Businesses using Logo GO or Logo Tiger sooner or later run into the same question: “Should we sign a support agreement, or is our existing LEM membership enough?” The two are frequently confused, yet they cover entirely different things, and one does not substitute for the other.
LEM and a support agreement are not the same thing
LEM (Logo Enterprise Membership) is an annual membership paid directly to Logo. It grants the right to use new versions, service packs, and regulatory updates of the Logo product you run — a new e-Invoice format, a changed VAT rate, updated payroll parameters, and the like. LEM is not an add-on module; it is the prerequisite for keeping the product up to date.
A support agreement, on the other hand, is a service you receive from your business partner. It covers things like being able to open a support request by phone or email, remote-connection assistance, on-site visits when needed, user training, and reporting on support activity.
The difference becomes concrete with a simple example: even if your LEM membership is current, who is going to install that update on your system, and who will resolve any incompatibility that surfaces afterward? LEM grants you the right to use the update; the partner who actually carries out that right — the one who picks up the phone when something breaks — is the one covered by your support agreement.
What to look for in a support agreement
Before signing a support agreement, check whether the text clearly addresses the following points:
- Products covered: Does the agreement cover only the core ERP module, or does it also include add-ons such as e-Transformation, payroll, or CRM?
- Support channels: Which of phone, email, remote connection, and on-site support are included in the agreement?
- How to open a request: Is a request submitted through a call line, a portal, or a designated contact?
- Who can open a request: Is the agreement limited to specific users at your business, or can the whole team open requests?
- Out-of-scope work: Are things like new report design, custom integration, or consulting included, or handled separately?
- Whether training is included: Is training covered when a new user joins or a new module goes live?
- Whether on-site support is included: Is an on-site visit part of the agreement for issues that can't be resolved remotely, or is it arranged separately?
Request-based support or an ongoing agreement?
There are two different working models. With request-based support, you reach out to your partner whenever a need arises and receive service for that specific issue; there is no relationship between requests. With an ongoing agreement, a regular support relationship is established for a defined period — usually a year — and incoming requests are handled within that relationship.
Request-based support can make sense for businesses running the system with a small number of users and infrequent support needs. As the number of users grows, as regulatory processes like e-Transformation are in play, or as the system sits at the center of daily operations, an ongoing agreement makes support needs predictable in advance.
The risk of operating without an agreement
It is technically possible to use a Logo product without a support agreement. But in that case, every support need turns into a separate conversation, a separate assessment, and a separate waiting process. This isn't meant as a scare tactic — it's simply how it works: an agreement defines the support relationship in advance; without one, that definition has to be re-established each time a need arises.
Ways to measure support quality
How a support agreement performs in practice matters as much as what it says on paper. These questions help when evaluating it:
- Are your requests logged, or does the process rely only on phone calls?
- Can you see when, by whom, and what action was taken on your past requests?
- Does your partner investigate the root cause of a recurring issue, or apply the same temporary fix every time?
- Are you kept informed during the support process, or is it a black box from your side?
- Can you get a periodic summary of how many requests were opened and what they concentrated on?
In the end, a support agreement does not replace LEM; it represents the side that makes the right LEM grants actually usable in day-to-day operations. Clarifying the points above in writing before signing minimizes uncertainty down the road.