BusinessLabs Planning Process
Implementing Microsoft® Business Solutions in your organization and using them effectively to solve some of your business problems should be done carefully and in phases. Thoughtful consideration and planning are required to implement a Microsoft business systems that involves integration on a local area network (LAN) for multiple-user access. A large business with multiple locations will experience different challenges than a smaller business with one location and only a few users. Experience has shown that those organizations that use the methods discussed on these pages achieve their implementation successfully and in a timely fashion.

The major phases of implementing Microsoft business systems used successfully by BusinessLabs are:

• Planning
• Development
• Deployment
• Post-Deployment

The main focus of this page is on planning. Development, deployment, and post-deployment are discussed, but not to the same level of detail as planning. Please contact BusinessLabs professional implementation experts to learn more about these phases and other services offered. Please read on to understand how we approach planning.

Planning
The key to successfully implementing Microsoft business systems is a good implementation plan. A good implementation plan defines the general goals you want to achieve, the system requirements you need to meet, and the timeframe to complete the plan. Business requirements and processes are also mapped to the application.

The implementation plan should include:

• Creating the implementation strategy.
• Identifying the implementation team.
• Creating a schedule.
• Analyzing your business processes.
• Identifying hardware and software requirements in addition to current organizational resources and how any new resources are to be integrated into existing systems.
• Determining customization needs and data import requirements.
• Identifying reporting requirements.
• Identifying training and on-going support requirements.

The parts of implementation planning are now discussed in more detail.

The Implementation Strategy
The implementation strategy can be as complex and detailed as required for your organization. The following are some suggestions for the contents of your strategy:

• Create a statement of work and change management process.
Making decisions about what work needs to be accomplished, and how to request, review, and approve changes during the implementation are two important areas to determine early in the process.


• Set a target date and budget for deployment.
Although these figures will most likely change during the implementation process, it's useful to have guidelines. If you are planning a phased deployment by location, functionality, or both, set target dates and budgets for each part.


• Identify the risk factors.
Some risk factors might include delivery of new hardware and software, dependencies on essential personnel or outside vendors, deployment timing, and users' resistance to change. When possible, make contingency plans to reduce risks and dependencies. These plans might include additional training, internal public relations, and support.


• Identify the business goals.
Determine what the business goals are and calculate the return-on-investment (ROI) and the total cost of ownership (TCO).


• Assign responsibility.
Designate a person who will be responsible for tracking costs, schedule, performance, and risk factors. Define an escalation process and identify who is responsible for making final decisions.

Identifying the Implementation Team
The responsibility for a successful Microsoft business system implementation should be shared with several people and organizations. Some of these include your software vendor, consultant, or other value-added partner, as well as those specific individuals in your own organization that are needed to participate on your implementation team. These individuals will actively work to implement Microsoft business systems in your business.

The responsibilities of an implementation team are to:

• Develop an installation strategy.


• Identify who will perform the various steps.


• Create an implementation schedule.


• Define a progress-reporting plan.

Members of the implementation team should include people with organizational and planning skills, a comprehensive knowledge of the day-to-day business operations of your organization, and knowledge of Microsoft business systems. The team should also include your system administrators whose technical experience should include Microsoft Windows® security, client/server networks, database administration, and Web technology.

The number of individuals involved in implementing Microsoft business systems depend on the size of your organization. To avoid task and time-responsibility conflicts, it is important that members of the implementation team are either full-time resources or are able to schedule implementation-related tasks as a priority, especially if deployment is to a large number of users. Team members and their managers must understand and accept the commitment required.

Each member of the team must have a well-defined role and set of responsibilities. These roles include:

• Business owners and managers.
Business owners and managers provide the leadership necessary for success, as well as guide decisions about the way Microsoft business systems are deployed. Although they do not need to understand the details of installation and configuration, they must be aware of the system configuration and maintenance requirements.


• Executive sponsor.
In small organizations, this role may be the same as the business owner or managers. In larger organizations, this person provides the link between the project manager and upper management. This person must understand the details of the installation and configuration, the schedule, and work with outside vendors.


• Implementation project manager.
The project manager is the person who directs the work and makes things happen. This person must understand the details of the installation and configuration, the schedule, other team members and their contributions, and work with outside vendors.


• System administrator/database administrator.
The system administrator sets up and configures hardware, installs operating systems and supporting software, and installs the Microsoft business system software. In smaller organizations, your Microsoft Partner may handle these tasks.

The database administrator maintains and backs up your business data. Depending on the size of your organization, your system administrator or another role (such as a person in operations) might also be assigned the database administrator role.


• Operations personnel.
Your operations personnel are responsible for maintaining the system on a day-to-day basis, ensuring good system health, and disaster recovery. In smaller organizations, these roles may be shared with the system/database administrator.

