Why Integrating Dynamics CRM into Your Organization Needs to Be Part of a Bigger Picture

The magic ERP word these days is integration. The day when we only implemented one system and could leave the building is history. Today's challenges in both the non-enterprise and enterprise environments involve migration--integration to old and new systems.

The end users would be very happy with fewer open screens, multiple popup windows and overwhelming forms. Looking from an implementation point of view, we are more often challenged by a spaghetti system of servers and applications connecting to each other.

While a first step would be to start redesigning the overall architecture, keep in mind this usually is part of a mid to long term plan. It will depend on impact within an organization how soon you are able to realize your desired architecture.

The impact of choosing a new architecture can be  quite serious, which tends to be overlooked.  In general, we can identify three main areas where the impact would be most significant.

1. The first area is ‘change'; integration will impact how your business processes are supported by the new systems. The end users have to adapt to the new system(s). This has impact on their daily work. Especially in the beginning, they need 9 to 5 support and time to get used to the new system(s).  In general, end users are adopting systems more quickly if you involve them in the project at an early stage. Of course, in the case of Microsoft Dynamics CRM the process should go even smoother due to the familiar interface.

It will also have an effect on your support organization, since it also needs to change--giving assistance to your employees requires more in-depth knowledge and experience.  The best solution is to organize good hands-on training and let them be coached by experienced (...