Customer Success with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

By Chandru Shankar, Vincent Bellefroid and Nilesh Thakkar

"Customer Success with Microsft Dynamics Sure Step" is a focused tutorial of Microsoft Dynamics solution envisioning and delivery, rather than a stepbystep guide into project management. It will equip you with the tactics required to plan, align, and orchestrate your solution selling activities, as well as help you to be efficient, proactive, goal driven, and flexible in your Microsoft Dynamics engagements.


If you are involved in one or more of the roles stated below, then this book is for you:

•If you are a Project Manager, Engagement Manager, Solution Architect, or Consultant involved in delivering Microsoft Dynamics solutions, this book will teach you how you can improve the quality of your implementation with a consistent, repeatable process.
•If you are a Customer Project Manager, Subject Matter Expert, Key User, or End User involved in selecting the right business solution for your organization and delivering the Microsoft Dynamics solution, this book will help you determine how the method facilitates the delivery of a solution that is aligned to your vision.
•If you are a Sales Executive, Services Sales Executive, Technical Sales Specialist, PreSales Consultant, or Engagement Manager involved in the sales of Microsoft Dynamics solutions, this book will help you to understand how you can accelerate your sales cycle and bring it to a close.
•If you are the Customer Decision Maker, CxO, Buyer, or Project Manager who participates in the selection process for your business solution needs, this book will show you how to determine how this process can help your due diligence exercise and set the stage for a quality implementation of the solution.
•If you are a Change Management expert, this book will enable you to learn how you can help the customer manage organizational change during the business solution delivery process, and/or help solution providers adopt a process for selling and delivering solutions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Release date: Jan 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781849687034

Chandru Shankar

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.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Customer Success with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

Credits

Foreword

About the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Acknowledgments

About the Reviewer

Acknowledgments

About the Reviewer

Acknowledgments

About the Reviewer

Acknowledgments

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Free Access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Background and Concepts

The business solutions market

Building a solution strategy with pace layering

The two-tier approach, cloud computing, and workloads

The importance of a methodology

The importance of a methodology for solution selection

Introducing Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

Microsoft Dynamics overview

Understanding what a project is

Implementing the solution

ERP and CRM implementations and statistics

Summary

2. Solution Selling and Driving Due Diligence

Driving value for the customer and solution provider

Value realization and measurement

What it means to be solution centric

Solution selling concepts

Solution selling – the buyer's perspective

Building trust

Building a vision

Determining the right time to demo the solution

Staying aligned with the buyer

Vision processing – creation and reengineering

The Microsoft Solution Selling Process

Summary

3. Solution Envisioning with Sure Step

The Sure Step Diagnostic phase

The concept of Decision Accelerator (DA) Offerings

Diagnostic for a new Dynamics customer

Starting the discovery process

Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services tools and alignment with Sure Step

The first step to envisioning the future state

Identifying the right solution

Determining infrastructure implications

Estimating delivery costs, approaches, plans, and roles

Phased approaches and staging options for multiple site deployments

Reducing risk perception

Estimating the Return on Investment

Developing the project charter and proposal

Closing the sales cycle

Initiating the delivery cycle

Other aspects of the Decision Accelerator Offering services

Diagnostic leveraging of the Accelerated POC with the CRM Online service

The Diagnostic phase for a current Dynamics customer

Assessing the upgrade requirements

Applying the other Decision Accelerator Offerings services to upgrade engagements

Supporting the customer's buying cycle

Defining organizational needs

Determining the right solution

Understanding and mitigating risks

Approach to upgrade existing solutions

Positioning solutions for specific industries

Industry/vertical solutions

The manufacturing industry

The public sector industry

Use case – Decision Accelerator for a local government council

The retail industry

Service industries

Cross-industry / horizontal solutions

Cross-industry customer care solutions

xRM or extended CRM solutions

Future industry and cross-industry solution content

Quick reference

Summary

4. Managing Projects

About projects and project management

Myths and resistance

Is project management an 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

A proactive attitude makes the difference

Rule number 1 – look ahead and prevent

Rule number 2 – be proactive with interactions

Rule number 3 – a measure for early warning signals

Creating a guiding project culture

The importance of closing

Project management essentials

A project life cycle and its phases

What is a phase?

