We are testing the ERP system. Part 1
Over the past six months, I have tested the ERP systems in full. Participated in the review of the Russian market of ERP systems . Interesting things pop up, I confess to you. And well, if these interesting things would surface, if during the review I would have presented myself on behalf of the editorial board of the publication that conducted this review. But we intentionally made it so that I presented myself on behalf of a completely real client. That is, he was in the shoes of the most natural client and saw everything with his own eyes. I will not tell the details of the review, they can be read on the pages of the publication (as the review will be published, I will post a post). The conclusion is simple - you have to be prepared for the fact that they will try to "deceive you a little". I will try to give some recommendations to prevent this from happening.
So, you are a company representative and your task is to choose the product that suits you best for automating your tasks.
Well, firstly, do not think that this issue can be solved in a couple of hours. For qualitative testing and study of the product, accompanied by a representative, it takes 6-10 hours. I have.
A universal testing method that would save you 100% risk, I think not. But, still there are some tips that will help reduce these risks. Let's talk about some of the functionality of erp-systems, which I would refer to as fundamental, on which everything else is built. We will not talk here about complex algorithms and all sorts of "chips", since their testing must be approached with special training and this is not easy to do. Let's try to make sure that the system has normal tools for accounting, analysis and workflow.
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On behalf of how many legal entities do you work? If on behalf of one, then this one, and if on behalf of two, then it is much more difficult. We are testing.
To begin, just ask to show the place where these very "own" legal entities are entered. Where are the general and chief accountant, where are "their" current accounts in banks. Ask exactly to bring it all with you. And now do a little test. Ask for a bill. In the invoice indicate the very "your" company that you just brought. Ask to see the invoice screen. Carefully check this form, make sure that it is really “your” company, and not one that is “nailed” to the form. The names of the general and chief accountant on the spot?
It would not be superfluous to check that the system supports a simplified taxation system. Enter your company that is not a VAT payer. Now write a bill from her. Is there a VAT in the form?
An even more difficult case is the different VAT on different goods. Food, toys. If you have it, then ask to add such a product to the program and look where it is indicated. Write an invoice, check VAT.
When you start the system, you need to start numbering invoices and invoices from some number. Where is this number indicated in the system? Ask to show, make the shipment, make sure that the number is correct, i.e. following the one you specified in the settings.
Write out the following invoice, but from your other company, make a shipment (or, if possible without an invoice, then ship without an invoice). Look at the invoice and its number. For each of its firm numbering sets of invoices and invoices should be independent! That is, the number of this second invoice of your invoice should be completely different than the first invoice invoice (and not differ from it by one).
Carefully read the invoice form itself. Will you give such a client? Is it full? All details are in place?
A little nuance with invoices. There is such a requisite “To the payment and settlement document”, this is the number of the payment order and its date. Customers do not like when this prop is not filled. Make sure it works. It's simple. Suppose your invoice is 01.07.2009. Make a payment order of 06/30/2009 and look at the invoice. Is there a number and date? And now the test is more difficult. Make a payment order from 07/05/2009. And again we look invoice invoice. If filled, then bad. Of course, only those payment orders that were before shipment, and not after, should be reflected here, because the invoice cannot know what will happen in the future. And if the client paid twice, first before shipment, and then some of the money after, then only the first payment should be in the invoice.
Ask to show bargaining-12, carefully check all the details. If the presenter to the question “Where are the half of the details?” Asserts that they are simply not filled, then ask them to fill in and show them again. In general, it is very strange that the system allows you to print half-empty forms of strict accountability.
Now we are testing the splitting of the positions of invoices by lots and GTE. It is better for this to bring a new product. So it will be clearer. We make a simple procedure. We make two purchases, in one we specify one CCD, in the other the other. And now we issue an invoice to the client for the entire purchased product and ship it. We look at the invoice and we see there two lines, just with those GTD, which indicated.
Well, so that you do not relax, I will give a fragment of one testing history:
Accounting GTE. So, I asked to buy a product and indicate in the delivery of the CCD. Have indicated. Then he asked to make a sale and look at the invoice. And here is the most interesting. The shipment was made, the same CCD turned out to be in the invoice, but the country was completely different than the one specified in the delivery. That is, the one that is specified in the classifier for this product, which has no relation to the delivery. Does a potential customer pay attention to this “nothing”? Of course not.
