• iCM | iQM

D365

Building a More Resilient Supply Chain in Uncertain Times
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Building a More Resilient Supply Chain in Uncertain Times
Building a More Resilient Supply Chain in Uncertain Times 700 500 Xcelpros Team

In today’s rapidly changing economy, having a resilient supply chain has become more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of a major recession have led to uncertainty and the disruption of supply chains worldwide, leaving businesses struggling to stay afloat.

Companies need to ensure they have strategies to respond to unpredictable events to protect their bottom line. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of having a resilient supply chain focusing on remaining agile and competitive.

Defining supply chain resilience

When it comes to supply chain resilience, a lot of it comes down to a business’s ability to manage changes in the market and keep up with customer demands while still providing goods and services on time and efficiently – especially important critical periods of economic downturn when businesses from every industry are being forced to make tough decisions about their operations and cost-saving measures.

For most businesses, a stronger supply chain means having systems in place that let them detect and react quickly to environmental changes.

  • Products like Microsoft Dynamics and Power BI offer integrated inventory management and analytics capabilities businesses can use to identify supply chain risks and provide real-time alerts.
  • Investments in continuous training to ensure their teams have the skills and knowledge needed to react and adjust quickly to shifting customer demands.
  • Having contingency plans to mitigate risks from unexpected events can help businesses remain resilient in tough times.

Working to create a stronger supply chain means businesses can reduce the risk of being affected by market volatility and be better equipped to cope with any disruptions that could affect customer satisfaction, productivity, profitability, and more.

Assessing your current situation

The first step to preparing your supply chain for tough times is assessing your current operations. Taking a close look at your supply chain lets you identify any weaknesses and gives you a clear view of where you need to make changes or investments.

Figure 1:Steps to Assess Your Current Supply Chain

Steps to Assess Your Current Supply Chain

Full visibility makes it easy to track evolving customer needs, behavior, and trends. This information makes it possible to optimize warehouse operations according to what the end customer is seeking. While not always easy, it’s quickly becoming non-negotiable.

The main reason D365 is used by so many businesses for supply chain and warehouse management is the wide range of modern features it offers in one solution, including –

1.Evaluate Your Risk Management Strategy: Your risk management strategy should be tailored to the specific challenges and risks in your supply chain. A good risk management plan should include potential risks and strategies for addressing them.

2.Consider Potential Supply Chain Disruptions:Analyzing potential disruptions helps you better prepare for them. Think about potential challenges or risks that could affect your supply chain. It’s important to know how these disruptions could affect your operations and what steps you need to take to prepare for them.

3.Review Your Processes:Look at your current processes and assess if they are efficient and effective. Are the right systems in place to manage inventory, track shipments, and handle customer inquiries? Are there any areas that can be improved? Making changes to existing processes can help streamline operations and create a more efficient supply chain.

4.Assess Your Resources:Assessing your resources helps you determine if you have the capacity to meet customer demands. Consider if you have enough staff, resources, and technology to handle any potential increase in volume. You should also consider using alternate suppliers if one of your main vendors cannot fill your order.

Assessing your current supply chain gives you a better understanding of its strengths and weaknesses, and lets you identify areas that need improvement to prepare for whatever may come.

Identifying areas of improvement

When it comes to improving your supply chain, it’s important to get a complete view of your systems and any areas you may have identified needing improvement. Your assessment should cover the entire value chain, including suppliers, manufacturing processes, inventory management, planning, customer service, and more.

Once you identify areas that need improvement, it’s time to develop an action plan. This plan might focus on reducing risk, increasing efficiency, or improving customer satisfaction. You can use several strategies to achieve these goals, like more robust supplier contracts, streamlining your operations with automation, or improving communication with your stakeholders, all of which are available in a solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform.

The goal is to create a more resilient supply chain that can withstand economic downturns and other unexpected events. With the right plan in place, you can ensure your business is prepared for whatever challenges.

Strategies to enhance your supply chain

As the world faces challenging economic times, a resilient supply chain can mean the difference between success and failure and how quickly you can adapt to changes in the market. A business’s success in trying times often comes down to the technology and strategies they use to support its supply chain:

Figure 2:Increasing Supply Chain Resilience

Increasing Supply Chain Resilience

  1. 1.Diversify your suppliers : Managing multiple suppliers for key products or services protects you if any single supplier fails to deliver or goes out of business.
  2. 2.Improve data-sharing between departments : Effective collaboration helps create better visibility throughout the supply chain to make everyone aware of potential issues ahead of time.
  3. 3.Develop contingency plans : Having backup plans for different circumstances before they happen helps ensure day-to-day operations continue without interruption.
  4. 4.Automated workflows : Automating things like inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping reduces manual labor costs and increases efficiency and accuracy in production.
  5. 5.Invest in risk assessment and management: Risk assessment allows companies to understand where they are most vulnerable proactively. Risk management includes developing strategies to minimize and recover from any unexpected risks.

