On the surface, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) appear to be very different professional services firms. The former is the preeminent accreditation organization for veterinarians in the United States, while the latter specializes in creating educational materials for risk management and insurance. They did have a common problem—they were anchored to legacy, on-site ERP systems that were keeping them from fully maximizing their potential, and their employees and customers were both paying the price for it. Both businesses separately turned to the ERP experts at Enavate to facilitate a transition to the modern, cloud-based platform Dynamics 365 Business Central, and both saw immediate benefits.
Read the full AAHA story
Read the full IRMI story
Similar Challenges
Despite their different business setups, workflows, needs and goals, both IRMI and AAHA faced similar challenges, which led them to turn to Enavate. Both businesses were struggling with the costs and difficulty of upkeep for their existing on-premises solutions. These costs were not merely financial, but also in quality of life for employees- logging into systems and processing requests both took unreasonably long amounts of time, and the constant need for physical upkeep diverted employees away from other, more critical tasks.
Both organizations also reported issues with shifting infrastructure- some areas of the business having already migrated to the cloud, creating imbalances and gaps that needed to be bridged by users. In an effort to increase system fluidity, a cloud-based upgrade was required.
The AAHA had an additional, unique challenge: their system was being sunset by Microsoft, meaning they would either have to move to a new solution or face the uphill battle of running a business without technical support and ongoing updates for their software. This was not a tenable position.
IRMI, on the other hand, realized that the cost and difficulty of upgrading their existing system was not worth the effort, even though it was not yet being discontinued, so they elected to migrate to a more modern solution.
Making The Switch
Both organizations reported an efficient migration and implementation process overseen by Enavate’s experts. Both utilized Enavate’s customized training offerings to increase their chances of an error-free implementation. Enavate’s staff also ensured that data migration went smoothly, in IRMI’s case using the Microsoft-endorsed migration tool to bring their data over. Working with a dedicated project manager ensured streamlined and clear communication, setting the tone for an effective implementation, which led to a smooth go-live. Through careful planning and direct collaboration, both businesses were able to avoid costly downtime, always a potential pitfall during an ERP switch.
IRMI found BC was going to be more different from their current platform than they initially expected and leaned on the experts to ensure their users were adequately prepared for the migration. Enavate developed custom training for IRMI based on the company’s unique processes and demands, which IRMI used to acclimate their employees to the new system, and kept the video of these trainings for future employees. Once the implementation was ready, IRMI paused for a month before going live to ensure their users were all ready for the new platform. An unintended benefit of this pause was a mountain of documentation that IRMI retained for future training use, as well as to transition existing employees into new roles or responsibilities in the new system.
Real World Returns
The positive effects of upgrading to a modern ERP were nearly immediate. Both organizations saw a marked increase in system agility, as would be expected from a modern solution. Both companies indicated they were better prepared to support a mobile workforce because of BC’s ability to be accessed anywhere, from any internet connected device. This has been a critical improvement for IRMI, who are in-office one day out of the week, allowing users more flexibility in how and where they do their jobs.
Both businesses also reported an increase in the speed of system processing across the board. AAHA immediately saw a significant improvement in processing time for checks thanks to BC’s ability to store an authorized signature in the system and have it printed directly on checks—no manual signing required. Data import time has also drastically reduced since the transition, one of the many efficiencies inherent in a modern, agile ERP platform.
Another benefit called out by both organizations was the improved reporting, visualization, and data analysis capabilities of BC. IRMI singled out the ability to run reports from real-time data quickly, without a user having to manually parse the data to put the report together, as both an incredible time saver as well as a vital tool for making informed, timely decisions. These reports, like all the data in their system, were available to all users who needed them, thanks to the increased data visibility inherent in BC. This connectivity was a key improvement for IRMI, who had found themselves hamstrung by inefficient “information siloing” in their previous system.
IRMI also pointed to the ability of BC to automatically upgrade as a big, if unexpected, positive. With IT staff no longer tasked with implementing upgrades on servers, they could shift focus to other value-add projects. They also noted the improved business continuity of the automatic upgrade process, as the updates are implemented in with no system downtime or business interruption.
The Right Choice
Both businesses reported being thrilled with their decision to partner with Enavate to upgrade their platforms. They cited the availability and responsiveness of Enavate as vital, noting that their issues and requests always felt like a priority thanks to the hands-on, direct interaction they had with their project managers. Both also noted that the support from Enavate continued even after their launch, solidifying the relationship.
While sweeping, company-wide changes always present challenges, both IRMI and AAHA report confidence that they made the right decision in switching to the modern, cloud-based solution Dynamics 365 Business Central. Both businesses report improvements in vital areas across multiple business spheres, better system response time across the board, and dramatic savings in system upkeep. This has made a decisive impact both in the quality of day-to-day operations as well as in the bottom line for both businesses.
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