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G7 G-Cloud 11 Service Definition Unit 4 Business World (Agresso) of 31

G7 Business Solutions Limited

G-Cloud 11 Service Definition

Cloud Hosting

Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Cloud Hosting & Managed Service / Support

Cloud Support

Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Technical Managed Service / Support

Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Application Managed Service / Support

Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Consultancy and Project Management Services

Document Name: G7 G-Cloud 11 Service Definition

Date: 05/04/2019

Version: 1.0

Author(s): Julie Munt


Table of Contents

1.0 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 3

1.1 ABOUT G7 ...................................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 G7 & QUICKTHINK CLOUD ......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 PARTNERSHIP WITH BLUE PLANET FOR WORLD LEADING INCOME MANAGER EXPERTISE ... 4 1.4 UNIT4 & G7................................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 THE G7 TEAM ................................................................................................................................ 5 1.6 CONTACT POINTS .......................................................................................................................... 6

2.0 G7 SERVICES RELATED TO THIS FRAMEWORK ............................................................ 7

2.1 CLOUD HOSTING - UNIT4 BUSINESS WORLD (AGRESSO) CLOUD HOSTING & MANAGED

SERVICE / SUPPORT ................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 CLOUD SUPPORT ......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.1 UNIT4 BUSINESS WORLD (AGRESSO) TECHNICAL MANAGED SERVICE / SUPPORT .................. 15 2.2.2 UNIT4 BUSINESS WORLD (AGRESSO) APPLICATION MANAGED SERVICE / SUPPORT ............... 20 2.2.3 UNIT4 BUSINESS WORLD (AGRESSO) CONSULTANCY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

............................................................................................................................................................... 26

SOME OF G7 CLIENTS .................................................................................................................... 31


1.0 Management Summary

G7 Business Solutions Limited, through QuickThink Cloud, supply Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Cloud Hosting solutions and Technical Managed Service. A cloud based system means managed database and operating support; the G7 Application Managed Service then also provides full application support; running alongside the onsite consultants, providing a complete service. The G7 Application Managed Service is run by dedicated support consultants, 8 of which are dedicated to UBW (Agresso). The large Consultancy team consists of highly qualified Consultants and Project Managers.

All support consultants for hosting, Technical Managed Service and Application Managed Service have been SC security cleared and all G7 Application Managed Service personnel are NPPV3 cleared.

G7 has been implementing UBW (Agresso) since 2001 with a large team of Senior Consultants and Project Managers. G7 will work alongside your cloud provider, (whether that be through G7 or through another provider) assisting you through all the stages of a typical cloud ERP implementation including planning, design, build, testing, go live and on-going support.

Further information can be found on our web site; www.g7bs.com and on QuickThink Cloud’s web

site; http://quickthinkcloud.com

1.1 About G7 G7 boast an impressive client list including names such as Argos, New Look, Nuffield Health and Maplin

from the Lawson world and coverage from each sector for the Unit4 (Agresso) Business World including

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Trust, Royal United Hospital Bath, Care UK, Shaw Trust, University of

Bath, University of London, Marie Stopes, Press Association, St James Place, Southend-on-Sea Borough

Council, University of the Arts London and Radius.

G7 Business Solutions Ltd started life in 2001 with an initial 20 clients and 14 employees, after taking on the

Lawson partnership from the Jon Hawkins Partnership. In the same year, we also set up the relationship

with Agresso, now Unit4 Business Software.

Since 2001 the company has maintained both the Lawson and the Agresso partnerships and their

associated business streams. There has also been successful diversification into other products such as

Space Time Research, Business Objects and V1 (formerly VersionOne).

Since then G7 has seen exciting growth, more than doubling the number of people and we are still actively

recruiting. We are expecting to maintain a healthy and balanced period of growth as new opportunities are

identified and moved into.

http://www.g7bs.com/

http://quickthinkcloud.com/


G7 work with many different cloud providers and can provide Cloud Hosting and Technical Managed

service through our partner, QuickThink Cloud.

G7 - Key facts

G7 is a privately held company – all shareholders are employees. If employees leave, their shares are bought back.

G7 has never lost a contracted client, except when they change to a different ERP system. Neither has G7 been involved in any litigation or experienced any bad debt.

G7 have obtained both the Cyber Essentials accreditation and ISO 9001.

1.2 G7 & QuickThink Cloud G7 have a close working relationship and partnership agreement with QuickThink Cloud for their

provision of Unit4 Business World (Agresso) technical services, Cloud Hosting and Technical Managed

Service.

QuickThink Cloud Limited (QTC) is an independent high-technology cloud innovator specialising in

providing Unit4 (Agresso) Business World cloud solutions (UBW), UBW Technical Managed Service

support and UBW Technical Consultancy to a wide range of sectors and organisations. Their key

consultants each have over a decade’s experience with the UBW application (both as senior

consultants within Unit4 and within the customer base) and look to use this knowledge to deliver

expert UBW technical consultancy, managed service support and advice to their customers.

1.3 Partnership with Blue Planet for world leading Income Manager expertise G7 have a close working relationship and back to back flow through partnership agreement with Blue

Planet for their provision of Income Manager expertise.

Blue Planet are a specialised team working on the complete Income Manager suite of modules,

including web payments. Their founder originated from Mentec in Ireland who were the original

developers of this application, prior to being taken over and becoming Unit4 Ireland.

Blue Planet have expertise that is second to none in this area and are still actively involved with Unit4

with R&D and enhancements to the product.


1.4 Unit4 & G7 G7, an accredited Unit4 partner, has been supplying implementation resource to Unit4 since 2001 and

has grown into one of the largest – and most trusted – of Unit4 partners. We have a large team of

Consultants and Project Managers, many ex Unit4. We are proud to say that every one of our staff

has joined the team by way of a personal recommendation and endorsement.

