The Implementation process for new users switching to Accolent ERP consists of a number of sequential steps. It is very important that all the process steps be completed in sequence. The process starts with ADS Solutions creating customer’s pre-live Accolent ERP system. The pre-live Accolent ERP system will then be properly configured and set up, and end-users will be trained on the system. During this training period, customer will be running on its old system. After the first few training sessions, customer will need to export data out of customer’s old system into the Accolent ERP import templates, which will then be able to be imported into Accolent ERP. After completing training, there may need to be an incremental data export/import into Accolent ERP to capture data entered into customer’s old system during the training period. ADS Solutions will then clear out any testing data entered into the pre-live Accolent ERP system and customer can then go-live on Accolent ERP. This systematic process, if followed, can get most new users live on Accolent ERP in a 3-4 months period.
Implementation
- ADS Solutions provides at a discounted, fixed, all-in price, a complete package of implementation services for new users that includes: import of customer’s data into Accolent ERP, training, set up and go-live assistance, designed to get users live on Accolent ERP within a period of 3 to 4 months
- To accomplish this goal, Customers will need to dedicate the appropriate personnel and resources and follow the implementation process outlined
Data Conversion – Initial Import
- Customer will need to extract data as of a certain date (the “Initial Date”) from its old system into Accolent ERP import templates. ADS Solutions will provide assistance to the customer in connection with getting the extracted data into the import templates
- ADS Solutions will then import the data into Accolent ERP and ask customer to correct any data records that fail to import
- This will be the Initial Import as of the Initial Date and will be used to create a PreLive database which will have a URL of the form: https://customerprelive.accolenterp.solutions/accolent/login.aspx
- The Initial Import will generally need to include:
- All Value List files
- All Sub-Master files
- All Master files
- Inventory QOH and Average Cost, Costs, AP Open Items and AR Open Items as of the Initial Date
Verification of Initial Import Data
- Customer will need to verify the data and, with ADS Solutions assistance, correct any data errors
- ADS Solutions will then import any corrected data into the PreLive database
- When the data is verified, ADS Solutions will copy the PreLive database to the Production database, which will have a URL of the form: https://customer.accolenterp.solutions/accolent/login.aspx
- The entry, verification and correction of customer’s data can take from 1 to 3 months
Training, Setup and Testing
- At this point, end-users should begin training, doing the set-up to configure Accolent ERP and entering transactions for testing/training purposes
- ADS Solutions will schedule several online training sessions, covering the following topics:
- Accolent ERP System Basics & Navigation
- Review of the Customer, Product and Vendor master records
- Review of Customer Pricing methods
- Review of Product Costing
- Review of Quotes, Orders, Ship Confirms and Invoice transactions
- Review of Purchasing and PO Receiving transactions
- Review of Special Order Processing
- Review of Warehouse Transfers & Physical Inventory
- Review of General Ledger, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable
- Review of Reports and Forms Design Tools
- Review of Reports Center, Settings and Utilities
- ADS Solutions will assist Customer with entering the right configurations into Accolent ERP including assistance with setting up the printers, email, forms, etc.
- Customer’s users should set-up Accolent ERP and make any data changes that need to be preserved (e.g., users, roles, printers, master file changes) directly into the Production database
- ADS Solutions will help Customer’s personnel identify various types of test transactions that Customer’s personnel should enter for training and testing purposes
- Customer’s users will use only the PreLive database for any test transactions (i.e., no changes to the Production database except those intended to be preserved)
- The training/set-up/testing phase is expected to take between 4 and 6 weeks
Data Conversion – Incremental Import
- At the end of training, as of a specific date (the “Incremental Date”), customer will need to export all data from the old system that changed after the Initial Import into the Accolent ERP import templates
- ADS Solutions will then import the Incremental Import directly into the Production database
- The Incremental Date is very important as this will be the date of Customer’s Starting Balance Sheet that will go into Accolent ERP
- The Incremental Import will generally need to include:
- All changes to the Sub-Master files between the Initial Date and the Incremental Date
- All changes to the Master files between the Initial Date and the Incremental Date
- All Invoices created between the Initial Date and the Incremental Date
- All open transactions (Orders, Shipments, Open POs) as of the Incremental Date
- Inventory QOH and Average Cost, Costs, AP Open Items and AR Open Items as of the Incremental Date
Verification of Incremental Import Data
- Once the Incremental Import is completed, Customer will need to verify the data and with ADS Solutions’ assistance tie-it out
- The Incremental Import and data verification is expected to take no more than a few days and then, ADS Solutions will turn the updated Production database over to Customer
- This will be the “Live Date”
Starting Live Operation
- Prior to the Live Date, ADS Solutions will have completed a review with Customer’s personnel to get Customer ready to start live operation on Accolent ERP system
- On the Live Date, Customer will enter the GL Starting Balances as of the Incremental Date and set the Accounting Start Date as the Incremental Date
- Customer will need to manually enter the transactions that were created in Customer’s old system between the Incremental Date and the Live Date into Accolent ERP
- These manually entered transactions will post to the GL and may be backdated, if desired, to the period between the Incremental Date and the Live Date
- All new transactions generated after the Live Date will be entered directly into Accolent ERP
Following these steps carefully usually results in the Customer successfully converting over to Accolent ERP within the 3 to 4 months timeframe.