Supply chain management is a broad term in regular use ever since AX
2012 is released replacing the erstwhile term "Trade & Logistics"
used in versions AX 2009, 4.0 and so on to represent Purchase, Sales and
inventory moment activity.
Many of us already understand
distribution of a company's product through efficient dealership network
and timely logistics supplying these dealerships from the point of
manufacture is the key to sales.
Meeting the given demand is a key
to a company's success irrespective of how popular or quality of the
product is being offered, which makes this network a very key in
enhancing a company's sales.
Same is also the factor with the raw
material procurement, maintaining the Economic order quantity, re-order
levels and minimum order quantity is the key along with many other
important business requirements.
Assume an FMCG companies such as
Proctor & Gamble or Unilever is planning to implement Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2012 to meet their complete business requirements. Can standard Ax meet the business needs of such a big network with thousands of dealerships across the globe?
YES.
The Answer is a Yes
with the introduction of the enhanced AX 2012 R3. Let us study various
modules (With detailed features for new modules) that enables these key
requirements.
Warehouse Management: This module
integrates better and improved Warehouse management capabilities into
Microsoft Dynamics AX. This provides for real-time handling of
inventories at warehouse permitting user of scanners, creating orders
for pick and pack, setting up container groups, wave processing. All the
requirements of a modern warehouse are provided for in this new module
introduced in R3 release
Transportation Management:
This module provides for freight movement planning across business. AX
provides for centralized and distributed (warehouse / site) level
movement. The new features include Advanced load planning, rate and
route calculations.
Trade allowance management:
There is always a demand for implementing advanced price management
functionality in AX. Microsoft has come out with Trade allowance
management to solve the pricing riddle.This module can be used to
create, maintain, and quickly determine status of trade allowances apart
from managing prices and discounts that are offered at various times as
part of promotional incentives.
apart from the above new modules a
host of existing modules such as Product Information Management,
Inventory Management, Procurement and sourcing, Accounts Receivable,
Accounts Payable, Sales and Marketing.
Not to limit here the Project management module provides for Product research & development related activities.
Continuous
Improvements are fast reinforcing the existing functionality to build a
better product for the customers in the form of Microsoft Dynamics AX.