In 2015 we then extended our Application Managed Service, running since the mid 90’s for Infor Lawson,

to the Unit4 Business World product range. As of the beginning of 2019, we have over 50 UBW clients

enjoying the benefits it provides.

G7 have been leading and assisting with Unit4 Business World implementations across all sectors

including Education, Local Government, Not-for-Profit, Commercial and Retail. We cover all areas of

the product including Financials, Logistics, Project, Research, Fixed Assets, Income Manager, HR and

Payroll as well as technical areas such as tools, data migrations and interfaces. We even support

AG16s and Unit4 consultancy developed areas such as the Student Record Interface and HESA, within

the Education sector.

Having this relationship since 2001 means that the G7 Project Managers and Consultants understand

not just how the system operates but also how it is implemented and the methodologies used.

G7 has the skills and experience to:

➢ Lead cloud ERP projects

➢ Advise on business processes for cloud solutions

➢ Run solution design workshops

➢ Build and test cloud based systems

➢ Assistance with migrations to cloud

➢ Provide end-to-end training and end user management for cloud solutions

➢ Offer post go-live support either through onsite consultancy or through our Application Managed

Service

1.5 The G7 Team G7 has a team of highly qualified and experienced Support Consultants, Application Consultants and

Project Managers, covering both the application and technical side of the UBW products. We are proud to

say that every one of our staff has joined the team by way of a personal recommendation and

endorsement.


Application Managed Service Consultants

Our Application Managed Service team consists of 8 staff dedicated to UBW, the rest of the team cover both

U4BW and Lawson. These are dedicated support personnel and as with the application consultants, they

cover the full range of UBW modules.

Project Managers

Our Project Managers have managed some of the larger UBW Projects and are respected within the

implementation teams and within the client sites. Certifications include PRINCE II, APMP and APMQ.

Application Consultants

Our team of Unit4 experienced consultants come from a mixture of client side and Unit4. Their skill level

enables them to lead a project, run business process and solution design workshops, as well as assist with

the build and testing.

Many of the consultants are at a senior level and can act as work stream or implementation leads. There is

a good mix of skills with the consultants coming from either client side or Unit4. G7 work in

implementation teams, moving the teams from one site to the next after project closure. This ensures the

G7 team working for you have a close working relationship, which can only add to the benefit they can

provide to you on site.

1.6 Contact Points

The main point of contact for all G7 services is;

Julie Munt Business Development Manager G7 Business Solutions Ltd Block B Lawes House 66-68 Bristol Road Portishead Bristol BS20 6QG 01275 844 650 07469 158801 [email protected]

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


2.0 G7 services related to this framework

2.1 Cloud Hosting - Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Cloud Hosting & Managed Service / Support

G7, through QuickThink Cloud, offer its customers a comprehensive Cloud Hosted U4BW solution on G-Cloud 10, enabling cost effective and expert U4BW hosting on our proven cloud platform. The hosted solution that QuickThink Cloud provide is infinitely scalable, with no fixed-term contractual buy-in. Our customers can add / remove resources whenever and wherever necessary, with billing only reflecting the level of usage that is required.

A typical setup of such a hosted system is as follows:


The U4BW environments will be provisioned in two separate ways. The Agresso Web component will be hosted using Microsoft IIS webserver technology, with the Agresso Desktop Client being deployed using Citrix thin-client technology. Citrix can be substituted for other thin-client technologies if cost is a concern, plus a functional review can always be conducted in parallel to ascertain whether the latest Agresso Web client enables an organisation to potentially reduce the need for the Agresso Desktop Client.

Technical Support Model

Key to this Service Definition, G7 / QuickThink Cloud’s cloud-hosted support and managed service support delivers significant cost savings, efficiencies and expert support in the following areas:

• Exceptional Service Level Agreement (SLA), underpinned by service credits.

• End-to-end management of all aspects of the cloud-hosted solution, including unlimited environment / database restores and refreshes, software upgrade, update and hotfix patch management, Citrix thin-client management and deployment included.

• Technical Project Management is included with all hosted and managed service solutions as standard. This includes both the on-boarding and off-boarding processes.

• 24/7 Automated monitoring systems, covering the cloud systems at hardware level (CPU, Memory and Disk), OS-Level (Event Log monitoring, RDBMS monitoring, etc.) and specialist U4BW (Agresso) application monitoring, providing a highly specialised and robust proactive monitoring service.

• True 24/7 manned support for total peace of mind. Our 24/7 helpdesk is ready to take calls at any time should the need arise.

• Incident logging via multiple channels, including telephone, email, internet portal, smart phone portal and Skype for Business.

• Performance tuning for both the application and database components of the stack. Expert DBA’s and U4BW (Agresso) consultants ensure the system is running efficiently and effectively.

• All system management is conducted via fully Security Cleared (SC) individuals, with extensive experience in managing cloud-hosted U4BW (Agresso) systems.


Cloud Hosting Services Model

G7, through QuickThink Cloud, delivers exceptional cloud-hosted solutions through its highly agile enterprise cloud platforms. This allows for an infinitely scalable, innovative, robust and cost-effective platform that delivers exceptional performance and resilience. Unit4 Business World (Agresso) is delivered via QTC’s tried and tested cloud hosting methodology / platform, however additional systems can be hosted alongside U4BW for truly seamless integration.

The cloud hosting service revolves around the following key principals:

• Massive scalability. Resources can be added or removed whenever necessary.

• Flexible connectivity. VPN connectivity as standard, plus MPLS and other technologies are available to maximise performance and availability.

• 99.9% system availability fully backed up with service credit arrangement1.

• ‘Bulletproof’ backup solution, with extensive off-site backup capability and retention periods for total peace of mind.

• Extensive security model, isolating and separating traffic and allowing it to exist only within the scope of the owning customer organisation.

• Advanced Disaster Recovery, with continuous database replication and exceptional RPO and RTO’s.

• Technical Project Management is included as part of the service. This covers any migration / upgrade work, as well as technical projects that arise.

• Expert Agresso Support, with a dedicated team of Agresso technical consultants covering all aspects of service delivery and support.

• Maximum performance. The cloud platform utilises enterprise hardware and software to maximise performance / user experience, including performance tuning of the application and database.

1 Service credit for network / host downtime: 5% of the relevant charges for each 30 minutes of network downtime (or portion

thereof). Relevant charges are all those charges payable by the Customer to QTC in respect of the Hosted Service, Maintenance

Services and Support Services (excluding Charges payable in respect of Set-up Services and Additional Services (if any).


On Boarding and Off Boarding Process

48 hours to host the servers and 48 hours to remove the Customer from the servers.

Overview of Pricing

Due to the nature of Enterprise ERP systems and the vagaries of customer requirements, the price quoted will be dependent on specific aspects of configuration, modules / UK products utilised, network setup, security models, etc.

(Customer would be expected to provide their own U4BW (Agresso) license. G7 and QTC would therefore host and support the software on the cloud platform).

Demo System / Trial

G7 provide a free 30-day trial for any organisations that are considering / assessing our hosting services. These 30 days can be used to assess the validity of the service on offer and allows G7 to demonstrate both the speed and flexibility of the systems. As would be expected, organisations must provide a valid U4BW / Agresso license in order for this trial to take place.

Service Levels and Availability

Customers have the option of calling the G7 Application Managed Service team or the QuickThink Cloud team, depending on the services purchased. If only hosting and Technical Managed Service is purchased, the customer may prefer to contact QuickThink Cloud direct and utilise their online helpdesk system. This will ensure total visibility and accountability for any tickets logged by our customers (or via our automated monitoring systems). Customers can log incidents via email, telephone or directly via the helpdesk internet portal with QuickThink Cloud consultants alerted as soon as a new incident (or change request) is logged. QTC and G7 can also provide support via Skype for Business.

If the G7 Application Managed Service is also purchased the customer may prefer to contact this team who will then deal with all calls, involving the QuickThink Cloud team if applicable.

Service Reviews

Our helpdesk software produces service reports to demonstrate the QuickThink Cloud support team’s performance against the contracted SLA’s, allowing both the customer and senior management within G7 and QTC full visibility of the team’s monthly performance.


The service reviews also cover any issues that have been encountered during that period, as well as a Q&A session regarding previous, current and future service delivery. It also gives an opportunity for G7 to appraise the customer of new services that might be available to them. Such services might provide increased performance, better connectivity or a more cost-effective solution to a current issue.

Service Support Hours

There are two specific types of support hours that are available to customers, primarily focussing on the number of hours (in a day) that the service desk is actively answering questions, incidents and change requests. These are as follows:

CORE Support

G7, through QuickThink Cloud, offer a full U4BW (Agresso) Managed Service / hosting solution, including installation, upgrades, updates, system management, system architecture, problem resolution and 24/7 environment monitoring. G7 and QuickThink Cloud acts as a trusted extension of your existing Agresso project team, delivering support and solutions to facilitate the implementation / day to day running of your U4BW (Agresso) application.

CORE Support is standard UK Business Hours; 08:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday, excluding UK Public Holidays.

CORE 24 – 24/7 Support

As well as offering full Agresso managed service support during standard business hours, G7, through QuickThink Cloud, also offer a 24/7 emergency support offering (uplift) that allows an organisation to get in touch with a consultant if they are experiencing a critical issue with their system. QuickThink staff are available 24/7 to respond to any urgent issues the customer might encounter, with a fully manned out of hours’ helpdesk to deal with any calls.

CORE 24 Support is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Service Levels (SLA’s)

The following service levels are offered as part of the standard cloud hosted solution. These service levels have been constructed to ensure that any organisation using the cloud-hosted platform knows exactly what level of service they can expect when logging incidents of varying severity. The table below details the four (4) service levels that G7, through QuickThink Cloud, adhere to and also gives examples of the types of issues that are indicative of that priority level:


Priority Level Response Time Resolution Time Examples

Urgent 1 Support Hours 4 Support Hours • Agresso inaccessible for all users

• Data loss or corruption

High 2 Support Hours 4 Support Hours • Agresso inaccessible for some users

• Agresso services not processing

• Performance issues

• Database Refreshes

Medium 2 Support Hours 7 Business Days • Agresso hotfixes applied

• New instances created

• Software installation (UK products,

etc.)

• Other minor changes

Low 4 Support Hours 30 Business Days or as agreed by the parties

• General questions and advice

• Other major changes

As mentioned previously, customers are able to log tickets with G7 / QTC using the internet portal, telephone, email or via their smart phones. The requested priority level should be stated clearly on each service request and each incident must be assessed accurately based on the examples in the table above.

Ordering and Invoicing Process

The agreement for hosting would be updated by G7 for the customers’ requirements and emailed out for signature. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, the preferred billing method would be to commence on the 1st of the following month. Any days prior to the 1st would be rolled up and billed on the 1st along with the cost for that month.

Termination

Written months’ notice


Technical Requirements

The beauty of having an expert-hosted cloud Agresso environment is that the technical requirements for an organisation are minimal. Standard users will simply need a supported web browser to access the Agresso ERP software (IE9 or above), with Agresso Desktop users requiring a Citrix client installed on the PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. As might be expected, all these technical requirements are underpinned by the need to have a consistent connection to the internet in order to access the cloud hosted resources. However, organisations that require additional technical requirements will discover that these are also included within the standard hosting cost. This would typically include:

VPN Technology QuickThink Cloud offer unlimited VPN connections (where required) to any sites that an organisation requires access to. This ensures excellent communication links between the various offices and the hosted system, reducing IT overhead and increasing the resilience of the solution.

