What you will learn from this book
- Understand how to effectively use Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step to
implement the right Microsoft Dynamics business solution with quality,
on-time and on-budget results.
- Learn business solution selling techniques and guidance to
accelerate and close a sale, as well as related guidance on specific
industries
- Discover how Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step support’s your buy cycle,
as you progress through your needs assessment, alternatives assessment
and risk assessment stages
- Examine the different options to choose from for your business solution delivery, including waterfall and agile approaches
- Acquire insights into how you can proactively optimize the business
solution during implementation, as well as continue to maintain the
health of your solution in production
- Determine the approach and tools available to upgrade your business solutions to the current product releases
- Gain knowledge in key areas such as the project and change management disciplines provided in Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step
- Familiarize yourself with the approach to adopting the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology as your own
In Detail
Delivering business solutions is more than just product
play. Software is often viewed as the enabler; however, the key to
success is how the solution is implemented and how the implementations
are managed. With this as the background, Microsoft has developed
Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step as the full lifecycle methodology for the
Dynamics business solutions portfolio. Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step
enables you to maximize your Dynamics investments and increase your
efficiency to select, sell, deliver, operate and support your business
solution.
This book details the use of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step
methodology to enable the full lifecycle of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step
business solutions engagements. Guidance is provided on the due
diligence process for the customer that overlaps the solution selling
cycle for the service provider, through to the solution implementation
phases, encompassing on-going maintenance and upgrades.
This book provides detailed coverage of how to use Microsoft Dynamics
Sure Step to successfully deliver Dynamics solutions for your business.
The book begins by focusing on the aspects of due diligence and
solution selling– whether you are the customer or the service provider,
you can learn how you work together to select the right solution to meet
the organization’s needs.In the ensuing chapters, you will learn how
Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step can help improve the overall quality of
your Dynamics business solution, including coverage of proactive and
post go-live optimization offerings and a thorough explanation of how to
upgrade your Dynamics solutions to the latest release of the products.
Finally, the book discusses the essence of Microsoft Dynamics Sure
Step projects and how to successfully deliver these business solutions,
including project and change management disciplines and processes.
Additional key topics such as a guide to adopting Microsoft Dynamics
Sure Step are also provided if you are looking to develop a consistent
process in your organization.
Maximize your Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step investments, from
solution selection or solution selling, to solution delivery and
support
Approach
A focused tutorial, this book is much more than just another
step-by-step guide into project management. This book shows you how to
implement Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step business solutions, with
Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step providing the basis. This book will also
help you to plan, align, and orchestrate your sales activities. It will
orient you to tactics required to be efficient, proactive, goal driven
and flexible in your Microsoft Dynamics engagements.
Who this book is for
If you are a Dynamics consultant, developer, or in a
customer resources or sales role that requires guidance and knowledge of
the ERP/CRM business solutions space or to deliver business solutions
that meet or exceed the expectations of your organization, then this
book is ideal for you. About the Authors
Chandru Shankar is a Microsoft Services Director, responsible
for driving solutions and offerings for the Microsoft Dynamics Program
Office. He is also the Architect of Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step, the
implementation methodology for deploying the Microsoft family of ERP and
CRM solutions, and is responsible for the functional design and content
flow in the methodology.
Chandru has consulted for companies in a
variety of industries, including Aerospace, Automotive, CPG/Retail,
High-Tech and Manufacturing. He has undertaken multiple implementations
of ERP & Supply Chain solutions, in numerous capacities including
Program/Project Manager, Solutions Architect & Lead Consultant. His
consulting skills are complemented by several years of Manufacturing
Industry experience.
Chandru has also functioned as Adjunct Faculty for a major
University, where he has covered topics including Supply
Chain/e-Business Design, Strategy & Architecture for MBA students
& Company Executives. He has spoken in multiple internal and
external conferences over the years, as well as conducted training
programs around the world. Vincent Bellefroid is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), founder and
co-owner of Plataan. Plataan is a Gold Certified Partner of Microsoft,
an independent training and consultancy bureau specialized in Microsoft
Dynamics and Project Management. Vincent is an experienced
implementation consultant, who has worked with a number of customer and
partner organizations, including global SI's. Building upon his
distinguished ERP implementation career, Vincent is now responsible for
Project Management and Quality Control at Plataan.
