Rinat Khabibulin, ICL Services: Technological effectiveness - one of serious pluses of Microsoft Dynamics AX of the Interview of TAdviser
Rinat Khabibulin, the head of corporate applications and software development of ICL Services company, in an interview of TAdviser told of prevalence of the Microsoft Dynamics AX system in Russia and its pluses, called the main domestic competitors of Axapta and also told about specifics of work on the Microsoft Dynamics AX direction in ICL Services.
Khabibulin to Practice of implementation and maintenance of ERP systems in our company is more than 25 years of
TAdviser: How it is widespread Microsoft Dynamics AX among the Russian enterprises, the companies?
Rinat Khabibulin:ERP system of Microsoft Dynamics AX is present at the Russian market about 20 years, about 500 projects on its implementation are implemented.
What standard portrait of the enterprise — the owner of this system?
Rinat Khabibulin:The typical customer — the representative of large business with quantity of jobs from 500. For the Russian market also characteristic sign of the customer of the Axapta system is that the company or the enterprise is structural division of the international company in which the ERP system from Microsoft is the corporate standard. Other type of the Russian customer — those who are not satisfied by functionality of domestic solutions when business processes are arranged rather difficult. As a rule, it is manufacturing enterprises, representatives of retail, the logistic companies.
The industry sign of popularity of the Axapta system is present?
Rinat Khabibulin:The solution is implemented in all industries. If to speak about our specifics, then in respect of implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX we specialize in a manufacturing sector of economy, generally — the machine-building industry and also in the field of logistics and retail. As for maintenance of a system, we work in all industries.
What version of a system is the most advanced for today? The most widespread among the Russian users?
Rinat Khabibulin:The most current release is Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, in Russia its implementations not yet. The most widespread among our clients: AX 2009 AX 2012 AX 4.0. On version 3.0 of clients remained a little, but we support all versions of a system.
What the lack of implementation projects of Dynamics 365 is connected with?
Rinat Khabibulin:It is connected with lack of the Russian localization. Microsoft postpones the most difficult versions in terms of localization, and the Russian localization of a system — one of the most problematic that is connected with features of our legislation.
How serious competition to a system in this segment is made by the Russian developments? Whether import substitution affected?
Rinat Khabibulin:Among the Russian developments, first of all, we will note the ERP system from 1C company which develops in high gear, and, naturally, we notice influence of import substitution on the market in general. It is rather heavy to compete with 1C on this segment, new implementations Axapta becomes less therefore on the Microsoft Dynamics AX direction we do focus on maintenance of already implemented systems, and not only in Russia, but also abroad. Also we have a command on support of solutions for 1C.
Whether it is possible to draw a conclusion that the company works with Axapta a little by inertia?
Rinat Khabibulin:No, it not so. Just focus on this direction of business in connection with change of a situation in the Russian market changed. And in foreign markets of Axapta it is still demanded, implementations continue.
Whether means it that the focus in the ERP direction of business of the company is shifted to foreign markets?
Rinat Khabibulin:No. The Russian market of systems remains for us priority, practice of implementation and maintenance of ERP systems in our company is more than 25 has some. Microsoft Dynamics AX for today — only one of ERP systems in which we are engaged.
It is how difficult Microsoft Dynamics AX accompanied, development? Whether she is friendly in relation to those who support her, cares for its working capacity and efficiency?
Rinat Khabibulin:Technological effectiveness — one of serious pluses of the platform. Development on its basis it is rather easy for Vestie. The development environment and great opportunities for a system are pleasant to specialists, including beginners. We made sure of it on the experience more than once. Here it would be desirable to note that, in addition to support and development, we render services in training in development in AX. Also had an opportunity to be convinced that for a short period developers of the customer can already implement 70% of necessary modifications. A system is very friendly both to administrators, and to developers.
What most important factors making Microsoft Dynamics AX justified the choice for benefit of outsourcing?
Rinat Khabibulin:The first factor — absence of own specialists in internal IT service of the customer. The second important point — the small volume of tasks insufficient for loading of own specialists. And the third — impossibility to cope by own efforts with performance of work in time. The fourth factor is correlated with the second — cost efficiency of outsourcing. And the fifth factor for benefit of outsourcing — wide experience, knowledge the practician the specialized company. In most cases own command is not capable to reach necessary solutions just owing to lack of this experience. We can offer the customer the experience tested in other projects.
What rules should follow to the enterprise to avoid errors at a stage of the choice of the partner?
Rinat Khabibulin:First of all, it is necessary to look at a customer feedback of the expected partner how many years work the company at this market as far as it is stable. An important indicator — the number of consultants in the company, and not just developers. And those who participated in projects on implementation and not just accompanied — at a stage of implementation the main experience is gathered. Presence at integrator of experience of projects implementation in that industry where the customer, too an important factor works.
Change of the outsourcing partner in case of the wrong choice is how painful?
Rinat Khabibulin:Change of the partner can be painful if the former partner did not document completion of a system. Also there can be serious difficulties — if the contractor followed the tastes of the customer, did everything that that will want in respect of completions of a system, without filtering requests in terms of the analysis of their real need, a possibility of their architectural implementation. Similar uncontrollable completions it is possible to disorganize any system. The new provider should remake, returning the correct operation mode whereas users already got used to incorrect implementation.
The first factor is connected with lack of performing discipline at the contractor?
Rinat Khabibulin:Not only and not just — the customer himself often does not want to pay money for accomplishment of extra work on documentation of changes. Therefore, in terms of risk minimization, it is important to include this option in the agreement.
Whether the combination of two options of maintenance — outsourcing and support by own efforts is possible? In what type?
Rinat Khabibulin:Yes, it is possible, and in our project portfolio there are such cases when the first support line is performed by the customer's specialists, and we are connected already on the second and third lines. As for accomplishment of modifications of a system, respectively, the customer can undertake simple completions and transfer difficult things for which accomplishment specialists do not have enough qualification to outsourcing. Here the most important — to regulate work in terms of interaction of support lines and rules of joint development.
Whether a system has some narrow, dangerous places where the specialist of the customer should poke only very well having thought where even the slightest error can become critical for work of all system?
Rinat Khabibulin:Practically in each business process and system module it is possible to make such mistake which will ruin operation of this module. But — the mechanism of summary planning penetrating all system starting with the sales plan and finishing one of the most difficult in a system with the production plan and the purchase plan. Here it is rather simple to make a mistake, and it will affect work of all system.
How many specialists work in ICL Services company at the direction of implementation, support of Microsoft Dynamics AX?
Rinat Khabibulin:More than 40 specialists, 80% have certificates of Microsoft in logistics, production, finance, development and administration.
How many projects according to Microsoft Dynamics AX in a portfolio of the company — implementations, maintenances?
Rinat Khabibulin:In our portfolio — more than 20 projects on implementation and support of Dynamics AX and also more than 50 projects on ERP.
What project from starting this year would you like to select especially?
Rinat Khabibulin:From recently starting in our portfolio there is a large project on implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 at one engineering enterprise. Practically all main system modules — service of the normative reference information, planning of productive activity, production management, purchases, sales, a warehouse, calculation of cost value, a MRO, quality management, integration with the systems of the customer will be implemented there.
Plans for the direction for Microsoft Dynamics AX this year and the near-term outlook?
Rinat Khabibulin:We actively work on the existing projects and we plan new, on support of Dynamics AX both on Russian, and in foreign markets.
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