Active Directory Domain Trust(s)

QuickThink Cloud offer seamless Active Directory integration (where required) in order to enable SSO (single sign-on) technology, enhance security between the cloud-hosted and existing domain and also significantly reduce the admin overhead for an organisation’s IT teams. This allows the organisation to manage their users / access, ensuring best practices are adhered to.

Web Service Integration

QuickThink Cloud offer unlimited web-service integrations, allowing organisations to both read and write data using secure XML data standards. This is also true of the Unit4 Business World smart phone apps (which use the web services). QTC encrypts and secures these services as standard, allowing organisations to quickly (and securely) embrace the Agresso Smartphone Apps once they are on the QTC platform.

DNS Configurations

QuickThink Cloud manage all DNS configurations as standard, however the customer’s IT team are also welcome to manage this aspect of the service delivery if required. Split DNS configurations are possible to implement, with QTC consultants on-hand to assist with the process. As with all other technical requirements listed above, this service is fully offered as part of the service, with no additional uplift.

Certifications / Accreditations

All QTC services are built on Interoute’s strategic service management philosophy to integrate industry proven practices, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), ISO 20000 and ISO27001, with our innovative, flexible and secure computing solutions. Interoute manages a semi-annual combined ISAE 3402 and SSAE 16 Type II report which supports Interoute’s commitment to providing secure, high-availability and quality solutions to our customers.


Interoute holds CAS(t) accreditation to OFFICIAL (IL2). This is required to provide secure networking and hosting services to the UK Government and public sector organisations. It includes:

CESG CAS(t) IL 2-2-4 CESG Assured Service (Telecoms) Scheme – Impact Level 2-2-4 525

CESG CAS(t) IL 2-2-4 CESG Assured Service (Telecoms) Scheme – Impact Level 2-2-4 Encryption Overlay Service Slice for Off-Net Services 526

In addition to the above, Interoute is fully compliant with the Cloud Security Principals which is clearly evidenced via the controls attested to in the ISO27001:2013 certification.

Datacentre Locations

All primary datacentres are located within the UK (London and Slough), giving customers the peace of mind that their data firmly comes under British jurisdiction. These datacentres ensure that any customers utilising the standard cloud hosting solution immediately benefit from a locally-hosted solution to ensure maximum performance and connectivity.

QTC also operates within a significant number of other datacentres located both within the EU and also the rest of world. This provides public sector organisations that have a multi-national presence (or need to communicate with organisations outside the UK) with additional capabilities. There is no additional cost for using additional datacentres, other than the resources utilised within them.

Data Restoration / Service Migration

G7 ensure that organisations can seamlessly migrate from one service to another, as is proven with our extensive customer-base. Professional service costs associated with such a migration are fully covered under the standard hosted support agreement. This includes migrations (the traditional ‘lift and shift’ approach), upgrades and any other professional service costs associated with migrating an Agresso system into (or out of) the cloud.

Advanced Backup Software is utilised to ensure that data can be securely backed up and restored, underpinning the flexibility and robustness of this service. This data is highly portable, as it uses industry standard technologies to backup, encrypt, secure the restore the data. Such backup / restoration facilities are included as standard within any hosting package, ensuing a smooth and well-defined process.


Bandwidth Requirements

Bandwidth requirements for QTC hosted environments are minimal. Users accessing the Agresso Desktop application (via Citrix) require 15kpbs (on average). Web users’ bandwidth demands will vary, but these are more likely to be presented as (very small) peaks and troughs rather than an average session speed. These demands are no more significant than with any modern, highly optimised web-based application.

Customer Responsibilities

There are very few responsibilities for the customer to consider, as the G7 solution is essentially self-contained and expertly managed on the customer’s behalf. However, there are some responsibilities that will always require a small level of customer intervention. These are as follows:

1st Line Technical Support. G7 and QTC’s technical and hosted support offering is for 2nd and 3rd line technical support. Therefore, any incidents would be logged with an organisations internal helpdesk function in the first instance.

Network Specialist. At the project initiation, a network specialist may be required if the customer decides to make use of a VPN connection to the QTC cloud. They would liaise with a QTC network engineer to exchange the relevant security details and test connectivity.

Active Directory (AD) Specialist. At the project initiation, the customer will need to provide an AD specialist to work with a QTC consultant to enable the domain trust (for SSO provision). Once the Trust is in place, it is likely the specialist will not be needed.

Software installation. The customer’s IT team would be expected to install any local software the

solution requires. Whilst this varies between organisations, it would typically involve the installation

of the Citrix Receiver client, a vendor-supported internet browser and (for advanced users)

Microsoft Excel.

2.2 Cloud Support

2.2.1 Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Technical Managed Service / Support

Technical Support Model

Key to this Service Definition, G7 through QuickThink Cloud’s Technical Managed Service support delivers significant cost savings, efficiencies and expert support in the following areas:

Exceptional Service Level Agreement (SLA), underpinned by service credits.


End-to-end management of all aspects of the solution, including unlimited environment / database restores and refreshes, software upgrade, update and hotfix patch management, Citrix thin-client management and deployment included.

Technical Project Management is included with all hosted and managed service solutions as standard. This includes both the on-boarding and off-boarding processes.

24/7 Automated monitoring systems, covering the cloud systems at hardware level (CPU, Memory and Disk), OS-Level (Event Log monitoring, RDBMS monitoring, etc.) and specialist U4BW (Agresso) application monitoring, providing a highly specialised and robust proactive monitoring service.

