What to expect when you are implementing Dynamics GP! 5 steps to success!
“Luck is the residue of design” – Branch Rickey
projects don’t just happen, and they are not merely the result of good luck. They are the product of good design, proper planning and project management, and the hard work of a dedicated team of professionals.
All too often, the initial decision for will be selected is far too focused on price, and the end results of the implementation project get lost in the negotiation. The initial enthusiasm from saving some small percentage of the total cost is soon swamped by the realization that the technology partner you have selected is unable to deliver on their commitment.
There are of your new accounting system, and not surprisingly, some approaches work far better than others. Choices can include: slavishly mimicking the “demo company”, “following what worked at the last implementation we did”, “I read about this approach in a book” and other similar methods. Not surprisingly, these approaches produce exactly the results would expect.
Here are the 5 steps in a successful implementation of your new accounting system:
Analyze, Plan and Understand – Start at the beginning. The first step in the implementation process should begin with a thorough review of your business requirements and processes, to identify what is working well and which aspects of your business that may need improvement and refinement. These business requirements will then be mapped into your project plan, which will drive the remainder of the implementation.
Design, Develop and Build – Using the project plan produced in Step 1, your implementation team will next proceed to build your pilot system. This is used to validate those business processes and system functionality detailed in the project plan.
Train, Test and Accept – Building on the lessons learned in the pilot system and using test data migrated from your previous system, Step 3 includes teaching your staff the best practices and procedures to deliver the required functionality. Results from this testing and training period need to be reviewed and a sign-off should be secured, stating that the progress made to date is acceptable and in line with the overall goals of the implementation.
Implement and Go-Live – Working from the knowledge obtained in Steps 2 and 3, your new accounting system should now be complete. Your legacy data is migrated a final time to the new system and all of the experience and resources of the project team are on-site and ready to make the final transition to the new system.
Ongoing Support – With the successful launch of your new system, your technology partner should now continue to provide on-going support. This can be delivered through a help-desk, along with the application of any new updates. Many consulting companies can also provide free webinars and user group sessions.
As these 5 implementation steps are carried out, beginning with a broad-based and all-encompassing perspective of both your internal and external operating environments, the focus of the implementation project is then continuously narrowed to produce exactly the system that is required to meet and exceed the business objectives that have been defined.
These five steps represent distinct phases of the implementation project, and they move in succession. Equally important, however, are those ongoing activities and functions that a successful implementation must include. These are:
Project Management – All aspects of the ERP implementation must be tracked by the Project Manager, whose responsibilities include task assignments, resource availability, project documentation, budget and timeline oversight, and communication among all of the project team members.
Systems Support – Before your project can get underway, a thorough review of the existing infrastructure must be completed. This review of the current systems infrastructure will ensure that the optimum delivery of data and analysis is met. Systems support also provides specific recommendations for the required hardware and software infrastructure.
Consulting Services – Be sure to focus on all of the aspects of your business, including Business Process Review, recommendations for Best Practices, detailed delivery of training and procedures, testing of the pilot and production systems, development of custom reports. A complete examination of your business environment me identify additional opportunities for improvements.
Development Services – Creation, testing and support for custom enhancements and applications, coordination of integrations to existing legacy systems and planned interfaces to other Line of Business systems, custom reporting, dashboards and internal websites.
The successful implementation of your will not be the result of luck or chance. Managed properly, it should be the culmination of the design of the implementation approach, and the dedication and effort of the project team members. Be sure to select an that follows an ERP implementation approach that is based on best practices and their proven results, utilizing a methodology that is rooted in deep experience and knowledge of how to be successful.
All too often, the initial decision for which ERP system will be selected is far too focused on price, and the end results of the implementation project get lost in the negotiation. The initial enthusiasm from saving some small percentage of the total cost is soon swamped by the realization that the technology partner you have selected is unable to deliver on their commitment
Great article! Step 2 of implementation is often the hardest. It takes a lot of patience to work through testing and to gain the confidence of the business, with regard to the new solution.
