Are you familiar with instances where an ERP implementation takes a disastrous turn? It's not uncommon to encounter such stories. Numerous ERP projects face challenges that lead to a failure in delivering the anticipated return on investment (ROI) for the organizations undertaking them. These are often referred to as ERP Horror Stories. By being mindful of the pitfalls and obstacles that have derailed implementation projects in the past, both partners and customers can take proactive measures to avert such disasters in future endeavors. Based on my experience, dedicating time upfront and making investments in business process evaluation and meticulous analysis can effectively mitigate surprises, ultimately saving both money and time.

Allow me to share my journey with Microsoft Dynamics GP and recount a cautionary tale that highlights how we managed to stabilize and rescue a GP customer.

My association with Dynamics GP commenced from a user's perspective when I served as a controller in the accounting department. When we could not get support, I started to fix some of the issues. I started to create new reports and troubleshoot some support issues. Drawing upon my background and degree in computer science, I was eventually recruited by a Microsoft Partner.

The partner I joined was initially a small boutique firm located in Chicago, later acquired by one of the prominent gold Microsoft Partners. This transition afforded me the unique experience of working with both small-scale partners and a large Gold-certified partner. I had the opportunity to support hundreds of users and collaborate across various industries utilizing GP.

Then,  I ventured into starting my consulting firm, Dexpro Dynamics, which has now achieved Silver certification as a Microsoft Dynamics Partner.

Our focus shifted towards assisting clients who had encountered challenges with Microsoft Dynamics and required a turnaround. This niche soon became our expertise.

Dexpro Dynamics received an inquiry from an Accounts Payable clerk with past experience at another company. Having positive memories of our services, she inquired about our complimentary on-demand Dynamics GP training program and recommended us to her current employer. A group of users from her workplace participated in multiple training sessions we offered, expressing satisfaction with the insights gained. Eventually, the company's management reached out to us for further assistance.

The Challenge

This company was in a tricky situation because their Dynamics GP system was highly customized, but the changes weren't documented. Their system was not stable, and it was outdated because they hadn't updated it for over ten years, missing out on Microsoft's improvements. They had skipped necessary upgrades, and none of the Dynamics partners they talked to were willing to help.

Their system and the way they did business depended a lot on custom integrations, and they had many manual processes in an unstable environment.

Many of the issues this company faced stemmed from the initial setup of their Dynamics GP system. The Chart of Accounts wasn't set up following best practices—it was lengthy and inconsistent. Since they had more than one company, users had to constantly log in and out, and the Charts of Accounts differed between companies, making financial reporting a manual and time-consuming task.

Within each company, they were working with improperly designed parts of the system. However, the major trouble arose when they hired a Dynamics GP consultant for custom development without checking if the system already had the needed features. Instead of aligning their business processes with Dynamics GP, the consultant customized the system. In simple terms, the developer didn't know GP well enough to realize that some functionality was already present. Additionally, when you customize an on-premises system, it's crucial to document the changes for future upgrades, and unfortunately, this step was overlooked, causing further complications for the company.

The company faced serious consequences. Employees, eager to do their jobs, worried daily about whether the system and integrations would function. If there were issues, they weren't sure if someone could fix them.

Instead of the system making work easier, employees felt like they were working for the system. This led to a lot of frustration.

The toughest part was when they had turnover—bringing in new hires took a long time due to the complex custom processes. Training employees was challenging since standard Microsoft training didn't apply, and they were missing out on the improvements made in the last ten years.

How Dexpro Dynamics Helped Identify a Path Forward

We began by having an open conversation with the client. We had to decide whether to invest in fixing their current setup, stabilizing Dynamics GP by upgrading and removing unnecessary software, or if it was time to start fresh with a new implementation of Dynamics 365 Business Central.

However, they faced challenges – they didn't have the capacity to handle a new system implementation, and they had multiple systems connected to Dynamics GP. Replacing these systems or rebuilding integrations for Business Central wasn't feasible at that time. Additionally, Business Central was relatively new, with limited add-on applications.

After discussing the options, we collectively agreed that the best course of action was to upgrade Dynamics GP. Once we brought them up to the latest version and stabilized the system, the next step involved creating a 3- to 5-year plan to determine the system's future direction.

After stabilizing the system, we noticed numerous recurring support tickets. To address this, we identified areas for improvement, such as deactivating unused integrations and unnecessary processes. We focused on user training and established best practices while preparing for the GP upgrade.

We strongly recommended setting up a test environment, especially crucial for systems with customizations. A test environment provides a safe space to test, modify, fix, and update before implementing changes in the live system. Implementing a change management process was emphasized to ensure a smooth transition and avoid unforeseen issues.

We took steps to enhance system performance, starting by removing unnecessary third-party solutions that were slowing things down. Cleaning up the test environment allowed us to streamline the system further. Modules were removed, and we proceeded with the GP upgrade.

In the test environment, we provided end users with clear test scripts, guiding them on which parts of the system to test. During the upgrade, our focus shifted to customizations. Instead of migrating all customizations, we carefully selected and moved only the essential ones, discarding the rest.

These strategies played a key role in stabilizing the Dynamics GP system.

Top Tips for Microsoft Dynamics Implementations

1. Choose the right system carefully.

Don't rush the decision or take too long. Evaluate what system suits your business needs, make the decision, and implement it promptly. This way, your company can start benefiting from the system's capabilities and efficiency gains without unnecessary delays.

2. Choose the right partner for your system implementation.

It's a good idea to match partner size with your company size. Larger partners might give less attention to smaller clients, while very small partners might have limited expertise with just one or two consultants. Find a balance that ensures you have a reliable team for support.

3. Take time to talk about customizations and options.

For on-premises products, upgrading can be a concern, but with cloud products like Business Central, well-designed customizations are easily upgradable. The software can be configured as you need, and updates are smooth and automatic. The company mentioned in this article stuck with Dynamics GP for over 20 years, choosing to stabilize and stay with it. However, other companies in similar situations have opted to switch to Business Central instead of sticking with GP.

At Dexpro Dynamics, we're uniquely positioned to provide clients with unbiased opinions since we support both systems. We regularly sit down with our clients for quarterly check-in sessions, and we don't charge for this time. During these sessions, we discuss Microsoft updates, assess their system based on interactions, and encourage open discussions about their concerns.

We also explore unused functionalities and address repetitive support tickets, finding ways to eliminate them through training or system adjustments. Despite the regular fears associated with ERP deployment, we believe that with accurate information, expert guidance, and open dialogue, it doesn't have to be a horror story for small to mid-sized businesses.