Michael Gaskell ACMA CGMA    LinkedIn

Dynamics Consultant

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• 2 Year+ D365FO Experience 

• 11 Years Dynamics AX experience (2009 & 2012R3)  

• 5 Years end-to-end Development & implementation cycle’s in Dynamics.

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A confident Dynamics Functional Consultant and CIMA Accountant with a proven record of commitment, reliability and drive. Experience within high revenue, transactional and fast paced retailers has led to Smart and Innovative ways of resolving challenges. 

With experience in a wide variety of financial processes from Transactional level to Strategic planning, as well as Project evaluation, Modelling to ERP development and implementation. Excellent problem solving and logical thinking compliment very strong excel knowledge.

 

With a natural ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and directors both formally and casually, as well as financially and non-financially. An easy going, fun and friendly disposition rounds off the hard working person. Keen to expand on Functional and Solution experience within the Microsoft platform.

 

Key Career Achievements

• 5 ERP System Implementations (to AX2009, AX2012 R3 & D365).
  Including migrating from Bespoke systems, Sage, Oracle and older versions of Dynamics.

• Functional Lead for the OneAO D365 Transformation programme. This 3 year programme which started in Jan 2020

• Many Successful Functional Design and Project management implementations in the UK, Germany and Netherlands.

• Problem solving through the implementation of systematic improvements.

• Business Partnering with Exec team for Strategic planning.

• Management and completion of Financial Audits, Management Accounts & Statutory Reporting within a PLC enterprise.

• Member of SMT & BC Teams.

• Profit increase & Cost reduction plans.

• Governance Implementation and Fraud Investigation (KYC, Vat735b, GDPdU & GDPR)

• Outsourcing & Shared Service Centre merging.

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Dynamics Modules
Extensive knowledge in the following Key Modules, although competent in many others; 

Finance: Cash & Bank, Credit & Collections, GL, FA, PL, SL, Tax
Operations: HR, Retail, POS, Org Admin, Procurement & Sourcing, Stock Management, Sys Admin.
As well as using Azure DevOps & the Power Platform

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Work Experience 
 

AO World plc, 5a Parklands, Lostock, Bolton
 

Nov 2016 to present
 

AO World plc is the parent company encompassing UK operations ao.com (AO Retail, AO Mobile), elekdirect ltd and The Recycling Group, as well as European operations. The key focus of AO is online electrical retail, with revenues in excess of £1bn a year.

 

Part of the in-house Dynamics development team, reporting to the Systems and Process Manager. With Finance being the core users of Dynamics, Finance consultation is the largest part of my remit. As WMS, CRM, Sales and Procurement were bespoke systems I gained experience in many of the equivalent modules in dynamics due to integrating the systems (via X++, DMF and AIS), and in later years through the Transformation programme.
 

 

Lead Dynamics Functional Consultant  June-20 to Present

 

Project ‘Canterbury’ part of the D365 Transformation. 6 month trial for a new market place, taking AO into physical Stores. Pilot for full ERP use of D365 including Retail POS with several integrations around Pricing and Relex Ordering within the Current core AO systems.
Responsible for ensuring success of the Functional elements of the Trial.
Responsible for and BRD review & FDD/IDD sign off for documents produced by Gold Partner. Responsible for the Design and implementation of Functional Processes identified in the Business Requirements.
Leading 1 Retail Functional consultant part way through the project.

Project ‘PANDA’ Transformation of Finance and Procurement consolidating 4 systems into D365. Whilst future proofing design to incorporate the WMS & CRM Transformation once the business is ready.
Consulting on Finance and leading a Retail Consultant and an additional T&L Consultant.

 

Dynamics Finance Consultant  June-18 to June-20

 

Directly responsible for Functional Design, Data Migration and Testing functions. Responsible for overseeing the Development sign off.

Providing Functional consultation to the 3 Dynamics Project Accountants, Finance users and wider IT functions. 

Providing guidance and support to different companies within the group (9 using AX2012 and 1 entity implementing D365). 

Successful implementation of Sage to D365 implementation as the first project in the D365 transformation - AO Mobile.

Implementing and monitoring IT Controls to aid Audit and system security. 

 

Project Accountant   November-16 to June-18

 

My key focus was the delivery of business-critical projects. At any one time I was tasked with focusing on several large strategic projects, as well as a number of small, self-identified, projects aimed at continual improvement.

 

These projects are largely Dynamics AX 2012 based, but also touch other bespoke systems used for CRM, Purchasing and Stock management, as well as Excel based processes.

Notable Projects implemented with AO:

- 2 Implementations from Sage (one to 2012 & one to D365)
- Iterative deployments of group projects and function improvements from request to deployment using Agile methods.

- Integrations with 3rd party systems both internal and external (i-series, Oracle & Concur utilising DIXF)

- VAT 735 development for Mobile Phone resale, in line with EU VAT regulations.

- Creation of AX2012 companies including complex Cost Centres Reporting.

- PO system implementation

- Query Management system using Cases, to automate PL Stock queries and credit matching.

- Importing of Credit notes via DIXF for matching to PO’s via Invoice Pool.

- Implementation and Training of a supplier lead Agency Model for a new sales process.

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BT Business and Public Sector / Dabs.com Plc, Middlebrook, Bolton

Jun 2007 to Nov 2016

 

Dabs.com/BT Shop/BT Business direct Ltd  is part of the wider BT Business reporting to BT Group Plc – the Entity I worked in was an IT Reseller c£180m Revenue and 50,000 Customers, with an average AOV of £200. Servicing Consumers, SME and Corporate customers - Using Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009.

 

Finance Business Partner   (Dabs.com/BT)  April-16 to Nov-16

 

Reporting directly to the Finance Director, my duties mainly focused with business partnering Sales Director and CFO. I also helped to cover Purchasing and Commercial Business partners, when required, supporting other members of the board.

 

Responsibilities included: 

Supporting the leadership team with Project Appraisals, Modelling and Implementation. Data modelling, reporting and analysis in a value-add role. 

Continual review and Improvement of sales effectiveness & commissioning

Finance Business Expert for reviewing and mapping processes for system changes.
Member of the Senior Management Team  and the Change Board.
 

Finance Manager     (Dabs.com/BT) Nov 14 – April 16

Assistant Accountant      (Dabs.com/BT)  Jan 2011 – Nov 2014

Purchase Ledger Clerk     (Dabs.com/BT)  Jun 2007 - Jan 2011

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Qualifications

CIMA - Fully Qualified (ACMA CGMA)

AAT - Technician NVQ level 4
A level - Economics, Maths, Sociology

GCSE - 9 GCSEs Inc. Maths (A), Statistics (A), Spanish (C), French (B)