Deployment

Deployment: What to expect

Implementing an ERP system can be daunting. Indeed, there are many moving pieces and a heap of action items, but with the expertise and guidance of our staff and consultants at Comarch, you can be confident in your success. To ease your mind and make the process seem less harrowing, let’s break it down:

Pre-Implementation Analysis

The implementation process begins when the Comarch team meets with your company to gather important information about your business model. This is the point at which we identify your needs to determine the future characteristics of your Comarch ALTUM system. This includes familiarizing ourselves with your company’s management style, evaluating how your current processes are performing, and getting to know your document flow and reporting forms. By analyzing all these factors we can adapt your new system to both the existing and future needs of your company.

The next phase involves creating all the implementation project details:

• Defining all implementation stages
• Defining number of users for each business area
• Defining critical tasks in the project
• Analyzing risks or potential delays in each stage of the project
• Determining the duration of the project
• Planning consultants’ duties
• Defining client’s work, processes, and document flow
• Defining detailed reporting requirements
• Defining requirements of mobile application functionality

Deliverables: During the analysis phase, the implementation team prepares a comprehensive document that outlines the business model and processes in the company, the company structure, system features, additional functionality, product and customer-vendor structure, chart of accounts, financial accounts, user rights and authorizations, interface specification, custom reports specification, as well as suggestions by our consultants on ways to improve your current business model.

Technical Installation

Technical installation is the next stage of system deployment. Every system installation starts with planning the topology of the future system. In order to do so, we need to determine what kind of network, servers, workstations or additional devices will be needed (and how they will be arranged). Once this is done, the following activities will be taken:

• Determine the optimal requirements for Comarch ALTUM so that each workstation will function correctly, generate reports well, and be secure.
• Establish minimal and optimal system and computer requirements to install Comarch ALTUM; determining proper requirements will ensure that Comarch ALTUM functions correctly and provides effective report preparation and internal network security
• Hardware and software installation for servers, PDA, and PDT (if applicable)
• Conduct technical audit ensuring the Comarch ALTUM database is correct
• Install mobile applications Pocket ALTUM Orders and Pocket ALTUM Warehouse Management (if applicable)

Deliverables: At the end of this stage the Comarch team prepares a technical audit document containing optimal system requirements and complete configuration of the software and hardware environment.

Data Migration

Next we begin transferring data according to the configuration of your system. In most cases this includes the following data:

• Client and product files
• Inventory opening balances
• Receivable and payable balances
• Any other documents essential to your business

Data migration phases consist of the following steps: design, extraction, cleansing, load, and data verification. After loading data into the new system with the help of Comarch ALTUM Migration Tools and Microsoft Excel, we begin verifying the information to determine if it was accurately transferred and supports processes in the new system. This may require running both the old and new systems to identify areas of disparity, possible data errors, or loss.
We clean the data - using either an automated or manual process - to improve data quality, get rid of redundant information, and to match both systems' requirements. For very complex deployments, data migration is commonly repeated to make sure everything is satisfactory.

Deliverables: The Comarch team collects and transfers all master data: customers, vendors, products, accounts, balances, inventory levels, documents, and service procedures.

Implementation and Customization

In the customization phase we tailor the system to specific users' needs. In particular, any extensions or modifications which are not included in the out-of-the-box system. The aim of the functional configuration is to prepare Comarch ALTUM’s system parameters according to the configuration analysis guidelines. Including:

• Reflecting company structure into the system: document definitions and series, warehouses, financial accounts, groups of clients and goods, price lists, payment types, analytical categories, attributes, and users
• Defining Comarch ALTUM users rights: workstations, roles, users, parameters, rights structures, bans, and mandatory filters
• Defining Comarch ALTUM layout for every user or group of users
• Creating reports and printouts for your company’s needs
• Placing business logic on SQL server
• Implementing and customizing Pocket ALTUM Orders
• Implementing and customizing Pocket ALTUM Warehouse Management

Deliverables: The Comarch team fully implements the Comarch ALTUM system according to the analysis document including: business processes, workflow, interface, user profiles, document definitions, customized reports, price list, payment types, booking schemes, warehouses, documents series, delivery identification and methods, company accounts, employees, banks, dictionaries, user controls, calculation periods, journals, unit of measurement definitions, and mobile applications.

Training and Testing

Comarch understands that beginning to use a new system in your business can be a scary thought! That is why we place a big emphasis on training and making sure that you are completely comfortable with using Comarch ALTUM. The training and testing phase provides a chance for you and your employees to report any inconveniences or issues and to ask questions about any portion of the system module you do not understand.

Ongoing training may be divided into categories:

• At the beginning of the deployment process, key system users from operational areas should be included in the implementation team (i.e. accounting, warehouse management). These people will participate in the implementation process from the very beginning so they will have a profound theoretical and practical knowledge of the system. This is also the time that we train future Comarch ALTUM administrators and company management.
• Later, we begin to train the end users – performing complete business processes with the Comarch ALTUM system for each business area. We divide trainings into group workshops as well as working one-on-one with all employees. At the end of the training session, users complete the “result test” verifying their knowledge of the system. Comarch continues to repeat training until the final satisfactory level is achieved, and the final results are presented to the department managers.

Deliverables: Personalized user training scenarios and documentation according to real business tasks. Separate training sessions for every department using Comarch ALTUM as well as one-on-one personal trainings.

System Live & Support

The final stage of implementation includes post-implementation support carried out by Comarch’s consultants which consist of on-going help when:

• The system goes live
• Normal operations resume
• Individual users need additional help

End-users will receive support during ordinary and routine daily operations for up to several days after the implementation is complete. This form of support, which is not included in regular training, is commonly performed by Comarch ALTUM's consultants because it helps the users feel more comfortable with the new tools. In addition, we provide on-going support on-site, via ALTUM Instant Messenger, via support e-mail or by phone to ensure that every system user feels comfortable with the new system.

Deliverables: Comarch ALTUM’s consultants provide all the support and training necessary for a smooth migration to your new ERP system with minimal delay to your ongoing business activities. This support continues in the post-implementation phase with additional training (if necessary) and assistance in-person, online, or on the phone.

Download:

• Ten Tips for a Successful Implementation