'

But it was not just vendors that were found to be misleading - users are guilty too. Out of 70 per cent of people who recommend their existing systems to others, 85 per cent want to change to another manufacturer.

Tate Bramald has issued 21 reports in all: 18 on products and three on market sectors. The product surveys cost #55 each and the marketing surveys cost #95.

Accountancy software vendor Great Plains has released its own booklet, Tricks of the Trade, an Insider's Guide to Purchasing Accounting IT, which it claims shows the difference between a sales rep's enthusiasm and product realities.