Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with Sure Step 2012 -- Table of Contents -- Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with Sure Step 2012 -- Credits -- About the Authors -- About the Reviewers -- www.PacktPub.com -- Support files, eBooks, discount offers and more -- Why Subscribe? -- Free Access for Packt account holders -- Instant Updates on New Packt Books -- Preface -- What this book covers -- What you need for this book -- Who this book is for -- Conventions -- Reader feedback -- Customer support -- Errata -- Piracy -- Questions -- 1. Installing and Setting up Sure Step -- Installing Sure Step -- Creating the Dynamics AX project -- Engagement types (offerings) -- Diagnostic phase offering -- Implementation offering -- Optimization offering -- Project types -- Rapid project type -- Standard project type -- Enterprise project type -- Agile project type -- Upgrade project type -- Project initiation -- Concluding pre-sales and sales activity -- Document repository -- Communication plan -- Project hierarchy, communications, and meetings -- Statement of Work and Project Charter -- Functional Requirements Document -- Non-functional requirements -- Other documents -- Work Breakdown Structure -- WBS levels -- Labor and materials tracking -- Time logs -- Initiating Cross Phase activities -- Summary -- 2. The Diagnostic -- Overlapping with the sales phase -- Decision accelerators -- Accelerated Proof of Concept (POC) with CRM online -- Requirements and Process Review -- Fit Gap and Solutions Blueprint -- Proof of Concept -- Architecture Assessment -- Scoping Assessment -- Business Case -- Upgrade Assessment -- Case study -- Prototype -- Initiating project management and governance -- Multi-consultant diagnostics -- Diagnostic review and Sign off -- Vertical markets -- Third party products -- AXtension® -- AxPact Additions -- BI4Dynamics -- Atlas.

To-Increase -- Dynamics Anywhere -- Dynamics Software -- Scalable ISV International -- Red Maple™ -- Kick-offs -- Summary -- 3. Planning the Infrastructure to Support Dynamics AX -- When should you start planning infrastructure -- Choosing a team -- Key technologies and roles to consider -- High Availability and Disaster Recovery -- The database - Microsoft SQL Server -- Choosing your server -- Clustering: Active/Active versus Active/Passive -- SQL Server edition -- Application Object Server (AOS) -- Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) -- Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) -- SharePoint and Search Server -- Microsoft Lync -- Active Directory -- Dynamics AX Client and Office Add-in -- Environments -- LIVE (also called Production) environment -- PRE-LIVE or UAT (User Acceptance Testing) environment -- TEST environment -- Development (DEV environment) -- Real-world example -- Summary -- 4. Installing the Dynamics AX Environments -- Getting started -- When to install your AX environments -- Installing AX -- Build order -- Service accounts and admin rights -- Checking the basics -- SQL Server and the database role -- Application Object Server -- Web-based AX Components -- SQL Server Reporting Services -- SQL Analysis Services -- AX Client and Office Add-ins -- Running AX for the first time -- Post checklist tasks -- Installing other environments -- Copying the LIVE database -- Installing roles -- Summary -- 5. Business Requirements Analysis -- Overlap with the Diagnostic -- Process or functional analysis -- Business process engineering/reengineering and diagramming -- Best practices -- Master and subprocess list -- Workshops and documentation -- Project team training -- Partner team -- Customer teams -- Rebudgeting the project -- Budget structure -- Sample project -- Summary -- 6. AX Setup -- System-wide configuration.

Configuration keys -- Number sequences -- Address setup -- Document management -- Companies and organizations -- Financial dimensions -- Financial dimensions in action - a practical example -- Using a traditional ledger structure -- Using financial dimensions -- Deciding on dimensions -- What analysis is really required at General Ledger level -- Adding dimensions that reference other tables -- Setting dimensions programmatically -- Dimension validation -- Module configuration -- General Ledger -- Sales ledger -- Purchase ledger -- Product management -- Human resources and users -- Summary -- 7. Integration -- Identifying integration -- Accessing integration -- Technologies -- Planning -- Testing -- Test environments -- Resourcing -- Scope of testing -- Summary -- 8. Harnessing the Power of Standard AX Features -- Understanding Workflow in AX -- Advanced filters -- Cues -- Creating a user-defined cue -- Alerts -- Personalization -- Understanding the capabilities of personalization -- Personalization versus development -- Using personalization appropriately -- Security -- Summary -- 9. Designing and Developing the Solution -- Understanding the impact of change -- Understanding the AX architecture -- Understanding the impact on upgrades -- Deciding what to change -- Planning the development -- Functional Design Document (FDD) -- Technical Design Document (TDD) -- Process test scenarios -- Solution Design Document (SDD) -- Practical advice for the Development phase -- Estimating development timescales -- Organizing developments into builds -- Creating a development plan -- Managing environments -- Transferring model stores -- Exporting AOT projects -- Exporting Models -- Summary -- 10. Reports, Document Layouts, and Business Intelligence -- The difference between Reports, Document layouts, and Business Intelligence -- Reports -- Document layouts.

Business Intelligence -- Analysing and planning system output -- Diagnostic phase -- Design phase -- Document layouts -- Reports -- Business Intelligence -- Delivery phase -- Document layouts -- Reports -- Business Intelligence -- Word and Excel Add-ins -- Summary -- 11. Deployment Phase -- Getting ready to deploy -- End user training and user acceptance testing -- Security -- Data migration -- Training -- Training best practices -- Training prerequisites -- Task recorder -- Operational guidelines -- Training materials -- Computer-based training and video -- Training feedback and monitoring -- Post training -- Evaluating what else is out there -- Testing -- Unit testing -- Build testing -- User acceptance testing -- Go live -- Production environment -- Stakeholder communications -- Real world example -- Summary -- 12. Project Governance and Quality Assurance -- Project Governance and Delivery Review -- Project Lifecycle reviews -- Phase-by-phase Assessment Overview -- Project Major Deliverables Assessment -- Project Management Assessment review -- Tiered governance -- Stage boundaries -- Formalities in Project Governance -- Minimum toolset -- Audit Requirements -- Project Closure Review -- Real world example -- Quality Assurance -- Summary -- 13. Operation Phase -- Activities within the Operation phase -- Project Planning -- Project Planning - Monitoring & Controlling -- Risk Management -- Scope Management -- Issue Management -- Timescale Management -- Cost Management -- Resource Management -- Communication Management -- Quality Management -- Project Planning - Project Closure -- Outstanding items -- Additional training -- Documentation -- Lessons Learned -- Tollgate Review -- Celebrate -- Transition Solution to Support -- Go-live support -- Support and Change Request Management -- Resource Management -- Ongoing support -- Issue and Support Logging.

Operation Validation -- Future phases -- AX communities and resources online -- AX user group -- LinkedIn -- Dynamics World -- Mibuso -- Microsoft CustomerSource -- Real world example -- Summary -- Index.