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ERP Implementation Services for Larger, More Complex Australia and New Zealand Organisations

ERP Implementation Services for Larger, More Complex Australia and New Zealand Organisations

Q: How long does an ERP Implementation take?

ERP implementations generally take between 3 and 6 months. More technical projects can take 2 years or more to complete.

Q: Is MYOB Acumatica the same as MYOB Advanced?

Yes, MYOB Acumatica and MYOB Advanced are the same system.In July 2024, MYOB renamed the system formerly known as MYOB Advanced to MYOB Acumatica. This change was made to create better alignment with the Acumatica Cloud ERP, which is the architectural framework for MYOB Acumatica. The Acumatica Cloud ERP is developed by Acumatica in the USA. MYOB are the sole provider of Acumatica in ANZ and named the system MYOB Acumatica. MYOB localise Acumatica, taking primary responsibility for tax and compliance. So, you get all the benefits of a powerful, global ERP system, with the benefits of using locally developed software.

Discover how Kilimanjaro Consulting reduces the risk of ERP implementation and delivers successful business process improvement.

An ERP implementation is a key milestone and point of inflection in your organisation’s growth. It represents your commitment to efficiency and accuracy as you evolve beyond the capabilities of disconnected, legacy systems. But, although required for long-term success, ERP implementations can open new risks for your business.

Kilimanjaro Consulting are experts in mitigating the risk of ERP implementation. We specialise in MYOB Acumatica and MYOB Exo and have safely guided over 1000 satisfied clients through their MYOB ERP implementation. In 2016, we were recognised as MYOB’s first Diamond Partner, an accolade we have retained to date, which highlights our strong, enduring partnership with the software vendor.

If you are exploring options for an ERP implementation and your technology future, our team can help. You can book a consultation with our friendly team of MYOB consultants at a time that suits you.

Built for Businesses That Have Outgrown Their Accounting Software

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is the next stage in business management technology once you outgrow your accounting software. Off-the-shelf accounting software, such as Xero, MYOB AccountRight, or Reckon, focuses primarily on accounting functions such as bookkeeping, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. It is designed to address the specific, basic needs of accounting departments with little flexibility for bespoke configuration. The systems assume a one-size-fits-all approach to keep the cost barrier low for smaller businesses.

However, smaller systems create growing pains for larger businesses with more complex requirements, such as:

Reliance on manual data manipulation and workarounds.
Slow, manual reporting processes based on static spreadsheets and exports.
System performance limitations when processing at scale, including an inability to handle large volumes of transactions or customers.
Lacking a single, consolidated, real-time view of business health.
Manual re-keying or duplication of data between systems and spreadsheets.

On the other hand, ERP systems are designed to encompass a broader range of functionality beyond accounting. They aggregate and consolidate data from across multiple teams and departments in the organisation. ERP systems are built for larger, more complex organisations across Australia and New Zealand that need to replace their underperforming accounting systems. This includes organisations with specific industry requirements, including but not limited to Construction, Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, Retail, Professional Services, Education, Healthcare, Not-for-profits, Government, Multi-Entity, Project Management and Project Accounting, Engineering, Field Services, Financial Services, Insurance Providers, and Mining.

Why MYOB is the ERP We Trust for ANZ Businesses

MYOB is the leading accounting software provider for Australia and New Zealand. Their products typically focus on simplifying accounting, tax, websites, job costing, CRM, payroll, inventory, practice management, and more. They have had success developing software for small businesses (MYOB AccountRight), medium-sized companies (MYOB Exo Business), and larger, more complex organisations (MYOB Acumatica).

Kilimanjaro Consulting specialise in MYOB ERP systems, specifically MYOB Acumatica and MYOB Exo. We only implement, customise, and support these products. This makes us singular experts in how these systems operate and where they can be optimised to improve efficiency. We trust MYOB and believe these systems are generally the best option for Australian and New Zealand businesses. This is because MYOB is a local expert when it comes to ANZ, unlike other ERP vendors, which are based in the US or Europe.

There are many benefits to using a system that has been designed for your local region. All the idiosyncrasies of doing business in Australia and New Zealand will be familiar to you, but not to overseas vendors. Their systems are not built to reflect the complexities that a local provider is more familiar with. MYOB has the benefit of working closely not only with local government bodies like the ATO and IRD when building out compliance requirements for their systems.

