AFS Professional Services

Be confident in knowing that your AFS solution will be expertly implemented by seasoned AFS consultants rather than a third party.  Our trained and certified consultants have unparalleled product knowledge, technical know-how, and industry expertise.

Professional Services – Implementation Model

Plan

Prior to implementation, a clear project timeline, scope and execution plan is developed which provides a roadmap for AFS and its customers.

Define

Once the plan is accepted, professional services works with customers to create a detailed Statement of Work (SOW). Our professional services team members—with years of experience in consumer goods— provide recommendations for best in class processes and industry best practices. Our goal is not just to implement our solution but to delight customers and provide true consulting services and process innovation.

Additionally, hardware requirements are addressed as part of the SOW.

Configure

Based on the SOW, AFS will work with the client to configure the system, and at this stage, plan the data import process to populate historic information and various customer and product information. The configuration and data import/conversion timeline varies based on the software being implemented and operational complexities.

Pilot and Train

The pilot is the first full cycle product test run, and is usually conducted by AFS with key sponsors from the client. We recommend two to three Conference Room Pilots (CRPs) —the first and last ones being with the end users, as this is where adjustments are made. Integrated testing is completed in each of the CRPs.

Once the final CRP is completed, AFS provides in-depth training using a “Train the Trainer” concept.

Deploy

The deployment is initially conducted in parallel with the previous system or processes, and results are compared to ensure the new solution is accurately tracking the transactions. Once the parallel process is checked and approved, AFS works with the client to “cut over” to the new system.

Support

After go-live, AFS consultants remain a point of contact for approximately 30 days while the client is adjusting to the new system. During the transition period, AFS will introduce the support manager and once the system is stable and has run through one full cycle, the client is passed to the support team. For several months, a special group in support will continue to assist the customers as needed.