Why You Need a Champion for a Successful Microsoft Dynamics GP Implementation, and Why That Person Isn’t Who You Think It Is
I've been involved in countless Microsoft Dynamics GP implementations over the years and have come to realize that there is one little-recognized key to both a successful implementation and long term usage. That key is a champion.
By champion I don't necessarily mean a key executive sponsor, though without that you'll probably fail. I'm not referring to a strong administrator or a project manager, though they are important, too. For me, a true champion is a user who embraces the system and becomes the go-to person internally for Dynamics GP.
The ideal champion in my experience is a mid-level accounting person with a strong technology background. Occasionally it's a DBA with a passion for business. In a few lucky organizations, it's someone with prior GP experience. Generally, the best way to find the champion is to walk into a business running GP and ask who writes GP macros--very quickly, you'll find the champion.
A champion is important because this individual finds ways to make the system work within a particular company's unique culture. He or she can talk to support with a clear idea of the problem and apply the solution. The champion can help users who don't embrace the system work through issues.
...
Why you need a champion
Dear, Mr. Polino
With my respect to your point of view mentioned on October 8 2008 published:
1- I did understand that you are simply through out the ball to the GP users and forgetting one important fact that there is no healthy child unintelligent but there is many teachers whom incapable to teach them.
2- You should consider that many if not most of the GP are existing and running business that put them in a very tied time table for implementation and not ready to have long time for using any new system.
3- AS you mentioned one of the beast benefit from GP is saving time and money so, GP implementation teams must show there miracles and not the other way around. Putting in consideration 2 facts; a) the entire organizations dose not have previous experiences with GP. b) The entire managements pushing their users to maxims their productivities.
4- NO MASTER depends on the cleverness of the student to prove him self, but STUDENT depends on their MASTER cleverness to show and express his cleverness.
Emad A. Raouf Ahmed
Director of finance Department
Albilad Hotel Jeddah,
KSA,
finance@albiladhotel.com
hello
goodbye
Couldn't agree more
Mark,
ABSOLUTELY. I always tell people that I want to work with the "do-ers". It's only in the do-ers group that I will find a champion. It's only the champion that I'm most interested in investing countless hours to empower. I couldn't agree with you more.
Ginger
Dynamics GP Champion
This is so dead on correct not just for Dynamics GP but many other software application implementations.
John Szabo