Microsoft Dynamics NAV Case Studies. Canari Cyclewear

Cycling-Gear Manufacturer Improves Operations and Planning with New Business Software

Canari Cyclewear is a fast-growing manufacturer of cycling gear based in San Diego, California. The company needed a flexible and full-featured enterprise resource planning system to efficiently handle double-digit annual growth, especially in the area of inventory management and forecasting. After consultation with Microsoft Certified Partner OfficeOps, Canari Cyclewear chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV because of the solution's ability to streamline processes within the company and with supply chain partners. Canari Cyclewear can now more reliably plan future inventory requirements and has cut lead times for customer orders by as much as 60 percent.

“Whereas our planning process previously involved a lot of guesswork, we now have instant insight into what is available and can investigate historical trends to better gauge demand.“

Chris Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, Canari Cyclewear

Business Needs Canari Cyclewear manufactures top-of-the-line cycling gear that is resold by independent bike shops and large sporting-goods retailers around the world. The company also sells custom gear to professional and semiprofessional cycling teams. From 2005 to 2008, the company saw sustained double-digit growth in sales, which put pressure on the company to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its inventory management and reporting systems.

“We were using a DOS-based system and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to keep track of orders and roughly $5 million worth of inventory and to try and forecast demand,” explains Chris Robinson, Chief Operating Officer at Canari Cyclewear. “This method required us to manually collect and enter data. Overall, the process was tedious and prone to error, especially because some part numbers exceeded 50 characters.”

As Canari Cyclewear grew its sales, the company struggled to stay responsive to customer demands. “Our larger competitors can ask customers to prebook their orders, which gives them greater visibility into future production requirements,” explains Robinson. “We don’t have that luxury, and it puts pressure on us to manage our inventory well. We need to know what our demand is, what we have on hand, and what is forecasted on a SKU level.”

To find a solution, Canari Cyclewear began interviewing local business technology companies. “Many of the companies we talked to seemed more interested in selling us software than getting to know our business and helping us solve our problems,” says Robinson.

Solution

After evaluating more than 10 software solutions, Canari Cyclewear chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Microsoft Certified Partner OfficeOps. “We chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV because it addressed our inventory management needs and is flexible and full-featured enough to meet our needs in the future,” says Robinson.

Canari Cyclewear appreciated the consultative approach that OfficeOps used during their initial discussions, which indicated the partner was willing to take the time to understand Canari Cyclewear’s unique business challenges and recommend the best solution. For example, OfficeOps offered pragmatic advice on how to handle Canari Cyclewear’s custom-order business, which can involve up to 20 documents for one order.

“Our custom-order business is very complex and today makes up only about 10 percent of our sales,” says Robinson. “However, we would like to see this segment grow to 30 percent of sales and wanted to streamline processes to accommodate that increase. OfficeOps suggested that we implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV for our core business and then tackle the custom-order side. We followed that advice and can see in retrospect that it saved us from a lot of potential difficulties.” After Canari Cyclewear finished implementing the solution for its core business, the company tapped OfficeOps to extend the solution for its custom-order business.

The solution that Canari Cyclewear and OfficeOps implemented makes inventory information instantly available to employees so that they can view stock levels by style, color, and size. Each employee has a unique view of functionality and information based on their role in the company. The solution links to other business software to eliminate duplicate data entry and automatically pull in information from supply chain partners.

Now, employees no longer need to enter information from invoices into the system by hand, for instance. Canari Cyclewear uses Microsoft Dynamics NAV to make manual processes, such as documentation and warehouse management tasks, easier. For example, instead of filling out packing labels by hand, employees can print import/export documentation and shipping labels that conform to customer requirements.

Managers at Canari Cyclewear use Microsoft Dynamics NAV to identify sales trends by style, gender, selling region, product type, and other attributes that the company decides to track. And, because Microsoft Dynamics NAV works well with Excel, managers can view and analyze data in spreadsheets with only a few clicks of a mouse.

Benefits

Canari Cyclewear enjoys greater insight into available inventory and future demand and no longer relies on time-consuming and error-prone manual processes for common tasks like entering sales orders and producing reports.

More Efficient Demand Planning

With detailed reporting available through Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Canari Cyclewear can more accurately predict future demand. “Whereas our planning process previously involved a lot of guesswork, we now have instant insight into what is available and can investigate historical trends to better gauge demand,” says Robinson. “We can better align our inventory with demand, which lets us reduce our stock levels for some categories by as much as 30 percent and reinvest those resources in products that are selling well.”

Lead Times Cut by 60 Percent

Canari Cyclewear’s warehouse operations are much more efficient with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. “If a large order comes in on Monday, we can usually ship it on Thursday,” says Robinson. “Before, it would have taken another week. This not only improves our image with customers but also gives our product more time on retail shelves.”

Reliable Technology and Partner

Robinson and other leaders at Canari Cyclewear feel confident that Microsoft Dynamics NAV will support future growth and are happy with OfficeOps as their partner. “We chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV, in part, because of the people at OfficeOps,” says Robinson. “They were interested in more than just the initial sale and were genuinely concerned about solving our problems. And, they’ve done a good job of providing us with the training and insight we need to be self-sufficient in using the solution.”

Organization Profile

Based in San Diego, California, with 80 employees, Canari Cyclewear makes premium clothes and accessories for cyclists around the world.

Partner(s)
OfficeOps

Software and Services
Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Vertical Industries
apparel retailing

Country/Region
United States

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics AX, NAV Global Partner

Üretim Sistemlerinde Çizelgeleme - ERP MRP MPS MPC

Çizelgeleme Nedir ?

Planlamacılar tarafından kullanılan yaygın bir metod saat, gün, hafta gibi zaman periyodlarında işlerin kaynaklara yerleştirildiği basit bir planlama tablosudur. Bu dinamik bir problemle başa çıkmaya çalışan statik bir karar destek sistemidir.

Acil sipariş, tekrar çalışma gerekliliği, operatör yokluğu/yetersizliği, makina arızası, tahminin siparişle uyuşmaması ve buna benzer aksaklıklar üretim planında bir delik açacaktır. Çizelgeleyici söz verilen siparişi zamanında yetiştirmek için işlerin tekrar yüklenmesi, önceliklerin değiştirilmesi, alternatif üretim rotalarının incelenmesi için sonsuz zaman harcayacaktır. Her ne kadar, çalıştığı sistemi iyi tanıyan tecrübeli planlamacılar bu sorunu bir noktaya kadar çözebilseler de, sorun göründüğünden çok daha büyüktür.

Üretim sistemindeki günlük olağan sorunları statik bir tablo üzerinden takip etmek, diğer ayarları/istenilenleri bozmayacak şekilde yeniden hızlı bir şekilde düzenlemek belki de dünyanın en zor işlerinden biridir.

Çizelgeleme, operasyonların, belli bir hedef kritere göre (geç kalan iş sayısını minimumda tutmak, setup sayısını minimumda tutmak gibi), kısıtlar göz önünde bulundurularak kaynaklar üzerinde sıralanması ve atanan operasyonların başlangıç ve bitiş zamanlarının belirlenmesi olarak tanımlanabilir. Kısıtların gözönüne alınması (kaynak kısıtları, malzeme teminindeki aksamalar, düzenli bakımlar, arızalar vs.) oluşturulan Gantt şemasını daha uyulabilir hale getirir. Sistem kısıtlarını gözönüne alarak yapılan bu işlem “sonlu kapasite çizelgeleme” olarak adlandırılır.

Bir başka deyişle sonlu kapasite çizelgeleme, kaynakların gerçek kapasiteleri üzerine kurulmuş operasyon sıralamasını içeren bir üretim planıdır.

Çizelgeleme yazılımları, üretim planını göstermek için, yukarıda bahsedilen statik tabloya benzeyen, fakat çok daha fazla detay içeren "Gantt Şemasını" kullanırlar.

Tipik bir Gantt şeması hangi operasyonun ne zaman hangi kaynak kaynak tarafından yapılacağını, operasyonun başlangıç ve bitiş zamanlarını gösterir.

