Streamlining Financial Operations and Upgrading Legacy Systems for the Environment Agency

Case Study

Streamlining Financial Operations and Upgrading Legacy Systems for the Environment Agency

No of Users

1500+

Project Duration

7 Months

About Client

The Client is dedicated to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater, and the biodiversity of desert and marine ecosystems. Through partnerships with government entities, private sector stakeholders, NGOs, and global environmental agencies, EAD adopts international best practices to shape effective environmental policies.

Technology and Services

Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0/10.0/2013 R2, Dexterity 9.0/12.0, MS SQL 2000/2005/2012, Crystal Reports 8.5/11.0 & Visual Studio 2012

Industries

Marine Industry

Team displayed exceptional expertise and dedication throughout the entire process, ensuring that our complex, outdated system was seamlessly upgraded without disrupting our day-to-day operations

– Manager

Project Synopsis

The client had been utilizing Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 for its financial operations, with custom reports developed in Crystal Reports. Over time, the system had accumulated numerous unmanaged customizations, particularly within HR/Payroll, implemented using VBA over 8 years. As Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 was no longer supported by Microsoft, maintaining the old version became increasingly challenging and posed significant risks to the organization.

The Challenge

Outdated software & lack of support with a legacy system that was no longer supported by Microsoft. This presented significant risks, as there were no updates, patches, or official technical support available.
Maintaining and troubleshooting the system became increasingly difficult and costly, putting EAD’s financial operations at risk.
Complex and unmanaged customizations within the GP system, particularly in HR/Payroll, using VBA.
These customizations were not well-documented or managed, leading to a system that was highly complex and challenging to maintain.
Difficult to upgrade the system without risking the loss of critical functionality.
Relied heavily on Crystal Reports for financial reporting. Upgrading to a newer version of GP meant that all Crystal Reports and custom SQL stored procedures would need to be modified to ensure compatibility with the new system.
Required a comprehensive system upgrade to the latest version of GP while ensuring minimal disruption to its operations.

The Solution

The upgrade began with a migration from GP 9.0, which utilized MS SQL Server 2000, to GP 10.0 SP5, and ultimately to GP 2013 R2.
All customizations, including those built using Dexterity and VBA, were carefully upgraded and thoroughly tested in the new environment.
The existing Crystal Reports were upgraded to the latest version, and custom SQL stored procedures were modified to work seamlessly with MS SQL Server 2012.
The upgrade was first implemented in a test environment to ensure stability and accuracy.
After successful testing, the upgrade was executed in the production environment with zero downtime, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
Recognizing the limitations of the existing HR/Payroll system, was disabled, and transitioned to a Middle East-based payroll solution better suited to their regional needs.
The hardware infrastructure, including servers and supporting application servers, were enhanced to support the new system.

The Result

The successful upgrade of Microsoft Dynamics GP to the latest version provided EAD with a modern, reliable financial solution that streamlined operations and reduced maintenance challenges.
The upgrade was completed with no downtime, ensuring continuous operations for EAD.
Upgraded Crystal Reports provided better insights and compatibility with the latest financial systems.
The enhanced hardware infrastructure supported improved performance and scalability for future growth.
The transition to a Middle East-based payroll solution improved HR operations and compliance.
The new system is easily supported from offshore, eliminating the need for costly onsite visits.

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Case Study