Vincent was
one of the early adopters of Sure Step in Europe and has been
evangelizing the true value of Sure Step ever since. He has conducted
multiple Sure Step training sessions, while helping the Microsoft Sure
Step team develop the training materials and courseware. Vincent also
guides Microsoft Dynamics partners through the certification and
adoption process of Sure Step.
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Preface
Chapter 1: Background and Concepts- The business solutions market
- The importance of a methodology
- Why it is critical to have a solid approach for selecting and
- deploying ERP/CRM solutions
- What is Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step?
- Microsoft Dynamics overview
- What is a project?
- Implementing the solution
- ERP and CRM implementations—facts and figures
- Summary
- References
Chapter 2: Solution Selling and Driving Due Diligence- Driving value for the customer and the solution provider
- Value realization and measurement
- What it means to be solution centric
- Solution selling concepts
- Solution selling—buyer's perspective
- Building the trust
- Building the vision
- When to discuss feature/functionality or demo the solution
- Staying aligned with the buyer
- Vision processing—creation and reengineering
- The Microsoft Solution Selling Process
- Summary
- References
Chapter 3: Managing Projects- About projects and project management
- Myths and resistance
- Is project management overhead?
- Is project management an obstacle to flexibility?
- Is project management unsalable?
- Why project management?
- The alternative
- Using our own methodology
- Why quality-driven companies prefer project management
- The four pillars of project success
- Communication matters
- Rule number 1: Communication requires interaction
- Rule number 2: E-mail does not equal project communication
- Rule number 3: Be brief
- Rule number 4: Set clear expectations
- Proactive attitude makes the difference
- Rule number 1: Look ahead and prevent
- Rule number 2: Proactive power requires interaction
- Rule number 3: Measure for early warning signals
- Creating a guiding project culture
- The importance of closure
- Project management essentials
- The project lifecycle and phases
- What is a phase?
- Respect the phase-based approach
- Project management processes
- Break it !
- From estimate to follow
- The WBS as estimation instrument
- Follow based on WBS
- The WBS as central concept
- Project management adoption
- The tireless quest for the perfect espresso
- Embracing change
- The indispensable organizational benefits
- A core competency for your company
- Profitable projects
- Satisfied customers and happy employees
- Summary
- References
Chapter 4: Selling with Sure Step- The Sure Step Diagnostic phase
- The concept of Decision Accelerator (DA) Offerings
- A repeatable process for the sales teams
- Starting the discovery process with solution positioning
- The first step to envisioning the future state
- Identifying the right solution
- Determining the infrastructure implications
- Estimating the delivery costs, approach, plans, and roles
- Reducing the risk perception
- Estimating the Return on Investment (ROI)
- Developing the project charter
- Closing the sales cycle
- Initiating the delivery cycle
- Other usage scenarios for the Decision Accelerators
- Solution selling to a current customer
- Assessing the grade requirements
- Applying the other Decision Accelerators on grade engagements
- Sporting the customer's buying cycle
- Defining the organizational needs
- Determining the right solution
- Understanding and mitigating risks
- Approach for grading existing solutions
- Positioning the solutions for specific industries
- Manufacturing industry
- The Public Sector industry
- Extended CRM or xRM solutions
- Future industry and cross-industry solutions
- Summary
- References
Chapter 5: Implementing with Sure Step- Implementation approaches in Sure Step
- The notion of phases and cross phases
- Waterfall-based implementation project types
- The Rapid project type
- The Standard project type
- The Enterprise project type
- Setting a program for solution rollout
- Phased solution rollouts
- Multisite engagements
- The Sure Step waterfall implementation phases
- The Analysis phase
- The start of the project
- Start your engines
- Expect some delays
- A chance to establish the project culture
- A look back
- A good project charter is priceless
- Project planning sessions
- Kick-off your communication culture
- Wrapping
- To train or not to train?
- The uncontrolled Analysis phase
- Real-life analysis scenarios
- Back to square one
- Scope creep sneaking in
- No issues, no risks
- Analyze what?
- Go for interim analysis deliverables
- Managing scope creep during the Analysis phase by means
- of Fit/Gap Analysis
- Do not forget about data migration
- Interact with the infrastructure department
- The Design phase
- Do we really need a Design phase?
