Technology-fueled Transformation on an Impossible Deadline

Short timeframe for ERP modernization

As its business management system, Pearison used an on-premises version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV integrated with third-party solutions for processing credit card payments and managing the specific workflows in the fashion and apparel industry. During many years of updates and enhancements, the specialized industry solution became increasingly complex in managing manufacturing and distribution. Pearison experienced occasional delays in shipping and receiving, and needed a more scalable way to keep up with booming demand. Managers and executives didn’t always find it easy to generate reports that would help them make sound decisions.

The company intended to address these concerns at a convenient schedule, but its hand was forced when the provider of the credit card processing solution announced that it would sunset the version of its product for Dynamics NAV following an acquisition. Pearison had just 14 months to identify and implement a different solution so it could continue to manage credit card payments.

Choosing like-minded, trusted technology collaborators

Pearison stakeholders, including a project manager newly hired for this effort, knew that there was a proven upgrade path from Dynamics NAV on-premises to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in the cloud. Business Central would be the preferred solution when it was time to modernize the ERP environment. Avoiding dependency on external technology providers, the IT team would take full control of the ERP system.

For years, Pearison had relied on PA Group USA to consult on technology concerns. Client support teams remained intact after Sikich acquired the organization. That made Sikich a logical first contact for discussing the urgent technology update that Pearison had to accomplish. “We were still working with the same people we knew and liked,” says Jay Pearison. “We also met some outstanding, highly experienced Sikich team members and had a productive conversation with them. From the beginning throughout the entire project, we had an excellent experience with our Sikich project manager and the other consultants.”

Designing the right ERP environment for Pearison

While the deadline imposed by the provider of the credit card processing software gave Pearison 14 months to rebuild its technology, that time window fell partly into Pearison’s busiest season during the summer and early fall. Practically, the company only had about nine months to complete its ERP modernization. In several lengthy meetings, the Pearison and Sikich teams discussed Pearison’s business requirements and goals together with the particulars of the technology upgrade. Jay Pearison describes, “The Sikich project manager quickly developed a detailed, ambitious plan. She was mindful of things we had not thought about and kept us on track during the project.”

During the project, Sikich advised Pearison on software options to complement Business Central for the company’s unique operating environment. Carter Martin, Systems Administrator at Pearison, says, “The Sikich project manager and consulting team were very good to work with—highly organized and responsive. We knew which software tools had the most potential for us, but Sikich guided us to narrow our choices and make the best decisions. Based on their understanding of our business and requirements, they helped us improve our processes with software products that were a great fit.”

Keeping technology manageable

Pearison and Sikich aligned in using the standard configurations of Business Central and other software as much as possible, thereby creating a technology environment that can be maintained with minimal complexity. “One of the best pieces of advice from our Sikich consultants was that we should keep Business Central as close to the standard as we could,” says Jay Pearison. “When we mentioned possible customizations, they encouraged us to adopt the standard configuration and decide if the customization would still be helpful after we had worked with it for some time.”

While there would have been many opportunities for Sikich developers to create custom code, they did not do so unless it was in Pearison’s interest. Martin notes, “Sikich aimed to deliver what was best for Pearison in the long term, even though they could have commanded higher fees from custom development. Our project manager was a master at exploring how configurations of the standard functionality of Business Central would give us what we needed. However, she also made it clear when that was not possible and we had to customize the solution. In those cases, she helped us achieve the desired result in the most efficient manner possible.”

Creating a new cloud ERP platform at lightning speed

In addition to Business Central, Pearison implemented:

• Avalara AvaTax to ease compliance and ensure accurate tax calculation
• iPayments for credit card processing
• Tinx-IT WooCommerce Connector to connect the ERP system with the company’s e-commerce platform with real-time data syncing and order management
• Several apps from Insight Works to transform warehousing and distribution operations, including Advanced Inventory Count, Advanced Warehouse Management System, Dynamic Ship, License Plate Management, Order Fulfillment, and Product Configurator.

Following extensive testing conducted jointly by Pearison and Sikich, the new ERP platform went live on the target date of April 1, 2024. From then on, Pearison IT managed the technology on its own. Unlike earlier go-live events, rolling out Business Central did not result in process disruptions or delays. Pearison teams continued selling, invoicing, shipping, and receiving products and helping customers. “Our team members found Business Central intuitive and easy to get used to,” says Jay Pearison. “It made sense to them immediately. They also liked that they could simply access it from the browser on their devices.”