Respecting the phase-based approach

Project management processes

Breaking it up!

From estimate to follow up

WBS as an estimation instrument

Follow up based on WBS

WBS as a central concept

Adopting project management

The tireless quest for the perfect espresso

Embracing change

Indispensable organizational benefits

A core competency for your company

Profitable projects

Satisfied customers and happy employees

Summary

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 up a program for solution rollout

Phased solution rollouts

Multisite engagements

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 up

To train or not to train?

The uncontrolled Analysis phase

Scenarios for real-life analysis

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 up 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 the system configuration and ISV solution setup

Finalize design updates

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 support

Some things to do

Clear pending items

Finalize knowledge transfer

Conduct performance tuning and optimization

Transition the solution to support

To close or not to close

Closing – a nice little job?

Building it up

The core challenge

Sign please!

The Agile Implementation project type

Use case: Agile project type for a multinational chemicals customer

Use case: Rapid project type for a GP customer

Use case: Enterprise project type usage by a global advertising organization

Summary

6. Quality Management and Optimization

Understanding the quality management manifestation in Sure Step

Controlling quality within project types

Quality activities embedded in program management

Key quality and testing cross-phase activities

Feature Testing

Unit Testing

Function Testing

Sub-Process Testing

Process Testing

Data Acceptance Testing (DAT)

Integration Testing

Performance Testing

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

The Sure Step Optimization Offerings

Optimization Offering for Microsoft Dynamics AX

Optimization Offering for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Optimization Offering for Microsoft Dynamics GP

Optimization Offering for Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Optimization Offering for Microsoft Dynamics SL

Understanding key Proactive and Post Go-Live services for AX and CRM

Architecture Review

Design Review

Customization Review

Performance Review

Upgrade Review

Health Check

Project Governance and Delivery Review

Optimization Offerings and their benefits

Use case – Technical Review services usage by Global Advertising Organization

Use case – Project Governance and Delivery Review service usage by partner

Summary

7. Upgrading with Sure Step

Decision Accelerator Offerings and the Diagnostic phase

Phase 1 – Need Determination

The Upgrade Assessment Decision Service

Phase 2 – additional services and when to avail them

Phase 3 – Risk Evaluation

Determining the Upgrade approach and release schedule

Delivering Upgrade

The Analysis and Design phases

The Development, Deployment, and Operation phases

Use case – Microsoft Dynamics Upgrade by a nondurable products manufacturer

Summary

8. Project and Organizational Change Management

The Sure Step Project Management Library

Understanding project management disciplines

Risk management

Scope management

Time and cost management

Resource management

Communication management

Quality management

Procurement management

Integration management

Organizational Change Management

Organizational Change Management in Sure Step

Defining the OCM Strategy

Aligning and mobilizing leadership

Engaging stakeholders

Aligning an organization

Enabling the organization

Aligning to other project methodologies

Prince2 and Sure Step

Sure Step's Projects feature

Sure Step Project Creation Wizard

Creating projects on a local drive

Creating projects on a SharePoint server

Sure Step Online Project Creation Wizard

Customizing Sure Step templates using the Projects feature

Summary

9. A Practical Guide to Adopting Sure Step

Don't park your brain outside

Executing strategy

Managing change

Why change initiatives fail

Underestimating the need for a clear vision of the desired change

Failing to clearly communicate the vision

Failing to build a substantial coalition

Permitting roadblocks against the vision

Not generating a sense of urgency tied to improved performance

Not building a plan for short-term wins

Failing to lead and coach changes in the business behavior

Failure of managers to operate in and above day-to-day execution

Not practicing what you preach

Failing to anchor changes in the business culture

Making your Sure Step adoption program

Creating a roadmap

Diagnosis

The Sure Step champion

The V-team

Analysis

Design

Development

Deployment

Operations

The value of the adoption program

GROW into new behaviors

The Key Documents Visio diagram

Some tips from real, conducted Sure Step adoption programs

How to access Sure Step

Sure Step 2012

Sure Step Online

Key differences between Sure Step 2012 and Sure Step Online

Preparing for the Sure Step certification exam

Sure Step for ISVs

Classifying ISVs

How ISVs can benefit from the Sure Step program

ISV artifacts for Sure Step

Sure Step and the CfMD program

Use case – Sure Step adoption by a small Dynamics partner

Summary

10. Summary and Takeaways

What we now know about Sure Step

The Sure Step value proposition

Sure Step revisited – summary and quick reference

Sure Step updates

Sure Step Online

Sure Step and Lifecycle Services

Key takeaways

Takeaways for customer due diligence and solution selling

Implementation takeaways

Sure Step adoption takeaways

General takeaways

Summary

A. Bibliography

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Index

Customer Success with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

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Customer Success with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step

