The Client
A leading US-based medical device company focused on innovative chronic pain management solutions.
The Challenges
- QAD 2016 EE was reaching the end of support, posing risks in security, compliance, and scalability.
- Finance modules had customizations that needed re-validation and realignment with upgraded core features.
- Business users needed re-training and testing for new UI/UX and functionality changes in QAD 2022 EE.
- Complex integrations with Salesforce and third-party requisition systems required validation post-upgrade.
- Onboarding processes were manual, error-prone, and involved multiple departments with no real-time visibility.
- Customer Service teams faced delays due to inefficient product pricing updates.
The Objective
To upgrade QAD ERP from version 2016 EE to 2022 EE with minimal disruption, streamline core financial operations, and improve system performance, while continuing ongoing application support and automation of the employee onboarding process.
The Solution
JK Tech executed a phased QAD upgrade project. A cross-functional team, including Finance, Manufacturing, and Distribution consultants, collaborated closely with the client.
Key Highlights of the Solution:
Cross-Module Coordination: Partnered with other consultants supporting Manufacturing and Distribution to validate end-to-end transactional flows, including order-to-cash and procure-to-pay.
Finance Module Upgrade: Conducted gap analysis for the existing customizations in QAD 2016 EE, validated financial reports, and ensured data consistency in GL, AP, AR, Fixed Assets, and Tax reporting modules post-upgrade. Migrated configurations and executed unit and integrated testing across finance touchpoints.
Post-Go-Live Application Support: Continued supporting business users for bug resolution, enhancements, and finance process optimization. Enabled smoother operations by addressing real-time issues and change requests.
Onboarding Automation (Ongoing): Enhanced the already-deployed framework, which automates new user creation and termination in QAD, integrated with Jira. The system now:
- Interprets access requests
- Sends approvals to managers
- Creates/terminates users in QAD
- Logs actions and closes requests
System Integrations Maintained: Ensured integration integrity with Salesforce and third-party Purchase Requisition tools post-upgrade, including data sync for product pricing and order visibility using QXtend.
Business Process Diagram:
The Benefits
- Significant Productivity Gains – The time taken for user onboarding actions (creations/terminations) reduced from ~30 minutes to under 5 minutes, resulting in ~80% efficiency improvement.
- Increased Accuracy – The onboarding and access provisioning workflows now function with 100% compliance to business rules, minimizing manual errors.
- Reduced Manual Intervention and Costs – Automation of user access provisioning and integration processes led to the equivalent of saving 2 Full-Time Employees (FTEs) worth of manual effort.
- Streamlined Data Load and Access Management – Enhancements in system integration and onboarding flow contributed to a 20% reduction in data load time and consistent access control.
- Real-Time Visibility and Operational Alignment – Integration of QAD with Salesforce and the third-party PR system ensures real-time data visibility across teams, enhancing coordination and responsiveness.
- Enhanced Data Handling Capability – Post-upgrade, the system experienced a boost in the ability to manage high-volume data efficiently and reliably.
