Dynamics AX forms support multiple language scripts typing (Unicode)

Many customers often inquire if AX supports non-Latin scripts in the forms (for example: Sales order, Customer master, Product master, Fixed asset master etc.,) while using English as the primary language for the AX implementation.

YES

This is very much feasible in AX. Unicode has eased many things and fortunately Microsoft Dynamics AX supports Unicode fonts. I have checked this both in AX 2012 and Dynamics 365 for operations with expected results.

In the below screen I have created a new Fixed asset master and in the text fields as highlighted in Japanese & Telugu as a sample:

 

This helps a lot of users to write local language descriptions that help ease the pain of users.

Print multiple Purchase Orders from AX (Dynamics 365 for operations)

It is a common requirement for many companies that the print out of the Purchase Order. The option of printing multiple purchase orders (or any other Business documents such as Sales Order, Invoice etc.,) is available in AX.

This can be achieved using the Print Management settings in AX. Below I am going to show you the setup required for the setting up Print Management to generate Purchase order as a PDF format (alternatively it can be directly sent to printer).

First things first. We need to setup the Print Management settings for the Purchase Order as below.

Go to Accounts Payable > Setup > Forms > Form setup

 

The form setup page is opened as below. Click on the Print Management button as highlighted below:

The Print Management for is opened as below. in the below form under the Purchase order select printout type (in our case : Original) and this shows the properties on the right hand side.

In the highlighted Tab "Destination", The current destination is "Default" this is where we need to change to achieve the required goal.

 

Click on the Arrow shown and it will display options as below. In the options select the "Printer Setup"  as shown below:

This will open the "Print destination settings" dialog box. This is a familiar dialog box for many of us. In this box on the left side, choose Printer (as below):

I am selecting the Printer as "Microsoft Print to PDF" as in my case, I wanted to print the Purchase order into a PDF and Click "OK"

You may choose a different printer as is required. The print management functionality can also be used to send Purchase Order via Email. You may choose different options as per your business needs.

Once the setup is done, the destination is changed to "Printer: Microsoft Print to PDF" as below

With this setup is completed. Now we need to go to the Confirmed Purchase orders, which lists down all the Confirmed POs:

Navigate to  "Procurement and sourcing >Purchase orders >Purchase order confirmation >Purchase order confirmations". This opens the Purchase order confirmations form as below

from the list, Select all the Purchase Orders to be printed:

Click on the "User Print Management" option in the screen above and that's it, the selected Purchase orders are printed as separate PDF files and the prompt asks us for the location to where the file needs to be saved.

The same process can be applied to any type of Business document and I hope this article is useful for your AX implementation

Stop Purchase / Sale or Inventory adjustments for a Product (Item) in Microsoft Dynamics AX

Companies using ERPs often have one big complaint, they cannot delete a Product (Item) having transactions. For a corporation having few thousand products, it is a key requirement that they stop a product after few years on shelves (take for example the Nokia’s 1100 model was highly successful mobile phone. Alas! The company has to stop this product as part of their market strategy)

In Microsoft Dynamics AX (Microsoft Dynamics 365 for operations), a Product can be created globally and can be released to a legal entity as per requirement. Only upon successful release, the legal entity can transact on that product (termed as “Released Product”)

A released product cannot be deleted if transactions (Purchases, sales and Inventory) exist. However, a released product can be stopped from making new purchase, sales and/ or Inventory transactions. 

It is a good idea to ensure the On-hand inventory for this released product is zeroed out before a Released product is stopped

Note that each of this needs to be done separately as explained in the below:

1. Go to Released products and select the released product to be stopped. Click on default order settings under MANAGER INVENTORY tab (as highlighted in the below screen capture) 

   

  

2. The Default order settings for the selected released product is opened as below:

3. Stop new purchases: In order to stop the new purchases, go to Purchase Order fast tab and click on the Stopped

  

4. Stop new Inventory transactions: In order to stop the new inventory transactions, go to Inventory fast tab and click on the Stopped 

 

5. Stop new Sales transactions: In order to stop the new sales transactions, go to Sales order fast tab and click on the Stopped

 

This is it. Now the released product is stopped from making any new transactions. 

 

Automatic Settlement for Customers and Vendors in Microsoft Dynamics AX

AX allows automatic settlement of payments with Invoices (and vice-a-versa), The automatic settlements are of 2 types:

1. Automatic settlement with system defined priority
2. Automatic settlements with user defined priority

Automatic settlement with system defined priority: The automatic transactions with system defined priority settles transactions based on the due date. However, the both transactions (Invoice & Payment or adjustment) must be in the same currency

Automatic settlements with user defined priority: For user defined custom priority, the user may set priority based on Transaction type (Invoices, Fee on payment, Dunning letters, Interest) using the Settlement Priority form

In addition to this, AX allows users to specify which posting profiles are allowed for settlement. This functionality works the same way for Vendors (Accounts Payable) & Customers (Accounts Receivable). Below is a brief process on enabling the automatic settlement and setting up user priority.

•     Enable allow automatic settlement for the customer posting profile

•     Enable Automatic Settlement under the Accounts Receivable Parameters > Settlement tab

•     Enable Prioritise Settlement (If priority needs to be given for certain transactions) and “Use priority for automatic settlement”

•     Click on Manage Priority if user needs to change the order of priority (By default AX has its own priority defined based on the date of Invoice & due date on FIFO basis)

•   Activate the necessary attribute and move Up or Down to choose the priority

The necessary setups are done. Now you can proceed making transactions with automatic settlement. Good Luck.

Wish all of you AX consultants transforming towards the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Operations from AX 2012 and older versions a great success in 2017.

A new and integrated approach to future - Microsoft Dynamics 365

Effective 1st November 2016, Microsoft starts rolling out Dynamics 365 an integrated and connected cloud based business platform that can be integrated with On premise apps or solutions and cloud based offerings to deliver an integrated offering to meet all sorts of business needs.
The Dynamics 365 is essentially bifurcated into two solutions one for larger enterprises (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Enterprise edition) and the other for small and medium enterprises (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business edition) and the power apps (individual solution offerings) available under each option are as below:

 

The Business edition comes packaged primarily with the erstwhile Microsoft Dynamics CRM & Microsoft's mid-sized ERP Microsoft Dynamics NAV (upgraded through Project Madeira)
The Enterprise edition includes Microsoft Dynamics AX & Microsoft Dynamics CRM among the other power apps.

The enterprises whose requirements are not met with the above groupings can also shop these apps a la carte by choosing the apps most relevant for their respective needs.

I strongly believe this as a major contribution from Microsoft in making the world a "Global interconnected village". As the businesses start expanding and becoming "larger than life" entities, it has become a necessity that this large size and scale requires to be belled (quote: "Belling the cat") and this can only be done by integrating the communications from all corners of the business and addressing the needs in a better fashion.

Although Microsoft Dynamics 365 is quite exciting, it may take a while to break the market stigma and enter the actual usage and a while more to unsettle the comfort zones of users used to the neo traditional "what we see is what we have" model.

It may also be challenging that few countries with strong statutes against cloud based models would come out in open to accept the change in the making.

Let's welcome this change and support Microsoft better deliver on Microsoft Dynamics 365


You might also want to watch the full video of the Microsoft's vision for Business transformation below: