Kick ICT

Refining the Migration Estimation Process with the Migration & Modernization Program

2024

About Kick ICT Group Ltd

Founded in April 2015 by CEO Tom O’Hara, Kick ICT Group Ltd has rapidly grown into one of the UK’s leading IT services providers, with a strong emphasis on Microsoft Dynamics solutions. The company’s growth has been driven by a strategic combination of acquisitions and organic expansion, enabling it to scale its services and deepen its expertise across multiple industries.

Since its inception, Kick has completed nine key acquisitions, including Talon Business Solutions, a long-established Dynamics partner, payroll and accountancy software firm Roxxap, Microsoft Dynamics consultancy Vozero, and Castle Computer Services, one of Scotland’s most established IT businesses. Other notable acquisitions include Clyde Solutions Ltd, a leading Scottish communications provider, Turnkey Business Software (TBS), Turnkey Infrastructure Solutions (TIS), Consilium (UK) Ltd, and C2 Software Limited. These acquisitions have played a pivotal role in shaping Kick’s capabilities, allowing it to expand its range of services and enhance its position within the industry.

While catering to a diverse range of industries, Kick has developed particular expertise in housing finance, creating a bespoke Business Central application tailored to this sector. In addition, the company has developed several add-ons for Business Central, including payroll, subscription billing and not-for-profit solutions.

Kick is structured into five key divisions: Microsoft Dynamics, Infor ERP & Finance, IT Services, Communications and Cyber. Its robust Dynamics division boasts dedicated teams for project management, consultancy, development, and customer support. Currently, Kick serves around 240 NAV/Business Central customers and has successfully migrated over 70 clients to Business Central online. Kick remains committed to supporting its remaining NAV customers as they transition to Dynamics 365 Business Central, ensuring seamless and efficient migrations.

How Kick ICT Began Working with Companial

Kick ICT’s relationship with Companial stretches back nearly 20 years, originating with the acquisition of Talon Business Solutions. This long-standing partnership has been built on trust and collaboration.

“We’ve always been largely self-sufficient when it comes to migrations, both on-premises and online, because that’s been a core focus for us,” says Aileen Primrose, Head of Dynamics Sales at Kick ICT. “With a large internal development team, we’ve been able to manage much of the process independently.”

Despite this self-sufficiency, Kick ICT began its formal partnership with Companial by processing all its Business Central licensing through them. Over the years, Kick ICT and Companial have worked together closely. One key initiative was working together on the Migration & Modernization program, where Kick ICT collaborated with Companial to compare migration quotes against its own estimates. The goal was to evaluate Kick ICT’s internal processes and the tools it uses to migrate customers, allowing both teams to learn from each other.

“It was a two-way learning process,” Aileen explains. “We provided feedback on our methods and calculation tools, helping Companial refine its process, while also learning new insights from their approach. The transparency and openness of the relationship made this collaboration incredibly valuable.”

This partnership has also helped Kick ICT assess and enhance its proposals for customers migrating to the cloud.

“It was reassuring to work closely with Companial, confirming that we were on the right track and identifying ways to improve our customer journey for upgrades,” Aileen adds.

Ultimately, the relationship with Companial has played an important role in helping Kick ICT accelerate customer migrations to the cloud.

Benefits of the Migration & Modernization Program

One of the key advantages of working with Companial on the Migration & Modernization (M&M) program was the comprehensive documentation and tools provided throughout the process.

“We were able to use the tools and receive back the proposal documents from Companial, which allowed us to verify the calculations, ensure all add-ons were captured, and ultimately generate a detailed report. This report was incredibly useful for incorporating into our own customer proposals,” says Aileen. “It was great to get those documents back quickly and use them in a meaningful way.”

Although Kick ICT typically manages migration projects independently, leveraging its in-house team of developers and consultants, the company did collaborate with Companial on one migration project, which was a positive experience.

Aileen notes, “We have a lot of developers and consultants whose time we need to fill before outsourcing anything, but when we did work together with Companial, it was a good experience.”

The M&M assessment also proved to be valuable in helping customers understand the significant gaps between their older systems and the latest versions of Business Central. The detailed documentation from Companial clearly outlined the necessary upgrade steps and demonstrated the leap in functionality they could achieve. This was crucial in showing customers the benefits of migrating to the newest version.

Other Possibilities within the Migration and Modernization Program

Companial’s Migration and Modernization Program produces the AIM Assessment Report, which serves as the foundation for the MCI activity-based incentive.

Aileen notes, “This process is fairly straightforward, and we have utilized the AIM Assessment Report several times to facilitate these migrations.”

Additionally, after migrating to Business Central online, there is the opportunity to enhance workforce capabilities with AI-powered Copilots in Business Central online.

“Our product manager for Business Central is currently exploring how we can leverage AI tools like Copilot to improve our service offerings,” Aileen explains. “Everyone is still on a bit of a learning journey, and we are excited to experiment with the AI Copilot that Microsoft has introduced in Business Central.”

Reflecting on her experience, Aileen strongly recommends the Migration & Modernization program.

“I believe many partners lack the same capabilities. Having access to Companial’s developers and specialists has been an invaluable resource for us.”

Efficient Migration to Business Central Online with Companial

Try out seamless migrations with Companial, the Microsoft-appointed AIM Modernization Center. Access a range of migration solutions tailored for Microsoft Dynamics Partners. With our Migration and Modernization program, gain free access to assessments, tools, methods, and training, enabling you to effortlessly navigate cloud migrations for your valued customers. Ready to refine and streamline your migration process? Schedule a brief appointment with us today to explore the possibilities.