{"id":106647,"date":"2025-04-17T23:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T06:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apcdynamics.com\/articles\/?p=106647"},"modified":"2025-11-04T04:48:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T12:48:08","slug":"the-reality-of-remote-erp-implementation-lessons-after-years-in-the-trenches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apcdynamics.com\/articles\/the-reality-of-remote-erp-implementation-lessons-after-years-in-the-trenches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reality of Remote ERP Implementation: Lessons After Years in the Trenches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h1>\n

A few years into doing remote implementations, I\u2019ve come to realize that this shift hasn\u2019t been as seamless or efficient as people like to believe.<\/p>\n

I had a recent project where a customer on the East Coast wanted me to help them implement warehousing and shipping for their Dynamics 365 Business Central<\/a><\/strong>. From the outset, the client wanted everything to be done remotely to save on travel cost. But if you\u2019ve ever been onsite for a go-live or a hands-on working session, you\u2019ll know there\u2019s simply no replacement for face-to-face collaboration.<\/p>\n

The Transformation<\/h1>\n

Digital transformation didn\u2019t just happen for our customers, it also reshaped how we, as solution centers, operate. We’ve gotten better with video calls, screen sharing, and collaborative tools, but none of that makes up for the lack of in-person interaction.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s replaced that face time? Documentation. Lots of it. And while thorough documentation is important, we\u2019re now relying too heavily on it to make up for the human elements that are missing. Timelines get stretch out because we\u2019re going back and forth on things that could\u2019ve been solved with a quick discussion across a desk.<\/p>\n

Remote work is great if everyone fully understands what needs to be done. But when you’re trying to transfer conceptual knowledge, it’s extremely difficult to do it remotely.<\/p>\n

Even when you write super clear specs and craft a beautiful training manual, the reality is, most people won\u2019t absorb it. The percentage of folks who actually read through the materials, retain the information, and then know how to apply it in real scenarios? Very low. And you\u2019ll see the downstream effects of that right away in testing and user adoption.<\/p>\n

It’s the People<\/h1>\n

Technology is great, it\u2019s a set of tools that can absolutely support the process. We often forget that it\u2019s people who actually deliver the content, simplify the training, and make sure users really get it.<\/p>\n

The Real Learning<\/h1>\n

You can\u2019t just hand someone a manual and call it a day. In fact, implementing \u201cby the manual\u201d is a great way to cause even more confusion. When we rely on virtual meetings to teach or troubleshoot, we lose a key layer of communication: empathy. You don\u2019t get to look someone in the eye and feel what they\u2019re struggling with. Without that, people tend to dig in their heels, and conversations turn more transactional than collaborative.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a higher form of communication that only happens when you\u2019re there in person. You can see body language. You can jump into side conversations. You can roll up your sleeves and figure things out together.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll die on this hill\u2014there is no replacement for face-to-face interaction. And if you\u2019re trying to build mastery in this space, especially if you’re newer, it\u2019s incredibly difficult to do that if you’re not shoulder to shoulder with the customer, working through the issues in real time. That\u2019s where the real learning happens.<\/p>\n

We see it more often now from customers complaining that their partners lack basic understanding of what they’re trying to accomplish.<\/p>\n

The Solution<\/h1>\n

Remote work is not going away. Forcing people back to the office (RTO) full time is not the answer either. I believe there needs to be a hybrid between in the office and remote work.<\/p>\n

The way APC Dynamics approach this problem is re-imagining our implementation process and how we go about implementing Dynamics 365 Business Central. Everything needs to be extremely simple and to the point.<\/p>\n

There are a million ways you can do different tasks in Business Central. We distill it down.<\/p>\n

When we design how Business Central fits into an organization, we focus on the key essence of what the client needs. We remove the nonsense, cut out inefficient processes, and focus on what will actually drive clarity and results.<\/p>\n

But this level of simplification doesn\u2019t come easy. To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery:<\/p>\n

\n
Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/div>\n

This requires a deep understanding of how Business Central works. A person needs to understand what it can and can\u2019t do in addition to having a strong grasp of the priorities of business owners, managers, and the people actually doing the work.<\/p>\n

This is not something a new implementer can just jump into. Like I said earlier, remote work makes it even harder. If you\u2019re not in the trenches, seeing the problems firsthand and working side-by-side with the client, you won\u2019t develop the instinct to cut through noise and get to the heart of the issue. You won\u2019t know how to architect a solution that makes sense and is easy to implement and maintain for both the customer and the partner supporting the customer.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h1>\n

If any of this hit a little too close to home, maybe your team\u2019s stuck, the project\u2019s dragging, or things just aren\u2019t clicking the way they should. We get it. We\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n

At APC Dynamics, we keep it simple, cut the noise, and focus on what actually works in the real world. So if you’re looking for a fresh approach to Business Central that actually makes sense, let\u2019s talk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Overview A few years into doing remote implementations, I\u2019ve come to realize that this shift hasn\u2019t been as seamless or efficient as people like to believe. I had a recent project where a customer on the East Coast wanted me to help them implement warehousing and shipping for their Dynamics 365 Business Central. From theRead more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-implementation"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Reality of Remote ERP Implementation in Business Central<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what works and what doesn\u2019t in remote ERP implementations with Dynamics 365 Business Central. 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