1. UBAX08 Better Managing Dynamics AX2012 Upgrade Projects Nima Bakhtiary, Arbela Technologies Marjorie Schmeerbauch, Beltservice Corporation

2. Visit AXUG.com for more information AXUG Summit – October 22-25 in Tampa, Florida this fall Visit AXUG Booth this week in Expo – M1 Why we love AXUG AXUG – The Dynamics AX User Group

3. Agenda This AX user group breakout session will provide you with tools, tips, and ideas for the better scoping and managing your move/upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX2012. Upgrading to AX2012 has significant benefits and this session will discuss a project management point of view for upgrading to AX2012. Highlighted in this session will be the top 10 best practices to upgrading. Introductions Project Management Top 10 Share Your Project Management Experiences Q & A

4. Arbela- who we are… History and Company Overview Founded in 2002, Headquartered in Southern California Microsoft Gold Partner - Enterprise Resource Planning Locations in California, Georgia, New Jersey, and Denmark ERP and SCM veterans – Management Team with 20+ years and Fortune 100 experience Practice Managers average 11 years Dynamics AX/CRM experience Two founding partners were original AX developers (V1) with 17 yrs. AX experience Focus Proven track record in implementing and upgrading global, multi-company and International ERP/SCM/CRM solutions Vertical expertise in Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution -- Industrial, Advanced Material, and renewable energy Dynamics AX 2009 and 2012 TAP program advisor and partner advisory board membership AX2012 Upgrade Specialists –Reduced customization through business process analysis and engineering practices – leverage standard and ISV solutions

5. Beltservice – who we are… Our Company Largest wholesaler and fabricator of conveyor belting in North America Locations in US- St. Louis (HQ), Portland, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Boise, and Los Angeles; Locations in Mexico- Mexico City and Monterrey; Locations in Canada- Toronto Founded 1969 by brothers Richard and William Engelsmann Privately Held Family Owned Business 302 Employees Our AX Currently using Axapta Version 3 Mid- re-Implementation of AX2012 with a go-live date of August 5 Heavy Product Builder user Lots of Homegrown Customizations, especially roll cutting and freight reconciliation ISVs: iQ4Biz for BI; Scanworkx for Data Collection; Greenlight Solutions axTEND for credit Management V3 User Licenses: 125 AX2012 User Licenses: 125 Enterprise, 280 Functional

6. #1 – Clearly define your project goal. e.g. Why are you upgrading? Prepare your elevator speech, and be ready to sell the idea to your co-workers. Examples: Improved operation efficiency Re-engineered processes to leverage new functionality and design Use new functionality to satisfy pain points “Get real time” Cost vs. Benefit?

7. Upgrade Cost Comparison AX2009 vs. Ax2012 7 Upgrade cost Comparison

8. #2 – Understand new functionality. You now get all modules – USE THEM! Your partner can play the advisor role by holding Workshops. Understand new tools and functionality before beginning customizations. Sometimes, the best functionality doesn’t appear to be for your company at first (e.g. retail for manufacturing companies). Deploy workflows, role centers, etc. New country-specific tools

9. Standard Dynamics AX Comparison between AX 4, 2009, and 2012—feature function comparison 9 Degree of Fit (from 1-10)

10. Dynamics AX 2012 and its native add-on Apps for Retail and Distributors 10 Degree of Fit (from 1-10)

11. #3 – Implement with future upgrades in mind. Minimize customizations. Is it standard now? Is there an ISV that minimizes this customization? Reduce risks by replacing customization – eliminate through process modifications and/or minimize impact of customization If you must customize- keep your code separate if you can.

12. Upgrade Types Hybrid Moderate Customization Low integration touch point Limited data consistency issues Limited integration touch points V3 or V4 Etc. Re-Implement Heavy Customization More than 2 medium to large ISV Many integration touch point Dynamics AX V3 or V4 Data Consistency issues Etc. Standard Upgrade Low to no customization Small ISV/Add-ons Few custom Reports No or few integration touch points AX V4 or AX2009 Clean data Etc. $ Cost $$$ Level of Effort Standard Hybrid Re- Implement

13. #4 – Determine roll out strategy. Big bang or roll out How many facilities should go live on the same day? Should you implement all transactions/modules within your scope? Or roll out one by one? How integrated are the company’s practices from facility to facility, transaction to transaction?

14. # 5 – Be realistic with your scope. Can your company pull this off? Plan for Phase 2. Sometimes Phase 2 doesn’t happen. If you’re not going to use it today, set it to default. A new version might have improved functionality.

15. #6 – Plan for Messy Data Data architecture changes: COA, Orgs, Companies, Products, etc. Data upgrade path May not work… When do you pull the plug? Data Migration Framework (in Beta) RapidStart Manual entry

16. #7 – Define your report strategy & execution. Utilize SSRS. This will require critical training. Deploy role centers. Use queries effectively. Do you need a new BI tool? R2 BI?

17. #8 – Keep the project moving. How will you keep your team’s momentum? Emails Stand-up Meetings Check-ins Process Review Test, test, test!

18. #9 – Foster a culture of change. Keep running the marathon at the end of the implementation. Implementations can be draining and painful, especially for smaller companies. Keep pushing for further roll outs, updates, and increased functionality. Upgrading to a new version will be easier.

19. #10 – Plan, re-plan, and re-plan again. Your plans will evolve. It’s OK. Sometimes, a product release can cause a major re-plan. Cumulative Update Feature Pack updates Allocate resources smartly-- set expectations for roles and involvement.

20. AX2012 Preparation & Check List Quick Start User license discussion –User analysis ISV solution analysis and availability New AX2012 version and timing – R2 –New country availabilities Upgrade analysis and estimate –List of potential first round new capabilities Workflow, role center, reports, –Data architecture changes and enhancement: retail specific capabilities, products, COA, organizations, companies, etc. –End user and IT involvement level –Integration strategies and opportunities –Data and code upgrade –Customization analysis

21. Continue the Conversation Online user community for knowledge sharing: http://community.AXUG.com AXUG events: http://www.AXUG.com - Webinars and Special Interest Groups (SIGs)http://www.AXUG.com Social Media #AXUG #CONV13 #MSDYNAX And don’t forget to complete your session surveys on the Convergence website, your feedback is appreciated

22. Thank you! Please complete your survey of this session! UBAX08 Better Managing Dynamics AX2012 Upgrade Projects Nima Bakhtiary, Arbela Technologies nima@arbelatech.com Marjorie Schmeerbauch, Beltservice Corp. mnehring@beltservice.com