So, as the “gamblers” used to say, we look carefully - we are sure to win.
I think many have come across a situation where a client has several legal entities. So let's check whether the system understands it or not. For a start, why it is needed. I think if this post is read by a person who has worked with clients, he will understand. Here you have a client, he has three legal entities. Today he bought the goods from you for one of his lawyers, and tomorrow in a different way. The question of backfilling - what is the customer receivable equal to?
This to your accountant is absolutely “violet” the real receivables of the “whole” client, but you are interested in the total, of course, that is, for the client as a whole, and not for each of his legal entities separately. By the way, about the accountant. Ask the guys to show you how to make an act of reconciliation from the program. And there everything has to be strictly for each legal entity of the client separately.
And now ask to bring a new client, and to him two legal entities. Make a shipment, look at the invoice. There is nowhere mention of the name of the client? Only names jur. individuals? Well, thank God, and then everything in life happens. I’ll give you a little more fragmentary testing here, so it’s clearer. Shipment by the second legal person. And now ask to show the receivables for the customer as a whole. It should be equal to the sum of these two shipments. Yes, another nuance. It would be nice if from here, this place where you just showed the total debt, it was clear by what kind of shipments it was formed.
Well, I will not dwell on any CRM functionality here. I think it is not difficult to verify this yourself. The main thing is to watch carefully.
A little more logistics. Here is a customer invoice. There is a certain product in the amount of 10 pcs. Need to ship 5 pcs. from the warehouse, and the remaining 5 send to the purchase. Well, the client was not lucky and not enough. It happens to everyone.
It is clear that it is convenient when you can see both from the card of a client who has just been brought in especially for you, as well as both accounts for his two legal entities. Check out this farm. As well as from the supplier’s card, see orders for the goods to him, invoices from him, invoices, etc.
Another interesting nuance. How does the system block user access to change the details of the document after shipment? Let this mechanism of blocking be shown to you. So we shipped the goods, of course, the system should block the possibility of changing the important details of the transaction. Who can now fix the price of the product or counterparty in the document? Well, anything can happen, suddenly you need to fix it? What now? To roll everything back or, all the same, someone with sooo big rights can fix? Adjust the price and look at the invoice. Of course, no reasonable person will rule the price on the invoice from the previous quarter, but if it is only yesterday’s shipment and you have a little discussion with the client, then why not fix it?
By the way, about the last quarter. And how is access to change data blocked in this very last quarter? Ask to show and demonstrate what really cannot be fixed. When you have 3 people in your company, you can agree on what you can and cannot do. And when you are 30, it is difficult to agree. Need a system.
And here is a fragment from the testing of one very famous ERP system:
So, the most interesting thing started when I asked to show bargain-12 on the screen. And I saw there, as a payer, for some reason the name of the client himself, and not a legal entity. How is this possible? After all, the name of the client is just the common name of your partner. How can it appear in official documents? I asked to remove this mistake and specify the name of the legal entity as a payer, and not the name of the client. And it was here that everything turned out. This legal entity immediately ceased to have at least some relation to our client. This means that when you use XXX you have to choose. Either you cannot control the financial indicators for the client as a whole or you cannot form primary documents from XXX.
Where can I see what should I buy? Here I am a purchasing manager in manufacturing. Completing thousands. At the same time, a company may feel the need to purchase hundreds, or maybe thousands of items? Here's how to understand what should I buy now first of all, what's the second, and what is not needed at the moment, because it can wait? In short, the schedule of purchases in the studio!
We will not complicate the simplest chain, otherwise they will say that some insane invented the requirements ... You made an order to the supplier, you were billed, you paid for it, then you were brought cargo. Make sure that at least such a simple chain works.
We fill in the order to the supplier, we enter the second (for the time being simply manually). In response to both of these orders, the supplier issues one invoice to us. We look at this account. Where it is visible, by what orders is it formed? Where in the orders can you see which invoice we received in response to these orders? Do orders change their status after forming accounts for them? How, looking at the order, to understand that it is processed and in response to it, we were billed (invoice)? Ask how to print power of attorney to receive the above cargo? Look at her, how full is she? Do I have to specify half of the details with a ballpoint pen?