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Credits

Authors

Chandru Shankar

Vincent Bellefroid

Nilesh Thakkar

Reviewers

Mohamed Aamer

Keith Dunkinson

Ahmad Saad Masroor

Acquisition Editors

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Foreword

We live in amazing times; the barriers to entry of markets are lower than they have ever been and innovation is rich, leveraging the reach of the Internet and the mobile wave to capture new routes to the customers. The only real challenge is realization, the process of connecting a vision with the right technology and bringing along the users. And here is where so many programs, projects, and ultimately ideas fail. Companies, governments, and entrepreneurs that can convert structure to realization can change the world today, disrupt monopolies, and bring about a social change.

Industrializing and simplifying the process of realization and making it accessible are the goals of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology. Business processes are the key to the transformation, and CRM and ERP technologies are the framework for enabling a customer-driven enterprise.

The opportunity is clear, the capabilities are there, and they are connected—solution selling and transforming the vision of a customer, through discovery, into a realizable program with low risk and a strong financial return, making the board's decision simple.

Customer Success with Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step is an excellent book to help the reader understand the multiple offerings, content, and theories supported by the methodology. This book is rich in the theories of solution selling that originated with Michael Bosworth and other stalwarts as well as the deep project management philosophies and disciplines that are followed across the industry. The book really excels in explaining how the theories are applied within Sure Step, from the application of the Microsoft Solution Selling Process (MSSP) in the Diagnostic/Envisioning stage through the Waterfall and Agile project types to deliver and upgrade the customer's Microsoft Dynamics solutions.

Having known Chandru Shankar as a key member of my team, I appreciate the thoroughness that he has brought to this book in the same way that he works with our customers. Chandru and his co-authors also bring a wealth of experience in ERP and CRM solution selling and delivery to the readers of this book. I believe that you will benefit from this, whether you are a new or existing Microsoft Dynamics customer or partner. Reading this book is mandatory for my team.

Happy Reading!

Julian Johnson

Vice President EMEA, Microsoft Business Solutions

About the Author

Chandru Shankar is the Manufacturing Industry Director, EMEA, MBS. He is responsible for Microsoft Dynamics AX and CRM solutions sales to manufacturing businesses as well as the ongoing success of these customers. Prior to his current role, Chandru was the Dynamics Solutions Director for Microsoft Services, responsible for AX and CRM Dynamics solutions and offerings for WW MCS. Chandru is also the architect of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step methodology for solution envisioning and delivery. He has previously co-authored the book, Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010, Packt Publishing, January 2011.

Chandru has several years of consulting experience in Supply Chain and business solutions, as well as manufacturing industry experience. Chandru has also functioned as adjunct faculty for a major university in the U.S., where he has covered topics including supply chain/e-business design and strategy and architecture for MBA students and company executives. He has spoken at multiple internal and external conferences over the years as well as conducted training programs around the world.

Chandru has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical-Production Engineering, a Master's degree in Industrial Management, and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).

Acknowledgments

The second edition of the Sure Step book has been a long time coming, and I want to start by thanking the Packt Publishing team of editors and reviewers for their patience throughout this process. Authoring a book of this magnitude takes time and a lot of personal sacrifice, and it also requires an understanding family for which I am grateful. To my wife, Veena Shankar, and my daughters, Maya and Tara Shankar, who continue to be my pillars of strength and motivation.

My involvement with Sure Step dates back to 2007, beginning with my consulting role where I leveraged the methodology for solution delivery as well as on sales pursuits. Sure Step was a passion of mine, because I saw the impact it had on customer organizations as well as the solution delivery teams that were involved in making the customer successful. Last year, I changed roles and moved to a role focused on solution sales to our Microsoft Business Solutions customers. I continue to see the importance of the methodology, and it has also highlighted the importance of starting early with a structured process to clearly establish a tight linkage between the customer needs and their solution design.

