Expertise

  1. Home
  2. Expertise

Stratus Global Network Technology

SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

Stratus uses well-established methodology for planning and completing software implementations. In all situations, an implementation is a joint venture between our consulting team and the client’s team. Consequently, we tailor the services provided in any implementation to meet the expertise and experience of the client’s staff.

For each project, large or small, we put together a project team. The project team can comprise of just one consultant, or it can include our whole staff. A project manager is appointed and is responsible for the project on behalf of Stratus. The project manager manages the consultant/s allocated to the site.

The key focus of the project manager is to deliver the project’s objectives according to specific success criteria within the set timescale and budget. Project management is about planning the implementation from start to finish, including the careful allocation of tasks to the appropriate people within the project team. It is the project manager’s job to constantly monitor the project, ensuring that it stays on track and that all issues that arise are dealt with quickly and effectively.

Stratus will take the most appropriate approach to ensure a successful implementation. We have outlined a “middle of the road” approach here. For other implementations, we extend the work we do in each of the areas described.

Stratus Network ExpertiseMulti-Site Roll Outs

For clients that are rolling out to multiple locations:

  • Stratus can perform a time-phase implementation at each client workstation.
  • Stratus can train client staff to perform their own off-site implementations.
  • Stratus can work in contact with the client staff on the remote implementations schedule.

THE TEAM

However large or small the customer’s implementation team, specific roles should be allocated to the person who will take responsibility for them. The key role is the client’s project manager (PM). This person coordinates the project from the client’s end and ensures all members of the client’s team are carrying out the tasks allocated to them in a timely and accurate manner. The customer’s PM liaises with the Stratus’s PM. Other key roles include:

1. The Core Team: these are the people that know the client’s business and internal processes very well. They will work with the Stratus consultant/s on the system scoping and prototype (see below) and identify who will be the initial “master users.”

2. Project Sponsor: this is the person in authority (such as the finance director) that will most likely have ordered the system and who is ultimately responsible overall.

3. Financial Authority: this is the person that can place change orders and approve chargeable consultancy time and issue purchase orders.

4. IT/Technical: this is the person that will be responsible for the client’s IT and that will work with the Stratus consultant/s on technical issues. When Stratus starts a project, it is helpful to have an organization chart showing the names of the people that fulfill these roles, the amount of time they have available, and their skill sets.

Stratus will take the most appropriate approach to ensure a successful implementation. We have outlined a “middle of the road” approach here. For other implementations, we extend the work we do in each of the areas described.
Multi-Site Roll Outs
For clients that are rolling out to multiple locations:
1. Stratus can perform a time-phase implementation at each client workstation.
2. Stratus can train client staff to perform their own off-site implementations.
3. Stratus can work in contact with the client staff on the remote implementations schedule.

When Stratus refers to “the system,” this refers to whatever we have contracted to supply or configure. It can be simply ERP System, Sales Tax, Credit Card Transactions, Shopping Cart, Inventory Financials, EZ Payments; it can be either one of these solutions with integrations to other systems; or it can involve custom development work.

It is very common that clients need to integrate their new systems to other existing software. We are highly experienced at this type of work. The outcome of such integration work can provide huge time and cost savings and also ensure far greater accuracy of data across all systems within the organization.

Clients may require a custom application to be written in order to cope with specific aspects of their business. We provide and support this type of service using our own development team.

There is a big movement in the ERP market these days involving Cloud ERP vs On-Premise ERP and every analyst out there is predicting big things for Cloud ERP. It seems like there are new Cloud ERP vendors popping up every day. Even the traditional ERP vendors are building Cloud products. Of course, the traditional vendors are pretending that they are moving their existing product into the Cloud, but the reality is that they have to build an entirely new product because the underlying technology framework is so different.

http://perpetualacumaticalearner.com/acumatica-from-on-premise-erp-to-cloud-erp-and-back-again/

The system scoping is one of the first things carried out in the project. This is where the client walks the Stratus’s consultant through their business processes and system requirements. During this session, the Stratus’s consultant will be considering how best to configure the system to achieve these requirements, and will be asking the client detailed work process questions. The result of this session is a “scoping document.” This document describes the client’s processes and requirements. At this session the client should have available a sample of all invoices, credit documents, remittance advice layouts and reports (operational and financial), and other documents that will be required of the new system. These can be hand-drawn, mocked up in a spreadsheet or provided by the existing system.

The project plan is the next stop that occurs in an implementation. The project manager and the client plan the project’s key action points, allocate tasks between the client’s and Stratus’s project team, and set dates for these.

This is the process of physically installing the software onto the client’s network or the Cloud environment and ensuring that it operates appropriately for all required workstation configurations. It is usual at this stage that Stratus will train the client’s IT representative on how to install workstations for future reference.