True 24/7 manned support for total peace of mind. Our 24/7 helpdesk is ready to take calls at any time should the need arise.

Incident logging via a number of channels, including telephone, email, internet portal, smart phone portal and Skype for Business.

Performance tuning for both the application and database components of the stack. Expert DBA’s and U4BW (Agresso) consultants ensure the system is running efficiently and effectively.

All system management is conducted via fully Security Cleared (SC) individuals, with extensive experience in managing cloud-hosted U4BW (Agresso) systems.

Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Technical Managed Services Model – Cloud Support

For those customers that host their own Agresso system using a third-party hosting provider, the Agresso Technical Managed Service offers immediate expert Agresso Technical Support and consultancy. Organisations can overlay this service onto their existing infrastructure to provide a full Agresso technical support solution, delivered by fully SC security cleared Agresso experts and perfectly suited to Agresso implementations that are not hosted directly by QTC.

The managed service includes the following key services:

Comprehensive support solution. The Agresso Technical Managed Service covers both the Agresso system and all its associated touchpoints, including operating system, RDBMS, thin-client delivery solution and other related stack components. Add to this the G7 Application Managed Service and the Customer receives a fully managed service for their Cloud applications.

Unlimited environment restores. Minimise downtime and remove bottlenecks by utilising QTC’s unlimited environment refresh policy. Any environment can be restored into another, with fast response and restore times.


Continuous monitoring service. Ensures that the Agresso system (servers, OS, application, etc.) is monitored 24/7 as part of the service. Proactive resolution of any issues caught by the automated monitoring.

Extensive Support. The U4BW Technical Managed Service covers all aspects of Agresso technical delivery, including the Core Product, UK Products, Localisation, Customisations and any other non-standard Agresso configuration.

Patch Support. All Agresso upgrades, updates and hotfixes are included within the service charge. Additionally, Windows Server patching is also included, with a documented and structured patch methodology to minimise the risk of patch management.

System Security. A system security audit is always completed as part of the standard Technical Managed Service. This includes using specialist Agresso knowledge to look for Agresso vulnerabilities, as well as using industry standard tools to identify any wider issues with the platform.

On-boarding / off-boarding. On-boarding and off-boarding is included as part of the service, ensuring total coverage of all the activities required for a successful service adoption.

On Boarding and Off Boarding Process

48 hours to host the servers and 48 hours to remove the Customer from the servers

Overview of Pricing

A typical Technical Managed Service would cover all aspects of the support provided on the G7 and QTC cloud-hosted platform above, but it is layered onto your existing third-party cloud provider. It is one price based on the environments and modules to be covered. A technical system audit is recommended which would be charged at a day’s consultancy plus expenses and VAT.

Service Levels and Availability

Customers have the option of calling the G7 Application Managed Service team or the QuickThink Cloud team, depending on the services purchased. If only hosting and Technical Managed Service is purchased, the customer may prefer to contact QuickThink Cloud direct and utilise their online helpdesk system. This will ensure total visibility and accountability for any tickets logged by our customers (or via our automated monitoring systems). Customers can log incidents via email, telephone or directly via the


helpdesk internet portal with QuickThink Cloud consultants alerted as soon as a new incident (or change request) is logged. QTC and G7 can also provide support via Skype for Business.

If the G7 Application Managed Service is also purchased the customer may prefer to contact this team who will then deal with all calls, involving the QuickThink Cloud team if applicable.

Service Reviews

Our helpdesk software produces service reports to demonstrate the QuickThink Cloud support team’s performance against the contracted SLA’s, allowing both the customer and senior management within G7 and QTC full visibility of the team’s monthly performance.

The service reviews also cover any issues that have been encountered during that period, as well as a Q&A session regarding previous, current and future service delivery. It also gives an opportunity for G7 to appraise the customer of new services that might be available to them. Such services might provide increased performance, connectivity or a more cost-effective solution to a current issue.

Service Support Hours

There are two specific types of support hours that are available to customers, primarily focussing on the number of hours (in a day) that the service desk is actively answering questions, incidents and change requests. These are as follows:

CORE Support G7 through QuickThink Cloud offer a full U4BW (Agresso) Managed Service, including installation, upgrades, updates, system management, system architecture, problem resolution and 24/7 environment monitoring. QuickThink Cloud acts as a trusted extension of your existing Agresso project team, delivering support and solutions to facilitate the implementation / day to day running of your U4BW (Agresso) application. CORE support is included as standard.

CORE Support is standard UK Business Hours; 08:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday, excluding UK Public Holidays.

CORE 24 – 24/7 Support As well as offering full Agresso managed service support during standard business hours, G7 through QuickThink Cloud also offer an additional 24/7 emergency support offering (uplift) that allows an organisation to get in touch with a consultant if they are experiencing a critical issue with their system. QuickThink staff are available 24/7 to respond to any urgent issues the customer might encounter, with a fully manned out of hours’ helpdesk to deal with any calls.

CORE 24 Support is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Service Levels (SLA’s)

The following service levels are offered as part of the standard Technical Managed Service solution. These service levels have been constructed to ensure that any organisation using the Agresso Technical Managed Service knows exactly what level of service they can expect when logging incidents of varying


severity. The table below details the four (4) service levels that QuickThink Cloud adhere to and also gives examples of the types of issues that are indicative of that priority level:

Priority Level Response Time Resolution Time Examples

Urgent 1 Support Hours 4 Support Hours • Agresso inaccessible for all users

• Data loss or corruption

High 2 Support Hours 4 Support Hours • Agresso inaccessible for some users

• Agresso services not processing

• Performance issues

• Database Refreshes

Medium 2 Support Hours 7 Business Days • Agresso hotfixes applied

• New instances created

• Software installation (UK products,

etc.)

