Implementation, Migration & Training: Succeed with a Clear Plan of Action.
The steps are based on our underlying principals:
- Create implementation plans that are Fixed Price within an agreed scope.
- Recognise that a successful implementation is a combination of a good system as well as confident users.
- Avoid being over-ambitious. Implement the key features and leave the nice to have items for phase 2.
- Train, practice, train, assess skills and train some more.
- Only Go live when users are ready.
- Sympathise with the additional work load the users face when going through a system change and plan accordingly.
Our Steps
- Build out the main system not a prototype. As Acumatica allows for the removal of test data we can save time by not having to create a test system and then recreate the main system.
- Train as soon as a section is completed. This means that the users get to see the system in action with their data within a few weeks of the start of the implementation.
- Follow our integrated web based planning tools:
- Data requirements list
- User and team availabilities.
- Project plan with automatic notifications.
- User Q&A form
- User test plans with sign off.
- Data Migration and Go Live plan.
- Hold project meetings once a week and assess the plan and make adjustments to expected dates.
- Use Acumatica features for the implementation so that the users are familiar with logging into the system.
- All recorded training videos fully indexed.
- Links to the user Q&A forms and resolutions.
- Dashboards to show user activity to assess their engagement.
- Full system walkthrough of each module once all the components are completed and user training has been held.
- User test plans that provide a list of transactions and operations which the users are to complete.
- User sign off.
- User assessments, an informal group review where users are asked to complete certain tasks which will show the level of competency and whether the system and the users are ready to go live.
A note on our approach to training from Tascoli CEO, James Morgan
We understand that it is important that users feel confident and ready to work with a new system, and that this confidence is key to a smooth transition and successful implementation. This is why training is a central part of every implementation.
While Acumatica offers excellent resources through its Open University, we take a more personalised approach. We deliver training ourselves, tailoring it to each client’s needs. Every training session is recorded, carefully edited, and uploaded to the client’s own Acumatica instance for easy access. We also create system process documentation and place it in the client’s Acumatica wiki, with direct links to the relevant functionality for quick and convenient navigation.
Our trainers take responsibility for ensuring that users fully understand the features they will be working with. From experience, we know that effective training requires more than a single session. Our project plan includes several stages: initial functional training, a full process walkthrough, and follow-up sessions where needed. In addition, our User Assessment reviews may identify the need for extra training before go-live, which we always allow for.
We also believe that the best way to achieve real understanding is by practising the processes directly in the system. Since users often have limited time for testing, we schedule dedicated sessions to ensure proper preparation. To support these, we provide detailed instructions and testing scripts that guide users step by step. Their activities are tracked so that both we and the client can be confident that the team is ready for go-live.
“We had a great experience working with Tascoli, even though we implemented Acumatica during the Covid-19 lockdown. That was a real testament to their project implementation model.”
Chris Drake, CTO, smartnumbers