Simple situation: you started operating the system. A bunch of orders to suppliers, hundreds. Here's how to understand in this list which orders are processed and which are not? If there is any order status, how does it change? Automatically or how? Maybe some colors, or something else?
Next, the supplier’s invoice (invoice) must be paid. Or after delivery to pay, here in different ways, but this is not important. Here you are a purchasing manager. How and to whom will you tell that it would be nice to pay your bill? That's exactly what and where you will bring, and who and where it will see? Do this procedure. Surely, in normal companies, payments to suppliers go through the procedure of approval by the management (director of logistics or financial, it does not matter), so ask them to show exactly how this happens.
And in general, when testing the system, remember the main thing - you are not just looking at some kind of product for personal use, but as a corporate information system in which all your employees will work. And it is very important that the system provides information transfer. Many developers are missing this point, and then you have to clear it up with an email and a phone, thus transferring information from one department to another.
The bill paid. You are carrying a load. But here is a nuance. This harmful supplier broke the bill into two overhead. I brought one today, and another one will bring next week (in Russia this happens, in the West less often, but it happens that they split orders for several invoices). Ask to reflect this trouble. Yes, do not forget to include in the cost of goods in the delivery price invoice. And who exactly gave you this delivery, I want to know? And where is it visible who rendered it? And where it can be seen that the delivery is provided and you received documents on it? And where can I see the debt to those who have delivered? You haven't paid her yet ...
Again about communication. How will the purchasing manager notify the storekeeper (especially if there are several warehouses), what kind of load to expect and when?
Some companies supplying complex equipment that needs maintenance and warranty, want to consider serial numbers. I will not go into details here, but just give some tips. Here you have shipped the goods. Where, after shipment, you can see which serial numbers are shipped?
Another test like that. Open the general list of serial numbers. Seen in the serial number, where is he at all now? Ask to show the history of movement of a specific number, that is, where they bought it, according to which document, from which supplier, to whom they sold it, under what account (order), etc.
In general, pass-through accounting. There is an account (order, not important), where the goods are shipped. How can I see the batch (or serial number, if they are recorded) from which this product was shipped? Who is the supplier of this party?
In the next part, we will continue to test the warehouse, finance, contracts, “deliveries under the order” and something else.
So, you are a company representative and your task is to choose the product that suits you best for automating your tasks.
Well, firstly, do not think that this issue can be solved in a couple of hours. For qualitative testing and study of the product, accompanied by a representative, it takes 6-10 hours. I have.
A universal testing method that would save you 100% risk, I think not. But, still there are some tips that will help reduce these risks. Let's talk about some of the functionality of erp-systems, which I would refer to as fundamental, on which everything else is built. We will not talk here about complex algorithms and all sorts of "chips", since their testing must be approached with special training and this is not easy to do. Let's try to make sure that the system has normal tools for accounting, analysis and workflow.
')
Own firms
On behalf of how many legal entities do you work? If on behalf of one, then this one, and if on behalf of two, then it is much more difficult. We are testing.
To begin, just ask to show the place where these very "own" legal entities are entered. Where are the general and chief accountant, where are "their" current accounts in banks. Ask exactly to bring it all with you. And now do a little test. Ask for a bill. In the invoice indicate the very "your" company that you just brought. Ask to see the invoice screen. Carefully check this form, make sure that it is really “your” company, and not one that is “nailed” to the form. The names of the general and chief accountant on the spot?
It would not be superfluous to check that the system supports a simplified taxation system. Enter your company that is not a VAT payer. Now write a bill from her. Is there a VAT in the form?
An even more difficult case is the different VAT on different goods. Food, toys. If you have it, then ask to add such a product to the program and look where it is indicated. Write an invoice, check VAT.
Primary
When you start the system, you need to start numbering invoices and invoices from some number. Where is this number indicated in the system? Ask to show, make the shipment, make sure that the number is correct, i.e. following the one you specified in the settings.
Write out the following invoice, but from your other company, make a shipment (or, if possible without an invoice, then ship without an invoice). Look at the invoice and its number. For each of its firm numbering sets of invoices and invoices should be independent! That is, the number of this second invoice of your invoice should be completely different than the first invoice invoice (and not differ from it by one).