• Other minor changes

Low 4 Support Hours 30 Business Days or as agreed by the parties

• General questions and advice

• Other major changes

As mentioned previously, customers are able to log tickets with G7 / QTC using the internet portal, telephone, email or via their smart phones. The requested priority level should be stated clearly on each service request and each incident must be assessed accurately based on the examples in the table above.

Ordering and Invoicing Process

The agreement for Technical Managed Service would be updated by G7 for the customers’ requirements and emailed out for signature. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, the preferred billing method would be to commence on the 1st of the following month. Any days prior to the 1st would be rolled up and billed on the 1st along with the cost for that month.

Termination

Written months’ notice.


Customer Responsibilities

There are very few responsibilities for the customer to consider, as the G7 solution is essentially self-contained and expertly managed on the customer’s behalf. However, there are some responsibilities that will always require a small level of customer intervention. These are as follows:

1st Line Technical Support. G7 and QTC’s technical and hosted support offering is for 2nd and 3rd line technical support. Therefore, any incidents would be logged with an organisations internal helpdesk function in the first instance.

Network Specialist. At the project initiation, a network specialist may be required to liaise with a QTC network engineer to exchange the relevant security details and test connectivity so that remote support could be provided.

Microsoft Server Specialist. At the project initiation, the customer will need to provide a Microsoft Server specialist to work with a QTC consultant to ensure that the correct level of access is awarded, as well as enabling any monitoring software that might be required as part of the service delivery.

2.2.2 Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Application Managed Service / Support

Overview of the Service

G7 are the sole provider of Application Managed Service in the UK for the Lawson product, having

provided this service to major household names such as Argos, New Look, and Maplin for over 20

years. G7 opened up the service to UBW clients in October 2015 and the interest has been high with

many clients now signed up and enjoying the benefits the service provides.

G7 offer a unique and different service to other Unit4 partners as we run a dedicated support desk with

support consultants, not application consultants.

The dedicated AMS team includes 8 personnel dedicated to UBW, most being ex Unit4. These people

only cover support and do not go on the road covering consultancy.

The Application Managed Service can take the pressure off your in-house team, as G7 work alongside

you on your internal support desk. Ideal for sites where the internal team is struggling with the workload

or the opposite, where your systems administrator isn’t fully utilised. Another ideal scenario is where

your internal team get immersed in business as usual calls, allowing no time for development.

Another area this service can be used for is remote consultancy; consultancy style help, delivered in a

support style service. This means you don’t have to save up all your issues for a day’s on-site

consultancy, you can call the helpdesk when the issue arises. A consultant usually specialises in one area

only whereas with the Application Managed Service, you have access to many different people and

knowledge sets.


The Service allows you to log anything you like with the Application Managed Service team and in

essence G7 becomes another systems administrator or a remote consultant. G7 can talk users through

areas such as training issues, how to do things, loading new attributes, reconciliations that are not

working, small development projects, help with reports and workflow; anything that a systems

administrator / internal support person would normally respond to. G7 are also happy to work with

users new to the system, working with them to raise their knowledge level.

G7 cover the full suite of UBW products; Financials, Logistics, Project, Research, Fixed Assets, Income

Manager, HR and Payroll and UBW tools such as ARC (UBW Report Creator). Also, Unit4 consultancy

developed areas such as HESA and the Student Record Interface. G7 would also be happy to cover any

workarounds in the system, along with any AG16s and triggers (these are areas not covered by your

Unit4 support contract).

For further information, please see;

http://www.g7bs.com/services/erp-application-managed-service

The customer is able to take this service as a continuing support service or for a couple of months to

help with resource intensive periods, such as upgrades, year end’s or go lives’; it is your choice. G7

provide a weekly report of all the calls logged, the actions taken and the time.

G7 can become a valuable resource in your internal support team, helping you cope with the peaks and

troughs in demand for your service, whist only paying for the hours you use.

Examples of how existing G7 clients have used the service include;

➢ Releasing the system administrator from business as usual calls allowing time for development

➢ Taking on all the system administration functions

➢ The client’s team are involved with an upgrade, G7 are handling the calls from the users

➢ Offering an alternative to on-site consultancy during an upgrade

➢ Supporting an interface developed by the Unit4 consultancy team, also AG16s and triggers

➢ Remote build and testing

➢ Concentrated effort over a couple of months to reduce a client’s list of outstanding issues

➢ Assistance with unit testing of a new version

➢ Assistance with upgrading report engines



On boarding and off boarding service

On signing of an agreement for Application Managed Service, G7 request that a 1 or 2-day, system configuration extract is carried out, detailing the workings of the system. (Dependent on the number of UBW / Agresso clients). This information is then passed back to the Application Managed Service desk, ensuring detailed knowledge of the system from the first call. The customer will get a full copy of the extraction. It also acts as baseline document that can be later referred back to. G7 will also ask the Customer to complete a questionnaire about their system; again, providing us with additional information to support you effectively.

The next step is then a technical call to discuss access to the system, including the cloud service provider. If this provider is through G7, using QuickThink Cloud, this access is immediate.

G7 has also worked with the Unit4 hosting and technical managed team on many occasions and support clients through this service.

If the client wishes to terminate the agreement, any documentation produced stays with the client and G7 upon request, would delete all information regarding that client and their calls from the Sunrise call logging system.


Overview of pricing

Pricing is by the hour. G7 do not round up, only the actual minutes used are recorded. The minimum contract per month is 5 hours, with no maximum.

Banding exists in that the more hours you purchase, the lower the rate.

The preferred billing is on the 1st of the month for the following month. The number of hours pre-billed each month can be amended prior to the 1st.

