Leadership

Go-Live Implementation Steps

There are 7 basic steps in any Dynamics implementation; Sales process, Analysis, Development, Testing, User Training, Data Conversion and Implementation, . Every individual implementation will have more steps, but each must have these seven. In this chapter we will break down each of these, and discuss how to implement them roughly following a Dynamics Methodology.

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The Sales process

Every implementation starts with the sales process. Here we cover the aspect more from the clients point of view and how they should go about purchasing Dynamics. I have seen many failed Dynamics implementations. Virtually all of these are eventually corrected, and become quite successful, but it is a very drawn out process when it does not go right in the beginning. Looking back at a failed implementation, it is generally possible to say “that’s where it failed”. In more than 50% of cases that I have seen, that fail point was somewhere just before the client signed the contract with their NSC.

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Analysis

Whilst Analysis is a critical part of each implementation, it is hard to say what percentage of any project will be analysis. you can be pretty sure that there will never be enough Training, Project Management and Testing, and there will be too much development in every Dynamics implementation. But Analysis must be looked at objectively. In some cases you can actually spend more time on analysis, than on just getting in and doing it. Here we are going to try to identify the level of analysis required for a project, and how to get the right balance. One thing is clear, the more people working on the project, the more of the budget will be applied to analysis.

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Development

Amongst my many talents, I am also quite psychic, and using my powers I am going to make a prediction. You will budget more on development than you would have expected, you will then spend more than your actual budget on development and when its all over,...