Resolution Software, the leading Great Plains distributor in Africa and a company in the MB Worksoft group, has announced the completion of its Precise Methodology. The methodology, drawing on more than 24 man-years of experience in implementing, applying and using leading financial back-office applications, especially Great Plains, is designed to guarantee delivery of implementation according to specifications, within budget and on time.
"You cannot afford to miss implementation deadlines in today`s high-speed e-business world," says Resolution MD Grant Skinner. "Yet the ERP and business software market has been plagued by implementations missing their deadlines, running over budget and failing to contribute to the business`s strategic directions. The Precise Methodology ensures all of these issues are addressed. If we exceed our budget after the planning phase, further costs are for our account."
The first phase of any system implementation should be business discovery, says Skinner. "We need to get in and understand the business; to ascertain who are the key people and key partners. At this stage the client has the ability to control and influence the budget, project deadline, and deliverables. Once we have agreed and signed off deliverables, budget and project timelines, then we commit to meet all of these. And if we overrun deadline, further costs are for our account."
Historically software implementers have examined processes and then followed through with methodology and software, only to find they have automated the wrong things. This approach can have no impact on the business`s strategy.
"The business starts making decisions based on the new, automated procedure," says Skinner, "but there may be a disconnect between perception and what`s actually happening in the business system."
The Precise Methodology highlights many issues. It commits Resolution to a fixed cost; it highlights discrepancies in perceived and actual processes; it reduces scope creep; and it provides management with a living knowledge management document.
"The client is given a working document that is Great Plains-independent; it is a knowledge tool, a piece of technology-independent business collateral that is aligned with best practices."
This phase should take 80 hours, says Skinner. "Up to now all has been estimated. From this point we commit to timelines, budgets, deliverables, and identify anticipated outcomes and business benefits. For instance, month-end should take no longer than two days if our processes are followed."
Another consequence of the Precise Methodology is a deepened commitment to client-supplier collaboration. "This brings us into partnership with the client, who now has is equally committed to and responsible for delivery."
Resolution Software has done more than 20 successful projects in this manner, and Skinner believes it is one of the reasons the company has grown as it has. It is now the largest Great Plains reseller and implementer in South Africa, with more than 60 staff and 100 completed projects.
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