A local software option is the low-risk approach. You will not have to worry about workarounds or manual processes for requirements such as:

Business Activity Statement (BAS) support.
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Cash vs accrual GST
Unique ANZ payroll requirements
Changes in Legislation

Terminology is also different between ANZ and the rest of the world. Little differences between “stock” and “inventory” can disrupt your process and confuse your team. Seeing terminology that is more familiar to ANZ users eliminates much of the pain of learning a new system.

MYOB Acumatica: Cloud ERP for Complex, Multi-Site Operations

MYOB Acumatica (formerly MYOB Advanced) is a cloud ERP system for larger, more complex organisations. It is based on the Acumatica Cloud ERP, the fastest-growing cloud ERP system in the world, with localisations to support the Australian and New Zealand markets. It has dedicated industry editions specifically for Construction, Manufacturing, and Professional Services companies, but can also be customised and configured to support a wider range of other business industries.

Kilimanjaro Consulting has the largest team of specialised, experienced MYOB Acumatica implementation consultants. Our team includes the first-ever certified MYOB Acumatica consultant and the recent winners of the MYOB Consultant of the Year award.

MYOB Exo Business: Deep Customisation and Trusted Long-Term Support

MYOB Exo Business is an established, reliable ERP system, built for mid-sized businesses in ANZ. It has local roots, dating back to its early days as Exonet and has been continually developed into a robust hybrid platform.

MYOB Exo’s strength is its deep integration and customisation capabilities, enabled by direct access to its underlying SQL database. Our team includes some of the system’s original developers, and together they exceed 200 years of MYOB Exo experience. If you have continued to grow after your MYOB Exo implementation and require deeper customisation and trusted long-term support, our team can help.

Our Proven ERP Implementation Methodology

An ERP implementation is a one-off project to set up and customise the system to fit your business. This is a significant undertaking regardless of the complexity of your organisation. It takes time, careful consideration, and a thorough investigation of your organisation to appropriately configure the system to meet your needs.

You may not have been through an ERP implementation before, but we have. Through our years of experience, Kilimanjaro Consulting has developed a rigorous, structured methodology for ERP implementations. Following this methodology helps us mitigate the risks of your ERP implementation, ensuring a successful outcome for your organisation.

Risk/Benefit Assessment – evaluate the benefits of your new system before locking in your choice.
Design – MYOB certified consultants plan configurations and customisations to suit your requirements.
Build – Our consultants build the system based on the design. This stage also includes data migration and workshops.
User Acceptance Testing & Training – test the new system in a fully operational sandbox environment with training provided by our team. Your team is involved in testing over the whole implementation, but the effort culminates here as more of your team is exposed to the system.
Go-Live – the final reconciliation and data conversion marks your transition to a new ERP system.
Post-Go-Live Support – the first period rollover is the last major implementation risk that other partners neglect. Our team is with you every step of the way to ensure you are running smoothly for the first month and beyond.

Kilimanjaro Consulting for your ERP Implementation Needs

Kilimanjaro Consulting is MYOB’s #1 partner. We have the largest, most experienced team of MYOB certified consultants. There are many reasons why we are the premier choice for MYOB ERP implementations in ANZ:

Readily available MYOB ERP case studies highlight our proven experience of successful implementations.
Our unique, structured methodology, honed by lessons learned over decades of implementations.
We provide dedicated training and regular events to support your long-term success with your MYOB ERP system.
Our CFA, ACA, and CA-accredited consultants have the accounting skills to best customise your General Ledger and subaccount’s structure and ensure your system is compliant and reconciled when you go live.
MYOB’s first and longest serving Diamond Partner, highlighting the strength of our long-term relationship.
Technical skills to build bespoke customisations and integrate best-of-breed third-party applications to extend the scope of your system.
Our team is stable and experienced. There is a much lower risk that your implementation consultant leaves mid-project, but our documentation processes required for our structured methodology ensures everyone on the team has detailed information to complete the project to your satisfaction.

Your ERP Implementation Questions, Answered

ERP implementations are complicated and technical projects. Naturally, this raises many common questions about the nature of ERP implementation.

