Call for Consultancy: Migrating Sage Accounting System from On-Premise to Azure Cloud

Background

The Department for World Service (hereafter called LWF World Service) responds to humanitarian emergencies and development needs on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In pursuance of its responsibility and based on its strategy, LWF World Service:

• Provides support to refugees, returnees, internally displaced people, their host communities, and communities at risk, emphasizing livelihoods, quality services, protection, and social cohesion,
• Establishes and runs country programs and emergency operations,
• Engages in cooperation and partnership with governmental and non-governmental organizations, relevant United Nations agencies and other structures involved in humanitarian and development programs as they link to its mandate.

World service uses Sage 300 ERP system is currently hosted on a local server based in Geneva where users connect through a VPN to enhance the security posture. The system gives access to users through different levels of access to modules (General Ledger, Accounts Receivables, Accounts, Payables, administrative and common services), and company databases managed by a data management team. However, this has presented connectivity issues across different areas of our operation. This has caused delays in connecting to the system and results in slow performance.

World Service is actively seeking the expertise of a cloud hosting service provider to address this challenge, with Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform on Azure Cloud, note that the selected company or consultant will be in charge only of Cloud Architecture, the Application implementation and data migration will be done by a different vendor.

Objectives of the assignment:

The primary objectives of this consultancy are as follows:

• This move allows a cloud hosting provider to supply dedicated infrastructure for running the application Sage 300
• Improve the efficiency, scalability, and security of the organization’s financial operations
• Provide online access across multiple geographical locations.
• Provide recommendations for an optimal IT setup that aligns with strategic goals and requirements of WS.

Scope of Work:

The vendor’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Azure Cloud Architecture Design

• Design an optimized Azure Cloud environment for hosting Sage 300.
• Ensure high availability, scalability, and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Implement security best practices, including encryption, identity management, and network protection.
• Test the system in the new environment to ensure all functionalities are working correctly.

Documentation

• Provide comprehensive documentation covering the new cloud architecture, migration process, and post-migration management.
• Include system configurations, maintenance guidelines, backup schedules, and disaster recovery protocols.

The consultant will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before accessing any proprietary data.

Requirements

To provide access to all data through remote servers across multiple geographical locations and support humanitarian operations in challenging environments.

• Data Security Host to ensure is deploying high-end security mechanisms with End-to-end data encryption, multi-factor authentication, multi-layered firewall system, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems, Access Controls, Integrated with O365 and incident response plans and data breach procedures
• Audit Trails Ensure logging mechanisms are in place to capture access logs, change logs, and other audit trails.
• Compliance: The solution must adhere to industry standards for financial data and comply with data residency regulations
• Network and Connectivity Adequate network connectivity to avoid latency issues in accessing the Sage system with sufficient bandwidth to accommodate data transfers and daily system usage.
• Storage space: Application Server specifications: 128GB RAM, 1TB storage (application+shared data), 350GB database
• SQL Server 128GB RAM, 512GB storage

Preliminary Technical Details:

• Azure Virtual Machines for Sage application and database servers
• Azure SQL Database for improved performance and scalability
• Azure ExpressRoute for secure, private connection to on-premises networks
• Azure Active Directory for enhanced identity management

Deliverables

The selected vendor will be expected to deliver the following for the migration of the Sage 300 Accounting System from an on-premise environment to Microsoft Azure Cloud:

1. Cloud Architecture Proposal
   • A detailed cloud architecture plan outlining the proposed infrastructure on Azure, leveraging Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This proposal should:
     • Support over 140 remote users with scalability and security in mind.
     • Include multiple data center locations to ensure redundancy and high availability.
     • Address infrastructure components (compute power, storage solutions, networking configurations, and security measures).
2. Azure Cloud Hosting Costs and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
   • A detailed breakdown of Azure cloud hosting expenses, including:
     • Compute resources (e.g., virtual machines, Azure Functions).
     • Storage (e.g., Azure Blob, Managed Disks).
     • Networking (e.g., VPN, Virtual Network, Bandwidth costs).
     • Backup and disaster recovery services.
     • Security services (e.g., identity management, firewalls, encryption).
     • Monitoring, logging, and optimization services.
     • Any ongoing costs related to maintenance and management.
3. Testing Cloud Access Infrastructure
   • Design, configure, and test the cloud access infrastructure required for hosting Sage 300 and supporting users.
   • Conduct performance assessments and confirm all relevant configurations are fully functional for system usage in the cloud.
4. Test Environment Setup
   • Set up a test environment to mirror the production environment in the Azure Cloud. The test environment should include:
     • Data migration: Transfer a subset of the Sage 300 database from the current on-premise environment to Azure.
     • User account setups: Create and configure user accounts, including permissions and access controls for the cloud environment.
     • System performance checks: Test for responsiveness, load performance, and accessibility from various locations for remote users.
5. Sage 300 Environment Infrastructure Setup
   • Set up the necessary cloud infrastructure required to host the Sage 300 application.
   • This includes ensuring all VMs, storage, networking, and security settings are properly configured and operational. (Note: The actual installation and configuration of the Sage 300 application will be handled by another vendor.)
6. Documentation and Diagrams
   • Provide all relevant documentation to support the delivered solution, including:
     • Detailed cloud architecture diagrams showing the layout of compute, storage, and network resources.
     • Configuration documentation for virtual machines, databases, security settings, and networking.
     • Performance reports and logs from testing the cloud environment.
     • Recommendations for ongoing monitoring and optimization of the cloud infrastructure.
     • Disaster recovery and backup plans, ensuring minimal downtime.

All deliverables should be designed to facilitate a smooth migration and ensure that the infrastructure is scalable, secure, and cost-efficient

Duration

1-2 weeks.

Profile of the vendor

The ideal candidate for this consultancy should possess the following qualifications:

• Azure Cloud Expertise: Expertise in setting up and managing cloud environments using Microsoft Azure, including the ability to scale resources, implement security protocols, and ensure cost optimization.
• Proven experience in IT industry and enterprise architecture, and organizational change management.
• Proven experience in ERP cloud hosting, offer IT support with flexible timing, and have multiple data center locations to support remote users
• In-depth knowledge of technology trends, security best practices, IT governance frameworks.
• Inclusion of client testimonials or endorsements from previous projects will be an added advantage.

Proposal Submission

Interested vendors are invited to submit their proposals by 30 September 2024, including a detailed project plan, proposed methodology, team composition, and cost estimates.

Location: Remote anywhere prefereably UTC+2 timezone

Contact Information
For any questions or clarifications related to the RFP contact fanor.camacho@lutheranworld.org

How to apply

Please apply through the recruitment platform at the following link:

https://lutheranworld.org/get-involved/open-positions#op-639617-call-for-consultancy-migrating-sage-accounting-system-from-onpremise-to-azure-cloud