Our Microsoft Dynamics suite of solutions continues to evolve into world-leading products, including the recent releases of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, CRM 2013, GP 2013, and NAV 2013. Our R&D teams are also investing their efforts in a wide range of tools, such as the Lifecycle Services tools, to help the customer's journey to a successful deployment of the solution. As the Sure Step methodology evolves, it takes on the role of the orchestrator, where it brings together these tools and other artifacts in a coherent manner that can be understood by the customer and delivery teams.

The success of Microsoft Dynamics can be pinned to its strong leadership team, starting with Kirill Tatarinov for his overall leadership, Hal Howard and Bob Stutz respectively for ERP and CRM Product Development, Mike Ehrenberg for his technical solution direction, and through to Neil Holloway and Wayne Morris for their sales and marketing leadership respectively. For the Sure Step methodology, besides these visionaries, we also have the support of leaders, including Richard Barnwell and Sri Srinivasan for AX, Bill Patterson for CRM, Paul White for NAV, Jeff Trosen for GP and SL, and Theo Gees and Ming Chao for Microsoft Services.

One of the Dynamics leaders on the team that I am personally thankful to is Julian Johnson for recognizing the impact of a methodology in driving customer success and for taking the time to pen the foreword for this book. I also want to thank the Sure Step R&D team for continuing to provide the latest releases of the content and toolset to the user base.

I want to thank my co-authors, Vincent and Nilesh. I have worked with both of them for several years, with Vincent as co-collaborator on the first book, and with Nilesh, on the R&D team for several releases. I appreciate their personal sacrifices for this book as well. We would also be remiss if we didn't thank our reviewers, Keith Dunkinson from AXPact/CRMPact, and Mohamed Aamer from Microsoft Support.

Finally, to the user base of Sure Step and to you the readers, thank you for your continued support and feedback for this methodology. We salute you and hope you enjoy this labor of our love.

About the Author

Vincent Bellefroid is the founder and co-owner of Plataan, an independent training and consultancy bureau specialized in Microsoft Dynamics and Project Management, and a Certified Partner of Microsoft. Vincent is an experienced implementation consultant and an expert in the project management domain. Vincent has worked with numerous customer and partner organizations, including global SI's while working for global consulting organizations such as Deloitte. Building upon his distinguished ERP implementation and project management 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.

Vincent collaborated with Microsoft for the certification exams and delivered EMEA, APAC, and US Sure Step train the trainer sessions for Microsoft.

Vincent is an author on the book Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step 2010 by Packt Publishing, and teaches Project Management at Leuven University College in Belgium. Vincent is also a public speaker having delivered sessions at Convergence EMEA, Directions, and various community events.

You can find Vincent and Plataan at:

www.plataan.be

https://www.facebook.com/PlataanAlumni

@PlataanAlumni

Acknowledgments

I initially co-authored this book because I wanted to help Microsoft Dynamics implementers and customers find their own way through due diligence, quality assurance, and satisfaction guided by Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step principles. Each line of text in this book is based on what I learned in my career and still learn every day I teach and consult. Therefore, I want to thank all my trainees, customers, colleagues, and employers from whom I learn every day. I am a trainer and a student at the same time.

I want to thank my wife Stien, and Stany and Lou, my lovely sons, for their patience and understanding during the update process.

Special thanks to my co-authors Chandru and Nilesh. Thank you guys for your time, dedication, and excellent content! Thank you to all the reviewers and the Packt Publishing team for making this possible.

About the Author

Nilesh Thakkar has over 15 years of ERP and CRM knowledge with expertise across Dynamics GP, NAV, AX, and CRM. He has successfully implemented Dynamics products in many countries in a variety of industries, including supply chain, healthcare, media and publishing, hospitality/restaurants, and non profit.

Nilesh is a Senior Program Manager for Microsoft Dynamics. He is currently responsible for the release management of Dynamics Sure Step and Dynamics GP, most recently orchestrating the launch of Sure Step Online, moving Sure Step to a cloud-based solution.

