[. . . ] 14046016000 info@soltech. net Vanilla ERP Evolved , SolTech Inc, June 2009 performance and corporate profits. However, it is important to note that most first generation ERP systems today were designed 20 to 25 years ago. The technology and commerce landscape has undergone such radical change as to render these outdated systems, for all practical purposes obsolete and unable to provide their owners with an ability to compete in a modern, interconnected business environment. Until recently, the installation of ERP systems often required that the host company completely change its way of doing business. [. . . ] can we deploy ERP using the same principles that have reshaped how software itself is delivered ? In his March 2009 Blog, Vjekoslav Babic, a Microsoft ERP expert, outlined a 5 step guide on how to map agile process to the ERP deployment process. The steps in the blog offer suggestions on minimizing and overcoming the inherent risk in deploying the Microsoft Dynamics NAV and other legacy ERP systems. 14046016000 info@soltech. net Vanilla ERP Evolved , SolTech Inc, June 2009 "Deploy vanilla ERP first: Most customers suffer from "the old software syndrome", that says whatever you bring to the table will be judged from the perspective of what the old incumbent software could do; if their new software can't offer at least that, it won't be received well. Naturally, the customer wants their new software to be better, but this is often based upon perceived needs and not real needs. With vanilla deployment the theory is to first deploy it, and make the client use it without much theory about what they are going to get. Give the customer a chance to use the vanilla ERP in daily operations--they will be much more qualified to tell you what you need to customize, and you'll be much surer that they are actually right. " Babic While there is much to be gained from distracting the client from preconceived notions about required functionality, from a Compiere perspective, much can be done to promote a positive outcome and help wean users off legacy systems and get acclimated to the Compiere system. This includes the ability to expose or hide fields on every screen by role. This simplifies usability and decreases user objections by exposing only those screens and fields that are specific to a specific role. Besides exposure of fields, the system can ease the migration burden by easily exposing certain users to certain simplified menus that are tailored by role. These changes can be made in real time without the need to interrupt user processing. This allows for a "somewhat vanilla" rollout that can be changed iteratively in a managed manner without causing system wide disruption. To further enhance the adoption of the new system, Compiere also provides for the creation of graphical workflows. Workflows can be created to echo the legacy process but in fact guide the user through the new Compiere screens. 14046016000 info@soltech. net Vanilla ERP Evolved , SolTech Inc, June 2009 "Deploy gradually: instead of bigbanging your project, deliver it functionbyfunction. It can add more value and add it more consistently over time, than traditional bigbang ERP projects. . Gradual deployments have an overwhelming benefit: they start generating value quickly. As soon as you deploy a function, if it was properly aligned with a project goal, it starts generating value for the client immediately. If you deploy for example 10 functions over 10months period (1 function a month), then by the time all of them are in production, you have generated value. No matter how little value these functions generate individually, it is infinitely larger than zero, which is how much value is generated by a bigbang ERP before it goes live. " Babic Obviously a slower approach will spread the pain, but it isn't without problems. [. . . ] Compiere's inherent ability to extend and customize via the application dictionary , has seen many clients use the platform as a RAD tool for adding new tables, forms, screens and reports, with the option of tying those into the underlying ERP schema, or not. The ability to call external classes on status change on any field of custom forms and windows, allows that linkage to take place without the need to reinvent the system. The recent addition of the dictionary driven WSI, to an extent repurposes Compiere as a custom web services generation tool 7 SolTech, Inc . 14046016000 info@soltech. net Vanilla ERP Evolved , SolTech Inc, June 2009 Figure 5 External Interfaces The "vanilla" Compiere platform, delivers outofthebox, all of the fundamental components of a business system from financials to warehousing and manufacturing. [. . . ]