Client Overview
A U.S.-headquartered healthcare technology provider serving over 10,000 medical practices through its cloud-based platform. With operations across the U.S. and Asia, the client specializes in delivering SaaS-based solutions focused on clinical workflow optimization, electronic health records (EHR), billing, and compliance reporting. At the time of engagement, the company employed over 700 staff, including a distributed technical team and internal ERP developers with deep AX 2012 experience.
Challenge
The client began their Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (F&SCM) project in 2022 with the goal of modernizing their finance operations. However, after two Microsoft partners struggled to provide a stable design and implementation path, the project was paused. Key reasons for failure included:
- Lack of clear project ownership and disconnected stakeholder engagement
- Inconsistent documentation, with multiple versions spread across unmanaged SharePoint folders
- No active methodology enforcement—Success by Design milestones were never used
- Legacy AX system was deeply customized with no feasible upgrade path
- Salesforce and proprietary billing software were not integrated into the initial scope
- Healthcare-specific data governance and compliance limited standard AI and automation features
The client faced mounting pressure as the delay impacted financial visibility and operational scalability.
Our Role
In early 2024, Reach was engaged to stabilize, restructure, and complete the project. Our objectives:
- Rebuild governance and accountability
- Deliver an executable implementation roadmap
- Empower the client’s team to co-own the solution
- Ensure go-live within the calendar year
Approach
1. Strategy & Executive Alignment
- Established a four-week cadence for executive steering committee sessions with pre-read alignment, outcome tracking, and sponsor messaging
- Reconfirmed success criteria with executive stakeholders: timeline was the top priority, with scope adjusted accordingly
- Introduced Microsoft’s Success by Design checkpoints for solution blueprint review, cutover validation, and go-live readiness
- Created milestone-based delivery gates requiring cross-functional sign-off
2. Project Management Overhaul
- Introduced Agile sprint planning with weekly status tracking, velocity benchmarks, and iteration retrospectives
- Overhauled Azure DevOps: backlog restructured with clear ownership, traceable test cases, and enhancement vs. bug separation
- Meetings right-sized by role and agenda: team participation dropped by 40%, while actionable outputs doubled
- Appointed a dedicated Project Coordinator to clean up and govern document management and version control
3. Architecture & Solution Design Fixes
- Revalidated and centralized all business requirements; tied every item to configuration, testing, and deployment
- Redesigned solution architecture to allow Salesforce integration via Mulesoft, with mirrored testing and production environments
- Adapted security, roles, and workflow design to reflect healthcare compliance limitations
- Conducted licensing audit to reflect actual use, avoiding overprovisioning costs
4. Testing, Data, and Go-Live Readiness
- Shifted QA ownership to the client, supported by Reach in building script-driven UAT processes aligned with traceable ADO items
- Defined master data strategy and aligned reporting structures with both internal and regulatory needs
- Final cutover plan validated 6 weeks prior to go-live, reviewed by Microsoft and the client’s internal leads
- Achieved go-live on December 1st, 2024 with fewer than 10 open items most tracked as post-go-live enhancements
Results
- 100% of agreed go-live scope delivered on time
- Reduction in project meeting volume by 40%, with >90% agenda completion
- QA traceability improved from 40% to 100% with ADO enhancements
- Client reporting coverage improved by 60% through aligned rollout
- Full executive and cross-functional ownership restored
- Integration between Salesforce, finance, and billing now traceable and auditable
Lessons Learned
- Rescue success requires redefining “done”: we succeeded by focusing the team on value-based, not scope-based, outcomes
- Executive involvement must drive rhythm and morale—our steering committee cadence helped sustain delivery
- Success by Design is more than a checklist, it provided structure and governance that became a lifeline for recovery
- Solution handoff and enablement are just as critical as the build—ownership was earned by transitioning testing, roles, and reporting to the client team
Conclusion
Healthcare ERP rescue projects are high-risk, high-impact undertakings. With the right mix of structure, flexibility, and experienced guidance, even paused and fragmented projects can be brought back to life. Reach delivered this success by combining discipline with partnership—and empowering the client’s internal teams to lead long after go-live.
