Dynamics AX Software Development Projects

It is a good idea to use phasing approach, where in initial phase you are going live with standard modules and business logic, including data conversion, settings, user training.  In the second phase you may try something more challenging, including integration with legacy system (popular would be ecommerce shopping cart, custom EDI), creation new tables and queries in MorphX metadata and animating custom forms with X++ programming.  Of course turnkey implementation idea might be good to consider, but it could expose your organization to possible implementation limbo or even failure.  Again, in our opinion the risk is under control when you first implement a portion and then let its procedures and parts to stabilize.  Let’s take a look at good practices and recommendation in planning and managing software coding projects:

1. Internal and External Project Managers.  Microsoft Business Solutions recommends its resellers to deploy its own project management tool.  It is Microsoft Sure Step.  It is designed with specific emphasis on Corporate ERP system implementation and includes generic project management theory.  Besides project planning it also could be considered as project documentation repository.  In some cases we hear objections that we have limited budget and not ready to pay for implementation documentation.  If this is something familiar, please consider at least to follow simple steps below

2. Test Environment.  The nature of software developing is exposed to human factor related risks, such as software bugs.  Plus it is often data set driven and beta testing and quality assurance are the most efficient when you provide the copy of your production database.  In perfect scenario test server should be completely separate set of computers, including SQL database server, AOS (Application Server), Windows User Workstation and Web Server, hosting Enterprise Portal.  Several machines are recommended to imitate three tiers architecture of AX

3. Minimization Preference.  It might look that we have the luxury to pay for large scale custom programming project, as we are large corporation and have IT support budget.  However even the best customization is not such reliable as settings in standard modules, as it is not exposed to thousands of existing customers in their daily transaction entering routine.  Custom functionality is often unique and deployed in your organization exclusively.  Secondly, even if you believe that you had luck to find the best programmers and experts to compose the customization code – there is hidden cost for you down the road.  Custom module needs to be reviewed in the future version upgrade project.  Thirdly, there also hidden risk to introduce future dependency on your current chosen VAR and the group of individual programmers.  Corporate management theory teaches us that you should have the option to change provider without bias

4. Customization Tools.  Traditionally it is MorphX with X++ programming language (very similar to C++, C, Java, C# by its syntax, but armed to support three-tier ERP architecture, forms, reports, etc.).  Microsoft is progressing in enabling object creation and coding directly in its Visual Studio.  This might be interesting for you if you are C# developer.  In new version 2012 (as we are writing this paper in June 2011) X++ code is compiled in CIL, making it more open for .Net technologies.  If you are creating custom table with query directly in metadata it is fairly easy to expose it in both Windows workstation and web based Enterprise Portal as well as wrap as SOAP web service.  The idea of the web service is especially helpful where you have to integrate something non-Microsoft based with AX, such as Linux/PHP, Solaris, one of the old-good-days Unix clones.  Web service is computer platform neutral as it is based on text exclusively.  There is good progress in making SSRS (Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services) report design easy

5. Custom Project and International aspects.  First of all we have to mention that Dynamics AX is translated to the majority of regional world languages and localized (in the sense of government regulation compliance, tax updates, invoice numbering, etc.).  Huge advantage here is the fact, that recent Axapta versions support Unicode and by doing so have no issues with user interface being translated and ready for data entry in such hieroglyph based languages as Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese.  If your custom module is planned to be distributed to your foreign subsidiaries, consider isolation of your user interface strings in labels, as label file could be translated to foreign language directly in popular text editors.  To our opinion huge advantage for international facilities is the fact, that AX has process manufacturing module, where such industries as food processing, timber, mining, oil and gas drilling could be automated.  Think about such countries and regions as Brazil, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Uzbekistan, Mexico

6. Some words about competition or often it could be determined as coexistence and harmony.  Dynamics AX is not really intended to be implemented in small business environment.  However it looks like at this time MBS doesn’t offer cheap solution for the office of multinational company in the countries, where such lower mid-market ERP as Dynamics GP is not localized.  It is probably something unofficial, but we found that SAP offers internationalized small business ERP and MRP application SAP Business One.  This system is for small businesses and lower mid-market.  It is pretty revolutionary and enables exporting to Excel most of its predefined reports and custom queries.  We found out that it is fairly simple to deploy SAP B1 on the central server somewhere in US headquarters and expose it via Citrix or other remote access technology to worldwide users.  New version 8.81 enables you to host all the worldwide versions in single MS SQL Server 2008.  Earlier you would have to have two A and B flavors to be hosted separate.  Consolidated Financial Reporting requirement could be implemented by exporting SB1 GL trial balance into SQL and then included into FRx or Microsoft Management Reporter based P&L, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Position.  In some local countries we see strong positions for locally developed and supported packages, for example Microsiga in Brazil and 1S Bukhgalteria in Russia

7. Please call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904 (for international customers, where our representative pick up the phone in 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.  Our core expertise is in International Business