Acknowledgments

I would firstly like to thank the readers of this book; I am confident it will increase your customer success with Microsoft Dynamics. I would like to thank my co-authors for their inspiration to apply many years of ERP, CRM, and project management expertise and channel it towards the creation of such a fantastic book.

About the Reviewer

Mohamed Aamer is a Microsoft Dynamics AX Support Engineer, Global Business Support, EMEA region, Microsoft, in Egypt. In 2013, he was awarded Microsoft Dynamics AX MVP, and he is the first AX MVP in the Middle East and Africa. His main focus is on implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX to fit customers' needs. He uses his time to understand customer business cycles and solve customer business problems through a combination of business process re-engineering and the utilization of the application functionalities. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) specialized in financial management and supply chain management. In addition to this, he is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

Mohamed has varied consultation experience in dealing with Microsoft Golden Partners and Microsoft customers. He has worked as a consultant in many industries, such as retail fashion, retail electronics, cement manufacturing, trading, and ready mix. He has carried out multiple implementations of Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System and Microsoft Dynamics AX in numerous capacities, such as project manager, solutions architect, and lead consultant. His consulting skills are complemented by his business, management, and interpersonal skills.

He is the author of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Financial Management, Packt Publishing, November 2013.

He is also a column author of AX-Excellence at the MSDynamicsWorld.com community, an official blogger at Microsoft Dynamics Community, and a blogger on his own blog www.blog.mohamedaamer.com. He delivers evangelizing sessions to Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs) to introduce Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step to them. He has been ranked in the top 100 influential people in DynamicsWorld.co.uk for two consecutive years. He has obtained other badges from Microsoft, such as Microsoft Community Contributor (MCC) and Microsoft Dynamics Community Expert.

When not working on complex business processes, he attends live Sufi shows and music concerts.

Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks to all the people who directly/indirectly taught, guided, supported, and advised me to become a consultant. I am doing my best to improve myself. This acknowledgment is for the people who have made a massive impact on my career. I'd like to thank all of them as I cannot thank them enough.

My older brother Ramy, who is my inspiration, gives me his time, effort, daily advice, coaching, and leadership. He always gives me support and encourages me. He is my mentor. Ramy put me on the information technology track and gave me the chance to choose which gate I will pass through. He helped me to finish my college and convinced me to attend the first e-commerce seminar in the Middle East; that was the first spark. I consider Ramy as my source of energy.

I cannot forget my mother's support and her prayers for me.

Also, my wife sacrificed so much of our personal life during the development of my career, and I cannot thank her enough for that.

Chandru Shankar, an EMEA and LATAM ERP lead with Microsoft, has given me a lot of motivation and support during my career. I can always approach him for advice or to share ideas. I am very proud to meet a person like him and consider him as a family friend. He is my career role model.

I dedicate this book review to the memory of my father and my uncle Hamza; both of them invested in my brother and me the seeds of concepts and beliefs, and now we are harvesting them. My father always said to me, I believe in you when you say you can do; you can achieve more than what you target; just focus, and my uncle Hamza said to me after my graduation, You just met your lifetime teacher who will guide you through your entire life.

About the Reviewer

Keith Dunkinson has over 20 years of experience in implementing ERP systems for a number of companies and working with over 100 successful ERP implementations. He owned and ran The Computing Practice, an ERP solution center where he worked in a variety of roles for over 16 years, selling and implementing Dynamics NAV, SAP, Oracle, and Sage software. Keith is a leading expert Dynamics AX project manager and is currently working on a number of complex, international AX projects. Keith is the founder and Managing Director of ERP Advisers Ltd and has also worked as the Business Development Director at AxPact Limited. AxPact is the world's largest global supplier of Microsoft Dynamics AX—where for ten years, he has been involved in bringing together and managing over 30 independent Dynamics AX solution centers and leads the AxPact Project Governance initiative. His experience in the management of AX implementation projects has made him part of several of Microsoft Dynamics AX success stories.

Keith authored the book Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with Sure Step 2012, Packt Publishing, March 2013.

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge the hard work of my colleague Clare Morrissey, for supporting all my efforts, including this review, and also the sacrifice and support of my wife Ann, and children Max, Macy, and Chloe.

