Planning

Any new system that you implement in your business will mean a change from how you do things today.   It is human nature to resist change because of the uncertainty of what the change will mean.   NumberCruncher is absolutely certain that through proper implementation planning and training, All Orders will make your business more efficient and provide the information critical to your success.     Although All Orders is easy to use,  it does require implementation and training!   If you have staff or consultants that are proficient in inventory management and information technology,  you will be able to implement All Orders with little assistance from NumberCruncher.    NumberCruncher also can provide your company with implementation and training services remotely or at your premises upon request.

As a rule of thumb, you should budget 1.5 X the software cost for implementation and training.    In other words if the software costs $3000, you should budget an additional $4500 for implementation and training, which is either your own staff spending time to set up All Orders or using NumberCruncher professional services.

The following are some tips for successful implementation of All Orders:

1. Ensure that All Orders is right for your company.    NumberCruncher provides a NO RISK, NO PAYMENT, FREE trial for 30 days (we can also extend your trial for 2 weeks upon request).   Once we issue a license key, there are no refunds so please make use of your trial period.

2. Assign at least one member in your company that will be the All Orders champion.

3. Document or flow chart the CURRENT processes in your company.    At a minimum you should document the following:

   • Order entry

   • Pick, pack and ship

   • Purchasing

   • Receiving

   • Production

   • Warehouse management

   • Accounting

4. Your documentation should include

   • What information needs to be collected at each step

   • Who will be collecting the information

   • What forms and reports will be required

5. Determine the functionality, screens and reports in All Orders and match those to your company's processes.

6. Create your own 'Procedures Manual' documenting your company's processes along with how they are achieved using All Orders.    This Procedures Manual will also serve as an internal training guide so new staff members can learn the system quickly.

7. Prepare your information.

8. Set up a testing environment with real data.  Include all your items, customers and vendors so you can see how All Orders will function with a full load.   Run through multiple sales, purchasing,  production and warehouse cycles under different scenarios.  Customize your reports and forms.  

9. Introduce you staff to All Orders during the testing phase,  this will alleviate some of the anxiety about going to a new system.    Schedule a number of hand on training sessions using your procedures manual.

10. Pick a cutoff date.  This is the date that you will be going live.  Do not go live during your 'busy season', even with the best planning there will be some unforeseen issues.   If NumberCruncher is assisting you in implementation, please inform us on your cutoff date at least one week in advance.

11. Prepare your go live environment.    Upon request NumberCruncher can assist you in transferring your test data to the live data.  

12. Go live.

13. Run All Orders in parallel with your existing system for at least one week.  Again, even with the  best planning there will be some unforeseen issues.