With the right technology and proactive steps to improve the resiliency of the supply chain, companies can weather economic downturns with greater success. It’s important to remember that strengthening your supply chain requires an ongoing effort, not just a one-time response to market changes. With consistent monitoring and strategic action, businesses can strengthen their supply chains and better prepare for future challenges.

Evaluate and adjust as needed

Building a more resilient supply chain is critical for things like reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of operations. Once you have strategies to enhance your supply chain, it’s important to evaluate the results and make any necessary adjustments.

  • The first step in evaluating the results of your efforts is analyzing the data from your supply chain operations. This means looking at cost savings, customer service levels, delivery times, and quality assurance. These metrics let you know if your supply chain is performing as expected and if any changes need to be made.
  • After you assess your current performance, you can make necessary adjustments. This might be altering existing processes or adding new components to your supply chain. Keeping up with changing needs in the market is key to staying competitive and being prepared for any unexpected events that may arise.
  • It’s important to re-evaluate your supply chain strategies periodically. Analyzing the data from your operations helps identify the latest trends and reduce costs. Especially helpful in uncertain times.

Schedule a Call today for more information and to discover how we can help.

References: Successful Strategies to Improve Your Supply Chain

Predictive Pricing and Dynamics 365 in the Chemical Industry
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Predictive Pricing and Dynamics 365 in the Chemical Industry
Predictive Pricing and Dynamics 365 in the Chemical Industry 700 500 Xcelpros Team

One of the biggest challenges facing the chemical industry today is implementing dynamic pricing — predictive or strategic pricing- allowing you to adjust prices based on market demands and information.

With strategic pricing, companies can enjoy more consistency in sales, higher profits and faster inventory turnover (and therefore less risk associated with carrying excess inventory). Thanks to cloud computing and the power of Microsoft Dynamics 365. Implementing strategic pricing isn’t as complex or expensive as it may seem. Here’s how predictive pricing can work for you in the chemical industry.

The Basics of Dynamic Pricing

The chemical industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. To remain competitive and maximise profits, chemical companies must use data-driven dynamic pricing strategies. To ensure their prices are aligned with the market and their products are priced competitively. Dynamic pricing involves using data-driven strategies such as predictive pricing and price optimization to determine optimal prices for each product, market, and customer.

Commonly used in retail, dynamic pricing has become an effective way for chemical companies to optimize their pricing strategy. By leveraging data-driven analysis and predictive analytics, companies can accurately forecast customer demand, spot market trends, and identify opportunities to set the right prices for each product and market. With this information, chemical companies can adjust their pricing regularly to reflect changing market conditions and customer needs.

For chemical companies looking to gain a competitive edge, implementing a dynamic pricing strategy with Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a good way to get started. Dynamics 365 provides data-driven insights, intelligent insights, automated pricing recommendations and predictive price optimization capabilities that enable companies to make strategic pricing decisions quickly and effectively.

Chemical companies can optimise their pricing strategy by leveraging Dynamics 365’s dynamic pricing tools. To ensure they stay ahead of the competition and maximize their profits by accurately forecasting customer demand and optimizing pricing. Companies can set the right prices for each product and market, ultimately increasing their bottom line.

Predictive Pricing

Chemical companies can also benefit from predictive pricing that allows them to optimize their prices in response to changing market conditions. By understanding the customer’s demand, the chemical company can set its prices according to the optimal price point for each individual customer. This helps the company remain competitive in the marketplace. As well as maintain a healthy profit margin. To be successful, predictive pricing requires three things:

  1. 1.Key price drivers
  2. 2.Full control of storage and capacity
  3. 3.Integrated insights

Figure 1:Predictive Pricing with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Predictive Pricing with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a great resource for chemical companies implementing a predictive pricing strategy. It enables users to access data quickly and easily, identifying key price drivers and making informed decisions about pricing and other business matters. Microsoft Dynamics 365 also provides customers with an intuitive platform to manage their accounts and business processes, enabling them to develop a comprehensive pricing strategy that meets their needs.

By leveraging predictive pricing with Microsoft Dynamics 365, chemical companies can better understand their customer base, anticipate changes in demand, and adjust their prices accordingly. This helps them stay ahead of their competition while optimizing profits and margins. The ability to quickly adjust prices based on real-time data helps chemical companies stay competitive and increase their sales.

