Product demo is one of the first activities that the implementation team performs after they reach the customer site for an ERP implementation. In this phase, the customer team becomes aware of the product they are going to be using for years to come. In an Oracle Apps implementation for example, the product demo is done in a demo database called 'Vision Demo Database'. This is a preconfigured database with all the standard flows built in to detail.
In my experience, the implementation team takes this phase very lightly. For them this is a phase where you put in some stop gap consultants and ask the customer to go through the user manuals and acquaint themselves. For the customer also this phase is like a trailer, the boring period of time before the ‘real movie' starts.
The implementation team starts the vision demo is by using the existing data and minimally tuning it to the customer's requirements. For example, they may create a supplier named 'Test Supplier' and a few items like 'Test Item' etc. Some of the standard processes are demonstrated in a demo company called 'Vision Operations'. Even those customer users who start the demo very eagerly, quickly lose interest in the proceedings since they are not able to identify with the data!
The end result is that the implementation team has lost out on a fantastic opportunity to gain the confidence of the customer. Since the customer’s confidence in the product and on the implementation team is a prerequisite to successful implementation, the 'real' activities of the project will start with the baggage of a ‘sceptical’ or a 'neutral' customer as against a possible 'convert'.
The best way to use the Vision Demo effectively is to replicate customer's configuration in the Vision instance as much as possible. For example, you could create an Organization as the customer's organization and link their set of books to the organization. Use actual suppliers, actual customers, actual invoices, payments, actual users etc. Most importantly, use actual items and actual warehouses where they will be transacted.
To improve the effectiveness, you could create the financial reports with the customer's chart of accounts and take out the actual financial reports after posting the transactions to GL. Nothing inspires confidence in the project more than seeing your actual financial transactions being recorded correctly. This inspires confidence in the finance team who will be one of the signatories to almost all the deliverables in the project.
Of course there are limitations. ‘Vision Instance’ is not a localized instance, meaning local taxes are not configured. Prior to starting the demo phase, the Project Manager should check if ‘Localized’ demo instance is available. Most of the vendors have localized instances.
Also, it will be a good idea to share the data migration templates to collect the customer data for demo instance. This will act as a first check on the quality and completeness of the template as well.
There are many advantages to this approach. The implementation team will be able to appreciate the potential implementation risks very early in the project. In addition, this exercise benefits the implementation team by giving them an early understanding of the customer’s business. Same with the customer. They will be able to understand the limitations of their data and become sensitive to potential process changes that may come their way.
However this is not easy. The consultant has to handhold the customer to filling the template for example. Since this process is done very early in the implementation cycle, both consultant and customer are getting used to working with each other and any open communication will be difficult. That is where the data templates will help.
Few of the potential challenges that this exercise can throw up could be Inventory Item Coding, Unit of Measure (UoM) and its conversions and localization related issues. The earlier the consultant becomes aware of these issues, the better it is for the implementation.
In my experience, the implementation team takes this phase very lightly. For them this is a phase where you put in some stop gap consultants and ask the customer to go through the user manuals and acquaint themselves. For the customer also this phase is like a trailer, the boring period of time before the ‘real movie' starts.
The implementation team starts the vision demo is by using the existing data and minimally tuning it to the customer's requirements. For example, they may create a supplier named 'Test Supplier' and a few items like 'Test Item' etc. Some of the standard processes are demonstrated in a demo company called 'Vision Operations'. Even those customer users who start the demo very eagerly, quickly lose interest in the proceedings since they are not able to identify with the data!
The end result is that the implementation team has lost out on a fantastic opportunity to gain the confidence of the customer. Since the customer’s confidence in the product and on the implementation team is a prerequisite to successful implementation, the 'real' activities of the project will start with the baggage of a ‘sceptical’ or a 'neutral' customer as against a possible 'convert'.
The best way to use the Vision Demo effectively is to replicate customer's configuration in the Vision instance as much as possible. For example, you could create an Organization as the customer's organization and link their set of books to the organization. Use actual suppliers, actual customers, actual invoices, payments, actual users etc. Most importantly, use actual items and actual warehouses where they will be transacted.
To improve the effectiveness, you could create the financial reports with the customer's chart of accounts and take out the actual financial reports after posting the transactions to GL. Nothing inspires confidence in the project more than seeing your actual financial transactions being recorded correctly. This inspires confidence in the finance team who will be one of the signatories to almost all the deliverables in the project.
Of course there are limitations. ‘Vision Instance’ is not a localized instance, meaning local taxes are not configured. Prior to starting the demo phase, the Project Manager should check if ‘Localized’ demo instance is available. Most of the vendors have localized instances.
Also, it will be a good idea to share the data migration templates to collect the customer data for demo instance. This will act as a first check on the quality and completeness of the template as well.
There are many advantages to this approach. The implementation team will be able to appreciate the potential implementation risks very early in the project. In addition, this exercise benefits the implementation team by giving them an early understanding of the customer’s business. Same with the customer. They will be able to understand the limitations of their data and become sensitive to potential process changes that may come their way.
However this is not easy. The consultant has to handhold the customer to filling the template for example. Since this process is done very early in the implementation cycle, both consultant and customer are getting used to working with each other and any open communication will be difficult. That is where the data templates will help.
Few of the potential challenges that this exercise can throw up could be Inventory Item Coding, Unit of Measure (UoM) and its conversions and localization related issues. The earlier the consultant becomes aware of these issues, the better it is for the implementation.
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