- The risk of a passive Design phase
- All activity in the Sure Step Design phase
- We are implementing a standard package solution
- From requirements to design
- Document and implement
- Initiate testing
- Interact with the infrastructure department
- Don't give on data migration
- Start planning the deployment
- The Development phase
- Developers only?
- Develop and freeze custom code
- Complete the testing
- Last call for changes
- Can process models still change?
- Start finalizing
- Finalize system configuration and ISV solution set
- Finalize design dates
- Hand over non-production environments
- The Deployment phase
- What is critical for a successful deployment?
- Trainers, evangelists for change
- Conduct end-user training
- Compose the trainer team
- What about the data?
- The go-live as the user acceptance test
- Your continued key user interaction will now pay off
- Early planning and commitment making the difference
- The focus of the user acceptance test
- Document and analyze the results
- Execute performance tests
- Infrastructure readiness
- Check and cross check
- Ready to take off
- The Operation phase
- Provide post-go-live sport
- Some things to do
- Clear pending items
- Finalize knowledge transfer
- Conduct performance tuning and optimization
- Transition the solution to sport
- To close or not to close?
- Closing—a nice little job?
- Building it
- The core challenge
- Sign please!
- The Agile Implementation project type
- Summary
- References
Chapter 6: Quality Management and Optimization- Quality management manifestation in Sure Step
- Quality control within the project types
- Quality activities embedded in program management
- Key quality and testing cross-phase activities
- The Sure Step Optimization Offerings Roadmap
- Technical review offerings
- Architecture Review
- Design Review
- Customization Review
- Performance Review
- grade Review
- Health Check
- Project oversight with the Project Governance and Delivery
- Review offering
- Project Governance and Delivery Review
- How customers and service providers can benefit from the
- optimization offerings
- Summary
- References
Chapter 7: grading with Sure Step- grade assessment and the diagnostic phase
- The grade Assessment Decision Accelerator offering
- When to use the other Decision Accelerator offerings
- Determining the grade approach and release schedule
- Delivering the grade
- The Analysis and Design phases
- The Development, Deployment, and Operation phases
- Summary
- References
Chapter 8: Project and Organizational Change Management- The Sure Step Project Management Library
- The Project Management disciplines
- Risk Management
- Scope Management
- Issue Management
- Time and Cost Management
- Resource Management
- Communication Management
- Quality Management
- Procurement Management
- Sales Management
- Organizational Change Management
- Organizational Change Management in Sure Step
- Define OCM Strategy
- Align and mobilize leadership
- Engage stakeholders
- Align organization
- Enable organization
- The Sure Step "Projects" feature
- Creating projects using the Project Creation Wizard
- Creating projects on a local drive
- Creating projects on a SharePoint server
- Customizing Sure Step templates using the Projects Feature
- Summary
- References
Chapter 9: A Practical Guide to Sure Step Adoption- Don't park your brain outside
- Strategy execution
- Change management
- Why change initiatives fail
- The Sure Step adoption program
- The adoption roadmap
- Diagnose
- Analyze
- Design
- Develop
- Deploy
- Operate
- The adoption workshop
- Executing the adoption workshop
- The online adoption assessment
- The cone of adoption
- Map your position
- Headlights on
- The value of the adoption program
- GROW into new behaviors
- Sure Step for Independent Software Vendors
- ISV classification
- How ISVs can benefit from the Sure Step program
- ISV artifacts for Sure Step
- Sure Step and the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics program
- Summary
- References
Chapter 10: Summary and Takeaways- What we now know about Sure Step
- The Sure Step value proposition
- A look back at the previous chapters
- The future of Sure Step
- Sure Step 2010 Content Pack 1
- Service industries
- Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010
- Additional content and feature enhancements
- Sure Step 2010 Content Pack 2
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online 2011
- Retail industry
- Microsoft Dynamics NAV Role-Tailored Client guidance
- Integrated customer care cross-industry guidance
- Sure Step 2011 and beyond
- Beyond Sure Step 2011
- Key takeaways
- Takeaways for customer due diligence and solution selling
- Implementation takeaways
- Sure Step adoption takeaways
- General takeaways
- Summary
- References
Index
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