Research of an AID Project
Project Net Suite Implementation in Quicken Inc
The project, which has been identified for analysis in this report, is that of the accounting information system of Net Suite, which has been implemented in Quicken Inc in late February of 2017. The company Quicken Inc is basically a personal finance management tool provider. It was formerly part of the company Intuit, Inc who is the owner of the Quick book software. The company Intuit, Inc announced its plans for the divestiture of the Quicken division in March of 2016(Silver, 2018).
Net Suite is an accounting and ERP application which efficiently supports the office back operations. The software is composed of comprehensive business applications shown as an all-inclusive suite that has all parts of the enterprise resource planning. The software application is used for the management of the activities of time and billing, inventory, payroll, web presence, financials, order fulfillment, and purchasing. The software is used widely as it is an integrated online business application which has all the combinations regarding ERP, CRM and web commerce. Its comprehensive nature and the never-ending room for customization as per the various needs of the clients belonging to different industries like manufacturing, e-commerce, banking, advertising, real-estate, agriculture and non-profit, makes it the perfect choice. There are many types of suites of Net Suite available for use; however, the one being used in this project is the NetSuite One World, which does not create any hindrances when it comes to increasing business revenue from various countries. It provides adjustments for various taxation policies, legal compliances, and currencies on the country-to-country basis (Outsource2india.com, 2018).
Purpose of the Project
Net suite project helped Quicken in maintaining its stride through its divestiture process. While Quicken Inc was going through the divestiture, it needed to have minimum disruptions throughout this time. The purpose of the project was to look for a new technology foundation which would enable it to grow and also evolve through the constant changes in the technology industry and help provide the financial software it had been providing for last 30 years. The company only had six-month period of transition from its one-premise parent company system to NetSuite (NetSuite, 2016). The main aim of the project was to have a technology solution which can be compatible, accessible, and implementable in a globally operating company and to help the executives of the company understand the whole and complete business picture easily and quickly through the use of NetSuite. The company learned about the different ERP systems from QuickBooks Online to SAP needed something which was not too complex yet not too simple. Quicken Inc needed an information system which was both powerful and flexible but was easy to use (NetSuite, 2016).
Problems it May Have or is Likely to Have Encountered
The problems that may have or is likely to have been encountered by the staff at Quicken Inc using NetSuite can include the following.
- The consolidating invoicing offered by NetSuite does not cause problems generally when multiple infrequent invoices to the same client are to be generated. However, the multiple invoices generated in one month to the same client are catered by Suite Solution, which is not much slicker.
- The Suite Solution also offers fixed asset management, which is not the core part of NetSuite and hence has some inconsistencies as compared to the rest of the system and offers some weaker reporting and performance measures.
- Another area which might have been a challenge is that training for the multiple user levels is required for operating it.
- Another major problem which has been reported many times by its users and could have been a challenge for Quicken Inc as well would be that setting it up is a time-consuming and lengthy process. It requires months, and also need a certified partner to be hired for the ability to make it work.
- The User Experience of the software is a bit complex as compared to other software which can be confusing. The availability of so many options can make anyone lose.
- Another major problem which has been a problem with NetSuite is that it is quite expensive. While other similar software charges one-time fees of $10,000 to $50,000, NetSuite charges $10,000 to $1000, 000 per year depending on the client requirements. The nature of the on-going charges makes it expensive.
- Other than the annual price tag, the integration, upgrade implementation, enhancements, and customization is separately charged with daunting prices.
- People have reported internal connectivity and unexpected downtime issues which can be significant and extremely disruptive for any business operation (TrustRadius.com, 2018).
Project Status
The current status of this project is that it has been completed. The divestiture of Quicken Inc from Intuit Inc happened in March 2016. After that by the November of 2017, the company had implemented the information system and reported it as functional and operational. The project of NetSuite hence was completed by November 2017.
Understanding the AIS Project
My Position for Success of the Project
Quicken Inc, which is a California based company, considered NetSuite for switching from QuickBooks Online during their split from the parent company Intuit Inc. The executives of the company had only six months to create a plan that would provide authentication for success in the future for the organization. The decision to switch to NetSuite One World was considered surprising to some. However, it is true that it proved to be the right long-term solution because of the top-notch functionality of NetSuite.
It was a surprising decision because the former parent of the company, Intuit, Inc created QuickBooks software as the integrated, comprehensive accounting solution. The company Quicken it was the forerunner of the same system. Therefore, the decision to go for NetSuite sure caused surprise. Having such little time to transition, the company faced concerns over integration, and it was the prime factor for decision making for NetSuite. With the easy integration and formidable functionality of NetSuite, the project can be considered an immense success.
