How Maggnumite is bringing new life to ERP implementations.
This blog post is the first post of a series discussing how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects are evolving and more specifically how we, at Maggnumite, are taking a new approach to Microsoft Dynamics projects in the Small to Medium Business (SMB) space.
Throughout the series, we will look at the HOW-and-WHY we see the change, understanding how new approaches and a new Rapid methodology will bring Dynamics to organizations in a very cost-effective way.
At Maggnumite, we have all worked in the Microsoft Dynamics space for decades and have seen how the space has shifted by ways of digital transformation, application evolution, and adoption of the cloud. With a focus on Dynamics Finance & Supply Chain, we have seen how the previous products (Axapta, Dynamics AX) evolved and became a best-of-breed application, offering powerful solutions to more and more businesses. Over the years, projects progressed from an approach of customizing the solution to specific business requirements, to now transforming a business with little to no customization. This shift has had a profound impact on how Microsoft partners deliver Dynamics implementations.
As Microsoft continues to evolve, it’s our expectation that this shift will continue and ultimately result in a suite of solutions. These will transform a company’s support needs from maintenance to evolving new business opportunities and insight through business intelligence.
With this knowledge in mind, the Maggnumite organization was built from the bottom up to support an idea of “mentoring” our clients through digital transformation of their organizations. As we all know, the learning curve in adopting a new business solution can be steep. Instead of documenting processes and driving projects ourselves, we take the client on a learning journey. We help them adopt “consulting” methods, including them as much as possible, and we see them become drivers of their own project. This helps us and the client be more agile during implementation, which can save valuable time.
When implementing Dynamics, we work together with the client leadership to tailor our “Agile” methodology to the project. Fitting it to the project team size, budget, and timeline.
We first train client team members and then through “Sprints”, we involve the whole project team in solution design, building, documentation, and testing. We coach the team members through their learning process and see them absorb the new solution – allowing them the time they need to learn the application and make the right decisions for the business. Not only will the project team achieve a successful Go-Live, but the involvement will solidify the solution deeply in the business and ensure success using it Day-One.
Making the correct design decisions throughout a project is vital to the competitiveness and success of a business. Instead of users making decisions based on their current system and processes, we mentor them through the change process.With the new understanding of Dynamics, we can together design truly outstanding solutions for them.
The change process encountered in an ERP implementation is always going to be difficult. However, with the right approach, the business can be given the tools to better understand their path and thereby give them a fighting chance to face it head on and succeed!
At the end of the day, the client goes live and will use their new solution to drive their business forward but what determines whether the project is seen as a success or not?
In our view, a huge part of the success criteria rests on two factors:
Did the business get the right solution?
How “painful” was the process?
The first criterion can be reached using several methodologies; and partners have, and still will use a variety of approaches to reach this goal.
However, for the second criterion, we have unfortunately over many years seen too many projects where the client is horrified and fears taking on new projects. Not only is this just saddening, but it can have catastrophic consequences to the business. Subsequent projects are where the data gathered by ERP is to be used to create a client’s competitive edge. This was why the client began their ERP journey in the first place!
When partnering with clients and WORKING side by side as team members, you can create the bond and ownership necessary for a business to embrace their evolving solution and see it succeed!
Projects become targeted and can become more cost effective, also giving smaller organizations access to new revolutionary solutions allowing them to prosper and grow.
Written by
Dan Gregersen, CEO of Maggnumite