Microsoft Business Ready Licensing Program Enables Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers Access to Microsoft Dynamics AX Business Software
LAKE FOREST, CA – April 22, 2008 – Advanced Systems Integration (ASi) is pleased to announce the success of its recent implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly Microsoft Business Solutions Axapta) at Earthrise Nutritionals, a world-leader in the production of microalgae for use in food and dietary supplement (branded as Earthrise Spirulina).
ASi completed the implementation in January of 2008 utilizing the Microsoft Sure Step Methodology. Michael Forte, Senior Consultant of ASi, explains, “This approach along with Microsoft’s Business Ready Licensing for its Microsoft Dynamics business software product lines has enabled many smaller and mid-sized businesses and manufacturers the ability to now purchase Microsoft’s most comprehensive, scalable and flexible ERP system, Microsoft Dynamics AX.” Business Ready Licensing streamlines pricing for Microsoft Dynamics AX by moving from a pricing model based on hundreds of modules to a new model based primarily on the number of concurrent users who actually use the software.
Earthrise Nutritionals, located in Irvine, CA and with farms and production in the California Sonoran Desert, benefited immediately from the fully integrated ERP system, Microsoft Dynamics AX. Adrian Hsu, Controller at Earthrise Nutritionals explains, “Our previous legacy system did not allow the visibility and real-time views into production and reporting as the new Microsoft Dynamics AX system.”
Mr. Hsu also felt the ease, speed and success of the implementation was directly related to the implementation methodology and experience of ASi. The Microsoft Sure Step Methodology defines process phases, milestones roles, artifacts, cross-phase-processes, and additional project management processes. Earthrise specifically benefited from the structure put in place by both Microsoft and ASi. Mr. Hsu commented, “The timelines and tools provided by ASi and the Microsoft Sure Step Methodology made it easy to keep on schedule and track the project progress even with limited resources and an accelerated implementation timeline.”
About ASi: Advanced Systems Integration, Inc. is a Gold Certified Microsoft Dynamics™ AX and Learning Solutions partner founded in 1991 that delivers comprehensive enterprise class applications that improve customer relations, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across supply chains and business operations. ASi also offers industry specific extensions integrated with Microsoft Dynamics AX platform (formerly Microsoft Business Solutions Axapta). ASi uses its industry focus, enterprise software domain expertise and transparent agile implementation methodology to provide its clients an enterprise class solution that is implemented properly the first time. ASi is based in Lake Forest, CA and has sales offices strategically located throughout the United States. Please visit the company’s web site at www.advancedsystemsintegration.com.
About Earthrise Nutritionals: In 1979, after years of research, Earthrise introduced Spirulina to the natural foods market. Then, in 1982, the visionaries at Earthrise built the first U.S. Spirulina farm to grow this green superfood in pure California desert sunshine using ecological, earth-friendly methods. Today, Earthrise Nutritionals' farm is the world’s largest Spirulina farm. Earthrise products are marketed in the USA and in 30 countries on six continents. http://www.earthrise.com/
About Microsoft Dynamics AX: Microsoft Dynamics AX is an adaptable business management solution that enables companies and their workers to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics AX works like and with familiar Microsoft Office software, with comprehensive features that help automate and streamline business processes, and connect users with global customers, business partners and subsidiaries in a way that helps drive business success.
http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/ax/default.mspx.
About Microsoft: Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. www.microsoft.com
For more information on this release, please contact:
Lisa Aschenbrenner
Marketing Manager
Advanced Systems Integration, Inc.
(949) 597-2170
lisaa@advancedsystemsintegration.com
###
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Dynamics AX 2009 or Dynamics AX 4.0: What is the Best Migration Path for my Organization?
Written By Jeff Onesto, Director of Business Development, ASi (Originally released on MSDynamicsWorld.com)
As many of you have read, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is currently in CTP-3 (Customer-Technical-Preview) Release 3, which means the RTM (Release-To-Manufacturing) isn’t too far off. At Advanced Systems Integration (ASi), we are consistently asked by existing customers running Microsoft Dynamics AX our thoughts and suggestions on upgrading. This is now even more critical as Microsoft has created a migration path for company’s running 3.0 SPx to upgrade directly to AX 2009. By allowing customers to ‘skip’ an entire version Microsoft has just lowered the cost of ownership of Dynamics AX – one data migration and one re-training program. Many AX users are wondering, “Should we migrate directly to AX 2009 or migrate to a mature Dynamics AX 4.0?” In this article, I will present a few key factors to consider when weighing your options for upgrading.
Large > 100 User and/or High Volume Organizations
Large organizations face a different set of considerations than their smaller counterparts. At ASi, many of our customers consist of large manufacturers with multi-plant, multi-site organization structures with additionally complex distribution requirements. Some of our larger Consumer Package Goods (CPG) customers in the soft-goods (Apparel) industry are capable of receiving up to ~30,000to 40,000 packages per day during the peak season. One of our largest customers by way of AX users will ramp-up to almost 800 concurrent AX users by the end of this year.
So for some of these complex and large enterprise organizations running AX 3.0 SPx the process of transitioning to a new release such as AX 2009 requires significant amounts of planning and testing. For these organizations, we are most likely to suggest waiting until the 1st service pack is released for AX 2009. The first service pack typically addresses any “undocumented features” and is a significant step toward application maturity/stability. Also, companies will find many advantages of upgrading directly to AX 2009 versus 4.0 other than the obvious feature and functionality improvements. By allowing customers to ‘skip’ an entire version Microsoft has just lowered the cost of ownership of Dynamics AX – one data migration and one re-training program.
We recommend not getting too far behind the publisher’s releases. Although possible to sit on an older release partners and Microsoft turn the majority of their efforts and focus to newer versions.
