Goodbye to custom ERP? Making the case for standard features with new Microsoft Dynamics AX solutions

The word "customizations" comes up a lot in any type of ERP implementation based on the specific organization's processes, wants, and needs. In some cases, such customizations are warranted. In others, Dynamics AX's standard features may actually be a better choice, if harder to accept after multiple generations of customized ERP.  

As Dynamics AX matures with AX 2012 R2 and the newly launched Dynamics AX 2012 R3, the broader and deeper functional footprint of the core product means more legacy customizations should become candidates for elimination of legacy customizations as part of upgrades. Case in point, hardwood flooring manufacturer Boa-Franc learned the value of standardization recently when upgrading to AX 2012 from a "heavily modified" older release designed to help address variations during its manufacturing process.

While the customized version of AX worked short term, the company soon realized it needed a more standardized approach to support its business long term, according to their Dynamics AX partner, Edgewater Fullscope, which published a case study on the initiative.

Fullscope says Boa-Franc devised a plan to "decommission modifications in favor of implementing and ultimately upgrading to the latest version of Dynamics AX," which by this time included built-in process manufacturing functionality.

"Moving to standard AX and upgrading to the latest version allowed us to better manage our product mix issues," said Boa-Franc IT Director, Ghislain Quirion, in the case study. "This improved our supply chain processes while letting us maintain operational efficiency across the company for a significant competitive advantage."

Old Habits Die Hard

Murray Fife, solution architect and Microsoft MVP at