In our consulting practice we’ve seen two extreme approaches to initial data export, massage and migration to the new Corporate Accounting system.
Let’s begin with the case where customer suggests consulting team to migrate ‘everything’. This approach might be interpreted by consulting team as ‘we have unlimited budget and ready to pay for your consultants just send us your invoices’. And the second extreme is when customer is not willing to import such critical master records as customers and vendors. Of course the recommended way is somewhere in the middle. Data conversion is part of Corporate ERP implementation and it should be planned. Let’s review the recommendations with connection to such popular Corporate ERP systems as Microsoft Dynamics AX (former Axapta), GP (former Great Plains Dynamics and Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Macintosh) and SAP Business One:
1. Data Migration Theory Overview. Each Corporate ERP application is unique and it is not apparent how to transfer historical documents from one platform to another. Let’s compare two platforms such as SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics GP. Former Great Plains has layered approach to editing and submitting invoices to modules in the batches. SAP B1 is generating General Ledger entry upon the invoice saving. Our recommendation would be keep your old legacy accounting application up and running for possible inquiries and start over in the new Corporate ERP with minimal data import
2. Exporting Historical Documents from your old accounting. Let’s consider several popular platforms. In Great Plains Dynamics on Btrieve or Pervasive SQL 2000 versions 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0 and earlier data export could be accomplished either via ODBC DSN or via printing custom report writer reports into text files. If you are converting from QuickBooks we do recommend you the way to print reports into the text files and then processing them in Excel
3. Data Cleansing. It looks like Excel is on the rise to become the cleansing tool of choice. SAP B1 and Microsoft Dynamics AX Axapta are favoring CSV templates (SB1 Data Transfer Workbench) or Excel Worksheets (Dynamics AX Excel Import). Good approach is to import exported tables into MS SQL Server custom database and then filter results in SQL view. Next step is export view in Excel templates. In the case of SAP BO there is no need to export view into CSV template as Data Transfer Workbench allows ODBC connection where the SQL view should imitate CSV file structure including column headers in the first two rows
4. International Data Migration Corporate ERP Story. Companies are coming to the United States market with Chinese, Brazilian or Russian origin. Here you need to familiarize yourself with MS SQL Server Language specific collation. If you are looking at Microsoft Dynamics then only AX is on the way to be localized in China or Japan where hieroglyphs are required
5. Special attention to Brazil. Here we recommend you Dynamics AX or if you are on the lower budget SAP B1
6. Advises to Sage ERP customers. Here you are dealing with Accpac and Peach Tree accounting. Try to stick to minimization principle in conversion scope. If you can have legacy accounting for historical invoice lookup and possible future audit then do not do historical documents import at all
7. Please call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904 (for international customers, where our representatives pick up the phone in Naperville and St. Joseph, MI call center). help@efaru.com. We have local presence in Chicagoland, Southern California, South West Michigan, Houston and Dallas areas of Texas. We serve customers USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil nationwide and internationally via web sessions and phone conferences (Skype is welcomed). Our consultants speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese. One of our experiences is international Corporate ERP and Consolidated Financial reporting
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