AXUG SIG: AX2009 Upgrade : Practical Strategies

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5. AXUG SIG: AX2009 UpgradePractical StrategiesFEBRUARY 22, 2010(712) 432-1690 PASSCODE 255452#

6. Agenda • Welcome • Understanding your Upgrade Project • What are you trying to accomplish? • How will you define “Success?” • Project Planning • Dividing your Upgrade Project into Phases • Estimating time for Go Live • Data/Code Upgrade • Regression Testing • Training – Your most important project phase • “Go Live” – How to Survive and Win • Final Thoughts

7. Understanding your Upgrade Project • What is the driving force behind your upgrade? • Performance/Stability enhancements • New standard features (alerts, workflow, etc.) • New Modules • Expense Management • Role Centers • Building a foundation for future projects • Supportability from Microsoft/Partners/ISVs • Understand your Assets and Liabilities • Budget • Time • Environment • Knowledge and Expertise

8. Victory Conditions • What is a successful AX Upgrade? • No loss of data. • No loss of functionality. • Your company can conduct its core business operations on Day #1. • Everything else is secondary. • Which enhancements have the best ROI given the time and resources available to you? • Maintain positive but realistic expectations. • No single project will solve everything. • Is your ERP at least as good as it was before? • This will be challenging, but very rewarding

9. Phased Approach & Backwards Planning • Identify your “Go Live“ Window of Opportunity • Longer weekends are highly preferable. • Expect the unexpected; leave yourself extra time. • Identify alternate date(s) if you’re forced to delay. • Build your timeline backwards from this Window • Divide your Upgrade Project into Phases: • Project Planning / Upgrade Team / Environment • Initial Upgrade Exercise • Data/Code Upgrade (1st Rough Draft Attempt) • MS Demo and AX 2009 Documentation released to team. • Regression Testing • Continuous code & process changes throughout. • Training

10. Planning Considerations • Create your Upgrade Team • Represent each Department/Functional area • AR, AP, Sales, Purchasing, Production, Marketing, etc. • Members should be able to: • Perform regression testing. • Assist and Train other employees. • Be allocated to the project while performing regular jobs. • Provide all applicable documentation • Training Manuals • White Papers • How-To Guides

11. Planning Considerations (cont.) • Build your upgrade environment • Separate from your Live environment • Can shutdown or rebuild without impacting business • How will the architecture compare to your Live environment? • Consider another project phase for performance benchmarking, user load testing, etc. • Can purchase software to help with benchmarking. • Provide short-term demo environment • Initial Data/Code upgrade will take some time • Upgrade Team can use demo and read documents in the meantime. • Not as effective as a partially built real environment.

12. Data and Code Upgrade • How long will this actually take during the Go Live Window? • Write your own Step-by-Step Instructions with a Time Table • How long will each individual operation take? • Backup of Current Environment (and intermediate milestones) • Database Upgrade/Conversion • Copying Code Files from Upgrade Environment to Live Environment • Compiling the AOT • Data/Code Upgrade Batch Tasks • Verifying parameters, settings, and tables. • Importing new security groups. • Testing and Validation of your new environment • Perform Full Database & Code Backup Between Each Milestone • This can (and has) saved upgrades from certain disaster! • Continue to Practice this Regularly throughout your Project

13. Code Upgrade – Tips and Tricks • Consolidate code layers for new version (USR,CUS,VAR,BUS) • Order of Examination/Rewrite • Enumerations and Extended Data Types • Classes and Tables • Forms • Reports • More difficult to upgrade; conversion isn’t always clean • Often easier to start fresh, and rewrite customizations • Take time to write inline comments, improve documentation • Think “reusable code” as you go. • Simplify or eliminate existing customizations, if possible. • Rinse and Repeat

14. Code Upgrade (cont.) • Core classes have changed, so will your customizations. Examples: • Credit Limit checks • Default values on forms • Inventory closing and recalculation • Many reports no longer have class wrappers. • Some reports (Aging) are much harder to customize with filters • AX 2009 Batch Framework • AOS can act as Batch Server and runs as a service (works well) • …but not for Reports • Achieve some “Easy Wins” for your departments • Defaulting values on forms. • Redesign of forms (moving, hiding, grouping, simplifying) • Consider adding new, consolidated menus if appropriate • Consider implementing those simple requests and customizations that you never had time to get around to in LIVE. • Subtle changes can save hours in a month of transactions • Always focus on your end-users; what’s their point of view?

