Go-Live with Navision, a guide to successfully implementing Navision

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Text goes in here. Go-Live With Navision
Here I will go through the whole go live process, including a general over view of the go-live weekend, and everything it takes to get there. In the appendix The_company I describe a fictitious company that are looking for a new ERP system, and are probably going to buy Navision. Throughout the book we will be using this company for all that we design and implement. By the way, in this book, Client means the company that purchased Navision and are about to go-live. Customer is the record in Navision of a Customer that we send Invoices to in Navision.

Go-Live With Navision Implementation Guide

• Go-Live Implementation Steps
  There are 7 basic steps in any Navision implementation; Sales, Analysis, Development, Testing, Training, Data Conversion and Implementation, . Every individual implementation will have more steps, but each must have these seven. In this chapter we will break down each of these, and discuss how to implement them roughly following the Navision Methodology.
• The sales process
  Every implementation starts with the sales process. Here we cover the aspect more from the clients point of view and how they should go about buying Navision, and if they even should buy Navision. I have seen many failed implementations of Navision. Virtually all of these are eventually corrected, and become quite successful, but it is a very drawn out process when it does not go right in the beginning. Looking back at a failed implementation, it is generally possible to say “that’s where it failed”. In more than 50% of cases that I have seen, that fail point was somewhere just before the client signed the contract with their NSC.
• Analysis
  Whilst Analysis is a critical part of each implementation, it is hard to say what percentage of any project will be analysis. you can be pretty sure that there will never be enough Training, Project Management and Testing, and there will be too much development in every Navision implementation. But Analysis must be looked at objectively. In some cases you can actually spend more time on analysis, than on just getting in and doing it. Here we are going to try to identify the level of analysis required for a project, and how to get the right balance. One thing is clear, the more people working on the project, the more of the budget will be applied to analysis.
• Development
  Amongst my many talents, I am also quite psychic, and using my powers I am going to make a prediction. You will budget more on development than you would have expected, you will spend more than your actual budget and when its all over, (well its never all over, but) you will realize that you should not have done as much development as you did.
• Testing
  Ask any developer about testing, and they will be some what surprised. After all they understand your needs, and they don't make mistakes, so why all this emphasis on testing. After training this is the second area that you will wish you had spent more time on, unlike training, you don't yet believe that.
• User Training
  No one needs to be psychic here, even you know that you will not do enough training on Navision before Go-Live, you will look back and say "I wish we had done more training", and even now you know you are not going to do enough. I am going to give outlines of what training you should do, and tricks and tips to get it delivered effectively.
• Data Conversion
  All I am doing here, is giving some details of what to do and what not to do. I hope that I can cover enough cases for you to be able to make good decisions on what to convert, and what not to convert.
• Implementation
  In this chapter I will be discussing the process of delivery, this is the combining of all the steps into a finished product. This is the contact time, where you are working heavily with the users, and of course encompasses the all important "Go-Live".
• Making Go-Live a success
  Of course this depends on your definition of a success and this is all about expectation management.
• Project Management
  This is where your NSC will show their true colors. Of all the areas that your decision of NSC are critical, this is the one. Most importantly, you pretty much know from the start that you are not going to spend enough time on project management
• The Contract.
  When it all comes down to it, most methods work,. So I do not want to profess to knowing the best method, I just want to point out the areas you must have, and what to be aware of.
• Methodology.
  When it all comes down to it, most methods work,. So I do not want to profess to knowing the best method, I just want to point out the areas you must have, and what to be aware of.
• Writing a Spec and documentation.
  This balances with Analysis. It is no use to do the perfect analysis if it is not documented correctly. We will mostly base this chapter on typical examples. Most importantly there are different documentation requirements depending on the development and implementation processes that follow.  We will also touch on User Documentation, help and training guides.
• Freelance Consultants
  One of the greatest sources of high end skills that you can find is a Navision Freelance Consultant Here we discuss the pros and cons of using a third party to supplement the skills and resources of your NSC.
• Budget
  I just want to give some of my ideas of budget for different Navision projects, this is very subjective, and will give you a picture of the outline of a budget, it is not designed to tell you how much your project will cost.
• Preparation for Go-Live the big day
  The Go-Live check list. Be ready to go-live, and be ready to call it off. These are the things you need to check off before you turn the switch.
• Hot issues to look out for during implementation
  These are the Navision red flags. You are going to meet some of them, and you are going to add to the list. This is just a bit of my experience that may help you. I will say now that these stories are all true, and actually happened.
• International Implementations issues
  Once you do any multi site implementation, things take on a whole new perspective. If those sites are in different countries with different laws and languages, then it goes to another level.
• After Go-Live
  Of course this depends on your definition of a success and this is all about expectation management.
• Post mortem
  It surprises me how few projects are followed by a post mortem. (Post Implementation Review). No one wants to look back and see what went wrong, but it is an absolutely critical part of every implementation. You need to look at what went wrong as an NSC to make the next one better, and as a Client so that you can plan to correct these issues before they go really bad. Here I outline the requirements of a Post Implementation Review, and the objectives of it.
• One Year Later
  Not necessarily a year, but lets say "after the dust has settled". After being live for a while, things change. There were a lot of things that were not critical for go live, and were thus put off, things like annual reports, or other reporting that was able to be delayed until after live. Unlike the Post Implementation review that looks at what went wrong etc. this chapter is just about keep things on the radar screen, and making sure that they don't suddenly sneak up on you.
• Upgrade to a newer version
  Ok, you have just spent 3% of your annual revenue to buy the latest and greatest system, so now lets upgrade. Its an unfortunate cycle, but at least by implementing Navision, you are not doing a full conversion, just an upgrade. The cost and success of an upgrade will be determined before you even go-live with the first implementation. Here I will discuss all the things you need to watch in implementation, so that the upgrade process will be smooth. I will also discuss costing and how to work with your NSC to make this an affordable process, and one that will not bring the company to a halt whilst it happens.

