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Fusion5 has been selected by the Australian Football League (AFL) to upgrade its ageing Microsoft enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Transitioning from its Great Plains ERP system over to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, the overhaul is set to allow the AFL to focus on reporting and analytics from November, rather than looking over backend processes.
"Having the right systems and investment in our platforms are vital to supporting the ongoing growth of our business, as well as our industry," said Melissa Azzopardi, general manager of finance at the AFL.
"Businesses grow based on having the right data. Having a tool that allows us to focus on data and insights is one of the key elements for us."
The move to another Microsoft-based system however was not a requirement, with the decision to settle on Dynamics 365 coming after a review process.
Meanwhile, the decision to go with Fusion5 for implementation followed another review process, which included a discovery phase where the IT services provider created a demo to show off its interpretation of the AFL’s end goal.
"It allowed us to build a version of the solution and show the AFL and its users what their systems would look like in the new world," said Fusion5 Microsoft sales manager Asj Smith. "That enabled them to make decisions based on what they could see, touch and use in a simulation of their environment."
That demo won over the League, according to AFL head of technology planning and delivery Simon Wirth. "The subject matter expertise Fusion5 brought to the table during the discovery process convinced us they would be able to do the implementation well for us," he said.
"Fusion5 were able to show us live demos of how our environment would look on the new platform, so we were able to engage with the system and our people were able to see how it would work for them. That was certainly helpful for us."
Not only did Fusion5’s expertise get the green light from the AFL, but Microsoft gave the project its seal of approval.
“Fusion5 is a trusted partner with deep experience and a demonstrated commitment to always going the extra mile to ensure customer needs are not just met but exceeded," said Phil Barlow, director of partner technology at Microsoft A/NZ.
“By leveraging Microsoft’s trusted technology platforms this project will deliver enhanced access to data and analytics, promising efficiencies and greater organisational transparency, but also acting as the foundation for an improved customer – or in this case, fan – experiences. Combining the very best Microsoft technology, the commitment of Fusion5 and the vision of the AFL make this a project to watch.”
Fusion5 has been named as a business within Microsoft's Business Applications Inner Circle for four years in a row, which it claims put it in the top 1 per cent of Microsoft partners.
Entry into the program is based on sales results and outcomes across the Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and Finance and Operations, as well as Business Central Applications.
When the provider received the accolade for the third year in a row in July 2019, Kristy Brown, Fusion5’s general manager – CRM, said that its consistent entry into the group was due to its commitment to excellence.
"Since we conceived our practice, we have challenged and questioned the value of every project where it doesn’t present our customer with a sensible [return on investment]," she said at the time.
