Your company has just signed up for a new accounting system. Now the hard part starts: the implementation. Here are some tips to help ease the process and get the most out of the new system.
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Planning – There is no excuse for not planning the implementation. Does your vendor have a proven methodology? Start with an overall set of objectives, select a conversion date and work backwards to plan resources and activities.
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Project Management – The single most important item in an implementation is having strong project managers. One on your implementer/consultants side and one internal to the company. Your internal project manager should have the ability to control internal resources, set company priorities and make decisions to resolve issues.
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Hidden Costs – everyone concentrates on the tangible costs, software, consulting etc., but the real costs are hidden. They come as lost productivity, extra overtime, employee frustration and even employees leaving. These costs can often be more than the total tangible costs.
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Doing it the old way – During almost any implementation there are people who say “I used to do it this way…”. The purpose of buying a new system is to become more efficient and productive, to get those advantages, quite often procedures need to change to take advantage of new capabilities.
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Change Management – People normally resist change. We know our job and can routinely do it. Change turns everything upside down. Be prepared for it, train your people to embrace it and watch for signs of resistance. I have seen many political fights because some people did not want to change.
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Be Pragmatic – Any new system cannot do everything. There will be limitations. Obviously it is best to identify them in your planning process, but sometimes they just appear in the implementation. My first question when somebody brings one up is “How often does that happen?” I find out that it is often a very rare occurrence and can be handled easily outside of the system.
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Maintenance – One of the reasons you are probably switching is that your old system is “old”! Plan on keeping the new system up to date with maintenance and upgrades. A good vendor will update their product regularly with new features and make it compatible with new operating systems. This will extend the life of your new system significantly.
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Training – We are all getting used to downloading apps on our phone with no manual and figuring them out as we use them. This does not work well for an accounting system. Because what I do in my job can affect many people down the line as they move data through the company. Training will reduce frustration, ensure accuracy, completeness and actually make the implementation smoother.
Gravity Software® helps companies grow by unlocking information and reducing friction. Written on the Microsoft Power Platform (aka Microsoft Dynamics 365), fully integrated and in the cloud. Want to learn more about Gravity Software? Schedule an online demo today!
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