Implementing Navision in 9 days?

watung

I heard that Navision 4.0 includes industry templates that will reduce the time it takes to implement the solution.

The Navision executives unveiled a new implementation program, known by its numbers: 2-5-2. This includes two days for customer meetings, analysis and knowledge transfer; five days for implementation (one day each for kick-off, general ledger, customer/vendor processes, inventory, and sales and purchasing processes); and two days of follow up.

I haven't done with 4.0 yet. I just don't think that the templates alone will become like a silver-bullet. Any comments?

Kowa

In my experience you need at least 2 Weeks to get to know the specific needs of your customers company (i.e customizing and importing data from the old ERP system)

A customer always starts off on the grounds of his old Software System ( if he already had one...), then usually adds some requests for the new system.
The problem is that the requests which are most obvious for the customer are often not mentioned by him, and are then discovered when the project is already underway.

Projects are a step-by-step movement on both sides in getting to know each other well enough to find the right solutions and compromises. This process does take considerably longer time than "2-5-2."

flo

no freaking way imo
this is the second change of an erp system to navision i do in my carreer, and both took/are taking months/years untill they were/are completed!
so 9 days is maybe possible if u got no existing erp from where u want to import data and if u start a complete new database

Ian_piddignton

Having talked to the MBS team about this. The 9 days are not all in one hit. They may be spread over several months and they represtent the consultants time, not the clients. There are some excel templates that the customer fills in to help deal with some of the data migrations and it assumes virtually NO mods to Navision.

So if you have a small custiomer that fits this then it maybe possible but generally I don't think so.

Ian

Stardust

It is definitely a nice dream of some guys that never made a real implementation. I have enough experience with Navision implementations, and I would say that if the implementation is under 3 months it means you are lucky... or the customer does not have any specific requests, or he/she is not using the system at all O:)

Srini

I agree with you, Stardust. Now, this new Marketing slogans will put more pressure on the Implementation teams from the Clients. God save us.[/b]

Technos

AMEN [-o<

watung

Finally I got the talk with the author of this industrial templates and the 9-days scheme. 8)

He explained that the scheme is meant to reduce ONLY the "Phase 1" implementation which previously took 20 days in average (for all regions). Now, a normal implementation runs in three phases: Phase 1, defined as the implementation of basic functionality that covers basic granules (G/L, S&R, P&P, Basic Inventory, and Currency); Phase 2 which takes into a more advanced functionality (warehouses, FA, mfg, etc); then Phase 3, a more refined functionality, specific to the industry or to your customer's needs – I think this is where customization takes place.

So, guys, it is NOT meant to squeeze your 6-month implementation into 9-days. It is simply meant to reduce your time from 6 months to “6 months minus 11 days”. =P~

Furthermore, in order for the 9-days concept to really work, these pre-assumptions would apply:

(1) The customer is in one of the following industry segments: Manufacturing - Furniture, Manufacturing High Tech, Consumer Package Goods, Manufacturing - Machinery or Wholesale - Customer and Industrial Goods

(2) The 9 days are working days not calendar days

See. Now you have something to talk to your marketing guys.
\:D/

Shenpen

Industry templates: ROTFL

A typical Navision project includes:

- developing those functionalities that the customer actually bought Navision for, because no one wants to buy a plain order/ship/invoice ERP software

- organizing business processes, because usually they are chatoic, for example they do not have a Customer Registration Procedure and because of this they have duplications etc.

- heavy customization to documents

- re-localization, f.e. translation, in Hungary PettyCash, etc.

- duplicating forms like Customer Card for Managers, Customer Card for Salespeople etc. to restrict access to business information etc.

- developing mandatory fields

- developments like break Item Reclassification Journal to other journals, because f.e. users may reclassify Bins or Lot No.-s but f.e. may not reclassify Locations, because it would be too easy to reclassify items to a scrap location and thereby steal inventory!

- much, much training, usually starting with basic computer use skills like Ctrl+C Ctrl+V

- user guides

- many reports or using SQL to make querys etc.
etc.

IMHO no Navision implementation below 100 days.

Yeah, hard to sell but it is the salespeople's problems, not ours

Shenpen

Well, actually you COULD implement Navision in 9 days. Actually you could implement it in 0 days, as there are clients who implemented it for themselves. I mean we implemented Microsoft CRM for ourselves. OK, we are Navision consultants/developers so we are clever guys but it is theoretically possbile to do a 0 days implementation.

So, if you would write a very strict contract, 9 days implementation is theoretically possible. It is, if you manage the customer like:

- "training? Well, send a clever IT guy with also good accounting and logistics knowledge, he will get 2 days of training and there you go, he trains all users"

- "data migration? are you kidding?... it is not in the contract"

- "customization, especially for documents? are you kidding? it is not in the contract"

- "you have bugs and you think the software is not 100% localized? Are you kidding? Check the contract... the software is provided as is..."

It is possible, but, of course the customer will hate you and willing to change to the first NSC he meets.

The interesting thing is our main competitor, SAP B1 does exactly this.

jbc@cornator.com

Dear all

As ShenPen states the new tool from Microsoft is not a "wondertool" that can fix everything.
But it is a whole new approach to the partners.
This is the first time you get a suggestion from Navision (MS) about how to start up your implementation.

The 9 days only covers a basic implementation on a limited license.
You can take the tools and the project schedule (part of the tools) and expand it for your needs.

The tool is not created by deskclerks in HQ not knowing anything about the real life. It is created by several Partners from their experiences in implementing Navision.

So before you start discussing rumors like "Is it true that you can implement in 9 days" go to your local Partner Guide and download the tool set and see for yourselve.

Shenpen

Dear jbc@cornator.com, please don't forget that implementing Navision in Denmark and in the rest of the world are two completely different things.

I was in Copenhagen for a 4.0 training, talked with many partners, and I found that they have much, much easier time than us - Navision is a de facto industry standard in Denmark, fits very well to the national company culture - liberal, democratic and open - most users already used it at their previous jobs, most managers already know what to expect from it and what not etc.

Actually I myself had an implementation in Denmark, because a client had a subsidiary there. It was a dream project - users instantly understanding and accepting everything. They kept calling it Concorde due to historical reasons

But in the rest of the world it is different. We have really different company cultures.