Dynamic Price Optimization

Companies need to have the right pricing strategy to stay ahead. One of the most effective strategies that can be used is dynamic pricing, which allows companies to adjust their prices in real-time according to changes supply and demand. By leveraging data-driven dynamic pricing strategies, chemical companies can optimize their prices to maximize their profit margins and stay competitive.

Dynamic pricing relies on predictive analytics to inform pricing decisions based on customer behaviour, market trends, and other factors. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, chemical companies can access powerful data insights that allow them to understand market dynamics and react quickly to changing conditions. This real-time analysis helps companies set pricing strategies to maximize profits while still meeting customer demands.

By leveraging predictive analytics and dynamic price optimization, chemical companies can take a more strategic approach to pricing that allows them to react quickly and effectively to changes in the market. This data-driven approach allows them to adjust their prices in real-time based on current market trends and customer behaviour. Ensuring they remain competitive in a highly competitive industry.

Using dynamic pricing, chemical companies can optimize their pricing strategies with increased accuracy, providing customers with competitive prices while still maximizing profits. By leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365, chemical companies can use powerful data insights to drive their pricing decisions and stay ahead of the competition.

Trade agreements and pricing

When it comes to pricing in the chemical industry, it is essential to have a well-defined strategy in place. Trade agreements and pricing structures are constantly changing, making it difficult for companies to forecast their financial performance accurately. Fortunately, data-driven dynamic pricing and predictive pricing in chemicals can help to address this challenge.

Trade agreements are the main way discounts and pricing is configured in D365 Finance and operations, defining the logic the system uses to set different prices. You can set up and enable trade agreements that control pricing (sales pricing, purchase pricing) and discounts (Line, Multiline, and Total discounts) for items, customers, and vendors. Once these agreements are configured, pricing and discounts can be applied to orders, invoices, and quotes.

Agreements are usually configured to apply to a specific Item Code by preference:

  • Table – The first agreement the system looks for, targeting a single customer, vendor, or item.
  • Group – If there are no agreements coded: Table, the system checks for agreements that can apply to a group of customers, vendors, or items.
  • All – If agreements aren’t found coded for either Group or Table the system checks agreements that can apply to all customers, all vendors, or all items.

In total there are four types of agreements that can be activated:

  • Price agreements – Sale and purchase pricing for items that can be different for a customer or Vendor.
  • Line discounts – Line discounts for items that can be different for a customer or Vendor.
  • Multiline discounts – Just like Line Discounts, only usable with the item code set to Group or All.
  • Total discounts – Discounts for entire orders, these cannot be used with Group or Table item codes.

With the added power of Microsoft Dynamics 365, chemical companies can gain real-time insights into trade agreements, enabling them to adjust prices accordingly and remain competitive. In addition, using predictive pricing in chemicals can provide companies with insight into consumer demand and help them anticipate customer needs.

With data-driven dynamic pricing tools, companies can create an optimal price point to maximize revenue and profits while increasing customer satisfaction. Predictive pricing is a key element in crafting a successful pricing strategy in the volatile chemical industry.

Overall, dynamic pricing and predictive pricing in chemicals offer an opportunity for companies to gain a competitive edge by staying ahead of the curve. Using Microsoft Dynamics 365 to monitor trade agreements and adjust prices accordingly, chemical companies can remain competitive while optimizing their profitability.

Next Steps

With the advent of data-driven dynamic pricing, the chemical industry is constantly changing. Companies must stay on top of the game. Leveraging a pricing strategy built on data insights can help chemical companies increase profitability and stay ahead of their competition. To implement such a strategy, chemical companies should partner with industry experts familiar with predictive pricing models and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Experts in the field understand how to use data-driven dynamic pricing to optimise profits. They can help chemical companies set up a pricing model that considers market conditions, competitors’ strategies, and customer demand. This allows chemical companies to set prices that will maximize their profits accurately. Experts can also assist with implementing price optimization tools using Microsoft Dynamics 365. To provide a comprehensive platform for the chemical industry to manage pricing and sales.

Another advantage of utilizing industry experts is that they can provide valuable guidance on creating a strategic pricing plan tailored to the company’s objectives and goals. With the help of experienced professionals, chemical companies can learn how to set prices that capture maximum value for their products and services. Moreover, these experts can offer real advice on maintaining dynamic pricing and other pricing models over time.

Implementing dynamic pricing and predictive models within the chemical industry requires expertise and insight. Industry experts have the knowledge and experience to help chemical companies create an effective pricing strategy to maximize profits and drive success.

