General Consultant Discussion

Sage X3 implemented in as little as 35 days http://www.sage.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/10/would-you-like-your-new-erp-solution-up-and-running-in-and-little-as-35-days/

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but your title reminds me of a typical NY Times title talking about conservatives (sorry, had to throw politics in, t'is the season :) ) Anyway, the blog says they claim that they can do it via a methodology, not that they have actually done it and have referenceable end users to talk about it. When MAS500 first came out (Acuity) we installed the 2nd customer on the product ever in 2 weeks. But it was only GL & AP (That's all they had available at the time). The issue with these 'rapid implementation methodologies' and I don't think there is a single publisher who doesn't claim to have one and use it as a pitch primarily to sell more software (which is all the publisher cares about, they don't profit from you making the overall project more expensive) is that you basically have to use their generic COA, accept all the generic out of the box reports & views, are 100% responsible to clean and put your data into perfectly aligned spreadsheets (many 'methodologies' don't even allow for data conversion. They cut the corner by claiming you can just enter new records as you go) There is zero business process re-engineering (the most important part of a new ERP solution), zero customization to the software (you better be a real plain vanilla business), no third parties, and the assumption that the client drops all other responsibilities for 35 days and does nothing but work on this. Hence you will find it VERY hard locating actual success stories (beyond the brother in law of an executive of the publisher) of this approach. Goes back to the ol' 'you get what you pay for'

That's not my title, that is Sage's. If you read the article, it says that the Sage ERP X3 Team has taken over the Blog even though it seems like the author is from CPiO. On one hand, Sage thinks that it is too complicated to switch software companies and will continue to milk Sage 100, while on the other hand postering that it is easy to switch to Sage X3.

How long (on the calendar) it takes to implement a new ERP system is usually a function of how promptly the customer can get their part of it done, and can they make decisions quickly when presented with setup/process options, etc.

I've attended the Project Methodology course for the Standard Edition of X3, which is really only intended for the Standard Edition due to the fact that it is preconfigured. The 35 days being touted is for the Distribution Suite (Manufacturing is 50 days) with the implementation process flow being divided into 5 phases (Scope, Implement, Test, Train, Support). Yes, 35 days are detailed, but the methodology also specifies 22 weeks from project launch to Go Live and 25 weeks to final production sign-off. Also, unlike many of our Sage 100 implementations, the Testing and Training phases are solely the client's responsibility. The 35-day implementation is great for a marketing piece, but prospects will never see the details behind that. That's why marketing is so rewarding.

On the road. Is it 35 man days or 35 elapsed days they are claiming.

It's 35 person days.

35 persons per day. :)

Yes - my attempt to be PC and take ""man days"" out of the discussion. People days sounded strange, as if dogs and cats were reading this and needed the distinction. Perhaps it should have been 35 worker bee days.

@JohnHoyt - geeez, beez..just kidding with you. Thank you for PCing men to persons.