Delivering data visibility and process improvements

Following the Business Central deployment, Pearison achieved improvements in many processes as well as the way customers feel about the company. Today, workflows and events across business groups are more closely connected, enabling teams representing the Pearison brands to exceed customer expectations. “Our customers and team members all tell us that we’re doing a lot better now than in the past,” Jay Pearison says. “Thanks to Business Central, our processes have become faster and simpler. Also, we have better visibility of comprehensive, current business data and find it easier to make wise business decisions. That goes for all departments, including manufacturing, sales, distribution, marketing, and finance.”

Not only is business data more accessible, but Pearison technology users also gain more intelligence from it by processing and analyzing it with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power BI, taking advantage of standardized connections. Kelli M. Greenley, Creative Director at Pearison, notes, “I’m no longer spending all day poring over data. It used to be cumbersome to determine which products we were selling when and to which customers. Now I can simply pull up a sales report and see what’s going on without having to interpret data. That allows me to use my time to create email campaigns, plan trade show participation, optimize our ecommerce channel, or contribute to product development.” As Pearison wins customers, broadens its product offerings, and hires people, informational transparency helps keep the business on track. “Streamlining processes with immediate visibility of our data is game-changing for Pearison,” Greenley adds. “It helps us grow faster.”

Collaborating to ensure on-time purchasing and inventory availability

Purchasing is one of the teams whose jobs became easier with Business Central. Greenley says, “Without having to research information, the purchasing department can review current inventory in Business Central. Team members are always in the know, assisted by automatic alerts when it’s time to order items to avoid shortages.”

To accomplish this level of visibility, Greenley and the Sikich project leader worked together to create an item structure that made sense for Pearison’s products. It had to accommodate such conditions as, for instance, that products could be manufactured and shipped by the company, purchased from a vendor and drop-shipped, brought in-house for customization, or decorated by a third-party vendor. “The Sikich project manager developed a handful of product codes and item structures that accommodated our products’ unique distinctions,” Greenley describes. “She accomplished this by making minor customizations in Business Central. With a simplified item structure, we now can export data into Excel for more versatile reporting to support on-time purchasing of the right product quantities as well as efficient order management.”

Elevating the customer experience

Technological change helped Pearison accelerate and streamline processes while at the same time improving employees’ ability to help customers. “The sales team trusts the Business Central inventory information and can offer customers reassurance more confidently,” Greenley notes. “What’s more, we can see when a product is going through a process—for example, decorating—and still in our facilities, but not in the warehouse. That used to be practically impossible.”

Discussing another process and service improvement, Martin describes how Insight Works License Plate Management replaced a largely paper-based practice. “Today, once warehouse workers pick an order, Insight Works License Plate Management prints a label with a barcode,” he explains. “In the shipping department, employees scan that barcode to load all order details into the system. We can then track orders throughout the process and see what shipped packages contain. When customers ask about the status of their orders, we can give them complete, unambiguous updates.”

Reduced workload and full control for IT

For the Pearison IT team, Business Central and its integrated technologies are efficiently manageable and demand a minimal workload compared to legacy business systems. “Business Central runs as a cloud-based service. Updates are distributed by Microsoft and happen non-disruptively in the background,” says Martin. “We took ownership of the solution as soon as we went live and have not yet required any assistance from Sikich in running it.”

Feature enhancements in Business Central come without the dependencies that could delay upgrades in the past. Martin adds, “Instead of performing multiple updates of other systems to properly implement a new ERP capability, in Business Central we can simply activate it and enjoy its benefits.”

The expert technology partner difference

While the abrupt announcement of discontinuing support for an important software was a challenge, Pearison appreciates what happened as a result. “At first, we had a hard time believing that we could no longer use our familiar technology,” says Jay Pearison. “But it turned out well for us. We truly like Business Central and managed an extremely successful accelerated ERP migration with assistance from Sikich.”

Pearison stakeholders still feel enthusiastic about the Sikich collaboration. Jay Pearison points out, “The Sikich team members are subject matter experts who know the systems well, appreciated what we were up against, and had a great sense of project management. The success of our company was their top concern.”