Algoritmalar
Ticari anlamda kullanılan birçok çizelgeleme yazılımı olmasına rağmen, çizelgeleme ve çalışma mantığı olarak farklı uygulamalar mevcuttur. Herhangi bir yazılımı spesifik özelliklerine göre değerlendirmeye geçmeden önce, çizelgeleme ve çalışma mantığının uygun olup olmadığı belirlenmelidir. Çizelgeleme mantığına göre değerlendirmek gerekirse karşımıza iki temel kategori çıkacaktır.

1) İş Tabanlı Çizelgeleme: Belli bir kriteri iyileyen algoritmik veya kişisel (heuristic) kurala göre bir iş seçildiğinde, o işe ait tüm operasyonlar aynı anda Gantt şemasına yerleştirilir. Bu mantıkta belirlenen çizelgeleme kuralına göre “işler” sıralanır. Sıralama ileriye doğru veya geriye doğru olabilir.

2) Operasyon Tabanlı Çizelgeleme : Belli bir kriteri iyileyen algoritmik veya kişisel (heuristic) kurala göre bütün işlere ait tüm operasyonlar teker teker değerlendirilir. Yani, belirlenen kurala göre seçilen bir işe ait tüm operasyonlar aynı anda çizelgelenmez, bütün işlere ait her bir operasyon teker teker belirlenen kurala göre değerlendirilir. Bu mantıkta belirlenen çizelgeleme kuralına göre “operasyonlar” sıralanır. Sıralama ileriye doğru, geriye doğru veya sabit bir operasyon üzerinden her iki yöne doğru olabilir.

Preactor 200 ve Preactor 300, iş tabanlı çizelgeleme kurallarını destekler. Preactor APS ise hem iş tabanlı hem de operasyon tabanlı çizelgeleme yapabilir.

Çizelgeleme Yazılımları ve Sınıflandırma
Planlama ile çizelgeleme arasında tanım olarak farklılıklar olsa da, birbirini tamamlayan konulardır. Planlama ile çizelgelemenin sıkı bir şekilde entegre edilmesi ihtiyacı yazılımların değişik yaklaşımları desteklemesi sonucunu ortaya çıkarmıştır.”İleri planlama ve çizelgeleme” (APS) yazılımlarını bu anlamda 3 genel katerogiye sokmak mümkündür.

1) Network Tabanlı Modeller: Network tabanlı APS yazılımları, müşteri siparişleri ve bu şiparişlerin üretim sistemi içinde izledikleri rotalara ağırlığın verildiği bir yaklaşım sergilerler. Network tabanlı sistemler, sistem içersindeki tüm siparişlerin global anlamda izlenmesini sağlayarak, çakışmaların önlenebilmesini ve performans kriterlerinin global düzeyde iyileştirilmesi üzerinde yoğunlaşır.

Çalışma mantığı yukarıdan aşağıya doğrudur. Yani çizelgeleme işlemi siparişten operasyonlara doğru ilerler. Sipariş girilir girilmez, malzeme ve kapasite ihtiyaçları belirlenir ve seçilen kurala göre kaynaklara atanır ve bu işlemler her sipariş girişinde tekrarlanır.. Son yıllarda ortaya çıkan çizelgeleme yazılımlarının büyük çoğunluğu ağırlıklı olarak bu metodu kullanmaktadırlar.

Network tabanlı APS yazılımlarının en büyük avantajı, üretim sistemindeki öncelik/önem sorunlarını global düzeyde çözebilmesi, ileride ortaya çıkabilecek darboğazları belirleyebilmesi ve siparişleri senkronize edebilmesidir.

Bu metodu kullanan APS yazılımlarının bazılarında “çoklu geçiş” (multiple pass) mantığı kullanılmıştır. Örneğin, sisteme bir sipariş veya iş girildiğinde önce malzeme ihtiyacı belirlenir daha sonra kaynak kısıtlarına göre kapasite ihtiyacı belirlenir, bu aşamada herhangi bir problem çıkarsa tekrar malzeme ihtiyaç aşamasına dönülür. Bu işlem malzeme ve kapasite planlaması dengelenene kadar devam eder.

Bazı network tabanlı APS sistemlerinde çoklu geçiş sistemi yerine tek bir geçiş kullanılır. Yani sipariş veya iş girildiğinde, malzeme ihtiyacı ve kapasite ihtiyacı aynı anda her bir operasyon için belirlenir.

İş merkezlerinin (work centers) çok büyük önem arzetmediği sistemlerde network tabanlı APS yazılımları büyük avantaj sağlar. Sipariş usulü çalışan (make-to-order) sistemlerde, müşterinin taleplerine hızlı karşılık verebilme konusunda tek geçiş mantığı, çoklu geçiş mantığına göre daha uygundur.

2) Simülasyon Tabanlı Modeller: Bu kategorideki APS yazılımlarında üretim sisteminin tamamına global düzeyde bakmak yerine, spesifik lokal hedefleri gerçekleştirebilmek için belirli iş istasyonları üzerine yoğunlaşılır. Lokal hedeflerin global önceliklerden daha önemli olduğu sistemlere daha uygundur. Çalışma mantığı aşağıdan yukarıya doğrudur. Bir veya birden fazla iş istasyonu için lokal öncelikler belirlenir ve geriye kalan diğer işler sıralanır.

Makinaların boş kalmasının maliyetinin yüksek olduğu üretim sistemlerinde, belli istasyonların mümkün olduğunca tam kapasite sürekli çalışmasının istenildiği durumlarda simülasyon tabanlı APS sistemleri kullanmak avantajlıdır. Bu yaklaşımda, belirli iş istasyonları için en yüksek kapasite kullanımına ulaşılması hedeflenir. Bu yaklaşımın dezavantajları ise şunlardır; Lokal optimum durumu, sistemin global anlamda optimum olması anlamına gelmediği gibi global düzeyde daha kötü olmasına bile sebebiyet verebilir. Müşteri taleplerine hızlı cevap verebilmek, üretim sistemindeki değişikliklere kolay adapte olabilmek bu mantıkta biraz daha zordur.

3) Matematiksel Modelleme: Matematiksel modeller “optimum sonuç” sunmayı hedeflerler. Sinir ağları, dal-sınır algoritması, doğrusal programlama, dinamik programlama, genetik algoritmalar, yapay zeka ve kişisel (heuristic) iterasyonlar bu sistemlere örnek olarak verilebilir.

Optimum çözümü sunmak gibi bir avantaj sunmalarına karşın, üretim sistemlerindeki değişkenlikler, bu tür modellerin bilgisayar üzerinde olsa bile çözümünün uzun zaman alması, yanlış model kurma riski gibi dezavantajları vardır. Yaygın olarak pek kullanılmayan bu yaklaşım, genellikle üretim sisteminin stabil olduğu, özellikle sürekli olay bazında üretim yapan sistemlerde (içecek üreticileri, pipeline sistemlerinin kullanıldığı işletmeler) başarıyla uygulanmıştır. Siparişe göre üretim yapan ve sistemin sık değiştiği işletmelere çok uygun bir yaklaşım değildir.

Son yıllarda geliştirilen bazı gelişkin APS sistemleri hem network hem de simülasyon yaklaşımını aynı anda destekleyebilmektedirler. Burada amaç hem global hem de lokal düzeyde bir veya birden fazla kriteri iyileştirebilmektir.

Planlama ve Çizelgeleme
Genellikle planlama ve çizelgeleme karıştırılır. Bu bölümde üretim sistemleri içerisinde planlama ve çizelgelemenin tanımları yapılarak , üretim planlama ve kontrol sistemleri ( manufacturing planning and control, MPC systems) içerisinde birbirleri ile olan ilişkilerine değinilmiştir

Bir işletmenin Ana Üretim Planı ( Master Production Schedule, MPS), mevcut stok seviyelerine ve talep tahminlerine dayalı olarak her bir nihai ürün için “ ne zaman” ve “ ne kadar” üretim yapılması gerektiğini belirler. MPS çıktısı, kullanılan planlama ufku (planning horizon) içerisinde yer alan zaman birimleri ( genellikle hafta) üzerinden gereken üretim miktarlarını verir.

Malzeme Gereksinim Planı (MRP), MPS tarafından beslenir. MRP sistemi ürün ağacı bilgilerini, stok bilgilerini ve standard üretim zamanı bilgilerini kullanarak, siparişlerin karşılanabilmesi için gerekli iş emirlerini ve satın alma emirlerini oluşturur. MRP çalıştırıldıktan sonra, planlama ufkundaki zaman birimleri üzerine dağılmış parça ve malzeme gereksinimleri oluşmuş olur.