How much does an ERP Implementation cost?

The ERP implementation and consulting fees are generally charged by your implementation partner. They are responsible for delivering a successful solution design and implementation.

Be very wary of consultants who claim they can implement any ERP system in less than 100 hours. Typically, an entry-level implementation will take between 120 and 200 hours. The most complex of sites could take up to 1000 hours of consulting work to implement. Consulting rates can also vary between $150- $300 per hour. This depends on the complexity of the system, the skills and experience of the implementer, and the charge-out rates of the implementing partner.

Your investment in an ERP implementation depends on a range of factors:

The chosen ERP system
The complexity of customisations
The number of entities that need to be configured within your site
The number of third-party applications to be implemented and integrated. Implementation of third-party applications may be charged separately to the overall ERP implementation.

For a mid-sized company transitioning from an accounting system like MYOB AccountRight or Xero to an ERP system, you should be prepared to spend in the region of $50,000 to $100,000 or more on your implementation.

Other factors that can influence the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of your ERP system are:

Ongoing licence costs, generally charged by the software vendor.
Usage costs for additional ERP functionality, commonly reserved for additional storage, or usage of Artificial Intelligence features.
Ongoing support from your trusted partner.
Subscriptions or licences for any third-party systems integrated with your ERP system.
Additional training, usually provided and charged in an ad-hoc capacity.
Ad-hoc customisations and long-term improvements after implementation

MYOB Acumatica will typically recover the return on your investment very quickly – usually within 3-5 years. This is due to the low ongoing cost post-implementation and the combination of significant efficiency improvement from your new system. MYOB Acumatica is positioned to support your organisation well into the future, at least for the next 10-15 years. The value of this system will continue to grow.

According to MYOB’s latest Midmarket Report, 68% of organisations in Australia and 82% in New Zealand experience a positive impact or ROI following a software upgrade.

How long does an ERP Implementation take?

Is MYOB Acumatica the same as MYOB Advanced?

Yes, MYOB Acumatica and MYOB Advanced are the same system.

In July 2024, MYOB renamed the system formerly known as MYOB Advanced to MYOB Acumatica. This change was made to create better alignment with the Acumatica Cloud ERP, which is the architectural framework for MYOB Acumatica. The Acumatica Cloud ERP is developed by Acumatica in the USA. MYOB are the sole provider of Acumatica in ANZ and named the system MYOB Acumatica. MYOB localise Acumatica, taking primary responsibility for tax and compliance. So, you get all the benefits of a powerful, global ERP system, with the benefits of using locally developed software.

What if our current ERP implementation has stalled or failed?

The Kilimanjaro Consulting team believe in getting the implementation right the first time. However, this is not always the case with other partners. We have seen many failed implementations over the years and are frequently contacted by companies that need a rescue mission.

Our MYOB ERP experts can analyse your system and diagnose where the original implementation went wrong. Apart from the specific customisations and configurations that may need to be rebuilt or redesigned, the common thread in failed implementations is improper risk analysis. Your partner plays a significant role in the success of your ERP implementation. The cost of rectification and completion of these projects far outweighs the cost of getting it right the first time.

If you are concerned about your Kilimanjaro Consulting ERP implementation stalling or failing, then you can rest easy. The structure of our methodology requires that each stage be signed off before the next one can proceed. We will not start building the system before all parties are satisfied and agree on the best design. You will not go live until you are satisfied that all bugs have been fixed and the system is built properly to meet your requirements. Our team is transparent and upfront about what the system can do, and we take pride in keeping our promises.

Ready to Get Your ERP Implementation Right the First Time?

The journey of an ERP implementation is like climbing a mountain. The dedicated team of technology sherpas at Kilimanjaro Consulting are here to guide you to the summit by following our structured, low-risk methodology. Our dedicated team takes the time to truly understand your organisation and customise MYOB Acumatica to meet your requirements. The right partner in this journey will not only deliver a successful ERP implementation, but also position your organisation for long-term success, and support your changing requirements every step of the way.

Contact us to organise a free, no-obligation assessment of your organisation and whether an ERP implementation is right for you. Email sales@kilimanjaro-consulting.com or call 1300 857 464 (AU) or 0800 436 774 (NZ).