Performance and Adaptability

One area that requires tight integration is that between businessapplications which focus on structured work, such as heads-down transaction-entry tasks, and those which enable the analysis and reporting typicallyperformed by business owners and other decision-makers. Some workers haveequal need of both, which also requires an integrated tool that makes theprocess more effective.

Another key consideration is adaptability. In the words of Monte Hewett Homes IT Manager Robert Kohl , "If your company is successful, it doesn't makesense to select a system that forces you to change your business practices tocomply with the way 'the system works.' Rather, make sure you select a systemthat can be customized and configured to match your current businessprocesses."

The Monte Hewett Homes Solution

The solution deployed by Monte Hewett Homes gave the company theadaptability it needed. The company chose a Microsoft Dynamics businesssolution that includes applications for financial management, projectmanagement and accounting, distribution, field service, payroll, and e-business. Its flexible development foundation, open architecture, andcustomizable reporting and budgeting tools enabled Kohl's staff to tailor asolution to the company's needs. It also enabled consolidation of data acrossapplications and platforms, which were then extended into tools that allowemployees to access up-to-the-minute Web-based reports tailored to theirinformation needs.

Ease of Implementation

For organizations concerned about the cost and disruption of an all-in-onemigration to an integrated technology solution, it is worth bearing in mindthat it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Monte Hewett Homes is staggeringits migration process over four years.

"Based on the rapid ROI we have already seen, we expect that furtherintegration of our stack will lead to more dramatic increases in efficiency,"Kohl said. "And we're confident that switching to an all-Microsoft stack willenable us to adapt to future growth and challenges."