| Microsoft Great Plains/Dynamics GP outsourcing | | | | hosted in USA, but with the current technological |
| options for mid-size and large companies. | | | | advances in VOIP and IP telephony — |
| Microsoft Business Solutions, for its Axapta | | | | incoming calls might be reasonably easily |
| — Dynamics AX product line, introduced | | | | redirected to the offshore or nearshore location |
| version upgrade (including customization) option | | | | as needed. |
| through 10 strategic partners, located offshore in | | | | - Remote Support Technologies. Remote |
| India and China | | | | teleconferencing is supplemented with |
| At this point of time, Axapta is targeting larger | | | | Websessioning: gotomeeting.com, remote desktop |
| clients in general, where GP with its broad legacy | | | | connections, VPN technologies to name a few. |
| customer base in US, Canada, Australia, New | | | | You should also be ready to adopt such cost |
| Zealand, UK, Middle East, South Africa and Latin | | | | efficient worldwide calling solutions as skype to |
| America is usually associated with mid-market or | | | | make your life as IT manager easier. |
| smaller corporate clients (however there are | | | | - Great Plains Technologies. Microsoft Dexterity or |
| multiple cases where large accounts implemented | | | | former name for the GP shell is Great Plains |
| GP successfully Worldwide, integrating it with local | | | | Dexterity — being architectured more then |
| ERPs in the countries, where GP is not supported | | | | 10 years ago — still has very good options |
| or not localized). Following globalization tendency, | | | | to be supported remotely: Dexterity chunks, |
| Microsoft Great Plains partners have to outsource | | | | DYNAMICS.DIC with customization code to enable |
| their call centers to India, however Philippines is | | | | customization upgrade, etc. Latest trend to enable |
| probably also very good option, considering the | | | | MS Office and Sharepoint integration is also the |
| historical fact of MatchData Project accounting | | | | opportunity to entrust your customization, |
| acquisition by Great Plains Software and turning it | | | | integration and reporting needs to the partner, |
| into its subdivision in late 1990th, prior to being in | | | | deploying offshore developers |
| turn acquired by Microsoft. Let’s look at | | | | - US Partner with Offshore development facility. |
| the options and challenges for you, potential | | | | This is in our opinion the optimal scenario, which |
| customer and your MBS servicing partner | | | | gives your centralized call center benefits and |
| - Centralized Call Center. Yes, this is what is | | | | secures local face-to-face high level functional |
| usually meant, when MBS partner has to switch | | | | consultants visits. |
| away from group-of-consultants-cowboys type of | | | | - Step-by-step. When we are talking about |
| model to CRM driven servicing organization. | | | | outsourcing switching and innovation — we |
| Imagine — you can call your MBS partner | | | | should be reasonably conservative. Customers |
| anytime, when you have an urgent or regular | | | | should not be shocked by sudden change |
| issue and always get somebody technically and | | | | — it should be step-by-step. Try to think |
| functionally trained and experienced on the phone | | | | about the fact that Microsoft itself is using |
| the same minute, who can pull your records and | | | | outsourcing technology and kind of in the process |
| begin serve you right away. Such a call center | | | | of beginning to recommend it to its customers. |
| might not always be economically feasible to be | | | | |