Preparing for growth with Microsoft Dynamics AX
Seeing an opportunity for corporate growth, TimberWest Forest Corporation wanted to replace its aging financial management system with a more solid platform.
TimberWest selected Microsoft Dynamics for its scalability, time to value, and ability to handle multiple corporate entities and currencies. The portfolio of intelligent business applications enables business processes automation as TimberWest grows.
Business Needs
As Western Canada’s largest timber management company, TimberWest needed to replace its aging financial management system to set the stage for growth.
The company conducted a review of possible replacements for their existing system. Criteria for the replacement systems included the scalability to handle growth and multiple currencies, as well as the ability to deal with multiple entities. TimberWest resolved that Microsoft Dynamics AX would be the best system to meet the current and future requirements of the company.
“TimberWest chose NTT DATA because [of] their proven track record in managing Microsoft Dynamics AX projects. NTT DATA brought together a dedicated and knowledgeable team that we felt provided us with the best opportunity to complete the project successfully” stated Al Shirley, TimberWest IT Manager.
Microsoft Dynamics AX is a solution that provides enterprises a purpose-built foundation for resource planning. Its comprehensive capabilities include financial management, business intelligence and reporting, sales and marketing, procurement and sourcing, supply chain management, project management and accounting, human capital management, global risk and compliance, environmental sustainability and more.
Packaged in a single global solution that delivers rapid time to value, Microsoft Dynamics AX empowers teams to anticipate and embrace change so their businesses can thrive. This global nature of Microsoft Dynamics AX will enable the company to automate its future business processes, to avoid unnecessary complexity as the business grows. The joint NTT DATA/TimberWest project team implemented the following Dynamics AX modules: general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, bank management, organisational administration and system administration.
“The approach was to align TimberWest’s harmonised business processes with standard Microsoft Dynamics AX functionality so as to leverage existing, out-of-the-box functionality and minimise customisation. NTT DATA utilised the Microsoft Dynamics SureStep methodology for its AX project tools, template and guidelines as well as project and risk management,” stated the NTT DATA lead. “Our agile implementation approach, such as sprints and daily scrum meetings, further enhanced the effectiveness of our collaborative NTT DATA and TimberWest project team.”
Outcomes
- Prepares the company for rapid scaling
- Attracts investment through reduced risk
- Increases efficiency of a collaborative ERP
- Rapid time-to-value, avoiding the larger overhead of other ERPs
Solution
Benefits
With this solution, TimberWest has put itself into a situation where it will be able to accommodate any organisation changes as the company continues to grow. “Users are reporting that Microsoft Dynamics AX is far more intuitive and they are finding it much easier to navigate compared to our previous ERP solution” said Mr Shirley. “As a result of this user acceptance we expect to start seeing useful gains in user productivity.”
- Scalability: The company now has a solid ERP foundation upon which it can look to expand its business.
- Reduced risk: Having a modern ERP solution backed by one of the world’s most successful software companies provides a solid platform that will to continue to attract investment and new functionality thus reducing TimberWest’s corporate risk.
- Increased efficiency: Providing a system that is easier to navigate and more intuitive allows the company to realise gains in user productivity over time.
*This case study was originally written by Sierra Systems Group Inc., which has become NTT DATA Services as of 17th December 2018.
About TimberWest
TimberWest anticipated large-scale growth in the forestry sector, and upgraded its financial systems to Microsoft Dyanmics for stability and its capacity to harmonise with changing business practices.