Çizelgeleme ise üretim planının karşılanabilmesi, siparişlerin söz verilen teslimat tarihlerine yetişebilmesi için, işlerin hangi kaynaklar tarafından hangi sırayla yapılması gerektiğinin belirlenmesidir. Bu kaynaklar, makineler, işçiler, malzemeler veya üretim sistemine kısıt oluşturan herşey olabilir. Çizelgeleme her kaynak için iş sırasını ve tahmini başlangıç ve bitiş tarihlerini belirler.

Bir başka deyişle; planlama yaptığınızda hangi üründen hangi tarihler içerisinde ne kadar üretmeniz gerektiğini elde edersiniz, yani ne yapacağınızı belirlemiş olursunuz. Bunu, mevcut sisteminizin iş yüküne, kaynaklarınızın kapasitesi ve stok durumunuza göre nasıl yapacağınız, hangi operasyonu hangi kaynağa atayacağınız, operasyonları hangi sırada gerçekleştireceğiniz ise çizelgelemeye girer.

MRP/ERP yazılımları da, yani "planlama" yazılımları da, çizelge tablosu (Gantt Şeması) oluştururlar. Bu yazılımların Gantt şeması oluştururken ıskaladığı nokta ise "kaynakların durumunu" gözönüne almamaktır. Bir başka deyişle, makinalarınızın ya da operatörlerinizin ne durumda olduğuna bakmadan, iş olması durumunda kaynağın uygun olduğu varsayımına dayanarak çizelgeleme yapar. Oysa kaynak kısıtının olmadığı, sonsuz kaynağa sahip hiçbir işletme yoktur.

Çizelgeleme en basit anlamda bir sıralama problemi gibi gözükse de, çizelgeleme problemlerinin ardında sıralama probleminin çok ötesinde sistem verimliliğini artırıcı amaç fonksiyonları vardır. Genel olarak, çizelgeleme yapılırken 3 temel amaç gözönünde bulundurulur. Bunlardan ilki, teslimat tarihleridir. Hedeflenen amaç çizelge oluşturulduktan sonra sistemde hiç geç kalmış işin bulunmamasıdır. İkinci hedef ise, bir işin üretim sistemi içerisinde harcadığı süreyi en aza indirmektir. Üçüncü temel amaç ise, kaynak kullanımının en üst düzeye çıkarılmasıdır. Bu üç temel amaç birbiriyle çelişebilir. Örnek olarak, teslimat tarihlerini karşılayabilmek için kapasite artırımına gitmenin kaynak kullanım yüzdelerini azaltacağı verilebilir. Bir sıralama probleminin ötesinde üretim sisteminin ihtiyacı gözönüne alınarak belirlenen performans kriterlerine göre oluşturulan iyi bir çizelgeleme sistemi ile pek çok şirket, ara stok ve envanter seviyelerinde düşüşleri, verimlilikte ve teslimat performanslarında artışı başarmıştır.

Çizelgeleme, üretim planlama ve kontrol sisteminin, fabrikaya yansıyan ana yüzüdür. Bir sonlu kapasite çizelgeme yazılımı ile fabrikada üretimin o anki durumu hakkında bilgiye sahip olduğunuzdan ani siparişlere daha hızlı cevap verebilirsiniz. Potansiyel siparişler için test yüklemeleri yaparak , teslimatlar için daha gerçekçi tarihler belirliyebilirsiniz. Fazla mesai çalışmanın üretim kapasitesi üzerindeki etkisini gerçek uygulamaya geçmeden test edebilirsiniz. İyi bir çizelgeleme sistemi ile daha gerçekçi iş sıralamaları, parti büyüklüklerinde azalma ve daha kısa üretim zamanlarına ulaşmayı başarabilirsiniz.

Üretim planlama ve kontrol sisteminin (MPC), planlama kısmı ne kadar iyi çalışırsa çalışsın, üretimin fabrikaya yansıyan bölümünde gerçekçi sıralamaları yakalayamıyor ve üretim sisteminin anlık durumu hakkında yeterli bilgi alamıyorsanız, verimliliği artırmaya giden yolda atmanız gereken adım iyi bir çizelgeleme sistemi edinmektir.

Proje Planlama ve FCS
Hem çizelgeleme hem de proje planlama yazılımlarının aktivite/operasyon sırasını, başlangıç ve bitiş zamanlarını göstermek için Gantt şeması kullanması, bu iki konunun birbirine karıştırılmasındaki en büyük sebeblerden biridir.

Çizelgelemenin ana hedeflerinden olan operasyonların belirli bir kriteri iyileştirecek şekilde sıralanması, bilinen algoritmik kurallara ek olarak kişisel kurallar (heuristic) oluşturma ve kullanma avantajları proje planlama yazılımlarında mevcut değildir.

Proje planlama yazılımlarında herhagi bir aktiviteyi gerçekleştirecek olan kaynak "kullanıcı tarafından" seçilirken, çizelgeleme yazılımlarında bu işlem seçilen kural çerçevesinde "otomatik olarak" yapılır.

Herhangi bir üretim sistemini bir proje planlama yazılımıyla tanımlamak oldukça maharet ! isteyen bir iştir. Üretim sistemini tanımlarken girilebilecek detay düzeyi bir çizelgeleme yazılımdaki detaylara göre çok daha azdır. Örneğin, girilebilecek aktivite /operasyon süre tipi için proje planlama yazılımlarına sadece "zaman" olarak bir değer girilebilirken, çizelgeleme yazılımlarında en az 3 - 4 farklı operasyon süre tipi (kaynağa göre süre, birim başına süre, parti başına süre, vb) tanımlanabilmektedir.

Hemen her üretim sisteminin kendine özgü detaylarının bulunması, çizelgeleme için kullanılacak yazılımın konfigüre edilebilmesini, varsa kullanılan diğer yazılımlarla (MRP/ERP, muhasebe, vb) haberleşebilmesini, sisteme göre arayüz hazırlanabilmesini, gerektiğinde kişisel sıralama kurallarının oluşturulabilmesini zorunlu kılar. Proje planlama yazılımlarında bunların birçoğunu yapabilmek imkansıza yakınken birçok çizelgeleme yazılımı konfigüre edilebilirlik, entegrasyon ve esneklik konusunda çok daha geniş imkanlar sunar.

MRP ERP FCS
Tipik bir Gantt şeması hangi operasyonun ne zaman, hangi kaynak tarafından yapılacağını, operasyonun başlangıç ve bitiş zamanlarını gösterir. ERP/MRP yazılımlarının üretim planlama modülleri de, sistem tanımlarınıza, sipariş ve/veya satış tahminlerinize göre, üretimi operasyonel bazda takip etmenizi sağlayan Gantt şemalarını oluştururlar. Fakat bu yazılımların ürettiği Gantt şemasına, dolayısıyla iş emirlerine, bire bir olmasa bile yüksek oranda uyabilmek çok mümkün değildir. Bunun sebebi, ERP/MRP yazılımlarının Gantt şeması oluşturma mantığında yatmaktadır.

ERP/MRP yazılımlarının, Gantt şemasını oluştururken kullandıkları, “iş olması durumunda kaynaklar mevcuttur” şeklinde özetlenebilecek bir önkabul, sistemin gerçek durumunu yansıtmaktan uzak olduğu için ERP/MRP kullanan işletmelerin bu plana uyabilmeleri fazlasıyla zordur. Tek sorun sadece bu da değildir; yeni bir sipariş girilmesi, iş önceliklerinin ve önemlerinin değişmesi, makina arızaları ve malzeme teminindeki aksaklıklar gibi her zaman karşılaşılan durumlar söz konusu olduğunda önceden oluşturulan Gantt şemasının çok kısa bir sürede güncellenmesi gerekir ki, piyasadaki mevcut ERP/MRP yazılımlarının şu anki haliyle bu çokta kolay bir işlem değildir.

