How to develop a concept for changing the IP platform? Instructions for use

In the mid-2000s, when choosing an IP platform, most food manufacturers settled on 1C soft starter. And over the past 10-15 years, they built and, one might say, “rooted in it” (whether it be a pure 1C soft-starter or an industry solution based on it). Someone tried to actively develop everything in one information base, someone to separate the functional units into different databases. But, whatever one may say, the soft starter has been and remains the central element of the built system, because consolidates all the transactions of the financial and economic activities of the enterprise .



And nothing foreshadowed the troubles, until several years ago the market began to systematically appear information that support for AMR will soon come to an end. Of course, everyone began to interpret this information and determine the scale of the disaster in different ways. However, the majority of 1C: SCP users formed a “suitcase mood” and the market began to move in search of a new solution.







Question: what to switch to? Standard answer: of course on 1C: ERP . But here you need to understand that when companies began to develop their system based on SCP, the scale, speed of development and the degree of business automation were completely different, and the level of IT staff was practically nonexistent. Once automation of accounting seemed to everyone enough. Now IP has become a truly important element in supporting business processes, and people who are responsible for IT professionally have appeared in business. And they realize that an IT system is not just a program that can be exchanged from one to another (such as a mobile phone by rearranging a SIM card) and solve all their problems with this. The change of platform is from a completely different opera.



Moreover, even a competent IT specialist does not always know how to switch from platform A to platform B. Especially if only “A” is known (and even then not always :)), despite the fact that the target state “B” is still in fog.



This is where the need arises for developing a concept for the development of IP.



Based on the experience of performing such work, we have developed for ourselves the technology for performing this task. And as part of this material, we want to share this technology with you.

What does the “Concept of IP Development" consist of?

Sequence of steps

1. Organizational structure

IP supports the activities of units within the company (each individually and the interaction between them). Accordingly, before we understand what kind of IP should be, we must find out what functions a business has and which of them should be automated. The answer to this question is given by the organizational structure of the company. However, not in all companies the structure that is on paper corresponds to the real state of things. That is why it is not about taking the existing document as a basis, but about determining the level of its relevance at the moment. And if there are discrepancies, form a new one.



2. Formation of a set of IT tasks corresponding to each function of the business.



Each of the business functions has a need for specific IT tasks. Some of these tasks can already be solved, some not. For each task, it is necessary to assess how much the implementation meets the current needs of the business. And if it does not match, then what are the development targets we have.



In this case, one must rely on the needs of users who directly work with this IP on the one hand, and industry experts on the other. Reconciliation with industry practice will allow you to cover white spots that functionaries cannot see and filter out unnecessary fantasies of the same functionaries.



3. The choice of software products for solving the formed set of tasks



No software product can solve all the problems. And even if we choose 1C: ERP beautifully staffed by marketers, then we should be prepared for the fact that, with all its versatility, we take it only as a tool for solving a set of IT tasks from the list obtained at the 2nd stage. And to solve the full list of tasks, we must either use additional software products, or develop the necessary functionality inside 1C: ERP, which can greatly increase the time and cost of the project.



Note:



Here, albeit in passing, I would like to raise the question: one base or several. For our part, we do not support the paradigm of one information base. In practice, it is much more convenient to operate and support a system in which a set of business tasks is divided into several information databases. Of course, this opinion is subjective.



At this step, we must analyze the market and determine in which existing software products which tasks can be best solved. Thus, the architecture of IT solutions is built, which should appear in the end.

"Subtotal" 1

We have just stepped over the equator and now we know not only “ what we are leaving from ” but also “ what should be the result ” of the IP platform change.



We defined:

• what information bases do we need
• what products will they be created on
• what tasks in what bases will be solved
• what information will these databases exchange among themselves

Note: if the current landscape is already represented not by one but by several information bases, this suggests that, most likely, not all will be replaced. Some decisions may well remain in the initial state if they perform the functions assigned to them in a quality manner. This simplifies the transition process and once again emphasizes the usefulness of the concept of modularity.



4. Division of tasks into a set of projects



Practice shows that in the framework of developing a concept for a medium / large food enterprise, we have from 50 to 100 IT tasks that must be solved. In one sitting, so many tasks cannot be solved. The concept is being developed for the horizon of 3-4 years. Therefore, we divide these tasks into a set of projects. According to experience, to transition to the target state, 100 tasks can be arranged in 10-20 projects.



It is assumed that after each project the system will be in a certain intermediate steady state .



5. Construction of a schedule for the implementation of projects by milestones and the formation of the project budget



For each project, it is necessary to evaluate:

• resource intensity
• priority (based on business needs)
• project interdependence (some projects simply cannot be done earlier than others based on technological dependence)
• assessment of the cost of attracting project performers

Subtotal 2

Now we know not only “ what it is, point B ”, but also how to get into it and how much time and money it will take to go . It should be understood that we can get adequate answers to these questions only by going through all the steps in the above sequence, and not rushing to conclusions. Predicted indicators, which, of course, no one will forbid you to do at any stage, will remain forecasts, since they will have no justification. If, for example, you calculate the cost in the second step, not knowing which platforms the systems will be implemented on, the final cost will be very different from the one you hoped for.



6. Determining the amount of required IT resources



With a low level of automation, the presence of a system administrator + a maximum of one 1C nickname is sufficient for an enterprise. However, as soon as the company embarks on the path of digital business transformation and makes the IT system an important element in efficiency and competition, you will see an ever-green field of IT support tasks. Automation saves you from having to put up with the mistakes of unskilled personnel, but immediately there is a need to support the system in the target state . Therefore, here we determine the structure and amount of IT resources necessary for this. The company must have some of these resources inside, some can be outsourced.

Summarize

As part of the article, we talked about the technology that our company adheres to. Following our plan, you can develop the concept yourself. However, our subjective opinion is that concept development is a craft , not a 100% standardized work . And if you want the new platform, at least, to work no worse than the previous one, and preferably increase profit, you just need the participation of people with experience in developing such concepts. This allows you to look at the situation broadly enough to take into account all factors of the business (the current level of management, the attitude of management and personnel to IT technologies, the stage of development of IT systems, the company's readiness for changes). And on the basis of this, develop a concept that fully takes into account and is able to cover the needs of your enterprise.