Stratus will a prototype system. This is a “test system” set up with the relevant key members of the client’s team (usually these are referred to as “core users”). This prototype replicates how the client will use the system utilizing sample data such as the chart of accounts, A/R and A/P records. Once this prototype is configured to allow the client to test their day-to-day processes and workflow, it is then demonstrated to the relevant users for their input.

Stratus can take whichever approach the client prefers to report and form writing. For example:-
Stratus can write all required reports and forms.
Stratus can write some reports while training the client to write subsequent reports.
Stratus can train the client how to write all necessary reports.
The considerations:
Does the client wish to have the reports and forms very quickly, in which case perhaps it is better that Stratus write key reports and forms?
Is there time for Stratus to write some while training the client so the client can also write some? This will enable the client to gain the necessary knowledge and to reduce their consulting spend by creating some of these themselves.
Does the client want thorough training and to reduce their consulting spend by writing all reports themselves?

This is the training required for IT or system management staff. Typically this will incorporate such issues as security, back-ups, restores, user management, and so on.

Once the prototype is complete, it is normal to provide a number of days for user training. (The “core users” can often perform this training having worked through the set up of the prototype or Stratus can perform the training). Adequate testing should then take place to ensure that the workflow and all processes operate correctly. Any areas that are not operating fluently will then be adjusted. Further user training may take place after acceptance testing.

The final part of the implementation is the data migration. There are a number of considerations:

1. Static data:
Stratus can import historic data straight from the client’s old system, or this data can be exported to a spreadsheet and further manipulated before it is imported. Many clients use the implementation of a new system as an opportunity to set up historic data and to cleanse their old data. Historic data includes such items as the chart of accounts, customer and vendor records, inventory items, and so on. Often, a new chart of accounts will be created for a new system, and this can be done on a spreadsheet and then imported.

2. Transactional data:
This can include only open items and balances, or historical data. IES can advise on the pros and cons and different approaches to dealing with transactional data.

3. Set up from the prototype:
Once the prototype is accepted, the “system set-up” can be converted to the live company.

The consultant will be on-site for the first day or so of live operation. This ensures user confidence and that if there are any problems or questions, a response is immediately available.

CONSULTING

Stratus can provide a consultant on a daily basis to carry out consultancy as per clients’ requirements. Sometimes clients need additional assistance with report writing, Adding new modules, integrating new systems, or just training on modules that users have become “rusty on” are all reasons for a consultant visit.

Stratus provides best practices and business process consultancy services. We know your software as well as any development enhancements or industry solutions you may have integrated to your core solution. Our experience will directly translate to a focus and efficient consultancy assignment, ensuring you of the results expected.

Stratus’s staff are systems advisors and industry consultants, so whatever your query or concern, we are very happy and qualified to address them.

Stratus can provide a consultant on a daily basis to carry out consultancy as per clients’ requirements. Sometimes clients need additional assistance with report writing, Adding new modules, integrating new systems, or just training on modules that users have become “rusty on” are all reasons for a consultant visit.

Stratus provides best practices and business process consultancy services. We know your software as well as any development enhancements or industry solutions you may have integrated to your core solution. Our experience will directly translate to a focus and efficient consultancy assignment, ensuring you of the results expected.

Stratus’s staff are systems advisors and industry consultants, so whatever your query or concern, we are very happy and qualified to address them.

SOFTWARE

Stratus offers a full range of development services that can add value to an organization. We have extensive experience in developing systems and have a track record of delivering innovative solutions to specific business problems. Our development offering ranges from customizations to the products that we implement to complete custom applications and website development. Acumatica Cloud ERP and Microsoft Dynamics Customization and development, CRM development, Great Plains development provider Stratus offers a full range of development services that can add value to an organization. We have extensive experience in developing systems and have a track record of delivering innovative solutions to specific business problems. Our development offering ranges from customizations to the products that we implement to complete custom applications and website development. Our strength lies in our combination of expertise that encompasses understanding the business issues our clients face, an in-depth knowledge of the products we supply, and the expertise of our team in the development technologies that we work with. With our extensive knowledge of Microsoft products, we can deliver solutions that leverage the investment businesses have already made in proprietary, industry-specific software and other productivity tools. We have particular expertise in delivering solutions that improve businesses through: Improved data integration: We understand how to integrate data between third party systems and the ERP systems we provide as well as ERP systems we don’t provide. By integrating solutions, savings can be made in both time and effort.

Using workflow technologies to increase the flexibility and efficiency of business processes and increase the ease with which staffs engage with their business systems.

Management reporting and business intelligence solutions.

Stratus ‘s focus is always to maximize the investment clients’ have already made in existing systems, but where necessary, we can also deliver custom applications and interfaces tailored to the specific needs of individual businesses.

Stratus operates a comprehensive software support desk to assist users. Support is by telephone via a remote desktop.

We apply rigorous call logging and escalation procedures and provide regular customer reports outlining the number and nature of all calls handled over a period of time. These reports can be extremely useful to our clients as a training aid for their users.

