Final Project

1

Finance AX 2012 Upgrade Project Charter/Business Case

Timothy Beard University of Maryland Global Campus

ISAS  600 9040Information Systems for Managers (2255)

2 June 2025

The project is important because it solves a main business issue for the organization—how to keep its financial management up to date with the Tanzania sports league’s rapid transformation. Currently, the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 system is functional, but it cannot accommodate Sports London and China’s future needs for flexibility and scalability. Moreover, it is difficult for the current system to bring together data from all these regions for quick decisions. The fact that payment processes aren’t visible gives an extra challenge to overseeing finances, as the company cannot monitor payment information or easily integrate with its clients. Besides, the tool lacks strong reporting options to help analyze sales actions and make sure business records are GAAP and international-standards-compliant. To solve these problems, the upgrade introduces a more powerful, automated financial system that will unify tasks and make operations more effective.

The project will create and deliver a web-based database system to replace the present AX 2009 platform with a newer AX 2012 version. Because the system is on the internet, Sports London and China teams, plus other involved groups, will enjoy easy communication. It is hoped that the database will be used by about 50 people involved in financial reporting, client payment tracking and sales analysis. On completion, the system will offer automatic workflows, options for integrated reporting and is designed to benefit both staff members and clients. The goal is to get a main financial system working in Sports London and China by July 31, 2012, with the main aim of upgrading the platform and making sure all key business systems and operations for users are operating smoothly. Even so, we won’t handle tasks like re-engineering businesses, updating current solutions, offering steady training or doing needle-moving activities. Future phases will deal with these if they are not urgent for the project’s success and costs keep down.

Improving financial management is the main business objective, so that the organization can operate more efficiently and achieve growth through the Finance AX 2012 Upgrade. Sports London and China must use AX 2012, because the upgrade is needed for the operations to share financial data. This will give leadership a unified picture of the company’s finances, enabling them to decide quickly. Enabling the Agent Portal is another aim, so various stakeholders can see a clear view of all client payment activities and know if a payment is complete in real time. The team further intends to integrate the system with a tool that runs on the intranet, supplying automated, officially compliant reports for use in both financial audits and deciding strategic plans. Also, the software will upgrade how sales actions are seen through better reporting functions, allowing the sales team to spot both trends and opportunities more clearly. The project further tries to back up GAAP and international financial standards so they are followed and no unnecessary regulatory penalties are applied.

Time, cost, access to workforce and tools are a few of the challenges that must be faced during this project. All work on the project must be done by the end of July 2012 which gives the team very little time to manage each stage. With less money to spend, the group works towards lowering the cost of work which makes it difficult to carry out significant business process restructuring. Staff is sometimes limited because the team is made up of functional, business and report groups, along with a steering committee, but some analysis tasks such as Microsoft AX solution architecture, may depend on extra skills. Safe or successful adoption of the update also depends on whether the organization’s servers are fit for the job or if the group needs to buy new ones. As a result, developers need to plan the work closely to maintain progress and ensure the development delivers results.

When trying to explain the solution to friends, I would say it is like changing out the existing software with more advanced financial software. Consider the current system like an old-fashioned phone that just handles talking and sending texts, but doesn’t do other tasks smoothly. Similar to a modern smartphone, AX 2012 allows the company to handle financial records globally, see live payment changes and run detailed reports at any time. Since it’s available online, the team can use the platform from London or China and manage money better, while always being compliant with financial rules. Basically, it simplifies the finance department’s tasks and supports the organization’s growth with current technology.

From a business perspective in terms of formality, the project involves Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 upgrade to AX 2012 to address demands of necessary financial management of China and Sports London operations. The project will deploy web-based financial database that comprises reporting, enhances visibility of clients' payments, and facilitates sophisticated analytics of sales. The project will be conducted under fundamental guiding principles, such as using a design that is minimalist in nature, applying only the required functionality, and having transparent decision-making processes. Some of the fundamental activities involve consulting with Microsoft for review of the solution architecture, establishing a baseline for the project plan, and designing the target infrastructure. The rollout will be done by 31st July 2012, so that a stable and scalable environment that addresses the company's immediate requirements is established while the foundation for future growth is set. The organization will be ready to attain operational excellence and secure the competitive edge in the sporting industry with this upgrade.

The Finance AX 2012 Upgrade will have a profound effect on business processes by streamlining financial processes and optimizing overall organizational performance. By integrating the finance data, Sports London and China will be able to have fewer manual activities that hold up reporting and decision-making. The visibility of client payment behavior will reduce errors and enhance client satisfaction since payment status can be tracked in real-time. The use of automated reporting software will be able to free up time from the finance department so that they can focus on more high-level activities rather than data entry. The ability of the system to provide insight into the activity of sales will also enable the sales department to find opportunities sooner, which would result in revenue boosts. Overall, the update will enable the organization to operate at full efficiency, comply with financial standards, and adapt to market needs, according to its own agenda of implementing long-term stability and expansion.

Technically speaking, according to feasibility purposes, the project will entail stress-testing the organization's infrastructure in an attempt to verify if new servers or equipment are needed at all. The current servers may not support the upgraded AX 2012 system, particularly with the additional loads of a web-based application and 50 users. If new hardware will have to be purchased, then additional budget will have to be allocated for procurement, which can be factored into the overall project cost. But technically it is possible to implement AX 2012 as it is an addition to the existing Microsoft Dynamics platform, and there are already personnel familiar with this technology working in the firm. Solution architecture analysis by Microsoft also will be undertaken by the project team to make the transition smooth. With adequate planning, technical needs of this upgrade can be met with minimal disruption of daily activities.

The resource availability of Finance AX 2012 Upgrade in terms of time, money, and people is its resource availability. The project duration from start until completion by July 31, 2012, will be six months of actual deployment and development. The project members are functional, business, and report development, i.e., around 10 people, with further guidance from a steering committee. These personnel will work the majority of their time on the project, and some of the activities, such as the Microsoft AX solution architect, will require external consultancy support. The project will attempt to keep costs as low as possible from a financial stand point, but these will likely be software licensing of AX 2012, potential hardware procurement, and consultancy. A budgetary estimate is $150,000, but this would be more if new servers are required. Overall, the project will have to be well managed in relation to resources so that it is completed on time and within budget and yet delivers a great solution.