Implementing a new ERP solution stands among the most critical and crucial projects in the life of an organization. It requires a high level of strategic planning, use of change management techniques, and considerable allocation of human resources in order to meet expectations and achieve the desired results. Such a project encompasses a wide range of business processes and might accordingly affect how people perform their daily work. Depending on the implementation methodology, project structures for ERP projects can vary greatly. Understanding the different stages of an ERP implementation project is essential to achieving a successful implementation and meeting the project expectations. In a new multi-part article, we will look at some of the typical ERP project stages and explore how companies that select Microsoft Dynamics GP can use best practices in areas like data migration, gap analysis, user adoption, and reporting to maintain a focus on business outcomes and not on technology. Despite of the fact that implementation methods vary widely, typical implementation phases are well understood. The life cycle of the ERP project starts with the assessment and requirement elicitation, followed by a gap analysis and scoping, systems deployment and process re engineering , systems training, go-live and support. Requirements elicitation and project assessment is the core essence of the ERP implementation. In this stage, both the current situation and the business needs are thoroughly addressed. Although the overall broad lines of the client requirements should have been considered at earlier phases prior to the implementation, this phase digs far deeper into the tiny details of the various business functions. Different consultants have different approaches in conducting this phase, generally all of the approaches are categorized either as business oriented or system oriented. Being business-driven implies putting the interests of the business first in weighing the desired implementation outcome. By contrast, a technology-driven implementation implies limiting the business by technical considerations of an ERP solution. Following a business-driven approach requires the consultants to sit with the different stakeholders in order to thoroughly understand the various business functions and accordingly start visioning the future state. Several meetings should be conducted as well as on-site observations until the processes are understood. It is worth saying that an ERP implementation project represents an excellent opportunity for the business to look back at its processes and consider enhancements. These types of initiatives will be thoroughly illustrated under step four, process re engineering . Figure 1 - ERP Project Phases and Milestones Once the requirements are gathered and documented, and the current situation is observed and analyzed, the next step is to carry on with the gap analysis phase which can become a bottleneck in an implementation project. It goes without saying that this study establishes a bridge between the current and target situation, in other words the " As is " and " To be". In order for the GAP analysis to be comprehensive, it should not only provide a snapshot for the current and future state, but also illustrate upon the methodology to be adopted in order to move from point A to point B in each and every single task, which in turns requires the solution mapping. As it relates to Dynamics GP implementation projects, this phase usually covers the different aspects of the business including the supply chain, finance, and human resources perspectives. The supply chain phase has to deal with the inbound and outbound logistics in general such as purchasing, inventory, sales, and manufacturing. The financial gap analysis requires the study of the current book keeping in terms of Account Payables, Account Receivables, Costing, Treasury, financial reporting, etc. Needless to say, the human resources and payroll analysis needs to revise the HR processes and its interconnection with the financials. At the end of this phase, a detailed gap analysis document is provided for both of the above as the primary deliverable. Dynamics GP is a module-based ERP system, each module should be dedicated to covering and fulfilling specific business needs. Throughout the solution mapping, each capability of the software should be linked with one or more specific business requirements, which are collected in the prior phase. Mapping system capabilities with requirements is part of the bridging between the current and future state. It is quite common that requirements to change when they are mapped to the new ERP solution's capabilities as this phase, which provides further insight for the client and the service provider. Figure 2 - Project GAP Analysis (under the umbrella of ERP Requirements) As requirements change and receive approval, discussions of data migration also become critical. It is important to understand and clarify how and what data will be migrated from the old system, regardless of whether it is a paper-based or legacy system, to Dynamics GP. One of the highly recommended tools that is used for successful and quick Dynamics GP implementations is the RapidStart migration tool. Microsoft MVP Gloria Braunschweig has a great book shedding a light on the importance of rapid, low-cost and successful implementation. There are a variety of other options to be considered under this stage. Macros are one of the commonly used methods as well. They have a proven level of effectiveness from projects run over many years. Needless to say, customers' expectations are always higher than what service providers propose. Therefore, the service provider and project manager specifically should clearly document all the details discussed, covered and agreed upon in the previous phases in a scope document. The main purpose of this document is to manage customer's expectations and list down the project deliverables accordingly. In summary, requirements elicitation and gap analysis phases are essential in the life cycle of the implementation project. The more efforts you put in these phases the smoother the proceeding implementation will be. System deployment translates these efforts into action. >>> The post was originally published by Mahmoud M. AlSaadi on MSDynamicsWorld.com. Special Thanks to Jason Gumpert for the efforts and assistance. Best Regards, Mahmoud M. AlSaadi
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