3/2/2015 (T-7) Finally...Some Help!

3/2/2015 (T-7) Finally...Some Help!

I had been looking for some help with IT for about 8 months. I finally got approval about 2 months ago to hire someone. The first guy that we offered the job to, rejected the offer immediately and stated he wasn't interested. We had to start the interview process over again. We finally found someone that seems like he can do a great job, with some additional training. He was offered the job over two weeks ago and accepted right away. We had to wait for him to serve out his final two weeks at his current employment, before he could start with us. Today is the day he starts. Just in time as far as I am concerned. With all of these computers needing set up on the new system and 2 weeks of me trying to sit in all all of the new system's meetings, IT has been falling behind.

We didn't get started with training until 8:45 this morning. We started with AP. The training went fairly well since once of the ladies doing AP was in the PO training this past Friday.She created a few purchase orders while the lead consultant did some setups. The POs were receipted and training pursued on invoice posting. There was a breakout session which allowed the ladies to practicing posting invoices. It was pretty straight forward. One of the things that made the training fairly easy was the fact that the new system has what they call Workbenches. Most of the tasks are tabbed on the same screen. You can go from a Customer tab, to a 'GRN' (Goods Received Note (unvouchered receipts)) tab, to an invoice posting tab (or post an invoice from the GRN tab), and also a custom links tab (you can setup links in the same window to any other programs the user might need). It is a cool concept to make navigation a little easier.

After invoice posting, we went into AP Checks. Very typical processes for posting checks. There were a few concerns about the way checks were voided if they didn't print correctly. The users also wanted to see a running total of all checks they released for payment - without having to run a payment report or trial check run. The screen will be modified and programming done to add this functionality.

AR invoicing and payment posting training took about an hour and a half and ran through lunch. A few more requests for modifications to accommodate our current processes.  It seems that the lead consultant just can't say no. He might be losing sight of the fact that we are now less that 7 calendar days until go live.

We broke for about an hour to allow the lead consultant to get some more system setups and modifications completed for the next session. Nobody though it was important to let me know that they were resuming training. I got the new IT guy setup on his computer and walked him around to introduce him to some employees in the office. I went back to the conference room to see when they were going to start the next round of training. It had already begun.

Production supervisor training was underway. The new software has an easy interface to graphically show where a product is in the production process. It requires the supervisors to log in and update when production started for the 'Parent Job' as well as when it is completed. It color codes the milestone operation for the job (which is setup in a cross tab type screen) to allow a quick visual of the status of all of production, based on which production line you want to view.

We then went through time tracking in the system. Basically, how an employee logs into jobs to post labor. The user has to enter their employee number, production line, work center and the specific job they are working on. It is similar to the system we are currently using. We then reviewed the supervisor's responsibility to audit and approve their employee's times. One issue we have had with our current system is that the plant manager thought it took too much time for the supervisors to approve employee's times, since they were inaccurate logging into correct jobs and operations. Now, it seems that she has made it a priority to instill that discipline into employees. Not sure why it wasn't a priority before. It is funny how that works. She now expects the supervisors to have all time 100% accurate and the production line updated before the morning production meeting - every single day.

Somehow, we fit in 2 hours of training for HR to maintain employee records. We are switching to 'actual rates' for employees in the new system, rather than a standard rate (which we currently use). HR will be responsible for maintaining the employee wages in the new system, as well as the payroll system. Updating employee records by HR will just be an additional evil required to change the costing method for labor in the new system.

There was some friction  about some functionality that isn't readily available in the new system. There is need to have modifications/additions needed to add that functionality as soon as possible. The lead consultant is showing his exhaustion from working so many hours converting files, setting up the system and making modifications. He is growing a little irritated by criticism and further requests.

One rather large issue with the program is setting up tables for things like terms, reasons, codes...You can't maintain any of those tables from any of the normal user screens. You have to go into a table setup program, and hopefully know the name of the table you are wanting to set up. It is a little archaic, especially when you are new to the system.

I sent a report to the team last week to review current inventory costs and last cost paid (we are using average costing method currently and are switching to standard costs in the new system). There was a brief discussion about some initial analysis that was performed by the cost accountant (project manager for the new system). She is just recommending we transfer the average cost as the standard cost in the new system, even though she has complained that our current costs aren't accurate in our current system. Why would you transfer costs and value your inventory at a cost you don't think is accurate? I suggested using the 'last price paid', which should be as accurate as our current purchasing process.

The VPN still isn't working correctly. I sent out a nastygram to HQ's tech guy and our consulting company to get this fixed immediately. This was a concern for me from the beginning. It was dismissed by the plant manager and HQ VP as being a minor issue that would take an hour to get set up. I can't make any work arounds fix the fact that the VPN is down for any of the terminal users (at least not easily).

It seems that while 'costing out the system', some major details were left out. Since the software is sold by the seat, rather than using concurrent licensing, 1/3 of the users were overlooked during quoting and contract signing. The plant manager had years of experience working with this new system, and knows our processes and users well enough to know who would be using it. The lead consultant was an integral part of quoting the new system to us. How could more than 30% of the cost of licensing be overlooked? I was not involved in the system, or due diligence on costing would have certainly been performed. The only benefit of the licensing structure is that they allow 1 license per named user, and all of the shop floor computers will share 1 license (currently 17 computers). We have added all 7 of the engineers, two HR users, 8 production supervisors and managers and two other users that never used the old system. Although I am not privy to the cost of the system, I cannot imagine that is an inexpensive mistake. There were also 2 add on integration (3rd party) pieces of software that were not initially quoted. Those were purchased last week and installation is due this week (email, fax and barcode printing).

It is 10:30 pm now. I have to quit posting for the day to go and dump 4 more files the consultant sent me today, for Wednesday's training session.