Carefully read the invoice form itself. Will you give such a client? Is it full? All details are in place?
A little nuance with invoices. There is such a requisite “To the payment and settlement document”, this is the number of the payment order and its date. Customers do not like when this prop is not filled. Make sure it works. It's simple. Suppose your invoice is 01.07.2009. Make a payment order of 06/30/2009 and look at the invoice. Is there a number and date? And now the test is more difficult. Make a payment order from 07/05/2009. And again we look invoice invoice. If filled, then bad. Of course, only those payment orders that were before shipment, and not after, should be reflected here, because the invoice cannot know what will happen in the future. And if the client paid twice, first before shipment, and then some of the money after, then only the first payment should be in the invoice.
Ask to show bargaining-12, carefully check all the details. If the presenter to the question “Where are the half of the details?” Asserts that they are simply not filled, then ask them to fill in and show them again. In general, it is very strange that the system allows you to print half-empty forms of strict accountability.
Now we are testing the splitting of the positions of invoices by lots and GTE. It is better for this to bring a new product. So it will be clearer. We make a simple procedure. We make two purchases, in one we specify one CCD, in the other the other. And now we issue an invoice to the client for the entire purchased product and ship it. We look at the invoice and we see there two lines, just with those GTD, which indicated.
Well, so that you do not relax, I will give a fragment of one testing history:
Accounting GTE. So, I asked to buy a product and indicate in the delivery of the CCD. Have indicated. Then he asked to make a sale and look at the invoice. And here is the most interesting. The shipment was made, the same CCD turned out to be in the invoice, but the country was completely different than the one specified in the delivery. That is, the one that is specified in the classifier for this product, which has no relation to the delivery. Does a potential customer pay attention to this “nothing”? Of course not.
So, as the “gamblers” used to say, we look carefully - we are sure to win.
We go further. Customers
I think many have come across a situation where a client has several legal entities. So let's check whether the system understands it or not. For a start, why it is needed. I think if this post is read by a person who has worked with clients, he will understand. Here you have a client, he has three legal entities. Today he bought the goods from you for one of his lawyers, and tomorrow in a different way. The question of backfilling - what is the customer receivable equal to?
This to your accountant is absolutely “violet” the real receivables of the “whole” client, but you are interested in the total, of course, that is, for the client as a whole, and not for each of his legal entities separately. By the way, about the accountant. Ask the guys to show you how to make an act of reconciliation from the program. And there everything has to be strictly for each legal entity of the client separately.
And now ask to bring a new client, and to him two legal entities. Make a shipment, look at the invoice. There is nowhere mention of the name of the client? Only names jur. individuals? Well, thank God, and then everything in life happens. I’ll give you a little more fragmentary testing here, so it’s clearer. Shipment by the second legal person. And now ask to show the receivables for the customer as a whole. It should be equal to the sum of these two shipments. Yes, another nuance. It would be nice if from here, this place where you just showed the total debt, it was clear by what kind of shipments it was formed.
Well, I will not dwell on any CRM functionality here. I think it is not difficult to verify this yourself. The main thing is to watch carefully.
A little more logistics. Here is a customer invoice. There is a certain product in the amount of 10 pcs. Need to ship 5 pcs. from the warehouse, and the remaining 5 send to the purchase. Well, the client was not lucky and not enough. It happens to everyone.
It is clear that it is convenient when you can see both from the card of a client who has just been brought in especially for you, as well as both accounts for his two legal entities. Check out this farm. As well as from the supplier’s card, see orders for the goods to him, invoices from him, invoices, etc.
Another interesting nuance. How does the system block user access to change the details of the document after shipment? Let this mechanism of blocking be shown to you. So we shipped the goods, of course, the system should block the possibility of changing the important details of the transaction. Who can now fix the price of the product or counterparty in the document? Well, anything can happen, suddenly you need to fix it? What now? To roll everything back or, all the same, someone with sooo big rights can fix? Adjust the price and look at the invoice. Of course, no reasonable person will rule the price on the invoice from the previous quarter, but if it is only yesterday’s shipment and you have a little discussion with the client, then why not fix it?