Create a Schedule
Creating a schedule is one of the important jobs of the implementation team. A schedule should list the steps involved in implementing and deploying Microsoft business systems, time requirements for each step, and who is responsible to make sure the tasks are completed. It may also identify any risks and dependencies. The following list identifies the main tasks associated with implementing Microsoft business systems:

1. Hardware and Software
1. Determine requirements and specifications
2. Acquire, install, and configure
2. Install the Microsoft Business System
3. Tailor the application
1. Analyze the business process
2. Determine customization requirements and specifications
3. Approve and freeze customization specifications
4. Develop customization
5. Review customization
6. Test the system
7. Get pilot group to use product
8. Finalize customization
9. Process audit
4. Training
1. Schedule administrator training
2. Schedule user training
5. Deployment
1. Deploy Microsoft business systems to the organization
2. Perform the import of legacy data (if importing)
3. Validate legacy data after installation
6. Post-deployment follow-up
1. Hold a post-implementation audit or review (after about 3 months)

Analyze Your Business Processes
The best way to analyze your business processes is to use members of your organization who know your business processes. Usually, the experts are the department heads or the people they appoint to do the tasks as part of their job. A successful implementation ultimately depends on its usability and the willingness of users to use it, so it's critical to engage these experts early in the process.

The tasks to analyze your business processes are:

• Find out what processes are in place. For example, how accounts are created and managed, how orders are recorded, how inventory is tracked, and how customers are billed.


• Find out what users think about the system in place. For example, is it effective, is it time-consuming, and are there processes that can be streamlined or dropped altogether?


• Find out what expectations users have of Microsoft business systems. For example, are they excited about using an automated business system, or do they have reservations and questions?


• Examine the processes in place and find out whether they stand up to the scrutiny of smart business practices or whether they continue to exist because no one wants change.


• Learn the features of the Microsoft business system product and how they relate to current organization processes and procedures.


• Determine what reports are necessary and part of your current business process.


• Determine the components and features that will be implemented and deployed first and when additional components and features will be added later.


• Incorporate the processes into the Microsoft business system. Determine whether the processes can be recreated as they currently are or whether changes must be made to incorporate the application and use its new functionality.

Identifying Hardware and Software Requirements
An inventory of your current hardware and software will help determine what you already have that can be used as part of your Microsoft business system implementation, and what must be purchased before implementation can proceed. If you need to purchase additional hardware or software, verify availability and delivery dates. These dates-as well as the time required for installation- are external dependencies that have an impact on the schedule. Contact BusinessLabs to obtain the latest list of hardware and software requirements for your Microsoft business systems implementation.

Determining Customization Needs and Data Import Requirements
Contact BusinessLabs to obtain information about what can be customized and the available customization tools.

Microsoft business systems can import data from many different sources. Contact BusinessLabs to obtain the latest information about importing data strategies.

Identifying Reporting Requirements
From the analysis of your business process, the current reporting requirements should have been identified and listed. Using this list, you can map your current requirements to the reporting capabilities of the Microsoft business system you are planning to implement.

Identifying Training and Ongoing Support Requirements
At some point during the implementation, a person should be designated as the system administrator and assigned to manage the ongoing system. This may be someone already in your organization or a BusinessLabps professional who is under contract to perform this function. This person must be knowledgeable about system administration, the organization, and the implementation.

One of the keys to a successful implementation-that is, to ensure that everyone can use the system properly - is to provide training and support for all users. Administrators and managers should be trained to manage the system, and users should be trained in common usage. One effective way to provide training is to schedule hands-on training before organization-wide deployment, so users will be able to put what they have learned into practice as soon as possible.

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Development
This phase can include any or all of the following activities, depending on your implementation plan:

• Setting up hardware and installing software.
• Installing the Microsoft business system in a limited use and test environment.
• Testing the Microsoft business system.
• Importing or migrating data.
• Customizing the application and the reporting features.
• Integrating the Microsoft business system into existing systems.

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Deployment
Prior to organization-wide deployment, it is a good practice to identify a group of users who can use and evaluate the product installation in a controlled setting. This group should perform the common activities that their jobs require, such as creating accounts, reviewing data, and sending e-mail. Observe their actions to find out what difficulties may exist and address those during training.

Because the user interface in Microsoft CRM is browser-based, no special software installations are needed on networked desktop computers. However, a software installation is required for Microsoft Navision and for client computers that are going to use Microsoft CRM from within Microsoft Outlook®.

Make sure that all users have been set up with accounts and passwords, and that they have attended training to help them become familiar with the product.

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Post-Deployment
Although users may be given training and job aids to help them get accustomed to a new product, if they do not use the product, the organization will not realize its return on investment. A successful implementation plan should include change-management efforts and post-deployment follow-up to determine whether your work force is using the Microsoft business system. Deploying a business system may involve significant change in process and daily tasks for members of the organization. A successful deployment ensures that issues and areas of resistance related to this change are identified and addressed through training, coaching, and other change-management practices.

The following list identifies some of the operational changes associated with transitioning to a Microsoft business system:

• The organization must develop processes and tools that will add long-term customer value. The organization must be an active participant in marketing activities to generate customers and create brand loyalty.


• Initial deployment period will affect productivity in the beginning. Learning a new way to accomplish daily tasks is time consuming and might be frustrating. This could result in an initial reduction in productivity.


• Customer relationships are owned by the organization, not the individual. Customers become organization assets, not clients of the salespeople they work with. This means that if a salesperson leaves, his or her customer relationships remain with the organization instead of leaving with the salesperson.


• Users must see the Microsoft business system as a tool to help them. If they instead perceive the Microsoft business system as a tool for organizational efficiency analysis and resist using it, the data the system generates will be inaccurate.

Department managers must be on hand to set an example and support the implementation, both by talking about it and using it. Executive managers must demonstrate an on-going commitment to show that using the Microsoft business system is a permanent change.

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