Projects at Business Central SaaS Time (Third Mechanization)
In this post I want to create a SWOT matrix to represent the criticality of the projects in A.D. 2019. Customer perceives the project in different ways, it depends on how the customer is and what he had before!
However… we can start from Where we are today…
We are at the time of “Business Central SaaS“, everyone wants Business Central! I happened to go to many prospects where I was asked to: want to migrate to Business Central from NAV 2009, or turn off our on-premise management and want to migrate to Business Central SaaS! … All obviously in a short time!
Today we are at the time of the third mechanization, of smart working, of the Cloud and of Mobile and there are many pitfalls on the project, I will try to identify some of them.
Obviously, suggestions always welcome in the comments!
#1 – First Mechanization vs Third Mechanization
In the table below I put a brief comparative table among the various mechanization (es the first and third). Get an idea of how times have changed in 20 years.
You can find many documents on the internet, my course is only a forcing (it is not possible to compare Different Times without having lived them personally- as Einstein also said), I believe however that this post can give some points for reflection and make understand why “the consultant with the suitcase” has always high blood pressure.
First Mechanization vs Third Mechanization Comparison Table
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First mechanization Period |
Third mechanization Period |
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At the customer there was only pen and inkwell |
We are at the third mechanization … there is always a comparison |
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There was no competition between products (or little) |
A plethora of products, all continuously updated and in competition |
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Emulation (if you buy one, everyone buys it, if it works from them you want it to not work from us ??) |
No more emulation … i want a product and a project that costs little, make everything, is auto updating |
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Few partners (there was no competition between them, each one its market) |
A lot of partners.. and all always in competition… send an email an you are ok! |
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Few products (I choose one of those) They had seen nothing else (I buy it the first time) |
They had seen an infinity of products.. The software selection is very hard.. |
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I do not sell a project, I sell only the server with the consultants on board (ALL delivered with time & materials, ALL consultants in body rental….) |
You sell “the solution” for the Company… |
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I didn’t finish the job yesterday, I’m coming tomorrow.. and tomorrow…. |
You had to finish the project yesterday … today it’s already late! Tomorrow?? from tomorrow I don’t want to see the consultants anymore !! |
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Start of the new project gradually (first the finance, then the warehouse, then the production etc. etc.) |
We migrate everything and start with everything … even with what was not asked … a creative project! |
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Economic boom … I can spend a lot of money… |
Continuous crisis … I can’t spend more tha 1$… |
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The data may arrive on my desk tomorrow morning … no hurry! |
Yesterday… it’s already late! I need the data now in my phone! |
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No one was connected … No internet, no mail, only phone to communicate (I buy it, install it locally and that’s it) |
We are in the period of continuous communication Have you seen the email? did you see the chat? did you get the message? did you find the call on Skype? and on the phone? why didn’t you put me away tonight ??? tomorrow is late !!!! “The Net” 1995, Sandra Bullock is real! |
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No comparison with other systems … |
At least 10 ERPs analysed during software selection… external consultant NOT ready-to-go! |
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If something is missing in the product purchased … we make customizations .. in practice I create what is missing …. slowly … be quiet! |
Is it possible that a last generation ERP does not have these things? should do what the old man did plus a myriad of new things! |
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Project Mono-Company and Only in Italy |
Multi plant companies in a lot of countries with a lot of localizations.. |
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ERP Manager & Development Team on Customer site |
All external consultant, no more ERP Managers… internal developers?? |
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Documentation by vendor… manuals available… |
Documentation by Partners, manual, books & blogs by partners… better than the vendor! |
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System with few technology updates.. the same for many years… works well … why change it? |
Updates every day.. the tecnology is “old” after 6 months… if it doesn’t change it doesn’t like! |
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Only a Captain… a Factory Man! |
A lot of very confused Key-Users! |
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If don’t have the answer? Let you know tomorrow… I need to check… |
I need now the answer or this evening in my phone! Tomorrow is too late! |
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Only a partner! For All Life! |
DOGMA: Change Partner.. Change Partner…. Change Partner!! |
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Single Project or step by step by wave… |
Multi Project (ERP, CRM, BI, EDI, |
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Some architecture for many years |
Continuous Upgrade (Wave1, Wave2, Wave 3….) |
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No prototype, the project grows slowly … |
The final project must cost little more than the prototype, if you don’t make the prototype it is better. |
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Do you have the bible? You are good! |
You need to study everyday… technology is a “zeroday” continuous evolution… |
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Cloud?? what does it mean?? |
Cloud & Mobile Only!! |
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THE END |
THE END |
#2 – SWOT Matrix for Customer\Projects in A.D. 2019
In this post I want to create a SWOT matrix to represent the criticality of the projects in A.D. 2019. Customer perceives the project in different ways, it depends on how the customer is and what he had before!
