Kaluga engine (KADVI) (Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012)

Vladimir Banny, one of the most experienced experts in use of Microsoft Dynamics AX in the industry, the representative of JSC Kaluzhsky dvigatel (KADVI), shared the history of development the ERP system at the enterprise:

The implementation project of the Microsoft Dynamics AX system (then it was called Aksapta) started at our enterprise in 2004. Already at a stage of the main implementation (we worked with TOPS Consulting company, earlier – AND Project) we with our partner prepared a team of specialists which from our party had an opportunity independently to support and develop a system. 3 programmers were trained, and already in the course of system implementation they developed in the Aksapta system additional reports for accounting. Thus, acquaintance to internal system architecture and features of our application took place. Already shortly after implementation there was a need of updating of the application on the new service pack. Here we got the first experience of updating of the application. Of course, made a number of mistakes, but they were noncritical for system operation. At the end of 2006 transition to version 4 was carried out. Transition to version 2009 is executed in the summer of 2011. Now on "The Kaluga engine" works on transition to version 2012 are conducted.

The main difficulty upon transition to new versions are, of course, the completions of a system executed at system implementation later, in use. Than their is more, especially labor-consuming is a transition process. Also the quality and optimality of strategy of completions have an impact: the less modifications are executed in standard elements of the application, the better. We in the completions try to make a minimum of changes to standard classes and methods of a system, and, as a rule, we create new if it is necessary. The labor-consuming procedure is testing of correctness of work of functions which anyway use the classes and methods changed by the new version of a system.

Of course, each new version of a system is the special, bringing the changes to the current work users, and, respectively, labor input of transition for each version different. Complete transition to the new version of a system, by experience, takes us from 3 to 9 months, now we pass to AX 2012. The project finally will be more long since version 2012 is revolutionary change of a system – internal system architecture changed considerably. Now we transfer and we test the changed functionality, and data on a remaining balance will be transferred later and trial operation of a system will be carried out. Each transition is accompanied by works on user training and updating of documentation of a system, but it is just work is already usual for us and is not problem section.