In Sky Link more than 1000 users of the ERP system of MS Dynamics AX

Long time Sky Link Group kept account in the separate systems that interfered with receiving a uniform information picture and complicated business. By the end of the first decade of the 21st century the need for the modern ERP capable to solve problems of increase in transparency of the company, managements of financial and material resources finally ripened. Due to implementation of the best business the practician the management Sky Link was going to optimize business processes. The possibility of decrease in labor input of closing of reporting periods was the important requirement. Besides, due to creation of the unified information system of the enterprise managers wanted to exclude inconsistency of information, to minimize influence of "a human factor", to avoid errors and double entry of information.

For effective management of the enterprise and increase in transparency of activity of regional branches, the company management Sky Link in 2008 makes the decision on implementation of a uniform corporate information system of management.

Choosing a Solution

A choice for benefit of the solution on the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform is made as a result of the careful analysis of several domestic and western ERP systems.

Based on the tender the management Sky Link preferred AND Project company (since 2013 to Tops Consulting) the contractor of the project. The ERP solution Sky Link is created in 2009, a system passed test, trial operation and is replicated in branches of Sky Link company.

For project implementation of implementation of an information system by our company the tender which winner was a TOPS Consulting company was announced (before AND Project). The crucial role in the choice was played that this consulting company had a ready-made solution on filial accounting based on Microsoft Dynamics AX. By the way, it very much was pleasant at once to the chief accountant, and during operation of a system the first bright impression did not fade at all.

Implementation

During a system implementation project based on Microsoft Dynamics AX there was an automated management of fixed assets, treasury and also accounting and tax accounting. In the company filial accounting was implemented: two legal entities and 18 branches. An ERP system was integrated with the client bank, a system of accounting of the personnel and payroll and also with the program of accounting of retail sales based on 1C.

The project team from our party consisted only of the head and key users. Therefore the main volume of work at that time laid down on the staff of TOPS Consulting.

On February 11, 2013 the company integrator announced the final of the project of deployment and the subsequent solution integration in business structure of the customer.

The solution helped to improve a system of accounting of settlings with buyers, suppliers and partners Sky Link. Centralized and transparent for the telecom operator became in a new system expanded accounting of agreements: routes of their movement and a statement are strictly regulated and registered; execution, accounting of conditions and payment due dates on agreements are controlled on all branches of the company in a single system.

In a new system Sky Link processes of management of requests for payment, their approval and routing, are optimized. Functionality of a system allows to create the payment schedule and magazines of the bank statement, to plan and manage flexibly cash flows of the company.

Training of specialists

Key user training became an important part of an implementation project of the ERP system. In the beginning it was internal: within a week in Moscow practical lessons were. In addition to classroom occupations, distance learning online took place. For pupils necessary demo videos and also detailed instructions in which special attention was paid to accomplishment of different transactions and the choice of values in a system were prepared.

Approach at which users in learning process were given the chance actively to work in a system, to plunge into it was the most productive. Having tested all systems capabilities in the test mode, further it was simple to our employees to work with it and to be guided in its functionality at a productive stage.

The key users who underwent the centralized training acted as Competence Centers in the divisions, successfully imparting knowledge to colleagues and resolving many functional issues independently

Multistage support

Since October, 2009 the solution for Sky Link company is followed and develops Technical support service of AND Project.

From the very beginning of trial operation of a system special attention of the organization was paid to ensuring efficiency technical support. The first support line was made by support department of users which resolves access issues (adding of users, setup of the rights), advises users on the basic principles of work in a system, collects data and correctly routes addresses. The staff of department of corporate systems of management and administrators of servers participate in the second line. They are engaged in analysis of errors and give functional consultations.

According to more than four years' experience Sky Link, the most frequent types of addresses are connected with consultation on use of functionality and also with error correction, questions of an institution of the user and setup of the rights.

The third level of support is provided to TOPS Consulting.

Among advantages of external support I will note a possibility of obtaining a large number of resources, exclusive competence of specialists, a possibility of departure of experts into place, their interchangeability.

In the course of successful maintenance of a system based on Microsoft Dynamics AX it is impossible to revaluate a role of vendor. According to the service plan of Microsoft, Sky Link timely receives service packs and corrections, our users undergo additional training. Also Microsoft provides access to the website CustomerSource and the knowledge base, grants us an investment loan on transition.

Support of Microsoft guarantees receiving legislative changes. As an example – updating according to Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1137 of 12/26/2011 "About forms and rules of filling (maintaining) of the documents applied when calculating for a value added tax".

Development

Any system should not remain a static complex. It is necessary to introduce amendments in ERP, to finish it proceeding from the changing requirements. After the date of transmission of the solution in commercial operation the support group Sky Link jointly with specialists of TOPS Consulting implemented several large tasks of development of functionality.

So, regarding development of budgeting new structures of the budget, communication with the CFD, techniques of check of compliance to the budget are created by an accumulative result. In addition, approval routes are constructed, structures of stages, conditions of selection of templates, actions at stages changed, the designer of routes is added. The possibility of formation of managerial reports is also implemented.

ERP system grows together with the company. The number of participants of the Sky Link Group at a stage of implementation grew from two to eleven, for June, 2013 they are provided by 25 regions of Russia – from Khabarovsk to Kaliningrad. In five companies accounting and tax accounting is kept, other six use accounting systems and approvals of agreements according to uniform procedures in the companies.

For June, 2013 the number of users of a system is already more than 1000, of them about 700 active.