Dynamics AX: The Business Case for Upgrades

1 ArmaninoLLP | amllp.com ArmaninoLLP | amllp.com

The Business Case for Upgrading

Dynamics AX 2012

2 ArmaninoLLP | amllp.com

The case to upgradeo Feature/functions

o Software issues/on going support

o Program management

o Asset management

o Customization retirement

o Architecture advances

The case to not upgradeo No significant gains

o Available resources

o Cost

o Stability

o Heavy modifications

The process

The Business Case for Upgrading

Overview


The Case to Upgrade:

New features / functions


Improvements & new features

AX 2012 R2 – most current version

available (thousands of new functional,

technical, information, database features)

Technical Enhancements

• AOT inheritance relationships through property

settings/no parent table joining required

• Integrated Commerce Server for online store

transaction processing

• 2012 Upgrade Advisor, framework, tools,

customization analyzer, data validation test

tools

• Simplified multi site web farms using new web

deployment tools

• Role based security, active directory layering,

compliance tools, audit reporting, multi site

• All functions in suite are included in new version

– no more module purchasing

New Changed and Deprecated Features for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 (3).pdf


EXECUTIVEMANUFACTURING

HR

FINANCE SALES & MKT RETAIL PUBLIC SECTOR

SERVICES

SECTORTEMPLATES

+R2



AX2012 R2 ships with 70+ Cubes

Budget

Control

Budget

planning

Inventory

valuation

Retail

+R2



New Cubes in 2012 R2• Accounts payable cube • Accounts receivable cube• Budget control cube• Budget plan cube• Environmental

sustainability cube • Expense management

cube • General ledger cube • Invent value cube • Production cube • Profit tax totals cube • Project accounting cube • Purchase cube • Retail cube• Sales and marketing cube • Sales cube • Workflow cube


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj710379.aspx



• Major Operational Enhancements

• Management Reporter for all financial

reporting

• Budget – bottom up with workflow and web

services

• Multi site project time entry, reporting and

management

• Centralized product management, variants,

inventory dimension groups

• Product releases across multiple companies,

translations

• Drag and drop workflow tool, rules, validation

engine

• Business rules (T and E, signing limits,

procurement, A/P invoicing)

• Customer specific help

• Localization updates to more than 10

countries

• Payroll inclusion/HRM expanded functions


Availability•

•

Single Layer•

•

•

Fixed Schema•

•

R2 global instance enablement

AX2012 R2AX2012 RTM



The Case to Upgrade:

Business Rationale


Why?

1. Address software issues and corrections of older versions

2. Software support is geared to address most common, recent

issues faced by majority of customers

3. Execute upgrade program within your organization to positively

affect resources, strategic plan and budget

4. Eliminate obsolescence of software asset

5. Possible Elimination of customizations

6. Advanced Architecture

7. No additional software costs based on annual enhancement

maintenance participation

To Upgrade…


Why not?

1. New features of major release (2012) or service pack (R2) vs.

technology/capabilities gain.

2. Time unavailability of Functional Leads/IT/Project Management to

entertain such an undertaking.

3. Cost – internal and external

4. Current environment stable, issue free/low

5. Heavily modified environment >10% of

total application

Or to not Upgrade – that is the question


The Upgrade Process


The Upgrade Process

Major Steps

1. Call Armanino/Project Planning

2. Requirements Assessment

3. Gap/Fit

4. Customizations Analysis review and

standard function compare/elimination

5. Environment/database

6. Data Migration

7. ISV/Custom code migration

8. CRP

9. Train users

10. Go live

Copy of AssessmentAX2012_Gap_Fit_Documentv2.xlsx


The Decision?


Questions:

Bruce Kirschenbaum

Partner, Dynamics AX Delivery Services

Armanino, LLP

[email protected]

(360) 904-9563

mailto:[email protected]

Dynamics AX: The Business Case for Upgrades

Software

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