Can Microsoft Dynamics ERP move to the cloud?

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imageThe Software Advice blog has started a series of short five minute interviews with Microsoft executives in charge of Dynamics technologies, and today’s one has caught my attention: it’s entitled Can Microsoft Dynamics ERP move to the cloud, and the interview was with Guy Weismantel, director of ERP Marketing at Microsoft.

Cloud computing is something that has been tickling my imagination ever since I first heard the term, and I’ve spent past couple of years not only thinking how to do something with the cloud, but actually doing it (stay tuned!), so it was interesting to see what’s Microsoft’s unofficial official position on ERP in cloud perspective, can it be done, should it be done, where is it all going, etc.

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Panorama Consulting 2011 ERP Report

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imageYesterday, Panorama Consulting Group has published their new ERP report, and it was a really interesting read. It shows some interesting effects of economic recession on ERP industry, but it proves once again that ERP projects are risky, prone to budgeting and scheduling issues, and still chances to get reasonable benefits are roughly 50:50.

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What is your ERP, a commodity or a solution?

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imageYears ago, when I didn’t know what consultant was, let alone thought about eventually becoming one, I was sitting in a cafe in Zagreb with then my boss and now my friend Marko, sipping cream with coffee and mostly sharing random thoughts. He then introduced me to a commodity-convenience-solution concept which shaped a lot my customer approach and my work.

You might be a customer of an ERP. Or you might be a company offering implementation services to customers. In any case, this post is for you—how you think about your ERP implementation project(s).

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ERP will make my problems go away!

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Some say that ERP will solve all your problems. A deus-ex-machina which takes you to the promised land and brings you years of prosperity and bliss. Reduced operating costs and administrative overhead, improved inventory, higher customer retention, better profitability. It will streamline, improve, integrate, leverage, increase all your good things, and reduce, decrease, eliminate all your bad things.

You don’t buy it, do you?

ERP may help you solve your problems. Eventually.

First thing it will do, though, is—expose them. The question is… are you ready to face them?

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When Does Waterfall Work Well?

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Today I’ve completed delivering the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step course in Belgrade, Serbia, and I totally enjoyed it. The discussions were great, there was a lot of experience accumulated in that room, and all of the thirteen people attending the training were participating and contributing knowledge. If ever, this time during training I got zillions of ideas for blog posts, too bad I forgot most of them immediately thereafter 🙂

One of the discussions we led was about waterfall and its (in)effectiveness. Some of the people, those who primarily come from development background, expressed their belief that waterfall is a bad and an outdated approach which usually leads to failed projects. I shared some of my thoughts on the topic, but I still believe that I didn’t give a good explanation when the waterfall approach works better than an agile one.

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