Her ne kadar birçok ERP/MRP üreticisi firmanın son yıllarda bu konuda çözüm arayışları olsa da bu problem aslında bir “çizelgeleme” problemidir. Planlama daha çok, hangi ürünün ne zaman ne kadar üretilmesi gerektiği ile ilgilenir. Operasyonların veya işlerin kaynaklara atanması ve bunların sıralanması, hedeflenen bir kritere göre değişik sıralama algoritmalarının analizi daha çok “çizelgelemeyi” ilgilendirir.

Çizelgeleme, operasyonların, belli bir hedef kritere göre (geç kalan iş sayısını minimumda tutmak, setup sayısını minimumda tutmak gibi), kısıtlar göz önünde bulundurularak kaynaklar üzerinde sıralanması ve atanan operasyonların başlangıç ve bitiş zamanlarının belirlenmesi olarak tanımlanabilir. Kısıtların gözönüne alınması (kaynak kısıtları, malzeme teminindeki aksamalar, düzenli bakımlar, arızalar vs.) oluşturulan Gantt şemasını daha uyulabilir hale getirir. Sistem kısıtlarını gözönüne alarak yapılan bu işlem “sonlu kapasite çizelgeleme” olarak adlandırılır.

Herhangi bir sonlu kapasite yazılımı, ERP/MRP’ye göre daha gerçekçi çizelgeler üretse de, planlanan ile gerçekleşen üretim arasındaki farkları görüp, gerekiyorsa kısa bir sürede değişiklik yapabilmek, sistemi kontrol altında tutabilmek için operasyonlara ait bilgilerin yeterli aralıklarla sisteme girilmesi gerekir. Yeni bir sipariş ve/veya ürün girilmesi, makina arızaları, vardiya değişiklikleri, malzeme teminindeki aksaklıklar, değişen iş öncelikleri gibi durumlara ait veriler çizelgeleme yazılımına yeter sıklıkta girildiği taktirde kısa bir sürede güncellenecek olan Gantt şeması sistemi bire bir takip edebilmeyi kolaylaştıracaktır.

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics AX CRM NAV Çözüm Ortağı


http://www.karedanismanlik.com/ web sitesinden alıntıdır.

Manage organizational growth with Microsoft Dynamics AX

Scale your business systems rapidly and efficiently to support new users, new locations, and new lines of business

As your organization expands, the ability to rapidly scale your ERP systems to support new users, new locations, and new lines of business—as well as to improve the efficiency of core business processes—is critical. Systems that keep pace with your growing business can minimize growing pains and ensure your company is poised for future success.

Whether you’re supporting the organic growth of your existing business, expanding by adding new locations, or transforming your organization through merger or acquisition, Microsoft Dynamics AX can help you manage a smooth transition as you take your business to the next level. Here’s how:

Ensure smooth integration of merged or newly acquired companies

Rapidly gain visibility into the new or combined entity and/or subsidiaries by integrating all business systems and capturing manual business processes. Aggregating and analyzing data from disparate systems can help deliver operational insight, enabling better sales and production forecasting, materials scheduling, inventory management, and other critical processes.

A familiar, comfortable user interface and intuitive Role Centers help employees quickly become proficient in ERP functionality, reducing downtime and training time, and eliminating resistance to adoption of the new systems.

Quickly add new locations or international offices

Track multiple business units within a single organization as separate profit/loss centers. Scale to support an unlimited number of books for asset management and support different depreciation methods depending on tax authority and financial reporting purposes.

Rapidly add international capabilities and new functionality. Support for multiple languages and currencies, country-specific functionality, and a rich set of multi-site shared services and intercompany functionality make it straightforward to extend Microsoft Dynamics AX with the exact capabilities you need—when and where you need them.

Scale your systems along with your business

Improve the speed of transaction processing and scale your transactional volume by automating business workflows, freeing people for other, more productive work, and reducing overhead costs as you grow.

Respond quickly to new opportunities by integrating discrete budgeting and planning processes into the daily rhythm of the business. High performance systems enable you to run production and planning processes more frequently, so you can react to changes and increase company performance and schedule efficiencies.

Support your growing organization

Maintain appropriate staffing levels and manage future organizational changes, including planned reorganizations and hiring campaigns by automating internal and external recruitment processes such as sourcing jobs, managing recruitment, and hiring new workers—including hiring en masse.

Enable employees to spot trends and respond proactively. More easily perform complex analyses on data involving numerous aspects of the business, so people across the organization can make more confident decisions about high-risk business situations based on data from multiple sources.

www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics AX NAV CRM Global Partner

Microsoft Dynamics ERP Industrie Fabrication-Agroalimentaire

Votre secteur se caractérise par une remarquable diversité. Des milliers de produits et de nombreux types de processus (notamment produits frais, réfrigérés, surgelés et de longue conservation) servent un vaste éventail de clients, depuis les grands détaillants jusqu'aux petites chaînes, magasins indépendants, services de restauration, restaurants et exportateurs. Vous devez répondre aux demandes des détaillants et des clients, gérer des processus de chaîne logistique et, enfin, assurer la coordination des délais et des calendriers de livraison.

Les solutions Microsoft Dynamics vous apportent un ensemble puissant d'applications. Ces applications intégrées, simples et peu onéreuses à déployer, ne nécessitent ni personnalisation complexe ni projets de mise en œuvre longs.

Pour anticiper sur les tendances de consommation

Utilisation d'informations en temps réel afin d'identifier les tendances et les opportunités pour de nouveaux produits. Prise de décision exacte et en temps réel fondée sur des données précises et centralisées. Adaptation de l'offre des produits pour tenir compte des changements dans les stocks et dans la planification de la production. Adaptation des formules et des compositions à la variabilité de la taille des lots. Accélération de la commercialisation par une intégration efficace des recettes, de la fabrication, des finances et de l'approvisionnement. Gestion des plans marketing complexes et des programmes d'encouragement à la vente.

Pour améliorer la chaîne logistique

Amélioration de la visibilité de votre chaîne logistique globale. Rationalisation de la chaîne logistique et des processus de fabrication afin d'optimiser la capacité de production ainsi que les stocks de matériaux achetés et de produits finis. Vue unifiée et en temps réel sur les données provenant de plusieurs sites et départements. Réactivité par anticipation des ruptures de stock. Efficacité renforcée par une gestion optimisée des transferts sur les quais et une planification de la distribution.

Pour contrôler la sécurité alimentaire

Automatisation des principales exigences de sécurité (législation relative à l'hygiène par exemple). Suivi automatique des matières premières et des produits à toutes les étapes. Mise en application des normes opérationnelles. Rationalisation et automatisation des procédures de mise en quarantaine. Automatisation et rapidité des rappels grâce à l'historique des lots. Réduction des temps de réponse des responsables.

Soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics per le aziende di produzione

Il settore della produzione rappresenta uno dei principali motori dell'economia. I fattori di successo in questo campo sono rimasti costanti nel tempo: realizzare i prodotti giusti, nelle quantità giuste e al momento giusto, prestando la massima attenzione alla qualità e assicurando prezzi ragionevoli per i clienti. Tuttavia, oggi occorrono anche un'elevata flessibilità e continui miglioramenti.

È ad esempio necessario un elevato livello di dinamismo nella gestione delle attività aziendali per competere con i mercati emergenti, come quelli della Cina e dell'Est europeo, e per rispondere alle esigenze in continua evoluzione dei clienti. Per soddisfare questi bisogni e trarre vantaggio dalle nuove opportunità, occorre essere in grado di adattarsi rapidamente a nuovi approcci nella gestione dei prodotti, partner nella gestione dei canali commerciali e strategie nella diversificazione dell’offerta.

Microsoft Dynamics offre un'ampia gamma di applicazioni adattabili e integrate per piccole e medie imprese e organizzazioni di grandi dimensioni, disponibili attraverso una rete mondiale di Microsoft Certified Partner e completamente compatibili con i prodotti software Microsoft, per automatizzare e ottimizzare la gestione finanziaria, la relazione con i clienti e la catena logistica.