Smaller <100 Users and/or High Growth Organizations
Small organizations with aggressive growth plans in my experience don’t have the time to pay enough attention to anticipating future system requirements as they are working feverishly to support and grow existing market share. An example of these companies are many of the action sports (apparel) companies that go-to-market with a great, suddenly in-demand design and find themselves growing at unprecedented rates 100%, 200% or 300% year-over- year. So for these less complex yet fast growing organizations running AX 3.0 SPx transitioning to a new release such as AX 2009 is less about risk and more about cash flow and time. In this example, I also would recommend upgrading directly to AX 2009, as many times functional requirements are not known until they are needed tomorrow and running the latest edition of Dynamics AX may provide the greatest chance of that functionality being available at a moment’s notice.
One major caveat to our above recommendations for moving to the newest release AX 2009 is the actual final RTM date and the 1st service pack release date (yet to be announced specifically by Microsoft) and the pressure your organization is currently placing on AX 3.0 SPx . I have seen as much as 6 months pass between the planning of an upgrade and the actual go-live date. This lag is usually caused by the time lapse of the budget approval to project planning to the data preparation process. Realistically, an organization could require more functionality TODAY (April 2008) because they may be for example running out of record I.D.’s and therefore can’t wait until after the first service pack has been released for AX 2009. These types of organizations may be best to migrate to AX 4.0 and then move to AX 2009 at their convenience.
At ASi, we are excited for the newest edition of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. They say history is a good predictor of future performance and each version of Microsoft Dynamics AX has improved over the last and I expect nothing less from our friends in Redmond, WA. My advice to those executives responsible for this decision is to always work closely with your AX partner. ASi was one of six partners in the United States to earn the designation of “Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 Partner Launch Champion” and we are well on our way to earning the similar designation for AX 2009.
For additional information about ASi “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 “Partner Launch Champion” status, please visit our website www.advancedsystemsintegration.com.
As many of you have read, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is currently in CTP-3 (Customer-Technical-Preview) Release 3, which means the RTM (Release-To-Manufacturing) isn’t too far off. At Advanced Systems Integration (ASi), we are consistently asked by existing customers running Microsoft Dynamics AX our thoughts and suggestions on upgrading. This is now even more critical as Microsoft has created a migration path for company’s running 3.0 SPx to upgrade directly to AX 2009. By allowing customers to ‘skip’ an entire version Microsoft has just lowered the cost of ownership of Dynamics AX – one data migration and one re-training program. Many AX users are wondering, “Should we migrate directly to AX 2009 or migrate to a mature Dynamics AX 4.0?” In this article, I will present a few key factors to consider when weighing your options for upgrading.
Large > 100 User and/or High Volume Organizations
Large organizations face a different set of considerations than their smaller counterparts. At ASi, many of our customers consist of large manufacturers with multi-plant, multi-site organization structures with additionally complex distribution requirements. Some of our larger Consumer Package Goods (CPG) customers in the soft-goods (Apparel) industry are capable of receiving up to ~30,000to 40,000 packages per day during the peak season. One of our largest customers by way of AX users will ramp-up to almost 800 concurrent AX users by the end of this year.
So for some of these complex and large enterprise organizations running AX 3.0 SPx the process of transitioning to a new release such as AX 2009 requires significant amounts of planning and testing. For these organizations, we are most likely to suggest waiting until the 1st service pack is released for AX 2009. The first service pack typically addresses any “undocumented features” and is a significant step toward application maturity/stability. Also, companies will find many advantages of upgrading directly to AX 2009 versus 4.0 other than the obvious feature and functionality improvements. By allowing customers to ‘skip’ an entire version Microsoft has just lowered the cost of ownership of Dynamics AX – one data migration and one re-training program.
We recommend not getting too far behind the publisher’s releases. Although possible to sit on an older release partners and Microsoft turn the majority of their efforts and focus to newer versions.
Smaller <100 Users and/or High Growth Organizations
Small organizations with aggressive growth plans in my experience don’t have the time to pay enough attention to anticipating future system requirements as they are working feverishly to support and grow existing market share. An example of these companies are many of the action sports (apparel) companies that go-to-market with a great, suddenly in-demand design and find themselves growing at unprecedented rates 100%, 200% or 300% year-over- year. So for these less complex yet fast growing organizations running AX 3.0 SPx transitioning to a new release such as AX 2009 is less about risk and more about cash flow and time. In this example, I also would recommend upgrading directly to AX 2009, as many times functional requirements are not known until they are needed tomorrow and running the latest edition of Dynamics AX may provide the greatest chance of that functionality being available at a moment’s notice.
One major caveat to our above recommendations for moving to the newest release AX 2009 is the actual final RTM date and the 1st service pack release date (yet to be announced specifically by Microsoft) and the pressure your organization is currently placing on AX 3.0 SPx . I have seen as much as 6 months pass between the planning of an upgrade and the actual go-live date. This lag is usually caused by the time lapse of the budget approval to project planning to the data preparation process. Realistically, an organization could require more functionality TODAY (April 2008) because they may be for example running out of record I.D.’s and therefore can’t wait until after the first service pack has been released for AX 2009. These types of organizations may be best to migrate to AX 4.0 and then move to AX 2009 at their convenience.
At ASi, we are excited for the newest edition of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. They say history is a good predictor of future performance and each version of Microsoft Dynamics AX has improved over the last and I expect nothing less from our friends in Redmond, WA. My advice to those executives responsible for this decision is to always work closely with your AX partner. ASi was one of six partners in the United States to earn the designation of “Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 Partner Launch Champion” and we are well on our way to earning the similar designation for AX 2009.
For additional information about ASi “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 “Partner Launch Champion” status, please visit our website www.advancedsystemsintegration.com.
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