Overview:
Our Project With Georg Ackermann GmbH
The company Georg Ackermann GmbH from Wiesenbronn is an innovative supplier for areas such as interior design, shop fitting, exhibition construction, architecture, and formwork construction. With its approximately 100 employees, the company develops unique and original solutions using CNC and laser technology. The finished solutions range from reception desks to exhibition stands to architectural models for concert halls.
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Situation
Partnership
Unfortunately, we quickly realized that one person alone could not meet the requirements in terms of time or technical expertise. Without regular training sessions, which were not feasible due to time constraints, this individual could not comprehensively carry out the further development of the ERP solution according to our wishes. Therefore, a switch to a Dynamics NAV partner, who provides holistic support and possesses the necessary expertise, was inevitable for us.”
Processes and Software
“Technically, our challenges revolved around the fact that our sales process is specific and could not be solely mapped out in the standard system of the ERP solution. Our individual processes had been implemented partially faulty or in need of improvement by the previous partner and our employee until then. Thus, our initial requirement for a future partner was to optimize this.
Later, additional customization requests arose for the ERP system, aiming to further streamline and digitize our processes step by step.”
Challenges/Wishes at a Glance:
- Switch to a reliable, competent Dynamics NAV partner who can optimize the existing ERP system
- Optimization of our system into a future-proof solution capable of reflecting the digital transformation and internal development of the company
- Digital mapping of individual processes (e.g., sales process, operational data collection, project evaluation)
Set Focus:
The Goal
“Our initial goal was to find a reliable and competent partner who would continue the journey of digital transformation with us. Having a personal contact person was very important to us in this regard.
Additionally, we aimed to continuously make our processes more efficient – with the help of Dynamics NAV. Due to the constant evolution of our processes, we needed a flexible, adaptable ERP system.”
Partner Search
“We began our search for a versatile IT service company that understands and has expertise in our specific processes and can efficiently integrate them into our ERP system.
Based on our previous experience, it was important for us to have a designated contact person who knows our company well and can quickly grasp our requirements.
Upon recommendation from our hardware service provider, we became aware of anaptis (then still infosim). We felt well taken care of right from the start, as it immediately felt like a good fit on a personal level. Furthermore, the staff proved to be very competent.”
Implementation
Customizations
“Our ERP solution Dynamics NAV 2009, with which we switched to anaptis in 2013, was already partially customized but needed revision. The anaptis team made several adjustments for us, ranging from simple digitalization processes to the individual mapping of our manufacturing operations and integration with a webshop. The most significant customizations included project evaluation, a module for operational data collection, and a comprehensive web application.”
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“The sales process in the ERP solution’s standard version was not suitable for us because we have many specific requirements (e.g., cancellations for incorrect purchases, credits) to consider. Therefore, the project module of Dynamics NAV was customized to accurately reflect our business. The focus is on project evaluation.
Through this customization, we can provide the customer with an estimated value of the effort early on and update the project status at any time. Automatic updates are executed overnight, and manual updates are possible during the day. We can also perform highly detailed evaluations (e.g., by machine hours/employee hours/material) and view them from various perspectives (e.g., project/project manager/customer). This allows us to significantly improve project management.”
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“We used to work with a prefabricated industry-specific data collection module. However, it did not suit us well in practice in terms of handling and design. Therefore, together with anaptis, we developed our own data collection solution that accurately reflects our requirements.
Now, we can map the following actions:
- Arrival
- Departure
- Which project am I working on?
- Which project did I consume materials for?
Furthermore, a logical workflow was established, which includes the dimensions ’employee’ and ‘action.’ Inconsistencies in processes and incorrect bookings are immediately apparent and easily corrected. Additionally, we benefit from practical statistics (e.g., How long has someone been present? How many projects has the person worked on today and for how long?).”
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“We are constantly striving to make our processes more efficient. Now, we benefit from a web application that has grown over time and is accessible to all employees. It has many functionalities contributing to visualization, transparency, and employee information. We have current data automatically synchronized, reducing a significant amount of paperwork. Some features/components of the web application include:
- Schedule planning
- Resource planning
- Birthday list
- First aid list
- Employee phone list
- Ordering work clothes
- Food ordering
- Ackermann Wiki
What is also very convenient for us: The data collection module is integrated into the web application.”
Upgrade from Dynamics NAV 2009 to Business Central
“As both our company and Microsoft’s software continuously evolve, it was time to upgrade from Dynamics NAV 2009 to Dynamics 365 Business Central. The upgrade was primarily driven by technical reasons, as the technical foundation of the ERP software has changed. The longer we would have postponed the switch, the more complicated it would have become. Additionally, this provided us with the opportunity to review outdated master data and functions and only migrate the data to the new system that is truly relevant to our business.”
Implementation and Go-Live
“The implementation of Dynamics 365 Business Central was conducted in a very agile manner upon our request. Based on experiences with previous ERP partners, it was crucial for us to have a transparent process. anaptis accommodated us well in this regard by working through requirements step by step together. The process was structured as follows:
- Discussion of a requirement
- Formulation of a requirement
- Creation of a prototype
- Discussion of the prototype
- Optimization of the prototype
This approach kept us informed about the development progress at all times and allowed us to identify any mismatches in requirements early on. While this increased coordination efforts on one hand, it reduced project costs as no faulty customizations could be made.
The transition took place in the middle of the fiscal year and during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, making it remote. Despite the circumstances, the Go-Live went smoothly. Minor discrepancies such as missing table entries were quickly resolved, and we could rely on multiple team members being available during the process. In summary, we successfully managed the transition together.”
Change Management
“In terms of change management, we involved our key users and assigned many employees with continuously testing the functions.
Additionally, we produced internal videos to inform and involve our team. This worked well and was sufficient because the transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central did not represent such a big change for our employees. Working with Dynamics NAV had been familiar for years, and we mostly adopted the individual functionalities, so the need for training was relatively low.”
Result
“Already with our predecessor Dynamics NAV 2009, we were convinced that compared to an industry solution, it was very flexible, versatile, and also very open to all kinds of adjustments. This has not changed with the transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central. With the system, we have a comprehensive product that is used in various industries and leaves nothing to be desired as it can grow with our company. By combining the system’s standard features with individual customizations, we can well represent our processes.
What also helps us a lot in our daily work is that the data from the system is very reliable. This provides us with a good basis for calculation and controlling.
But what is much more important is the support from anaptis as our ERP partner. Because we could also buy the software from X other providers. The personal contact with the anaptis team, especially with our direct contact person, convinces us completely. The project team knows our system and our processes. Due to the versatility and probably also because anaptis has an objective view of our processes, we have already been able to implement many quick, streamlined, practical, and cost-effective solutions. That is a true joy.”
Improvements at a Glance:
- Clearly faster and more efficient processes (time savings)
- Trustworthy, personal collaboration with the contact person and the project team
- Transparency (e.g. project evaluation, employee times)
- Comfortable and simple project evaluation
- User-friendly and logically built BDE-module (especially compared to the previous version)
- Securing a new ERP version
Manfred Weid, authorized signatory and Technical Operations Manager, Georg Ackermann GmbH
Everything at a Glance:
Which Products Were Used?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Dynamics 365 Business Central is the ERP solution for linking your business areas.
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