Vantaggi delle soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics per le aziende di produzione

Con le soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics, le aziende manifatturiere possono:

• Integrare le informazioni e facilitare la collaborazione. Da oggi è possibile integrare le informazioni tra i reparti di progettazione, produzione e i fornitori. Ad esempio, se i progettisti decidono di apportare modifiche ad un prodotto, il reparto operativo è in grado di conoscere tutti i dettagli immediatamente. E per fare in modo che i fornitori siano in grado di rispondere adeguatamente alla maggiore agilità del reparto di progettazione, queste informazioni devono essere integrate nel sistema ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) aziendale. La funzionalità per la gestione delle informazioni sui prodotti e l'integrazione fra soluzioni CAD (Computer-Aided Design) e Microsoft Dynamics hanno aiutato numerosi clienti a migliorare i processi legati alla progettazione. I progettisti possono controllare gli errori rilevati nei disegni e i responsabili della produzione possono avere la certezza di utilizzare i progetti più recenti per la realizzazione dei prodotti. I portali aziendali consentono di condividere tramite il Web le informazioni ricavate da diversi sistemi, garantendo la dinamicità delle attività di business arrivando a migliorare la soddisfazione dei clienti, in termini di qualità del prodotto o personalizzazione dello stesso.

• Garantire un servizio clienti di qualità superiore. Stipulare un contratto o realizzare una vendita non basta. Per assicurarsi la fedeltà dei clienti, è necessario offrire eccellenti servizi post-vendita. Le soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics permettono di tenere traccia dello storico del prodotto, dalla fase di ideazione fino alla configurazione finale. Questo consente, ad esempio, agli addetti al servizio di manutenzione di poter prevedere quali componenti di un prodotto devono essere revisionati in quali tempi. Microsoft Dynamics CRM permette di accedere a informazioni storiche dettagliate sui clienti, garantendo la capacità di soddisfare appieno i requisiti previsti dai contratti SLA (Service Level Agreement).

• Fornire stime e preventivi accurati. Le richieste dei clienti possono essere efficacemente allineate alle capacità produttive dell'azienda, mantenendo una linea di prodotti standardizzata e sfruttando le esperienze passate per consigliare ai clienti i prodotti migliori. Le soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics aiutano a migliorare la fase di pianificazione dei componenti standard, riducendo i tempi di consegna dei prodotti. Microsoft Dynamics CRM consente di registrare in modo accurato le richieste dei clienti e di riutilizzare le informazioni per i preventivi successivi.

• Garantire la flessibilità della pianificazione di produzione. Spesso i responsabili della pianificazione della produzione hanno l'esigenza di mantenere i vari processi separati e visibili, al fine di associare le specifiche richieste dei clienti alle risorse adeguate. Quando nei processi di produzione si verificano problemi, è necessario apportare modifiche a livello di pianificazione o progettazione. Tuttavia, spesso queste modifiche vanno perse nell'insieme delle attività e dei dati di produzione. Per aiutare le aziende a reagire efficacemente alle situazioni di questo tipo, Microsoft Dynamics supporta numerosi modelli di produzione, tra cui ETO (Engineer-To-Order), MTO (Make-To-Order), MTS (Make-To-Stock) e processi misti. È l'azienda a decidere e definire le best practice e le modalità di esecuzione del sistema di pianificazione.

• Gestire le commesse in modo efficace. Un'efficace gestione delle commesse permette di tenere sotto controllo risorse come materiali, capacità, progettisti, addetti ai servizi, percorsi critici e margini di tempo, assicurando il rispetto delle scadenze. Inoltre, consente di conoscere lo stato di avanzamento delle attività e fornisce una visione complessiva delle commesse. Le soluzioni Microsoft Dynamics permettono di definire i budget, gestire la fatturazione, controllare le spese e tenere traccia nei minimi dettagli di tutte le attività e risorse relative a un progetto, sfruttando al tempo stesso le informazioni sulle commesse in corso o precedenti per migliorare i processi ed evitare errori.

www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics Ax, NAV, CRM Partner

Gestalten Sie Ihren Erfolg mit Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics AX ist die ideale Unternehmenssoftware für Firmen im gehobenen Mittelstand, die international ausgerichtet sind, sowie für Großunternehmen und Konzernniederlassungen in aller Welt mit mehreren tausend Anwendern. Die Software vereint umfassende Funktionalitäten für ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), ist vollständig integriert, mehrwährungs- und mehrsprachenfähig und basiert auf innovativer Technologie.

Aufbau und Funktionen von Microsoft Dynamics AX:

Microsoft Dynamics AX ist modular aufgebaut und bietet Ihnen eine Vielzahl von Funktionen für die typischen Geschäftsprozesse in Betrieben im gehobenen Mittelstand und in Großunternehmen:

Finanzmanagement
Für Zahlenfüchse: Im Finanzmanagement laufen alle Fäden zusammen. Erfahren Sie, wie Sie Buchhaltung, Controlling und Budgetplanung mit Microsoft Dynamics AX optimieren können.

Marketing und Vertrieb
Kundenbeziehungen besser steuern, mehr Produkte und Dienstleistungen verkaufen? Lesen Sie, wie Sie Marketing und Vertrieb mit Microsoft Dynamics AX auf Vordermann bringen.

Supply Chain Management (SCM)
Die Supply Chain fest im Griff: Entdecken Sie, wie Sie Ihre Prozesse in Einkauf, Verkauf, Lager, Produktion und Logistik mit Microsoft Dynamics AX straffen und automatisieren.

Onlineportale
Mitarbeiter, Kunden und Geschäftspartner vernetzen? Wie das funktioniert und welche Vorteile Ihnen die Zusammenarbeit auf Plattformen im Internet bringt, erfahren Sie hier.

Business Intelligence and Reporting
Bauchentscheidungen ade: Lassen Sie sich zeigen, wie Sie mit Microsoft Dynamics AX Ihre Geschäftsergebnisse in fundierte Entscheidungen verwandeln.

www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics AX, NAV, CRM Global Partner

Industry software for Microsoft Dynamics AX

Drive innovation faster with a standard solution that fits your industry needs

Microsoft Dynamics AX delivers a rich industry foundation on which partners build packaged vertical applications to help you improve your ability to cope with individual market dynamics. These strong industry capabilities deliver breakthrough innovation for organizations in key industries—manufacturing, distribution, retail, services, and the public sector.

News!
To accelerate this road map, Microsoft has acquired deep industry functionality for manufacturing, retail, and services, so these industry capabilities are now at the core of a single, standard solution.

This single, standard platform makes it easier to implement, maintain, and upgrade Microsoft Dynamics AX industry software, resulting in significantly lower total cost of ownership. For example, vertical templates, part of the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step implementation methodology, simplify and speed up implementation while helping to ensure you can meet the demands of your specialized business.

Mark Holt, IT Manager for Cayman Chemical says this about his company’s decision to run a Microsoft Dynamics AX industry solution:

“We choose Microsoft Dynamics AX with the process manufacturing solution from Fullscope over Oracle and SAP because Microsoft’s industry solution enabled a better fit with our business processes instead of dictating a fixed set of industry practices. Microsoft’s move to add industry solutions directly in to Microsoft Dynamics AX provides a predictable industry road map allowing partners to focus on the vertical solutions that can keep pace with the rate of innovation.”

Manufacturing

Support discrete and process manufacturing environments with a single solution for greater flexibility and growth.

Apparel and textile
Process industries

Distribution

Identify market trends for effective demand planning and peak performance.

Advanced Demand Management

Retail

Manage retail products, processes, and relationships for greater profitability.

Retail Chain Manager

Services

Increased profitability and unmatched client service for firms providing services such as accounting, legal and management consulting firms.

Professional Services 

www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics AX Global Partner

Technorati Etiketleri: Microsoft Dynamics AX, Dynamics AX 2009, AX 2009, Retail Chain Manager ERP, Professional Services ERP, Distribution ERP, Manufacturing ERP, ERP, MRP, Microsoft ERP, ENG, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Panoromica dei prodotti Microsoft Dynamics

La divisione Microsoft Dynamics propone soluzioni gestionali per la piccola e media impresa che permettono di collegare le risorse, i processi e le informazioni necessarie a un corretto e rapido svolgimento delle attività, dall’Enterprise Resource Management al Customer Relationship Management, dal Manufacturing alla gestione collaborativi della Supply Chain, sino alle soluzioni per il commercio elettronico e alle applicazioni per la reportistica e l’analisi. Trova il prodotto che risponde alle tue esigenze!

Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Microsoft Dynamics NAV è la soluzione per le piccole e medie aziende che necessitano di un sistema gestionale interoperabile e personalizzabile, completo di funzionalità di Relationship Management, e-business, Supply Chain Management. Caratterizzato da un motore di sviluppo semplice e potente, Microsoft Dynamics NAV può essere adattato alle esigenze specifiche di diversi settori di mercato.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Microsoft Dynamics AX è un ERP dotato di un ricco corredo di funzionalità evolute, per le aziende caratterizzate da un’organizzazione complessa. Multilingua e multivaluta, è disponibile in trentadue localizzazioni. Le società che devono operare con più localizzazioni e con diverse modalità di esecuzione dei processi nelle varie consociate possono installare tutte le versioni nello stesso database.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Dynamics CRM è lo strumento ideale per aumentare il successo delle vendite e la qualità del servizio ai clienti. Il modulo Vendite consente di visualizzare e gestire l’attività della forza vendita, assegnare i potenziali clienti, qualificarli e associarli, anche automaticamente, a un determinato venditore.

Technorati Etiketleri: Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Supply Chain Management, IT, servizio, clienti, ERP, MRP, Dynamics ERP, Microsoft ERP, Microsoft AX, Microsoft NAV 2009, Microsoft CRM, Microsoft, MOSS

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Government

 CRM for Government

State and local government and federal agencies can serve citizens and businesses more effectively with Microsoft Dynamics CRM services for government. Your organization can:

- Deliver timely, high-quality service that focuses on citizens’ needs. - Automate processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs. - Use technology to support collaboration and decision making across departments and agencies. - Rapidly deliver e-government, citizen service, and other government applications with the xRM framework

Business Intelligence

With access to real-time information and analysis, government agencies or organizations can use CRM tools to identify trends, evaluate citizen interactions with departments and agencies, and create strategies to enhance service and—at the same time—reduce costs.

- Capture and track data to respond quickly to changing constituent needs and legislative requirements. - Perform critical trend analysis based on real-time information. - Give administrators a real-time graphical view of organizational performance—from their desktops or mobile devices—with the ability to drill deeply into details.

Case Management

Social service agencies and related organizations are faced with growing caseloads and shrinking budgets. Microsoft Dynamics CRM case management tools help your agency increase its efficiency and reduce costs with streamlined processes and greater access to your critical data—all in one place.

- Centralized client records to remove the barriers to cross-agency collaboration. - Use automatic workflows to increase employee effectiveness. - Easily schedule follow-up appointments and use alerts for proactive notification. - Provide mobile access to constituent and case information, so workers in the field can be more productive.

Contact Center/311

Improve citizens’ ability to contact your agency—and your agency’s response time—with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Contact Center/311 solution for call center, routing, and CRM integration. The faster your response, the greater value your agency can deliver to the communities you serve.

-Use electronic tools, such as interactive voice response (IVR) in combination with contact-center agents to speed issue resolution of phone inquiries. - Give knowledge workers the ability to work within Microsoft Office Outlook to review prior contacts and update records when responding to e-mail requests. -  Take advantage of a reporting dashboard to sort and report incidents by contact type (Web, phone, or e-mail) or by case type, case severity, or other key data to help ensure timely service.

Constituent Management

Managing your constituents’ interactions with your organization is critical to your effectiveness. Because Microsoft Dynamics CRM looks and acts like an extension of Microsoft Office Outlook, your employees will find it easy to use, so they can respond quickly to citizen needs.

- Provide highly secure, role-based access to constituent data. - Give employees relevant constituent information from one, centralized location. - Track constituent inquiries and requests, regardless of channel. - Target key messages to specific audiences and within specific geographic areas. - Automate workflows to improve service. - Get powerful analysis and reporting tools to simplify the identification of needs and problems and proactively address them.

Field Inspection

Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps personnel work from almost anywhere with highly secure access to constituent data and case management capabilities. They can gather site information, including photography, and resolve issues quickly with a history of an individual’s agency interactions.

- Give field personnel the ability to track applications, licensing, permits, and other relevant data from remote sites. - Collect, compile, and organize data from the field or remote offices and then synchronize it with other organizational software. - Automate code enforcement at various levels of government. - Integrate with geographic information systems such as Microsoft Virtual Earth and ESRI to display case information on maps.

Funds Management

Federal, state, and local agencies and educational institutions can simplify funds management—from acquisition to expenditure—with the Microsoft Stimulus360 solution. By manipulating data from various sources in a highly secure environment, it’s easier to analyze the results of funded programs.

- Track key performance indicators (KPIs)—such as job creation by city, county, and state—as well as related metrics, to determine the effects of funding. - Visualize data in rich KPI dashboards and interactive maps. - Use pre-populated content including legislative and regulatory links, report templates, and newsfeeds. - Improve governance and transparency through automatic capture of actions in a workflow history.

Grants Management

Today, many government agencies find it challenging to manage the approval, distribution, and tracking of grants with fewer personnel and limited resources. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, however, you can streamline your grant management tasks to stay on time and within budget.

- Set up a standardized, electronic system that simplifies grant processing and helps ensure compliance with legislative directives. - Easily process and track payments through transparent integration with your back-end financial systems. - Automatically send notifications for grant-application status changes to replace time-consuming manual processes. - Generate task lists automatically for each stage of the grant process. - Evaluate and track solicitations so that distributions are awarded to the most-deserving applicants. - Work from within Microsoft Office Outlook for ease of use and productivity.

Personnel Management

Because your employees put your organization’s mission into action, effective personnel management is vital to your success. Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps ensure that your staff have the training and support they need, and that your organization’s human resources are efficiently deployed.

- Manage personnel, mission, budgeting, acquisition, inventory, training, public affairs, cases, and multiple business applications. - Provide offline data access and mobility options that help employees stay up-to-date and keep projects moving even when they are away from the office. - Get powerful reporting and analysis tools that make it easy to manage cases and identify problems at a glance. - Create automated workflows for personnel processes to reduce administrative tasks. - Help secure your data with by defining levels of access to applications and data, based on job roles.

Task Management

Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers both a powerful and flexible way to manage tasks and processes. At a time when managing government operations is more complex than ever, Microsoft Dynamics CRM gives you the ability to manage diverse tasks with fewer resources in less time.

- Automate manual processes for such areas as logistics, personnel evaluations, information requests, and awards and decorations. - Give authorized personnel visibility into all data appropriate to their roles. - Maintain an easy-to-follow audit trail that demonstrates accountability from beginning to end. - Create consistent processes and quality standards to improve workflows. - Get advanced reporting metrics for deeper data analysis.

Correspondence Management

New economic stimulus programs are placing added pressures on government agencies to be more accountable and transparent in their actions. At the same time, these agencies are expected to be more efficient with smaller budgets and less resources. Customizable solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM that address some of your most pressing needs will get you on the road to improved accountability, transparency, and efficiency in a hurry. Allowing your agency or department to get a 360 degree view of all the organizations and individuals with whom you connect is critical for governmental organizations.

- Keep track of addresses, activities and correspondence around contacts. - Use powerful search tools to quickly find the information you want. - Build Ad-hoc reports around your organizational activities. - Everything you need to manage relationships with those both inside and outside of your organization available in one secure place

Composite Case Study: CRM in Local Governments

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics ERP Global Partner

Microsoft Business Intelligence - BI

Microsoft leads the industry in business intelligence solutions Microsoft business intelligence solutions are scalable and designed to evolve with your business. With continuous innovation since initial release, Microsoft business intelligence solutions are built on open, industry-wide standards – making integration with your other systems easier and less costly than the alternatives.

BI Benefits Improve organizational effectiveness Microsoft business intelligence enables you to create and manage information through an integrated system that includes core business productivity features, such as collaboration tools, search capabilities, and content management.

The workplace becomes highly efficient, resulting in cost savings and low total cost of ownership (TCO).

Enable IT efficiency while reducing costs With Microsoft business intelligence, you can cut costs and reduce complexity by leveraging existing IT investments to extend the reach of technology you already own.

Because Microsoft Excel, SQL Server and SharePoint are integrated and inter-operable, you can rely on your existing IT resources and skill sets for faster implementation and lower total cost of ownership.

BI In Action Accurate, integrated data empowers success at Northumbria University

Stakeholders at Northumbria University use Microsoft Business Intelligence solutions to gain access to near real-time, streaming reports to support effective decision-making.