The Sunrise call logging system produces a usage report each week, which is passed to the customer for full visibility of the hours used.

There is an over usage charge for any hours used over and above the contracted amount.

For all Application Managed Service contracts, there is a £15 per month fixed administration charge.

All prices are exclusive of VAT.

No expenses are incurred as all the work is carried out remotely. If the client requested a support consultant to go to site, for example, on day 1 of development work to discuss requirements, expenses would then be incurred. Expenses would be incurred for the onsite system audit, along with a day’s consultancy rate.

Service constraints

If full access is granted by the Cloud provider for the G7 Staff, there should be no constraints over what can be covered. If access is limited, the amount of help we can give may also be limited.

The service hours can be used for anything that the customer needs including;

➢ Workflow set up and amendment ➢ System administration roles such as setting up new users ➢ Assistance with report writing ➢ Assistance with upgrading to the latest report engine ➢ Assistance with the migration to Cloud ➢ Data migration assistance ➢ Remote build ➢ Remote testing ➢ Small development projects ➢ User management, assisting the users with their cloud solutions


Service levels and availability

The Application Managed Service desk is open from 9:00 to 17:30 5 days per week, excluding UK bank holidays. Out of hours support can be organised upon request. Additional fees would apply.

Any critical system downs would normally be covered by the SLA’s from the Cloud Provider. The SLA’s for G7 through QuickThink Cloud, are listed in section 2.1 above.

For any bugs, the customer would still log calls with the Unit4 support desk (or request G7 do so on their behalf).

The response times for the Application Managed Service are shown below;

G7 shall endeavour to provide the following resolution of reported faults by Off-site Services:

URGENT HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Application System Down/Agreed Business Critical Process not working

Important Business Process not working

Operational Process Not working

Minor bugs, faults or loss of some functionality

The entire Agresso system is inaccessible or a mutually agreed business critical feature is not working, and no work around is available resulting in the client not being able to continue their normal course of business

An important business process is not working causing major inconvenience but the client is not prevented from carrying out their normal course of business

A feature of the system is not working causing the client some, but not major inconvenience

Minor issue

Response – 1 hour Response – 1 hour Response – 1 hours Response – 4 hours


Resolution – 4 hours Resolution – 1 day Resolution – 3 days Resolution – Within such a period as is reasonable in the circumstances or as agreed with the client

In certain circumstances the identified resolution may require the call to be routed to a more suitable third party, for example, the Unit4’s Support Centre .

Ordering and Invoicing process

The agreement for the Application Managed Service would be updated by G7 for the customers’ requirements and emailed out for signature. At the same time the call regarding connectivity would take place. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, the preferred billing method would be to commence on the 1st of the following month. Any days prior to the 1st would be rolled up and billed on the 1st along with the cost for that month.

Terminating the call off contract

After the initial 3 months of the agreement, the agreement becomes a rolling month agreement. As long as the customer informs us before the 1st of the following month, the agreement can be terminated.

Technical requirements

G7 would require the following connections into your Cloud system to ensure the optimum level of support;

➢ Database read only access to all environments ➢ Management Console ➢ All Agresso client environments (SUPER and SYSTEM access) ➢ Access to Agresso file folders e.g. Data files, report writer, Web Services c:\Program

files\ and c:\program files (x86) ➢ Access to actual servers rather than just short cuts ➢ Report Engine and Acrobat/Excel on each server to support reports


2.2.3 Unit4 Business World (Agresso) Consultancy and Project Management Services

Overview of the Service

New Cloud Implementations

Establishing a new ERP system such as Unit4 Agresso or Lawson, in a cloud environment, is an exciting and

challenging time for any business. It will open up many new opportunities, and help an organisation grow

and flourish.

But a successful implementation requires experience and expertise – which is why G7 is such a trusted

provider of full ERP software implementation. Our services include:

➢ project management of both the application and the migration to a Cloud based solution

➢ application consultancy for design, build, testing and ‘go live’

➢ training

➢ technical consultancy (including ARC and Crystal reporting)

➢ and ongoing business-as-usual support

G7 have been implementing Unit4 (Agresso) Business World for nearly 20 years, and Lawson for over 20

years. We can assist you through all the stages of a typical Cloud ERP implementation. We will highlight

areas that need consideration, potential risks, and any resources you may require.

Phase 1, Plan: Project planning and initiation

Phase 2, Design: Business requirement and solution design

Phase 3, Build: Development and build

Phase 4, Test: Integrated systems testing and user acceptance testing

Phase 5, Deploy: Deployment of the Cloud solution

Phase 6, Close: Complete the project

Phase 7, Support: Ongoing support and business-as-usual, using G7 Application Managed Service

Upgrading in a Cloud Environment

G7 use the unique combination of the G7 Application Managed Service and on-site consultancy. As a

tried and trusted provider of Unit4 products, G7 is in an ideal position to support your business before,

during and following its upgrade process.

Many of our Agresso consultants are former members of the Unit4 team or from Unit4 customer sites, and

so have considerable expertise in current and legacy versions of Agresso.


It can be difficult to judge how much help you require with testing and re configuring an upgrade until the

database has been converted. G7 offer upgrade packages that consist of on-site consultancy and the G7

Application Managed Service (AMS), a more effective and efficient way of handling your upgrade.

The first task would be for the G7 Project Manager to attend site for a planning meeting. In the meantime,

the Customer can be logging a support request with Unit4 for the updated software.

The first phase of work is then a system configuration extract on the current version, showing the current

set-up, followed by the physical upgrade of the database.

Following this, G7 consultancy would then run a second system configuration extract on the updated version,

feeding into mandatory parameter changes and a differences workshop. The difference workshop will

highlight to the Customer the changes that will need to be made to the system following the upgrade.

