Dynamics GP Modification Project Management in Sure Step

However if you plan to deploy project team, including project manager, solution architect, Dexterity, eConnect, Modifier with VBA, Extender Sanscript programmers, then Microsoft Sure Step 2010 (we are writing these lines in March 2011) is the core to organize the project around.  And this tool is recommended for the customization projects, where you are working with Dynamics GP or older Great Plains version customer with twenty plus users, several companies in its ERP environment, possibly having international subsidiaries with such specifics as multicurrency, consolidated financial reporting.  Let’s review details:

1. Project Type.  Consider to review these ones: Standard (where modification budget is below 150 hours), Enterprise (where you expect the consulting hours estimation to cross 150 hours), Upgrade (where you are planning to review modification and their scripts to make them compliant to the new version, plus all version update associated activities), Agile (here you are dealing with the customer, where business processes are in their formation and modification is required to make them implement whatever is decided with the current business processes vision, but customer understands that in few months they will have requirements updated and modification should be altered to cover the change)

2. Documentation.  It is likely the case for large company to have project chart or similar document, created by initial Microsoft Dynamics implementation partner.  You should consider review historical PM documents.  If Fit Gap and Solution Blueprint document was created according to Sure Step Fit Gap Decision Accelerator Offering and it was further updated in Analysis and Design phases – it is good idea compare current client modification requirements toward their historical counterparts.  We recommend you to create Solution Design Document, based on Functional Design Document Gaps (this is where customizations are recommended to cover the gaps in standard Corporate ERP business logic).  FDD Gaps is in its turn used for Technical Design Document, created by Technical Consultant (likely Dexterity, eConnect or Extender programmer)

3. Selecting Customization Partner.  This section is dedicated to the customer.  There are hundreds of Dynamics GP Resellers out there on the Corporate ERP implementation market.  They could be categorized as local (within driving distance from your headquarters, or located in your local state or country), ISV (independent software vendor, or the company, specializing in extensions programming for GP, these companies also often provide customization services on demand, especially altering their own add-ons), Integrators or Technology Partners (companies with emphasis on complex integration, programing, data conversion & integration, reporting).  There are also Resellers, specializing in several industries, such as Manufacturing, Non-for-profit, Government, Healthcare, Retail/POS, Distribution, Wholesale, etc.  There are Great Plains companies, carrying Dexterity Software Development Factories (large collectives of Dexterity programmers, quality assurance specialists and analysts – these companies typically have access to GP Source Code Program and their developers could review original Great Plains Sanscript codes in Dynamics.dic and other dictionaries owned directly by Microsoft Business Solutions)

4. Reporting projects.  Currently we are seeing large number of conversions from FRx to Microsoft Dynamics ERP Management Reporter.  There is migration tool and it does decent job in our opinion.  There are still some elements of risk in undertaking such a conversion without quality assurance, as MMR is only making its first initial steps (it was introduced in 2010 with several presentations on Microsoft Convergence trade show in April 2010 in Atlanta)

5. eCommerce integration recommendations.  There are turnkey solutions, where you typically have to trash your existing ecommerce website with your working shopping cart and remap all the processes to the new module.  These are outside of the scope.  We rather recommend you to discuss Integration Management module, where your ecommerce shopping cart could be integrated in quasi real time or on demand into SOP Sales Order with customer deposit

6. International Modification Projects.  Here we recommend you to make your local research on the availability of the localized version of Microsoft Dynamics ERP product you would like to be implemented for your subsidiary.  Dexterity platform has its limitations in supporting Unicode based alphabets, such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese hieroglyphs.  Dexterity supports ASCII table compliant alphabets, including Russian, Arabic, Latvian, Polish, Armenian, Lithuanian.  However ERP localization in the sense of compliance to the local country business legislation is a question to be answered and decision to be made upon

7. Old Version Upgrade.  There is the migration path for every Great Plains version ever released, including Great Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac (9.5, 9.2, 9.1 and earlier), Great Plains Select on Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve or Ctree (7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.0), Great Plains eEnterprise on MS SQL Server (7.0, 6.0), Great Plains Select on MSDE 2000, Microsoft Small Business Financials (7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 9.0 – MSBF business line was terminated at version 9.0 – with the recommendation to migrate to Dynamics GP Business Ready Business Essentials)

8. If you feel that your concerns are not addressed or your question is not answered, please feel free to contact our office.  Support domestically in the USA, Canada, Mexico and internationally.  This option is possible via Web Sessions, Skype or Phone conferences and direct visits onsite (in the case of the large scale project).  Our consulting team speaks English, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Filipino.  Feel free to call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904, or email help@efaru.com