"Within one year the team was able to launch the full decision support system, a user friendly web-based portal, called Northumbria World. It includes dashboards, scorecards, KPIs and advanced drill-down capabilities. We almost surprised ourselves with the rather quick and smooth implementation process -- it really exceeded expectations every step of the way."
Eugene McCrossan, Financial Planning Director for Northumbria

Conceptus Achieves Effective, Integrated Solution at Half the Cost Conceptus deployed Microsoft business intelligence solutions to achieve increased visibility into key data and trends at half the cost of a competitor.

"By choosing Microsoft, we gained an effective BI solution at half the cost of an alternative. We were able to use our existing CRM and ERP systems and our existing data warehouse for building the OLAP cubes."

Jeff Letasse, Vice President of Information Technology and Business Systems for Conceptus

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics ERP and Business Intelligence

CRM and Social Networking – Microsoft Dynamics CRM

The Intersection of Social Networking and CRM

What does social networking have to do with CRM? At the heart of any business are customers, and social networking represents an opportunity to build even more mutually rewarding and candid relationships with those customers. But for organizations to realize tangible business benefits, they need to better plan, manage, and measure their social networking efforts. This is precisely where CRM intersects with social networking.

Adam Sarner, Gartner analyst, contends that in social networking, “CRM is where you are going to see the ROI in the business model as opposed to anywhere else. It’s all about connecting and engaging in new ways with customers,” (McKay 2009). This isn’t surprising. Customers using social networks want meaningful engagement with companies. And businesses want a way to manage and measure their forays in social networking. When social networks and CRM work together well, businesses gain the ability to better listen to customer conversations and engage social customers on their own terms while managing and measuring their efforts to do so. Social networks, by bringing in otherwise untapped and unmanaged online conversations, also help organizations get closer to a true 360-degree view of the customer so they can further optimize their marketing, sales, and customer service efforts.

A combined strategy for richer customer interactions

The combination of social networking and CRM provides an enormous opportunity to enrich customer interactions and give businesses a way to manage and measure how they use social networking while successfully engaging social customers. A Gartner Research report calls social networking a “disruptive influence” on the CRM market, challenging companies to innovate and adjust (Metz, 2008). There are, however, some basic strategies that can help organizations better leverage social networking as part of their overall customer management strategy:

- Treat social networking as a new channel within CRM. Many companies already use CRM solutions to manage customers, contacts, interactions, and communications, so it makes sense to continue to use customer management tools when these activities move into social networking channels.

- Enhance and extend CRM through social networking. While social networking activities can be considered as an additional channel in CRM, they also extend and enhance the capabilities of CRM with new ways of engaging customers and managing conversations.

- Play to the strengths of both CRM and social networks. Use CRM and social networking sites together to better listen to customers, analyze information, and respond to customers in a way that’s meaningful to them.

Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics® CRM In order to help businesses implement these strategies, Microsoft offers the Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Accelerators for Microsoft Dynamics CRM are add-on modules developed to address specific business needs. The Social Networking Accelerator allows Microsoft Dynamics CRM users to discover online conversations, identify influential people, and engage with them on social networking sites using their customer system of record—Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Additionally, the Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes the same easy-to-use interface and industry leading analytics that allow organizations not only to capture data but also make sense of it. With the Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, marketing professionals can identify their most influential advocates and better manage the brand. Sales professionals can discover new leads and zero in on key data points, and customer service agents can proactively identify and address issues.

Social Networking for Marketing Perhaps the biggest benefactor of social networking is the marketer. Social networking provides marketing organizations with new insights into their brand, innovative ways to execute and track grass-roots marketing programs, and new methods to turn fragmented online conversations into actionable insights. To do so, though, organizations will need ways to monitor, understand, and participate effectively in those conversations and leverage them in conjunction with existing marketing programs and processes.  

Increase brand awareness The first step in engaging social customers is to listen to what they’re saying. While social networking sites provide a rich source of customer opinions and attitudes, the challenge is to capture this information in a useful form and in a way that benefits the business. The Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help organizations increase the awareness of their brand and products and improve market sentiment by:

- Identifying key influencers in each product area to increase brand awareness.

- Automatically tracking public online conversations of interest within the customer system of record.

- Rating and tracking the sentiment of specific social networking conversations.

- Tracking online reaction to new announcements or developments.

- Keeping track of competitors by monitoring their public online conservations.

- Using social networks as a source of market research by creating online focus groups.


Better leverage online channels Social networks can also provide an excellent opportunity for grass-roots online marketing initiatives. Because social networks tend to be egalitarian and informal, they have the potential to appeal to customers at a personal level in a way that’s difficult through traditional channels. Marketing via social networking sites, however, does not replace traditional marketing. Instead, it should be treated as an additional channel with its own unique characteristics that complement other marketing efforts, an approach that can ultimately enhance the effectiveness of all channels. The Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help marketing organizations engage social customers while managing and tracking their efforts by:

- Quickly spotting developing PR or perception issues and addressing them with pinpoint responses.

- Authoring social networking messages directly from the customer system of record.

- Automatically tracking responses to social networking messages or conversations.

- Seamlessly integrating social networking channels into existing marketing methodologies.

- Launching online marketing programs that engage social customers in their preferred environment.

- Seamlessly tracking responses and leads generated from online marketing efforts.

Measure results As social networks continue to emerge as a viable marketing vehicle, organizations will need flexible analytical tools to take that information and turn it into actionable insights. With these tools, social networking data can greatly enrich and expand upon information from traditional sources. The Social Networking Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help organizations capture useful data from social networks by:

- Identifying and tagging public online conversations about their product, brand, and industry.

- Analyzing message effectiveness by measuring impressions, replies, and other key metrics.

- Using pre-built analytics to track follower count and identify evolving trends in real-time.

- Gaining instant visibility into brand health with the Social Networking Dashboard.

- Using powerful analysis capabilities to identify the biggest online champions, influencers and complainers.

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics AX CRM NAV Global Partner

Why Microsoft Dynamics solutions for automotive suppliers?

The automotive industry continually adopts new technologies to face emerging challenges. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) put pressure on tiered suppliers to reduce costs, increase output, improve quality, and deliver more frequently. To stay competitive, suppliers must implement more flexible, powerful, and responsive production systems.

Microsoft Dynamics business management solutions give automotive manufacturers the key capabilities needed to be more responsive to customers and suppliers. Our solutions can enable automotive companies and their suppliers to reduce time to market, improve plant floor production, and link supply chains more effectively to production.

Improve operations and reduce costs

Support a variety of release accounting methods, including cumulative order management, Kanban, and long-range forecasting 830 Production Release Transactions.

Help lower system costs by supporting lean manufacturing capabilities.

Develop profitable customer relationships

Provide a comprehensive view of customer information.

Coordinate multi-channel communications with customers.

Improve customer support by more effectively tracking and monitoring customer needs and requests.

Build connections to suppliers and vendors

Utilize automotive production demands to enable operations and suppliers' operations to react quickly.

Drive transparency down the supply chain to second- and third-tier suppliers directly from auto makers' forecasts.

Shorten development cycles by integrating product development with manufacturing, accounting, purchasing, and suppliers.

www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics AX CRM NAV Global Partner

Professional Services for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX 2009

Working with federal, state, and local government agencies can be a challenge. Strict regulatory requirements and procurement agents can make it difficult just to break even on fixed-price contracts. To be successful, you have to manage this complexity and deliver a quality product or service while still making money. With Professional Services for Microsoft Dynamics™ AX, government contractors can help better manage project teams, increase employee productivity, and remain in compliance with complex government audit policies and procedures.

Integrate Financial, Human Resources, and  Project Management Information
Help connect disparate systems to integrate data for comprehensive pictures of your firm and accounts and streamline company- and project-related processes. Reduce redundant data entry and management efforts, improve accuracy, and increase staff productivity by integrating Microsoft Dynamics AX general ledger, purchasing, receivables, and time and expense functionality. Benefit from tight integration with familiar productivity software, including Microsoft® Office Excel® 2003, Microsoft Office Word 2003, and Microsoft Office Project Server 2003.

