Kati Unplugged: How to Ensure A Quick, Smooth Cloud Transition for Your Customers

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A Blog Series for Microsoft Dynamics Partners by Kati Hvidtfeldt, US Microsoft Dynamics ERP Cloud Lead.

Kati color 2004There’s nothing worse than a rocky implementation. In a recent post we cited a study that found that 60-70% of ERP implementations fail. Every partner wants to do everything reasonable to make sure those failed implementations don’t happen for their customers.

This week we’ll take a look at the advantages of the cloud from a solution implementation perspective. John A Robb, Director of Strategic Alliances from WatServ talks about the advantages of the cloud platform in the pre-production process—advantages that translate into benefits for your business and your customers.

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Changing or upgrading your ERP system is a little like changing a tire on your car when it’s in motion. Your new ERP system needs to be ready to go while your existing system is still operational.

In an on-premise deployment the typical customer needs to buy and install hardware and software for the new system as well as keep the existing system operational. This could mean an additional investment in assets that may go underutilized once the primary system is operational. Cloud deployment allows the client to turn off services that are no longer required. This can lead to cost savings.

The cost savings led client Ammano McGann to opt for the cloud in its recent Microsoft Dynamics GP upgrade. By deploying the solution in the cloud, we were able to create a robust pre-production environment, ensuring a smooth transition.

The cloud platform enabled us to scale the number of accounts for testing, all the way through the production process. And the team at Ammano McGann was able to go live with their upgrade just three weeks from signing the contract.

Part of what made the Ammano McGann upgrade go so smoothly was the data migration process we employed. Instead of waiting until the last minute to do the data migration we implemented several transitional data migrations, helping eliminate data issues at go live. The extra time we spent during the pre-production phase was made possible by having a complete, cloud-based system available for the transition. The client only had to pay for the additional resources during the upgrade phase and was able to scale back to what was needed for regular operations.

The ability to ensure a quick, smooth transition and scale up on a per user basis are reasons a cloud deployment of Microsoft Dynamics ERP could be right for your clients.

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WatServ is one of the largest, most experienced providers of hosted Microsoft Dynamics ERP in North America. Click here to learn about how you can partner with WatServ to provide cloud services to your customers.

To learn more about how to incorporate cloud-based solutions into your business plans visit the Microsoft Dynamics Countdown to the Cloud page on PartnerSource. Go to www.microsoft.com/dynamics/growyourbusiness for resources that demonstrate to customers how Microsoft Dynamics ERP cloud, hybrid, and on-premises solutions can benefit their businesses.