About the Reviewer

Ahmad Saad Masroor has over 9 years of experience in the software development and IT industry, and currently works at Microsoft Gold Partner as a CRM project manager, prior to which he was with companies such as HCL, PWC, Microsoft India, and Bin Zayed Group (Dubai). He is committed to providing clients with highly valued business solutions. His mission is to offer a unique blend of industry specialization, project management, technical, and customer-support skills to ensure his work supports the strategic objectives of his clients.

He started working with CRM solutions prior to the first release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM's initial version. Since then, he has exclusively been developing and implementing solutions for Dynamics CRM. He has implemented contact center projects successfully for India's prestigious Aadhaar Project (Unique Identification Authority of India) as a project lead.

Everyone who works with him describes that he is an energetic leader and effective communicator who is always business focused and works productively with clients and all levels of management. His passion for CRM makes him unique and inspires him to take challenges to reach the goals successfully with excellence in execution.

He has also worked closely with social organizations to streamline processes and strengthen their existence. He holds a B.Tech, specialized in Information Technology. He is also an avid blogger and an ardent fan of Pink Floyd.

Acknowledgments

I would especially like to thank my parents and sister who have been positive and unconditional supporters. I would like to thank all of my friends for their continuous support, my team members, and all the well-wishers.

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Preface

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions support a wide range of business processes for an organization. These processes include core financials and accounting, product engineering, sales force automation, sales order management, supply chain planning, order fulfillment and logistics, as well as after-sales service and support. Many of these are mission critical for the companies, and hence the rigor that these organizations go through to ensure that they find the right solution for their needs.

Microsoft recognized the needs of the customer, and set about developing a methodology called Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step to help the customers accomplish their objectives. First and foremost among those goals was to provide processes to enable consistent and repeatable solution deployments. Inherent within that, however, was the need to ensure that the customer and sales team engaged in a meaningful manner to select the right solution, and ensured that the project was scoped such that the customer's objectives would be met.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Background and Concepts, introduces the importance of a methodology in the selection and implementation of ERP and CRM solutions. A faulty selection process can derail any solution deployment, and it is important for the readers to understand what they can do to prevent this. Many implementations also go awry because of poor scope and risk and change management, and we begin to talk about this key aspect. We also set the context with a brief history of the Microsoft Dynamics solutions, from acquisition through their evolution into the current world-leading portfolio.

Chapter 2, Solution Selling and Driving Due Diligence, focuses on the theories and approaches to selling business solutions. We also discuss the buyer's progression in their cycle of solution acquisition. From the solution provider's perspective, solution selling requires them to build a relationship with their customer and establish trust. We also talk about establishing key performance indicators and the value measurement for the solution while helping to drive customer vision and scope, and close the sale. From the customer's perspective, we talk about becoming a solution-centric organization, do proper due diligence in selecting the right solution to meet their needs, and ensure that the scope for the delivery engagement is set up to accomplish the organization's objectives.

Chapter 3, Solution Envisioning with Sure Step, builds on the theories and concepts of selling in the previous one and goes into specifics on the ways in which Sure Step helps with selling Microsoft Dynamics solutions. We discuss the activities and cover off in detail the Decision Accelerator Offerings that help to accelerate the sales cycles and bring them to a close while also helping the customer with their due diligence process. We also talk about the ways in which the Diagnostic phase sets the stage for quality implementation by outlining the risks involved. We discuss the selection of the right approach for the deployment as well as the parts that will be played by both the partner and the customer teams.

Chapter 4, Managing Projects, focuses on introducing the value proposition for project management and talks about managing projects from a result-driven and real-life perspective. This chapter sheds light on the resistance to project management and the ways to overcome that by unleashing the real value of project management. While introducing the reader to the four pillars of project success and explaining about project management essentials, we guide them to the benefits of smart projects. We also discuss project management adoption from an organizational perspective.

Chapter 5, Implementing with Sure Step, focuses on solution deployment and the implementation life cycle. We talk about the waterfall and agile approaches afforded by Sure Step. In the waterfall approach, we discuss the different implementation phases and cross phases to implement a Microsoft Dynamics solution, including the Post Go-Live stage. In doing so, we illustrate the real-life challenges that implementers and customers face when implementing ERP and CRM software solutions and ways to address these challenges. With the agile approach, we discuss how this flexible and iterative approach is organized and how it supports the