Customer Classes: Old Style Vs New Style Customers.
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S – STRENGHTS 1. ASKS FOR INITIAL ANALYSIS (FIRST ENGAGMENT) 2. TEAMWORK BETWEEN TECHNICALAS, PRE-SALES AND SALEPERSONS (I HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR YOU) 3. SAFE ON ITS SPECIFIC ISSUE 4. RESOURCES DEDICATED TO THE CUSTOMER 5. WE USE AN INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 6. SCHEMATIZATION OF CRITICAL PROCESSES 7. INTEGRATED PROJECT (NAV-CRM-BI-FLOW-POWERAPPS, XAMARIN etc.) 8. PRODUCT INTERNATIONALIZATION AND PARTNERS FOR FOREIGN BRANCHES 9. VERTICAL SOLUTIONS (ADDONS) FOR THE BUSINESS TO MANAGE ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE 10. CUSTOM PROTOTYPE 11. LOCAL HELP DESK\IT MANAGER 12. EXCHANGE OF COMPETENCES WITHIN THE NETWORK 13. CUSTOMIZED DEMO ON CUSTOMER’DATA 14. COMPETENCES ON CORE PROCESSES 15. WE UNDERSTAND THE FEARS AND WE REASSURED THE CUSTOMER 16. INTERNAL SPONSOR 17. REFENCES SIMILAR PROJECTS (THE SAME LINE OF BUSINESS) |
W – WEAKENESS 1. PRODUCT POSITION ERROR 2. LOW CAPACITY OF LISTENING (OR I WAN’T..) 3. LACK OF FEATURES 4. LACK OF VERTICAL SOLUTIONS (ADDONS) 5. EXCESSIVE SAFETY IN IT (BUT I DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWERS) 6. DEMO TOO TECHNICAL AND DEGREASED 7. LACK OF INFORMATION (TECHNIQUES / BUDGET/DECISORS) 8. LACK OF BASIC CORE FUNCTIONALITY 9. LACK OF RELATIONSHIP WITH CONSULTANTS 10. LACK OF NEGOTIATION READING 11. FOCUS ON WRONG SOLUTION 12. CHOICE OF THE WRONG REFERENCE 13. DISORGANIZED INTERLOCUTORS 14. LOW NECESSARY NEGOTIATION 15. NO TEAMWORK IN NEGOTIATIONS 16. THE SALEPERSON DOESN’T KNOW THE PRODUCT (can you sell a Dyson vacuum cleaner without knowing it ?? do not believe) |
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O – OPPORTUNITIES 1. EXTERNAL SPONSORS 2. PROTOTYPE PROJECT – MAKE US MAKE DEEP ANALYSIS 3. THE PROSPECTS WANT AN INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 4. THE PROSPECT WANTS A SINGLE SUPPLIER FOR ALL THE INFORMATION SYSTEM (ERP-CRM-SP-BI-WEB APP) 5. INTERNAL SPONSOR 6. MY FRIEND SPONSOR (I KNOW THE PROSPECT, MY FRIEND WORKS THERE) |
T – THREATS 1. LESS INTERLOCUTORS TO PROVIDE THE RIGHTS INFORMATION 2. IT IS THREATENED 3. AN HOSTILE OR NON-COLLABORATIVE CONSULTANT (SOFTWARE SELECTOR) IS PRESENT IN COMPPANY 4. DISORGANIZED INTERLOCUTORS 5. HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN FRONT OF A LOST WEIGHT REFERENT (NOT RIGHT TARGET) 6. CHANGE OF DECISORS 7. NO K-USERS NO SPONSORS 8. I WANT EVERYTHING I HAD BEFORE |
MY NEXT BOOK ANNOUNCED: “Business Central NOT Common Features” … available from March 2020
“Discover the less know features of Dynamics 365 Business Central”, based on Project’s Notes.
Why “NOT Common” instead of “uncommon” features? …only for the “think different” philosophy! …and because all the common features know them, many common things I have already discussed in another book.
A new book for Italian people… based on Business Central Italian localization! For now I don’t advance anything (no spoilers) …the project or “under construction”.
Stay tuned!