Navision The Technical Side

• Navision Training
  Here I will review client training, that is training the Navision users. I will not be providing training manuals, there are plenty of those out there. But I will be outlining training programs, and what users need to know to be able to use Navision.
• C/SIDE programming
  One of the objectives of this book, is to show developers how to use their Navision skills to become a high end Navision implementer.
• Performance Issues
  
• Building a Navision server
  

Navision Go-Live tales and stories of woe
These are stories of implementing Navision, believe me they are all true. I have modified some parts and names for obvious reasons. These experiences I use often to explain to new clients the issues they need to avoid. And of course at 3.30am during the Go-Live weekend, you do need something to laugh at.

• Unable to Post invoices (Sept. 14th 2005)
  This client had an issue with posting Invoices, even with a duplicate database, we could not duplicate the issue, but on the live system, they could not post invoices. The situation was getting critical, and had to be fixed.
• Always check your references
  Not all Navision users want to act as references, and that is their decision... or is it?
• Navision bug, the server keeps crashing
  The client reports a serious bug in Navision, that causes the Novell Server to keep crashing.
• But its sooo easy in Access
  The developer was complaining about how much work it is to change properties in field on a Navision form.
• ROI through Staff reductions
  Its always great for a new Manager to be able to show the board that they are going to reduce costs, by staff reductions due to the reduced work load introduced by Navision, BUT you need to time this correctly.
• Slow Server
  The Navision System was slowing dramatically for no apparent reason.
• A real 100 user system
  They sent in the analyst to design the order entry system. They designed and developed more bells and whistles than imaginable. They just forgot to ask how many users were actually using the system, nor the volume of data entered.
• We backup regularly every night
  I have lots of these, and will combine them into one group, basically concentrated around the lessons learned.
• The kick ass mega server
  The server has crashed, and a team from IBM are on the way to fix it..
• The bullet proof system
  There is over kill, and there is over kill.
• Electrical Safety lesson
  International travel means power adaptors and things like that.
• The kick arse mega server
  I get a desperate plea from a Sales Person. The client has a massive IT infrastructure, and needs a web solution that was promised to be delivered by a date some 3 months in the future.
• Working on vacation
  I am planning a few days vacation, and am asked if I can just drop in on a client to help out with a "quick implementation issue.
• Easy way to fix G/L Posting errors
  The Client had just posted a G/L journal that was in error. Luckily they had a consultant on site, and he knew a quick fix, so that the client would not need to waste 15 minutes reversing the journal.
• Six Sigma and the Coke Machine
  Having a high end PIM seminar on the benefits of Six Sigma Methodology sounds pretty good.
• Make it like the old system - the report
  Client was adamant that they must have that report from the old system, at all costs.
• Why would you want a bigger monitor
  Consulting for an NSC that needed a very complex report developed, they gave me a workstation with a 14" monitor.
• I can make this run a lot faster
  The NSC had developed a Price update routine, and delivered it remotely to install at the client site. The On site consultant/developer found it was running too slow, so explained to the Client that he would fix it for them.

The fun people you meet during a "Go-Live"
Its amazing, but there seem to be roles that are predetermined in this industry. You don't meet them all at every implementation, but they do keep popping up. I hope that people are not offended by this section, so please take it as humor, and also sorry if at times it seems a little politically incorrect, but I visualize these people by the first time I met one of them.

• The resume Builder
  Of all the Personalities out there this is the only one you can't beat, and the only one that I really have no respect for.
• Mrs. Green Screen
  This is the one that is absolutely terrified of the mouse, but still is not willing to use the keyboard to Navigate in Navision.
• Larry The Label Guy
  There is always one of these. It does not have to be labels, but its that person that has a secret job that they need to protect.
• The Feature Creep
  We all know this guy.
• Director Green Bar
  But we paid a fortune for that Green Bar printer, we have to be able to print invoices on it.
• The Student IT MBA PhD Guru
  I always have an ashtray in my car, so why can’t I have an ash tray on my Motor Cycle? I have been in this industry now for over 4 months, so don’t tell me I don’t know what I am doing
• Mr. Pop Up CEO
  Pop Up. But surely it will pop up a message if I enter the wrong customer number, I don't want them selling goods to the wrong customer.
• The Unix Wizard
  Well why can't we just run a script? "Bandwidth", no problem, we have a full 64k connection to the remote site and we only need to run 20 workstations out there.
• 20 Questions.
  This is the one that makes you feel like you are using Chinese water torture to find out how the business works.
• The Oracle
  .There are two types of Oracle, and there is one of them (never both) in every implementation. The Oracle knows the old antiquated system backwards. It is their whole life. One Oracle wants to keep the ancient past for ever, the other Oracle wants desperately to learn Navision to move into the future.
• The Blame Guy..
  Many NSCs have a "blame guy" the rule is normally that its the most recent employee to leave the company.
• I coulda told you that.
  This person knows everything will break, and warned every one in advance.

Some specific solutions to specific problems

• none
• Becoming an NSC
• Getting certified
• Navision Licensing issues
• 
  

Navision Functionality In More Detail

• Manufacturing
  
• Warehouse
  
• Inventory Costing
  
• Multi Language
  

Appendicies

• About the Author
  
• The "company"
  
• A brief History of "Dynamics"
  
• Independent Consultants
  
• Support Desk
  
• Career Path with Dynamics NAV
• The Future
  

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Copyright © 2005 David Singleton and Go Live International
Last modified: 31 Jan 2007