Benefits:

· Integrated firm-wide processes and information

· Compliance with government regulations

· Enhanced handling of time and expenses

· Easy management of requests for proposals (RFPs) and contracts

· Positive return on investment (ROI)

Remain Compliant with Government Regulations
Help collect and analyze project-related time and expense data and generate accurate, up-to-the-minute reports for government audits. View agency, department, contract, and project details in real time for an accurate accounting of progress and profitability.

Capture and Report Time and Expenses Efficiently
Capture customer, project, sub-project, or task-level time and expenses through a powerful Web-based, workflow-enabled time and expense entry interface. Standard features include document and line-item-level timecard and expense report approvals; integration with client and agency expense reimbursement rules; and automatic downloading of assigned tasks to timesheets and credit card statements to expense reports.

Track and manage multiple change requests throughout the lifetime of a project with complete roll-up and historical archival capabilities. Produce robust real-time reports that can be saved for repeated use.

Flexible Project Management Capabilities	Configure work breakdown structures (WBS) to suit your business needs; define matrix tables for costs and rates; and establish billing rules and revenue recognition methods.
CRM	Manage RFPs, contracts, quotations, and sales orders at an enterprise level within your business management system. Produce robust reports on pre- and post-sales activity
Detailed Job Analysis	Accumulate costs and analyze projects with drill-down capabilities at multiple levels. Flexible planning and reporting allow you to assign resources and report at the appropriate level of detail.
Customer Profile Folders and Templates	Customer and project folders allow you to create client-specific project billing rates, expense rules, and archive and retrieve historical staffing plans, estimates, purchase orders, invoices, and budget reconciliations.
Web-Based, Workflow-Enabled Time and Expense Entry	Maintain tight control over costs and shorten billing cycle time with automated approval processes for timesheets and streamlined processes for cash advances, travel advances, and credit card reconciliation. Set alerts on timesheets to indicate when time is not being entered as required, or when committed costs exceed budgets.
Customizable Revenue Recognition and Project Billing Rules	Define recognition at the company, customer, project, or activity level and pre-configure rules for percent complete, completed contract, time and materials, and fixed fees with tools that conform to the way your company works. Flexible billing parameters support retainers, fees, milestones, and progress billing.
Multicompany and Multicurrency Support	Your business can support distinct departments, offices, and companies and apply inter-company rules within one database. Track financial transactions within and between different departments and subsidiaries to help ensure an accurate overview of revenue and cost flows. Full multicurrency support enables you to perform automatic conversions associated with project budgeting, costing, billing, accounting, and reporting.
Microsoft Project Bi-directional Integration with Project Accounting	Full bi-directional integration with Project Server 2003 offers both increased team collaboration capabilities and ease of use. With powerful resource scheduling and tracking tools, your company can improve cost efficiencies by better managing the allocation of resources.

Manage Contract and Sales Opportunity Data More Effectively
When coupled with customer relationship management (CRM) functionality, Professional Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX can become a full-featured RFP-to-project management tool. Manage opportunities, contacts, RFPs, contracts, and transactions all in one place. And when you close a deal, you may convert quotations to sales orders with one-click ease.

Professional Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX also comes standard with a robust set of sales-pipeline and in-process sales reports, such as prognosis for quotation, won-lost, master planning estimates, turnover reports, campaign analysis, and business relations.

Achieve a Positive ROI
Because Professional Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX integrates closely with other powerful Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000, Microsoft Internet Information Services, and the Microsoft Windows® operating system, your firm can take advantage of existing IT investments and gain a fast return on your investment. And supported by a wizard-based configuration and system setup tool, Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta®, now part of Microsoft Dynamics, has been shown to significantly reduce implementation times and total cost of ownership for customers.*

*Nucleus Research, Inc. The Real ROI from Axapta. Research Note E116, October 2004

http://www.pargesoft.com/ Microsoft Dynamics AX NAV CRM Global Partner

Apparel and Textile for Microsoft Dynamics AX

 

Integrate production processes, routing, and complex item data to increase efficiency, improve traceability, and manage cascading product specifications across the supply chain.

Global competition, the increasing complexity of dispersed supply networks, and ongoing mergers and acquisitions challenge apparel and textile manufacturers to satisfy demanding customers, bring products to market faster, and operate profitably. Yet these companies often struggle with patchwork information systems that are unable to handle the required number of item variables, limit flexibility, and inhibit visibility into operations.

Apparel and Textile for Microsoft DynamicsTM AX addresses complex item coding, traceability, and process flexibility needs of companies that manufacture and distribute textiles and apparel—from fibers to yarns and consumer and industrial fabrics to home goods and carpet, as well as clothing, designer lines, and fashion accessories.

With robust, industry-specific functionality and tight integration with other Microsoft products, Apparel and Textile for Microsoft Dynamics AX is a comprehensive business management solution that provides a high degree of scalability and readily adapts to your company needs and changing corporate structure. Support for multiple languages and currencies helps you operate smoothly across geographies. With Apparel and Textile for Microsoft Dynamics AX, you can be confident your solution is relevant to the demands of your industry and business.

Advanced item coding links item production and finishing variables with sourcing, BOM generation, and routing to help ensure traceability, cost accounting, and profitability analysis.

Benefits:

• Manage complexity for comprehensive traceability. Handle numerous material and product variables effectively with multi-dimensional item coding that enables you to track from raw fibers to finished goods—and back. Trace materials through variable sourcing and manufacturing processes, subcontractors, inventory, and logistics.

• Increase agility with adaptable processes for sourcing, manufacturing, and shipment allocation. Use blanket orders, neutral bills of materials (BOMs), multi-line manufacturing orders, and variable routing and allocation simulations to meet changing customer and supplier requirements.

• Take control of costs and profitability. Integrate material, item, order, and cost information into comprehensive financial management and reporting tools. For example, gain insight into seasonal or brand collections’ performance or profitability of various distribution channels.

• Gain insight to respond effectively to changing conditions. Run simulations and model new processes to adapt effectively to changes in product lines, manufacturing capabilities, supply partners, production geographies, vertical integration, and distribution.

• Streamline supply chain interactions. Take advantage of multicurrency, multilanguage, and multi-site support to speed transactions, improve transparency, and facilitate consolidated financial reporting.

Dimensional item management	Manage complex item variables with advanced coding attributes and “smart” SKU coding for raw materials, process outputs, and item characteristics including collection or seasonal grouping, style, color, color-way, size dimensions, decorations, and finishing variants. Automatically update item codes based on manufacturing process completion with transaction-driven code changes and extensions.
Bi-directional materials tracking	Improve traceability both upstream and downstream when you can track goods by lot, batch, and serial number and trace finished goods back to components and suppliers through item BOMs.
Flexible bills of material (BOMs)	Streamline planning and increase production agility with neutral BOMs that enable production and materials planning independent of variables such as size, color, or color-way.
Adaptive production management	Increase efficiency and respond quickly to changes with multi-line manufacturing orders, flexible and alternative routings, and reprocessing management. Support either push or pull production policies and integrate subcontractor routings and management into planning and logistics.
Tailored customer order capabilities	Streamline order entry by creating multiple order types such as collection and showroom orders and open blanket orders with truncated codes for later specification. Accommodate multiple shipment addresses and delivery dates per order and save time by making mass modifications in existing or blanket orders.
Quality assurance support	Integrate quality grading processes and information into the production and supply chain. Allocate products of various grades to different distribution channels and gain insight into grade costs and profitability.
Integrated shipping	Define and meet customer requirements for put-up options, labeling, unitizing, and documentation, with item and shipment information fully integrated into invoicing and accounting processes.
Inventory management	Maintain multiple material status indicators and improve inventory management with comprehensive tracking of materials and finished goods, including samples, off-site deposits such as trade show or showroom stocks, multiple real and virtual warehouses, and wholesale or distributor inventories.
Supply chain management	Increase supply chain visibility, monitor subcontractor performance, and collaborate effectively. Incorporate supply partners into routing decisions and costing, share information using Microsoft® formats familiar to people worldwide, and extend replenishment processes to suppliers through the Internet.
Price lists	Access integrated cost information to easily generate price lists for finished goods of various quality grades, sizing, and quantities, plus create and maintain special promotional, trade-show, or showroom pricing.
Multiple measurement units and conversions	Streamline and automate measurement conversions based on algorithms for improved accuracy and consistency.

htpp://www.pargesoft.com Microsoft Dynamics AX / NAV / CRM Global Partner