All of this is very true, unfortunately my business had to learn the hard way with financial tracking. You also need to do research on the company you want to use for your merchant services (credit card processor), and get a detailed report before hand on all fees that could potentially get charged up front and back door, because you could end up paying a huge amount in fees that you don’t even know are there.
I am wondering if you also have a blog regarding manufacturing record management. I've been looking for some comparison and opinions as part of my research for a long-term solution to improve our records management.
I look forward to reviewing any direction you may have to provide.
Great article - thank you for sharing. I would like to offer a couple of additional areas for consideration. First, the implementation approach for ERP is quite different from a traditional"build from scratch" software implementation. Second, it is important to note that ERP is only one component of a business solution. Following is a blog article that provides more information on key strategies for ERP implementations:
I am a member of Core Team for MS Dynamics AX 2009 project.Our project is almost a year but still not running for a start. I am assigned to the GL module and I have a question related to setting up beginning balances. Is period closing thru closing sheet & transfer openning balances can be used in setting up beginning balances?
Initially, i thought it would be possible considering that the migration process for the setting up of beginning balances is somewhat similar of running period closing wherein you close a period and transfer the balances to the new period and this is somehow has resemblance to the balances coming from the old system and transfer to the new system. But, then thru simulation, i found out that the posting of closing sheet would transfer or post the balances to the closing period and then transfer to the opening period with the status period "closed".
That simulation taught me a lesson that you cannot use period closing in setting up beginning balances.
Is my experience correct? Maybe, I missed something that makes my simulation incorrect.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
It really interests me to read such articles, thanks for sharing. Blogs like yours really helps me learn more day by day.
All too often, the initial decision for which ERP system will be selected is far too focused on price, and the end results of the implementation project get lost in the negotiation. The initial enthusiasm from saving some small percentage of the total cost is soon swamped by the realization that the technology partner you have selected is unable to deliver on their commitment
Great! Such a informative post. Thanks for sharing this. Keep sharing.
Thank you for the feedback and nice comments Sarah! Happy Holidays!
Great article! Step 2 of implementation is often the hardest. It takes a lot of patience to work through testing and to gain the confidence of the business, with regard to the new solution.
totally agree Ramon! Thanks for the feedback!
Thank you for the great article. We usually divide the process into consulting, implementation and training while support goes as an additional step.
Nice article thanks for sharing it.
Nice articles, really inspiring for as practitioner.
Thank you.
All of this is very true, unfortunately my business had to learn the hard way with financial tracking. You also need to do research on the company you want to use for your merchant services (credit card processor), and get a detailed report before hand on all fees that could potentially get charged up front and back door, because you could end up paying a huge amount in fees that you don’t even know are there.
Hello
I am wondering if you also have a blog regarding manufacturing record management. I've been looking for some comparison and opinions as part of my research for a long-term solution to improve our records management.
I look forward to reviewing any direction you may have to provide.
Sincerely,
Tonya Vanover
Records Specialist
PMW, Inc.
Great article - thank you for sharing. I would like to offer a couple of additional areas for consideration. First, the implementation approach for ERP is quite different from a traditional"build from scratch" software implementation. Second, it is important to note that ERP is only one component of a business solution. Following is a blog article that provides more information on key strategies for ERP implementations:
Hi,
I am a member of Core Team for MS Dynamics AX 2009 project.Our project is almost a year but still not running for a start. I am assigned to the GL module and I have a question related to setting up beginning balances. Is period closing thru closing sheet & transfer openning balances can be used in setting up beginning balances?
Initially, i thought it would be possible considering that the migration process for the setting up of beginning balances is somewhat similar of running period closing wherein you close a period and transfer the balances to the new period and this is somehow has resemblance to the balances coming from the old system and transfer to the new system. But, then thru simulation, i found out that the posting of closing sheet would transfer or post the balances to the closing period and then transfer to the opening period with the status period "closed".
That simulation taught me a lesson that you cannot use period closing in setting up beginning balances.
Is my experience correct? Maybe, I missed something that makes my simulation incorrect.
Thanks,
DDV