Dynamics GP WMS ISV Partner With Nationwide Support
Barcoding technologies are now in rapid market penetration, especially for larger organizations with Warehouse Management, Consignment, Nationwide and International Distribution. Here we are talking mostly about Supply Chain Management barcode scanning automation, versus traditional scanning deployment in POS and retail. We also see very high interest to Warehouse Management Automation and SCM systems internationally, good to say worldwide, however our paper is rather related to Great Plains Dynamics, currently known as Microsoft Dynamics GP, which is localized for USA, Canada, other English speaking countries, Spanish speaking South America and partially for Arabic World. Let's review the Warehouse Management System technology, its functionality and implementation scenarios. Also, before we dive to details, please note that RFID tag reading is in many aspects similar to traditional barcode label scanning, so be open to discuss your RFID deployment plans as well:
1. WMS functionality defined on the academic levels. Let us give you the definition, found in Wikipedia: "A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking. The systems also direct and optimize stock putaway based on real-time information about the status of bin utilization.Warehouse management systems often utilize Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC) technology, such as barcode scanners, mobile computers, wireless LANs and potentially Radio-frequency identification (RFID) to efficiently monitor the flow of products. Once data has been collected, there is either a batch synchronization with, or a real-time wireless transmission to a central database. The database can then provide useful reports about the status of goods in the warehouse.The objective of a warehouse management system is to provide a set of computerized procedures to handle the receipt of stock and returns into a warehouse facility, model and manage the logical representation of the physical storage facilities (e.g. racking etc), manage the stock within the facility and enable a seamless link to order processing and logistics management in order to pick, pack and ship product out of the facility.Warehouse management systems can be stand alone systems, or modules of an ERP system or supply chain execution suite"
2. Alba Spectrum WMS extensions. We do just what most of the mid-market WMS customers need: Inventory Transactions (adjustments and transfers from one warehouse to another), Merchandise Restocking (also referred as Inventory Replenishment), and Sales Order Allocation (in other lexicon Fulfillment). All these WMS functions are implemented as add-ons or extensions to existing Great Plains distribution modules forms: Inventory Transaction, Purchase Receipt, Sales Order Processing Document with manual allocation. As you may guess, our WMS is not standalone, but rather "module of an ERP system" - Dynamics GP
3. Warehouse Management System Implementation scenarios and expectations. WMS is not something available directly from the shelf of the Computer Software store. It often (if not always) requires implementation consulting services from your GP reseller in concert with WMS ISV software development company. Implementation typically includes business processes mapping, data conversion (especially when you are picking external standalone WMS, see definition above). Well, yo
4. u may say, but is your system adaptable to our unique Warehouse business processes? Yes, in fact we are favoring "WMS Solutions approach", where we are offering you to customize the existing code (proven to be successful for multiple Warehouse Management customers). Our general observations on the WMS implementation expectations - here you should be on the latest Great Plains version (currently GP 2010, as we are writing these lines in January 2011) - the WMS cost is in most of the cases comparable to Great Plains initial software licensing cost, and the attempt to implement WMS on the older (and probably no longer supported version: 9.0, 8.0, 7.5, 7.0 and earlier) might potentially turn itself to be and unexpected over budget project (Dexterity developers are no longer available, there is no technical support from Microsoft Business Solutions, eConnect is not available or is not reliable for your historical version to give you few examples). To avoid all the mentioned above problems we recommend you to consider GP version update to 2010 (or at least 10.0)
5. If you are located internationally. Dynamics is good option to be implemented for the international branch of the multinational corporation. Please, be aware that GP is not localized for such regional markets as China, Brazil, Russia, continental Europe (where Dynamics NAV Navision is in great circulation plus AX). For the international customer, we are happy to help you with WMS, SCM for Great Plains, but we might be not the best choice to be your CPA and local tax consultants. For Chinese, European, Brazilian or Russian customers we recommend you to look at either Dynamics AX Axapta (if your overseas subsidiary has manufacturing operations) or SAP Business One (if you are trying to scale down your foreign facility ambitions). In Russian Federation we are very delicate to recommend you the Corporate ERP system, as there is definite dominance of such ERP application as 1S Bukhgalteria
6. Obviously, nobody knows which Corporate ERP application will turn out to be an absolute leader in the future, or probably (if not likely) all these providers as Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Sage, Accpac, Quickbooks, Peachtree, MYOB will come to the conclusion to serve ERP market in concert without fierce competition? If you need the help to break through QuickBooks, we are always open here for the phone call or email
7. Canadian Customers: WMS, SCM for Dynamics GP, Great Plains current version 2010 and most of the earlier are localized for Canadian Payroll and provincial tax compliance legislations. There are some nuances for Quebec province where Montreal is located. Besides that our Canadian customers have to realize that they have to upgrade to GP version 10.0 or better to 2010/11.0 in 2011 in order to keep you company Corporate ERP supportable (in some situations you may decide that support is not really required, but for the rest of us - we recognize the problem to be on the Great Plains version nor longer supported by Microsoft Business Solutions directly)
Andrew Karasev, http://www.albaspectrum.com Great Plains Dynamics GP and eEnterprise Certified Master, Microsoft MVP and consultant with 10 years and plus experience and expertise. Alba Spectrum, 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com If you are thinking to implement Dynamics GP in challenging environment, we recommend you to give us a call. Our information portal is http://www.pegasplanet.com Pegas Planet
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
