I'm surprised an implementation partner hasn't reached out to you through LinkedIn. When I mentioned that we're evaluating ERPs, I started getting emails and connection requests.
Our selection hasn't been finalized, yet, so I can't speak to that. We have high level plans from the vendors we're working with (that I can't share), but won't get a complete, in-depth plan until after we sign a contract. Off the top of my head, here are some areas you'll need to include in your plan:
- Are you aligning your processes to best practices built into the tool, or changing the tool to fit your processes? The latter can take longer and have a bigger upfront cost. - What people/roles do you need on the project? Do you need to backfill their positions? How will their roles change after the project? What new roles will you need post-implementation? - Which functional business areas will be moving to the new solution? Like the other ERPs we've reviewed, D365 may not do everything you need, out of the box. You may decide to keep some of your existing tools and connect them to D365, as opposed to buying and learning a new tool that you'll have to connect to D365 because D365 doesn't do everything you need in that specific area. - How is your company distributed geographically? One building? Multiple facilities in one country? Locations in multiple countries? - Big bang approach? Phased rollout by geography or functionality, or both? - Your kickoff may vary based on how you plan to rollout. With a phased implementation, you may have multiple kickoffs. - Post go-live support will vary based on the agreement you reach with your support provider. Microsoft has their support models which can be augmented by partnering with a 3rd party solution provider. - Once kicked off, you can expect iterations of analysis, design (how is the tool changing versus how will your processes change), build, test, deploy for each functional area that is changing, with different levels of training mixed in at different points. - Regarding training, it's not just about training the accountant how to use the new software. Your support teams will need new training. The project team might need some training early in the project. You might set up a training environment and conduct training before go-live. With D365 you can leverage the power platform to do things you might not be doing today; what will you do that's new and who needs to be trained to do it? - Never forget the data. Data and process are where requirements hide. Are you satisfied with your current data quality and completeness? Do your data flows work without a lot of manual intervention and errors? What data will you need to migrate to D365 versus migrating to a separate repository for archiving and audit purposes? - On the subject of data, what are your reporting requirements? How will your leadership team get the information it needs to make informed decisions? What process/data flows need to change to make decisions based on current, accurate data?
I wasn't planning on a brain dump, but then I got started and it just kept flowing. I can't give you a detailed plan, but I hope this helps. Saving Changes...
Joao Paulo DontoniIT Project Manager| Schneider ElectricEskilstuna, Sweden
Hi @Aron Porter, since
March has your project plan evolved? I am also very interested in a complete plan if possible.
...
1 reply by Aaron Porter
Sep 01, 2021 6:12 PM
Aaron Porter
...
Unfortunately, it was placed on hold before we finished vendor selection. It will likely be next fiscal year before we revisit it
"In the real world, the right thing never happens in the right place and the right time. It is the job of journalists and historians to make it appear that it has."
Community Champion