15. Regression Testing • Perhaps the single most difficult phase of your project • Requires commitment and focus from the entire Upgrade Team. • Get others involved as-needed (functional area experts) • Regular meetings and reviews are essential • Establish communication and documentation mechanisms • Test Everything (daily tasks, inventory close, month-end) • If you haven’t tested it, then assume it won’t work as intended • Take nothing for granted; “simple” doesn’t mean it’s not broken • Prioritize requests • Requirements vs. Suggestions for Improvement • Is this a showstopper? • What is the impact on Day 1? Week 1? The first month-end? • Concurrently design your training documents, step-by-step work instructions, procedures, etc. • Should continue right into Go Live day.

16. Regression Testing (cont.) • What about Security and Permissions? • Is something not working because of security? Customizations that need to be redesigned? Or because standard AX functions have change? • Removing security from the equation (testing as Administrator) could eliminate a variable from this equation… • However, is this a true and accurate regression test? What’s missing? • Security keys and links have changed in your new AX version; this can come back to haunt you later…how will you test this? • Suggestions for Security Design • Focus on roles, rather than departments or job titles • Ability to create, delete, or post different transactions • Ability to view reports or groups of reports • Ability to override certain features or values (payment method, credit limits, pricing, item attributes, etc) • How often are you duplicating permissions across groups? • Can you quickly react to correct permissions on Go Live?

17. Training: “The End is Near” • Traditionally the most neglected, yet most critical phase of any project. • Identifies issues not caught during regression testing. • Reveals differences in operating procedures between departments/sites/divisions. • Perhaps the 1st official training some employees have received. • Captures ideas for future projects and initiatives. • Builds confidence among your coworkers! • Know your audience • Training methodologies • On-site training (what location?) • Hands-on training (let your trainees “drive”) • Web training for remote locations • “Train the Trainer”

18. Training (cont.) • Leave a day or two between Training Sessions • Opportunity to fix issues caught in training. • Opportunity to adjust your training program/schedule. • Consider a “Quick Reference Guide” for Go Live and beyond • Ideas for your Training Plan • Becoming familiar with the User Interface • Navigation, Layout, Menus • New features like Favorites, Places, Breadcrumb bar, etc. • What’s New? What’s Changed? • Focus on the differences, but it’s still “AX”; the experience of upgrade shouldn’t be a stressful as the first implementation they experienced. • Emphasize anything “tricky” that may cause problems later. • Showcase the improvements; take suggestions for new changes • Reviewing Core AX Features • Using queries and filters on forms and reports • Any other commonly performed activities

19. Considerations for “Go Live” Day • Upgrade cutover usually scheduled over a weekend • Conduct over an extended holiday weekend if possible. • Take timetable from trial runs; add additional time for being careful and unexpected hiccups. • Again, take complete backups after each milestone during procedures. • Plan your feedback mechanisms • Critical Issue  Phone call to Upgrade Team members • Anything and Everything else  Emails, Tickets • Try to avoid information overload • Prioritize your repairs, fixes, and adjustments • Does this prevent us from doing business right now? • If not, it’s secondary. So how long can we live with this issue? • Distribute your Upgrade Team across departments and sites. • Coffee, energy drinks, snacks and most importantly…Patience.

20. Final Thoughts • You can succeed and win. • Great opportunity to improve your business, not only technically, but functionally and strategically. • Expect the unexpected. • You’re never truly “finished.” Improving your ERP system is an ongoing and continuous process. • Q&A

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