How Microsoft Dynamics AX Helps Your Business
Microsoft Dynamics AX is one of Microsoft’s most complete enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solution. It consists of a specifically designed foundation that can run across five industries, and includes core ERP functionality for management of areas including human resources, operations and finances. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Microsoft Dynamics AX, discussing what it can achieve for your business. We’ll also look at the benefits of engaging a Dynamics AX consultant to help with your Dynamics AX implementation.
How does Microsoft Dynamics AX work?
Dynamics AX is such a powerful application that it would be difficult to explain how it works in such a short space. Additionally, it varies from business to business; every business is different and, as such, the ERP software must be designed differently to suit that business’s processes.
To give you a basic idea of how the software works, however, take a look at this example of how Dynamics AX can help an electronics store’s operation manager to forecast inventory, avoid situations where stock may run out, and place supplier orders…
An example of how Dynamics AX helps with supply chain management
Imagine an operations manager for an electronics store. He begins his day in the Microsoft AX dashboard, known as the Role Center — a personalised screen that helps the operations manager to track all the key metrics that he is responsible for managing. From the Role Center, the operations manager can quickly navigate to areas of interest — such as information relating to a key product.
In this example, the operations manager notices that there is a new TV that is in particularly high demand. Dynamics AX will capture all of this product’s key attributes, including those needed to manufacture and manage the product — attributes such as cost, dimensions and imagery.
Because the TV is in high demand, the operations manager looks into an all-in-one inventory forecast, which includes supply and demand. This makes it a breeze for him to recognise and correct potential shortages. He sees that, in September, there is going to be a shortage in inventory unless he takes action. To resolve this, he will create a new purchase order of 50 units to augment the supply.
What happens next?
Once that order has been created, he confirms the order and then approves it for transmission to his suppliers. This order for 50 units will be transmitted electronically to his supplier’s vendor portal, where the supplier will receive a notification that a new order has been placed. The supplier can then log into his own Dynamics AX software and see the new order, allowing him to get straight to work on manufacturing the new TVs.
Is it that simple?
While Dynamics AX can have huge benefits for your businesses, saving you money in the long term, implementing it is never as easy as it might seem. For this reason, it pays to have Dynamics consultants that are experienced in implementation of this software to work with you to help choose the correct software and customisations for your business, and also to help adjust your business processes to suit the ERP software.