Book Image

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010

Book Image

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010

Overview of this book

Delivering business solutions is more than just product play. Software is often viewed as the enabler; however, the key to success is how the solution is implemented and how the implementations are managed. With this as the background, Microsoft has developed Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step as the full lifecycle methodology for the Dynamics business solutions portfolio. Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step enables you to maximize your Dynamics investments and increase your efficiency to select, sell, deliver, operate and support your business solution.This book details the use of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology to enable the full lifecycle of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step business solutions engagements. Guidance is provided on the due diligence process for the customer that overlaps the solution selling cycle for the service provider, through to the solution implementation phases, encompassing on-going maintenance and upgrades.This book provides detailed coverage of how to use Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step to successfully deliver Dynamics solutions for your business.The book begins by focusing on the aspects of due diligence and solution selling– whether you are the customer or the service provider, you can learn how you work together to select the right solution to meet the organization’s needs.In the ensuing chapters, you will learn how Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step can help improve the overall quality of your Dynamics business solution, including coverage of proactive and post go-live optimization offerings and a thorough explanation of how to upgrade your Dynamics solutions to the latest release of the products.Finally, the book discusses the essence of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step projects and how to successfully deliver these business solutions, including project and change management disciplines and processes.Additional key topics such as a guide to adopting Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step are also provided if you are looking to develop a consistent process in your organization.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010
Credits
Foreword
About the Authors
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Why it is critical to have a solid approach for selecting and deploying ERP/CRM solutions


Business solutions delivery in general, and ERP/CRM consulting specifically, is very different from deploying other solutions such as an e-mail system. It goes without saying that e-mail communications are extremely important for companies in today's environment. Yet, a company could function for a foreseeable period without e-mail —people may actually have to resort to what now seems to be an archaic form of communication and pick up a phone to talk to other parties. As humorous as it may seem, it wouldn't be far from reality, and some employees would argue that their efficiencies may actually increase during that e-mail downtime as they are actually able to focus on their core job requirements.

In contrast to infrastructure solutions, ERP systems specifically, and CRM systems to an extent, form the backbone of the company. These systems support core functions such as quote-to-order entry, order fulfillment, receipts and payments, HR and payroll, inventory management, distribution/production planning, demand forecasting, and sales pipeline management, among other things. A company would be crippled if these systems were down for a long period of time. This is why, depending on the usage scenario, ERP/CRM systems are typically perceived as mission-critical systems, while infrastructure systems are most often seen as business-critical systems.

This is also the reason that customers take a long time to do the necessary due diligence before selecting the right solution to meet their needs. Given this criticality, it is easy to see how having a methodology that goes beyond solution delivery to help customers with their selection process can be perceived as beneficial by the customer. It is also why customers should go through the due diligence in selecting their solution provider or implementer as they do on the business application itself. It is critical that the solution provider follows a robust process as evidenced by the methodology that they employ, both in helping the customer select the right solution to meet their needs and in delivering the envisioned solution.

During the customer's selection/due diligence process, it is important that they are guided through their requirements gathering process, including understanding their current ("as-is") and future ("to-be") processes. Then the customer should be able to ascertain how each of the requirements fits within the proposed solution. Additionally, the customer should be able to determine all infrastructure components (hardware and any third-party software), as well as the release schedule (overall plan with resource needs from both the consulting and customer organization). The key output of the due diligence phase should be a solution blueprint that articulates the proposed solution for the customer, as well as a statement of work that explains how the solution blueprint will be executed.

From a solution delivery perspective, ERP/CRM engagements are also considerably different compared to an infrastructure project. The following illustration depicts some of the products in the Microsoft portfolio. As you go from left to right in this spectrum, the projected solution delivery effort as well as complexity increases exponentially.

The key point in this graphical representation is that ERP/CRM solutions, on an average, require a level of customization that is far more than the typical infrastructure solutions. This is expected as these solutions are applied to multiple workflows within organizations in many different industries and verticals. As the customization need increases, so does the effort and complexity. This is not to say that all infrastructure projects will be straight off-the-shelf solutions, or that all ERP/CRM projects will be highly customized solutions. Any solution will have a range of complexity, from a quick, rapid deployment, to a longer, complex solution development and deployment. The point of emphasis is that this greater complexity implies a greater need for having an implementation methodology that ensures appropriate project and quality management during the solution delivery process. This is also what Sure Step delivers, which we will introduce in the next section.