The integration of the information system with Bill.com and its top-class functionality made this success possible. The streamlining of the system with cloud-based systems aiding in the complicated Quicken processes helped in everyday operations like that of revenue recognition in which the selling of both SaaS solutions and traditional licenses are recognized. The user-specific dashboards and room for customization helped Quicken in providing each user with the key info that is needed to be done to do their job. It helped the company by giving insights of the various aspects of the business to its executives. Therefore, from my point of view, this project has been quite successful. There could have been some problems in its operations, implementation and its high annual costs, however, the companies never grow out of its benefits, and it is worth it(Velosio, 2017).
Things I Would Have Done Differently
The implementation of an accounting information system is a big step which can also be a rewarding one as the benefits of the system can outweigh the costs. Still, it is better to remove all the downsides as much as possible. As I do not have access to the implementation data of NetSuite in Quicken, I depend on another company implementation of NetSuite experience. For the implementation of NetSuite, which is a complex system, it would have been better to consider some aspects differently. These include
1-Overseeing of the Implementation Team:
NetSuite Implementation needed Quicken Inc to work with the external consultant team for the implementation of the system. The consultant team had to set up the modules in a way which would work for Quicken. For this reason, interviews were conducted to learn how systems work in Quicken and what is needed from the system. The plan was then presented on the implementation in each area, and then programming was done. The last step was the training of the end-users.
Even though throughout the implementation phase, the teams were involved, and the communication was good enough, it has been difficult to verify if the programming is being done as per the requirements. The final product could not be seen until the very end, which does not leave much time for serious modifications.
2-The expectation for More Enhancements:
As a project manager, I would have realized and communicated with my team that more enhancements are expected, and consequently more payments would be made. Enhancements are required to make it more customized and personalized to the needs of Quicken. Companies usually change the scope of the project during the implementation phase; however, it can prolong the phase. It would be better if the original scope is kept intact and followed until the complete implantation to identify the areas which need enhancements.
3-Learning to know how the NetSuite system Works:
As a Project Manager, I would have preferred to assign someone, or I get the knowledge on the system database by getting the specific training to know how the system works. It not only provides the leverage of programming the system as per the requirements, but also realizes the potential benefits which can be gained through it(Ayuso, 2018).
Project Management Checklist
Even though the given checklist is a pretty comprehensive list, there can be further details added to the list as per the requirements of each project. For instance, the one preferred by me would be more detailed like this.
1-Kick Off Project:
It is a step in which the project idea is presented, evaluated and then confirmed. It is not necessary that each need or requirement is fulfilled through project management. This stage would make sure that the idea of the project has the necessary business case. In case the idea of the project is confirmed, then the outline of the charter is prepared to contain the scope, objective, and overview of the business case.
2-Project Planning:
I think this is an important step as it gives the strategic view of the project. The project charter, the stage plan, and the project management plans are documented and presented for approval. The project management plan contains a project plan, quality plan, risk plan, communication plan, procurement plan, control plan, and stakeholder plan. The checklists for project planning can be further developed. It would look like this,
- Inter-project dependencies
- Communications
- Training
- Orders
- Installation
- Quality
- Activity Lags and Overlaps
- Legal Proceedings
- Approvals and Inspections
- Staff capacity and availability
- Lead Times on Approval and Supply
3-Project Control
During the installation, and implantation stages, the evolution of the project and for controlling the deviations from the project charter and scope, project control stage are essential (Graham, 2018).
NetSuite Project:
The implementation of NetSuite followed the following steps:
- Exploratory Phase
- Evaluation of alternatives
- Selection
- Negotiation
- Detailed Action Plan
- Communication Plan
- Implementation at Starter Level
- The transition from Older System
- Refinement and Enhancement of the System
Even though the checklist differs, it is presumably similar in general. The main aim of the project is to make it successful, which was achieved through the help of NetSuite and Quicken Inc.
References:
Ayuso, P. (2018, May 21). What Happened During Our Year Implementing NetSuite. Retrieved from https://medium.com/swlh/what-happened-during-our-year-implementing-netsuite-cb4a29f7869b
Graham, N. (2018). Project Management Checklists For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.dummies.com/careers/project-management/project-management-checklists-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
NetSuite. (2016). NetSuite Helps Quicken Maintain Its Stride Through Divestiture. Retrieved from http://www.netsuite.com/portal/customer-testimonials/quicken-software.shtml
Outsource2india.com. (2018). Outsource Netsuite Accounting Services. Retrieved from https://www.outsource2india.com/financial/articles/netsuite-accounting-software.asp
Silver, S. (2018). 13 things you need to know about NetSuite. Retrieved from https://www.andersonfrank.com/netsuite-blog/netsuite-news-february-2017/
TrustRadius.com. (2018). NetSuite Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.trustradius.com/products/netsuite/reviews
Velosio. (2017, March 23). Why Quicken Chose NetSuite Over QuickBooks. Retrieved from https://erpsoftwareblog.com/cloud/2017/03/quicken-chose-netsuite-quickbooks/
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