The standard support contract provides assistance during normal office hours. Calls can be logged by phone, fax, and e-mail or via our website 24×7.

We offer extended support contracts to suit clients’ specific needs. We can build in additional services, extended hours, cover of additional products, and so on.

This covers:

Full help desk facilities offering a 1-hour response between 9:00am and 5:00pm ET, Monday to Friday (excluding USA holidays).

Software upgrades (licenses and media).

A comprehensive account management service that is tailored to suit the needs of each client individually.

Free details and demonstration of new software versions when released.

Invitation to Acumatica events that provide the opportunity to talk to Acumatica and meet other users and Stratus Global Network personnel.

Training and educational webinars.

The cost of an upgraded version of the software is included in the support contract. Major upgrade releases occur about every 18 months with interim releases two or three times per major version. Clients are recommended to upgrade to a major release but not to every interim version. Interim versions are usually produced to provide additional functionality without requiring users to wait for a major release.

CLOUD COMPUTING

If you have been paying any attention to the tech-world recently, you would have noticed the trend of companies moving toward the proverbial “cloud.” No, it’s not some mass of water vapor and dust, it is your business stored safely offsite – not just your data but your applications as well. Moving your business toward a cloud-hosted strategy should not only make sense to your IT department – who will love the streamlined processes – but also to the head-haunchos of your company. Cloud computing involves inherent flexibility, less capital outlays and maintenance payments, and, since it is outsourced to a partner like Stratus, comes with better practices, better security, and better expertise which are difficult to maintain in-house.

Let us shoulder the responsibility of developing a cloud-computing plan, incorporating on-premises, partner-hosted, and cloud solutions. No matter your unique needs, Stratus will help you reach for the clouds with our expertise in comprehensive support.

No company fits a standard mold, mass-produced in a factory – so, why should you settle for a cookie-cutter IT strategy? Stratus can help develop a unique combination of hosting services that will work best for your company’s needs. The solutions that we will help you adopt – whether it is in a private or public cloud, or hosted on-site – will make the most sense and provide the greatest ROI.

ADVANTAGES

Unlike conventional onsite ERP solutions, a hosted ERP solution does not require a substantial upfront investment. A typical onsite ERP implementation involves purchasing and maintaining servers, housing them securely, then deploying, configuring, and maintaining the software. In addition to a sizeable upfront capital outlay, this also requires the time, effort, and associated costs of hiring and maintaining a staff of experienced IT personnel.

By comparison, with a hosted ERP solution the burden of implementing, maintaining, and keeping the application up to date is shifted from the customer to the solution provider. This approach eliminates the costs and complexities of installing and integrating additional hardware to support the software and hiring additional staff to support the application on an ongoing basis. As a result, a hosted ERP solution is particularly advantageous for small to midsize organizations with tight capital budgets and limited IT resources.

In keeping with the business model of SaaS applications, hosted ERP solutions can be implemented with relative ease and integrated faster into the organization’s day-to-day business than their onsite ERP counterparts. In fact, most typical hosted ERP solutions can be up and running in mere weeks, rather than months or even years, as may be the case with traditional onsite ERP software. This enables organizations to begin realizing the business benefits earlier, which, in turn, results in a more rapid payback, a greater return on investment (ROI), and a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) over the course of the investment.

Bring the usual several month-long processes down to weeks or even days. We can help get you up and running in a fraction of the time it takes to install and configure traditional solutions.

With traditional licensed ERP software, organizations typically must wait for the next release to benefit from the latest features, upgrades, or security patches. In addition, the cost, complexity, and potential disruption of moving to a new onsite software version often cause some organizations to defer upgrading to the newest release. This, in turn, prevents employees from taking advantage of the latest productivity enhancing tools consistently being added to the applications. Hosted ERP systems, however, eliminate this common problem. Under this delivery model, the provider continuously and unobtrusively adds latest features and upgrades, which means that users can be assured that they’re actually using—rather than waiting for—the latest technology, without drawn-out upgrades, customization, and consulting costs. With Acumatica you do not have to re-do your customizations, the upgrade will take care of it.

Hosted ERP systems typically require significantly fewer technical resources to manage than onsite ERP solutions because the hosting provider manages the software, hardware, and network administration. This reduces the strain on the organization’s IT department, allowing it to redeploy IT resources to focus on other, business-building tasks.

Hosted ERP solutions are easily scalable and flexible to meet changing business requirements. Adding or removing users can be done on demand and will simply change the monthly subscription fee. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for growing, seasonal, or cyclical businesses that need to quickly change their user base to meet their unique business requirements.

SUPPORT

We apply rigorous call logging, escalation procedures and provide regular customer reports, concerning the number and nature of all calls handled over a period of time.

These reports can be extremely useful to our clients as a training aid for their users. Visit our ERP Cloud Solutions pages for more information about software development and support.

Translate »