RSMUS.com
When it comes to implementing an ERP solution, in my experience, there is an absolutely critical area that is often overlooked. Clients are very focused on areas such as customization development and the respective system testing of those modifications. However, much to my surprise, I often see that “deer in the headlights” reaction from clients when advocating the importance of allocating time, resources and budget to performance testing and tuning.
Why is performance so often overlooked or not considered?
There are real risks associated with overlooking performance testing. Without it, the implementation lacks a key variable to success – reaffirming the software’s stability and its capabilities to remain a pillar in an organization’s long-term growth plan. System stress-testing, not to be confused with functional process or modification testing, should be an integral part of any ERP implementation. Testing for current and future volumes is truly instrumental in the success of any software deployment project.
Let’s be honest, putting together a performance testing plan can have its challenges, but they are well worth the effort to tackle and overcome. Coordinating the efforts of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and IT staff to put together the performance testing plan is critical. Once it is in place however, the biggest concern that teams have is how to best analyze, debug, and ultimately resolve any performance-hindering issues that arise. Well, the good news is that if you’re in the process of, or already have implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, there are tools available, at your disposal, that will help diagnose these potentially production-stopping issues. From a Tracing Cockpit to DynamicsPerf DB, there are user-friendly tools that will greatly aid your ability to analyze some performance-related issues.