Discussions can also be had regarding any additional functionality the Customer may want to add. One area

that will need to be changed, if not already implemented, would be the move to incoming invoice workflow;

which replaces supplier and purchase workflow in Milestone 7.

Following the test upgrade and workshop, the Customer can then test and re configure the upgrade

themselves and use the G7 Application Managed (AMS) for any issues that may arise. The AMS is based

around consultancy style help, delivered in a support style service. This means you don’t have to save up all

your queries for a days on-site consultancy, you can call the helpdesk when the issue arises. You are also not

reliant on one consultant having all the skills necessary to answer your queries; you have access to a

dedicated team of UK based support personnel, 8 dedicated to the UBW product. With the G7 AMS you pay

for the hours you use and use it when you want to. The customer is able to take this service as a continuing

support service or just during the upgrade; it is your choice.

Other customers require help with design and carrying out any additional build required. For this, G7 have a

large team of Consultants and Project Managers, who would work on site, alongside the G7 Application

Managed Service.

On occasions, and if appropriate, remote build can be carried out by the G7 Application Managed Service

team.

G7 has many years’ experience in scoping requirements and delivering these types of projects. In particular,

G7 can help you navigate common upgrade challenges:

➢ Hidden bespoke. G7 can visit the site prior to the upgrade, and carry out a health check of your

current set up. This will highlight any ‘bespoke’ areas that either need to be taken across during

the upgrade or re-engineered using new functionality in the product.

➢ UBW AG16s. Many UBW implementations have AG16s as part of the set-up. Under the G7

Application Managed Service, G7 can support these and carry out any changes required due to

http://www.g7bs.com/services/erp-consultancy-services










the upgrades. Please note, AG16s are not supported within your Uni4 support contract but can

be placed on support with G7.

➢ Review of/close unused Workflow processes

➢ Testing transactions in Workflow at point of cutover through to end of process

➢ Testing new transactions end-to-end

➢ Review of new functionality and scope to incorporate in upgrade, particularly where

functionality is being phased out

➢ Review of existing business processes and scope to include improvements as part of

upgrade

➢ Comprehensive cutover plan identifying responsibilities and deadlines for each activity

Finding in-house resource for an upgrade is not always easy. G7 would always recommend having at least

one full-time equivalent to work on the upgrade, but can offer assistance via Consultancy Services or through

the Application Managed Service. The Application Managed Service desk can also offer backfill resource

whilst your most knowledgeable and experienced staff work on the upgrade.

On boarding and off boarding service

Upon receipt of a purchase order or an order form, resources would be allocated. A full internal handover would take place between the G7 employee liaising with the customer up to this point and the Project Manager and Consultants taking on the work.

Following this internal handover, a handover on the customer site will take place, with the G7 employee liaising with the customer up to this point, the G7 allocated Project Manager and the consultant assigned, if applicable. It may also be felt that a representative from the Cloud provider should also be present.

Following receipt of an order, the customer should expect a contact from G7 within 72 hours with the aim to book the internal handover and the initial planning meeting on site. The dates of any onsite days would then be discussed at this meeting and confirmed shortly after.

When the project is complete, the G7 Project Manager will organise an onsite project close meeting, with the same representatives present at the initial planning meeting. The original aims of the project will be reviewed as to whether they have been completed satisfactorily and if not, actions that can be put in place to achieve.

Overview of pricing

Pricing is based on a 7.0-hour day and a banding / discount applies for orders of more than 10 days.

The same rate applies to all G7 Project Management and Consultancy resource.

http://www.g7bs.com/services/erp-consultancy-services


https://www.g7bs.com/services/erp-application-managed-service


Expenses are incurred.

Prices are exclusive of VAT.

Service constraints

The G7 employees would need access to the system whilst on site. Any limitations in access may affect the level of service that can be offered.

Service levels and availability

Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:30, excluding UK bank holidays. Out of hours’ work can be organised upon request. An additional fee would apply.

Ordering and Invoicing process

Days should be ordered via the framework order form. Upon receipt, the dates will be allocated.

Invoicing will incur at the beginning of the month for the previous month’s delivery.

Terminating the call off contract

If the Customer and G7 have agreed specific dates for delivery of Services and for any reason the

Customer cancels or defers the arrangements or the Services cannot for any reason, be provided by G7

due to the Customer’s actions or failure to act (including but not limited to the Customer failing to meet

the pre-requisites specified by G7) the Customer agrees to pay:

➢ 50% of the relevant fee if the cancellation/deferment takes place within seven (7) working days prior to the date of delivery of the Services and 100% of the fee if the cancellation/deferment (including non-provision of the Services) takes place within 72 working hours prior to the date of delivery of the Services (in the event of deferment/cancellation/non-provision of the Services due to the acts or omissions of the Customer, then G7 will use all reasonable endeavours to redeploy the Personnel affected and will only charge this fee if it is unable to redeploy such Personnel on other chargeable work); and

➢ any costs which G7 incurs as a result of the cancellation, for example, travel or accommodation costs.

Outside of these, as the contract is on a time and materials basis, any unused days will not be invoiced. The customer would be given the option of moving any unused days into an Application Managed Service agreement if required.


Technical requirements

The consultant would need access to the system whilst on site to ensure the work can be carried out.

➢ Database read only access to all environments ➢ Management Console ➢ All Agresso client environments (SUPER and SYSTEM access) ➢ Access to Agresso file folders e.g. Data files, report writer, Web Services c:\Program

files\ and c:\program files (x86) ➢ Access to actual servers rather than just short cuts ➢ Report Engine and Acrobat/Excel on each server to support reports


Some of G7 Clients

G7 Business Solutions Limited - GOV UK · to the Unit4 Business World product range. As of the...

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