By the way, about the last quarter. And how is access to change data blocked in this very last quarter? Ask to show and demonstrate what really cannot be fixed. When you have 3 people in your company, you can agree on what you can and cannot do. And when you are 30, it is difficult to agree. Need a system.
And here is a fragment from the testing of one very famous ERP system:
So, the most interesting thing started when I asked to show bargain-12 on the screen. And I saw there, as a payer, for some reason the name of the client himself, and not a legal entity. How is this possible? After all, the name of the client is just the common name of your partner. How can it appear in official documents? I asked to remove this mistake and specify the name of the legal entity as a payer, and not the name of the client. And it was here that everything turned out. This legal entity immediately ceased to have at least some relation to our client. This means that when you use XXX you have to choose. Either you cannot control the financial indicators for the client as a whole or you cannot form primary documents from XXX.
A little about the procurement.
Where can I see what should I buy? Here I am a purchasing manager in manufacturing. Completing thousands. At the same time, a company may feel the need to purchase hundreds, or maybe thousands of items? Here's how to understand what should I buy now first of all, what's the second, and what is not needed at the moment, because it can wait? In short, the schedule of purchases in the studio!
We will not complicate the simplest chain, otherwise they will say that some insane invented the requirements ... You made an order to the supplier, you were billed, you paid for it, then you were brought cargo. Make sure that at least such a simple chain works.
We fill in the order to the supplier, we enter the second (for the time being simply manually). In response to both of these orders, the supplier issues one invoice to us. We look at this account. Where it is visible, by what orders is it formed? Where in the orders can you see which invoice we received in response to these orders? Do orders change their status after forming accounts for them? How, looking at the order, to understand that it is processed and in response to it, we were billed (invoice)? Ask how to print power of attorney to receive the above cargo? Look at her, how full is she? Do I have to specify half of the details with a ballpoint pen?
Simple situation: you started operating the system. A bunch of orders to suppliers, hundreds. Here's how to understand in this list which orders are processed and which are not? If there is any order status, how does it change? Automatically or how? Maybe some colors, or something else?
Next, the supplier’s invoice (invoice) must be paid. Or after delivery to pay, here in different ways, but this is not important. Here you are a purchasing manager. How and to whom will you tell that it would be nice to pay your bill? That's exactly what and where you will bring, and who and where it will see? Do this procedure. Surely, in normal companies, payments to suppliers go through the procedure of approval by the management (director of logistics or financial, it does not matter), so ask them to show exactly how this happens.
And in general, when testing the system, remember the main thing - you are not just looking at some kind of product for personal use, but as a corporate information system in which all your employees will work. And it is very important that the system provides information transfer. Many developers are missing this point, and then you have to clear it up with an email and a phone, thus transferring information from one department to another.
The bill paid. You are carrying a load. But here is a nuance. This harmful supplier broke the bill into two overhead. I brought one today, and another one will bring next week (in Russia this happens, in the West less often, but it happens that they split orders for several invoices). Ask to reflect this trouble. Yes, do not forget to include in the cost of goods in the delivery price invoice. And who exactly gave you this delivery, I want to know? And where is it visible who rendered it? And where it can be seen that the delivery is provided and you received documents on it? And where can I see the debt to those who have delivered? You haven't paid her yet ...
Again about communication. How will the purchasing manager notify the storekeeper (especially if there are several warehouses), what kind of load to expect and when?
Factory (serial) numbers.
Some companies supplying complex equipment that needs maintenance and warranty, want to consider serial numbers. I will not go into details here, but just give some tips. Here you have shipped the goods. Where, after shipment, you can see which serial numbers are shipped?
Another test like that. Open the general list of serial numbers. Seen in the serial number, where is he at all now? Ask to show the history of movement of a specific number, that is, where they bought it, according to which document, from which supplier, to whom they sold it, under what account (order), etc.
In general, pass-through accounting. There is an account (order, not important), where the goods are shipped. How can I see the batch (or serial number, if they are recorded) from which this product was shipped? Who is the supplier of this party?
In the next part, we will continue to test the warehouse, finance, contracts, “deliveries under the order” and something else.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/91996/
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