How do You Know if Dynamics Business Central is Well Aligned to Your Business?
If you’re considering Dynamics Business Central, your business is likely growing or you’re looking to right-size your current software. How do you know if Dynamics Business Central is well aligned to your business? Many businesses considering a switch have often outgrown other solutions like QuickBooks, Sage or Rootstock. When we sit down with a client moving from an existing ERP to Dynamics 365 Business Central, our first step is to conduct an Enterprise Process Review. This exercise facilitates working together to review core business processes and gives us the opportunity to learn about your business from those who know it best. Ultimately, it joins our knowledge of the business application, with knowledge of your business imparted by your subject matter experts.
Our Business Central Quick Start package includes an Enterprise Process Review. The review covers core company functions including Purchasing, Sales, and Financials. The Quick Start Enterprise Process Review doesn't deep dive into manufacturing, assembly, project costing at an in-depth level. Instead, those functional areas are discussed at a high level to ensure we get a holistic look at the business. The Business Central Quick Start has a limited scope, but we always remain cognizant of your business as a whole.
*A Comprehensive Enterprise Process Review, covering all company processes is available by request.
A Quick Start Enterprise Process Review includes core functions, such as:
- Onboarding a new vendor or customer
- Procure to Pay
- Quote to Cash
- Processes in Operations
- Financial Reporting
The Enterprise Process Review begins with a series of questionnaires, a tool we use to facilitate the conversation. Our approach is as a two-way engagement between Stoneridge and your team. For example, as we discuss the procurement to payment process from beginning to end we sit down to interview your company’s subject matter experts (SMEs). During this interview, we discuss and document what the current state of your business is, and how you envision your business evolving in the future. We not only cover the existing processes, but who owns that process? What data is gathered through that process?
Here are just a few sample questions for different departments that would be included:
- Is the A/R department centralized, or are some A/R functions performed at other sites?
- Who should create Vendor Master records in the System? A/P Department? Purchasing?
- How many checks do you print each day, week, month? How many check runs do you perform per month?
- Does your bank have any special upload or download data requirements?
- Provide examples of reports you create using the preferred reporting tool or using other reporting tools.
As you can see, this session gives your business the chance to put forth your team working in these roles every day and allows them to share their expertise. If you are in purchasing are you doing pre-payments? Are you doing blanket orders, etc.? How are your expenses categorized?
During the Enterprise Process Review, it takes an average of 2-4 weeks to meet with key users (SMEs) and about a week of follow-up to create documentation. Clients are also asked to provide samples of data. Once we receive sample data, we complete the documentation and return it to key personnel for review. During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to see if anything has been missed or if the review process brings to mind additional information that should be included.
Once the review has been completed and the documentation is reviewed by your Subject Matter Experts, the next step is to start to configure different areas of the application.
The value of the Enterprise Process Review goes beyond setting up for a project. Many small businesses do not have all business processes documented or there might be different key users performing a similar task in many different ways today. A Process Review can help give you an advantageous head start - documentation and the opportunity to discuss consistent standards (and acceptable deviations) to core business processes. A typical Enterprise Process Review output document is comprised of an average of 40 + pages showing your company’s processes. This information, along with the Statement of Work, are leveraged to create a detailed project plan that aligns with the work ahead.
Our goal as a trusted advisor and Microsoft Dynamics Business Central partner is to achieve a successful implementation that meets your business goals and ensure your company’s continued success. The Enterprise Process Review is a vital first step in that direction.
Achieving a configuration of Business Central that is aligned with your business today and implemented to grow your business in the future ensures you are able to reap the benefits of the solution for years to come.
To learn more about our Business Central Quick Start watch the video and contact us!
https://youtu.be/PT8ROvpjcd8
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