How Long Does a Maconomy Implementation Take?

A Maconomy implementation usually takes 6 to 12 months from kick-off to go-live. Where in that range a project lands depends mostly on three things, and the part firms most often underestimate is not technical at all. This article goes through the phases, what decides the timeline, and how to keep the project on track.

The short answer: 6 to 12 months

Most Maconomy implementations go live 6 to 12 months after kick-off. A firm with one company, few integrations and a clean starting point lands at the short end. A group with several companies in several countries, many systems to connect and years of history to bring over lands at the long end.

If you are new to Maconomy, start with what Maconomy is and which firms it fits.

The five phases

VOLI runs implementations in five phases. The names vary between partners, but the order of the work is much the same.

• Initiation: the Maconomy environments are set up in Deltek's cloud, the project plan and team are agreed, and the project kicks off on both sides.
• Establish: processes, roles, reports and approval flows are designed and set up, and the integrations and data migration are prepared.
• Verify: the setup is tested with real data and real cases, first by the project team and then by the people who will use it every day.
• Deploy: users are trained, the final data is migrated, and the switch from the old system is planned in detail.
• Go live: Maconomy is taken into use, with close support through the first weeks and the first month-end close.

The 15 steps behind these phases are described on the Maconomy implementation page.

What decides whether it takes 6 or 12 months

Three things, in order of how much they usually weigh:

1. How many companies you run

Each company, and especially each country, adds setup: its own chart of accounts, VAT rules, currency, local reporting and invoicing requirements, and the intercompany flows and consolidation that tie the group together. One company in one country is the simplest case. Every company you add needs to be set up, tested and taken live, and the number of companies is the biggest single driver of the timeline.

2. How many systems Maconomy must talk to

Few firms run Maconomy alone. CRM, HR and payroll, banks, e-invoicing networks and reporting tools often need to exchange data with it. Each integration has to be specified, built and tested in both directions, and it often involves another supplier with their own plan.

3. How much data you bring over

Customers, open projects, work in progress, balances and history all have to be moved from the old system. The work is rarely the transfer itself. It is deciding what to bring, and cleaning the data before it moves, so the new system does not start out with the old system's mistakes.

Across all three, how much you start from a ready-made setup matters too. With Maconomy Power Launch, VOLI starts from a best-practice setup for professional service firms and adjusts it, instead of designing every process from scratch. VOLI often sees 80 to 90 percent overlap between that setup and the solution a firm ends up with.

What firms underestimate: onboarding and change management

The setup, integrations and data are what the project plan is built around. What firms underestimate is the people side: getting everyone to work in a new way.

A new ERP changes daily habits. Consultants register time differently. Project managers get new responsibilities for budgets, forecasts and approvals. Finance closes the month in a new way. If people only learn which buttons to press, the system goes live, but the way of working stays the same, and the value Maconomy was meant to bring does not arrive.

What helps:

• Name an owner for each process, such as time registration, project management, invoicing and month-end, who decides how it should work.
• Train by role, not by screen. A project manager and a consultant need different training.
• Use super users in each team who know the system well and help colleagues in the first weeks.
• Explain why. People accept new routines more easily when they understand what the business gets from them.
• Make the daily tasks easy. Time registration is what most people do most often, so make it quick, for example in Microsoft Teams or in a mobile app such as VOLI Work.
• Plan for the first month-end close after go-live, with extra support ready.

How to keep the project on track

• Agree on the scope early, and be strict about changes to it along the way.
• Start cleaning data early. It always takes longer than expected.
• Put people from the business on the project, not only finance and IT.
• Test with real cases from your own business.
• Choose a go-live date that fits your month-end and your busy periods.
• Have a plan for support after go-live, when the questions come.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Maconomy implementation take less than 6 months?

For a single company with few integrations that starts from a best-practice setup, the project lands at the short end of the range. Most firms should plan for 6 to 12 months.

Can we go live in stages?

Yes. Groups often start with one company or country and roll Maconomy out to the others afterwards, using the first as a template.

Who from our side should be on the project?

A project manager, a lead from finance, owners for the main processes, super users from the teams, and someone who knows the systems Maconomy will be connected to.

Does a Maconomy implementation run in the cloud?

New implementations usually run in Deltek's cloud, where Deltek hosts and operates Maconomy. Firms moving an existing setup there can read about Maconomy cloud migration.