If you are selecting new Corporate ERP or just Accounting system, or when you would like to look for second opinion, recover failed implementation, or simply cut down ERP support cost, we would like to share with you some methods, based on decade long ERP implementation experience.
We will try to categorize these methods by implementation phase: selection,
implementation, ongoing support, recovery, version upgrade. In our opinion - most of these rules could be applicable to mid-size business generic ERP system implementation and support, however we are sticking to Dynamics GP, formerly known as Great Plains:
1. Sales Cycle. Here we recommend you to consider the possibility, that your potential reseller and implementation partner might be especially good in sales engineering, and at the same time be short of your industry expertise, or have poor technology expertise. Check references accordingly. Second point - you may not necessary expect budget ERP application to cover all the required features. Try to find balance between available functionality (especially from the perspective to use the system as is in the first phase) and flexibility (it would be perfect to postpone custom programming to the future phases, where you are more familiar with existing business logic and its limitations). The third point - consider purchasing software licenses from the same reseller, who will be implementing the system (if you purchase license from one partner and then chose second one for the implementation itself - your second provider might have less incentives to do the job with the best possible quality)
2. Implementation Cycle. Here the problems might be related to complex (and probably not really required) data conversion. Consider keeping your legacy accounting available for historical inquiries and convert only cards (GL accounts, customers, vendors, employees) and beginning balances. Do not convert past years transactions history in Sales, Purchasing and other modules. Secondly - do not try to make sort of "turn key" project (including custom logic). Modifications might be prematurely mapped - we recommend you to use your new system to better understand its power and limitations. Custom business logic might be replaced with settings, user defined fields and work around procedures
3. Ongoing Support. Here, plan for improvements, but try to stick to the time schedule and budget. When your system is in production phase - you have more control and cost cutting options. Here you may decide, for instance, to change your consultant, as implementation is done and you may feel that focus is now on light customization, and reporting, exposing system to ecommerce or EDI integration - all these are more technology oriented, comparing to what you value in the implementation phase. For additional ideas - you may decide to automate your warehouse management and barcoding, shipping and receiving, POS and Retail operations in Great Plains
4. Version Upgrade. Corporate ERP software industry is trying to increase versions release speed (and make regular service packs recommended). In our opinion, you can save your support dollars, if you apply conservative rules to ERP software version updates. Specifically for Dynamics GP you can check with your service provider which historical version is still supported by Microsoft and try to skip one or two versions, if your legacy version is supported. At the end of the day - the improvements, introduced in the newest version might be not that valuable for your business and if you are happy with the current version - why should you expose yourself to the Great Plains version upgrade surgery too often?
5. System recovery and second opinion. If your system implementation failed and you tried to recover it with original consultant, please do not let the project to eat all your IT budget, as GP is relatively popular accounting system and there are numerous consultants available and ready to help you with recovery. Again, as we already mentioned, the emphasis should be done on your industry expertise and technical background
6. International ERP challenges. We saw numerous examples, when multinational corporation with Dynamics GP implemented in Headquarters tried to consider deploying it for the branches in the countries, where Great Plains is not localized. Technically, you can translate GP screens into foreign language, but the second part of Accounting system localization - compliance to local business regulation might be too challenging for in-house efforts. This is why we rather encourage you to research other options: Microsoft AX Axapta or SAP Business One (these applications are available in most of the countries and localized, comparing to GP, which is available in English speaking countries, plus in Canadian Quebec, Spanish speaking Latin America). It is more budget wise efficient to implement SAP Business One for your facility, say in Brazil, China or Russia and then integrate it on FRx consolidate reporting level (or even moving SB1 GL transactions into Great Plains shadow company every night) versus trying to localize GP for these countries
