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Kentrox

Microsoft Dynamics GP was selected as the business solution for Kentrox over SAP. This decision was based on implementation cost, functionality, company viability and standards-based architecture.

Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, Kentrox manufactures and markets high-speed enterprise network equipment for customer premise applications. Both service providers and businesses purchase these products and services.

A member of Platinum Equity Companies, the company's mission is to be the preferred provider of high-speed access products for telecommunication and data communication customers worldwide.

Kentrox access solutions are currently deployed in sophisticated voice, video and data networks worldwide.

Solution History
Before being acquired by ADC Telecommunications, Kentrox was a MAPICS user. Because ADC required all divisions to be on a single enterprise resource planning system, Kentrox migrated to SAP R/3.

After being acquired by Platinum Equity, Kentrox had the opportunity to examine new enterprise software solutions. However, with just six months to purchase, implement and go-live with a system, Kentrox needed to move quickly.

With such a short time-frame to find a new system, Kentrox had to decide whether to purchase their own SAP system or look at competing solutions. Although the company's experience with SAP would likely mean less training, minimal downtime spent migrating data, and a low learning curve for end users, closer inspection helped Kentrox realize that SAP wasn't the optimal solution to satisfy their business requirements.

Great Plains: A Better Fit than SAP
Microsoft Dynamics GP had multiple advantages over SAP for Kentrox' specific needs. Additionally, Kentrox felt confident in the ability of the InterDyn consulting team to successfully complete the implementation and was impressed by the financial commitment of Microsoft toward future product development.

One drawback of the SAP solution was the difficulty in making configuration changes. The complexity of SAP requires highly trained IT resources with substantial implementation experience to make configuration changes. Kentrox felt this would adversely affect support costs without adding additional value to the solution. Another disadvantage that SAP held for Kentrox was that it did not provide out-of-the-box adhoc query capability. Explorer provides users with easy to use, real-time access to critical information.

A key factor in the decision was cost. The total cost of ownership for Dynamics GP is lower in a number of areas. Software and services for an SAP implementation would be approximately two times that of Dynamics GP while hardware would be as much as three times that of an Intel/MS-SQL-based implementation. Future cost savings will also be realized as existing IT staff can easily complete upgrades, system modifications, integration with legacy systems and custom reports without the assistance of outside programmers or consultants.

A Successful Transition
The implementation was broken into two phases. The first phase, consisting of finance and all customer-facing operations, was completed in just 60 days and under the projected budget. This was due to both an experienced, focused and professional consulting team and a committed internal implementation team.

There was a detailed implementation project plan-tasks were broken down and the progress of each team member was reviewed weekly. A full-time project manager with the authority to manage project resources and facilitate decision-making kept the project on track.

Phase two of the project will include Manufacturing, an internal IT help desk implementation, sales force automation and metrics reporting.

Return on Investment
In addition to the quick and successful implementation, Microsoft Dynamics GP offered many other benefits to Kentrox, including:

• Usability: An intuitive system, Microsoft Dynamics GP is easier to use based on the way it is interfaced and organized, simplifying staff training.
• Open Architecture: The new solution allows Kentrox to connect legacy systems or databases. Available tools simplify system customization, integration and report generation.
• Premium Support: The support team at Microsoft Dynamics has done an excellent job in helping Kentrox maintain the system without outside assistance.
• Lower Cost of Ownership: Not only was the implementation completed for half the price of an SAP implementation, the total cost of ownership is also much lower. Being able to use industry-standard tools (such as Visual Basic and Crystal Reports) with existing staff skill sets greatly decreases system costs.