Agresso Implementation Methodology

The Agresso Implementation Methodology (AIM), much like our architecture, is unique in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) industry.

It is specifically designed for the needs of fast-paced organisations that experience ongoing change.

The ultimate goal of an Agresso implementation is two-fold:

- Go live on time and on budget with an ERP system that fulfills all customer requirements.

- Pass on to customers the ability to modify their system on an ongoing basis.

Most vendors aim to deliver the first goal, but the second goal is rarely on the table.

Many organisations are unaware it is even an option.

But it is the cornerstone of the Agresso advantage.

Only Agresso fully engages customers so they can enjoy a complete mastery and ownership of their system... right down to the ability to independently add new features.

The Power of AIM and Knowledge Transfer

Managing Change from Day One

For dynamic organitions facing ongoing change, evolving requirements are inevitable and rigid waterfall methods often yield solutions that have lost their relevance by the time of go-live.

Throughout the course of implementation, we guide and train our customers to assume ever increasing Agresso expertise, through our process of knowledge transfer.

AIM is an organic process allowing for adjustments as circumstances change and requirements evolve during implementation. Because Agresso is designed for organisations facing constant change, the implementation process must also be agile.

Tested and Proven

AIM is agile and receptive to change, yet still a robust, rigorous process with all the gateway reviews and controls in place to keep projects on track. Agresso has used AIM with over 2,900 customers, involving over 10,000 deployments, and serving 1.5 million users worldwide.

Reduced Project Risk

The more customers know about their system, the less likely they will fall prey to miscommunication and misunderstanding, problems that infamously plague ERP implementations. The close collaboration between the Agresso team and the customer means problems are more easily identified and solved before impacting project timelines and budgets.

The table below shows some of the significant advantages the Agresso implementation process offers over its competitors' processes:

Implementation Phase	Agresso AIM	Typical Rigid ERP Methodologies
Solution Definition	Customer begins education on Agresso and actively participates in the definition of the Agresso solution. Customers assume leadership for the project activities.	Vendor consultants document the intended build or configuration of their products based on functional/modular definition of business process. Customers lack the product knowledge to participate in definition.
Super User Training	Occurs early and reinforces the knowledge and experience being acquired by the customer team	Usually at a later stage, often just before the user acceptance testing
Build/Configure	Natural ‘discovery’ of requirements is allowed for. Less likelihood of costly re-work after testing	Great emphasis on collecting and documenting detailed requirements Difficult to change direction if necessary.
Integrated System Test	Customer’s deep understanding of both business processes and Agresso allows for more rigorous testing. Level of issues identified and the number of iterations are reduced.	Customer not integral in build process and lacks the necessary system expertise to contribute to testing process. Higher level issues appear requiring more iteration - schedules start to slip.
Go Live	Customer super users perform go live after User Acceptance Testing, with full support from Agresso consultants. No surprises and low stress. The customer already knows how it will go.	Vendor consultants perform go live after User Acceptance Testing. Typically a high-stress event as undocumented gaps between customer and vendor knowledge can appear.

Anxiety-Free Go Lives

Agresso go lives lack the typical panic associated with other ERP systems. By the end of the process, Agresso customers are fully versed in every aspect of their system and have received the training and guidance necessary to run the go live themselves with the full support of Agresso professionals. No surprises, no crises... go live is just another day.