Working with the right partner can help chemical companies leverage data-driven dynamic pricing, optimize prices and use Microsoft Dynamics 365 to make informed decisions about their pricing strategy. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Streamline Your Supply Chain with Advanced Warehouse Management and MD365
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Streamline Your Supply Chain with Advanced Warehouse Management and MD365
Streamline Your Supply Chain with Advanced Warehouse Management and MD365 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Warehouse management is a key aspect of modern supply chain management that demands the full attention of a business to be efficient. In this post, we look at warehouse management in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

Overview of Advanced Warehouse Management in D365 F&O

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is one of the most well-known ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions offering innovative, AI-driven assistance for Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain Management. The Warehouse Management module of D365 offers a wide range of optimized capabilities to manage even the most complicated supply chains.

Worldwide, manufacturing and distribution companies of all sizes rely on D365 warehouse inventory management to support their supply chain operations at a core level. When a system like D365 is implemented correctly, it’s easy to gain efficiency and flexibility at every level. Furthermore, D365 enables warehouse owners to set up multiple priority-based storage areas within a warehouse making it easy to gain visibility into their supply chain. According to research from World Economic Forum, challenges like high overheads, growing competition, and evolving customer expectations continue to cause severe impediments.

When it comes to supply chain efficiency, gaining full visibility has become extremely important, permitting businesses to build a direct link with consumers and partners. Supply chain visibility is critical to building a strategy to reduce risks, drive innovation, and build customer trust.

Key Warehouse Management Processes

Figure 1:Key Warehouse Management Processes

Key Warehouse Management Processes

Full visibility makes tracking evolving customer needs, behaviour, and trends easy. This information makes it possible to optimize warehouse operations according to what the end customer is seeking. While not always easy, it’s quickly becoming non-negotiable.

The main reason so many businesses use D365 for supply chain and warehouse management is the wide range of modern features it offers in one solution, including –

  • Placement and Storage D365 let you define the stock based on query-defined rules that make tracking products easy. Users can define location and storage policies down to item and warehouse levels to ensure that RFID (radio frequency identification) capabilities are accurate and updated. You can streamline the storage facility greatly by dividing the warehouses into different zones, defining the storage needs, and even specifying an item’s location with the aisle, rack, and shelf details.
  • Inventory Dimensions D365 gives you visibility into specific inventory details like warehouse and location, as well as basic characteristics like size, color and more. Users have full control over how the products are stored, how warehouse storage costing is decided, and how inventory tracking is happening by defining the inventory dimensions according to any operational requirements.
  • Serial and Batch Number ControlD365 makes it easy to add and manage batch and serial numbers to things like finished goods and raw materials, streamlining the ability for your team to track their location as they move through production. As you gain full control of serial and batch numbers, it becomes easier to trace the quality assurance and warranty of your finished goods. As a bonus, properly assigning serial and batch numbers to your goods and products lets you know exactly where they are in your system, and whether the order has been shipped or not.
  • Wave TemplateWave templates in Dynamics 365 give users the ability to create and manage multiple Shipping, Production and Kanban Wave Templates can be processed manually or automatically. As these Waves are processed, specific work is assigned to a warehouse operations team(s) to be completed for different locations or scenarios. Setting up a wave template includes defining the location or warehouse that the template will create the work for, the order the system will follow if there are multiple waves, and actions to be taken when the wave is processed. Examples of Wave Template types include shipping or transferring orders, or special care and handling instructions for moving items in production. Wave templates create work from Work Templates and Location Directives (pick and put locations) for a specific warehouse.
  • Work Templates and Location DirectivesD365 also includes Work Templates and Location Directives to help define and standardize the operations crucial to a business’s warehouse management. Work templates define “work” and lay out specific pick and put process steps for users to follow in warehouse transactions. Work templates are not location specific by default, and only describe the actions to take.
    • PICK an item from a rack or shelf location
    • PUT an item into a packaging area
    • PICK an item from a packaging area
    • PUT an item into a shipment

    Location Directives describe the same steps for different sites and locations. Location Directives are specific directions for managing or moving inventory in a specific warehouse or location for different scenarios like handling of larger quantities, or specific storage location types like cold storage, freezers, etc.

  • Replenishment TemplatesReplenishment templates in D365 let you define the replenishment process for multiple locations. D365 includes the ability to set different replenishment strategies for different warehouses:
    • Wave demand – the default strategy designed to find locations that can be replenished until demand Is covered
    • Maximum location capacity – like Wave demand, but locations are replenished to maximum capacity.
  • Pick and Put-away ordersD365 makes it easy to pick and put items for outbound loads with handheld or mobile devices. You can define the order picking and dropping locations while streamlining the logistic chain. D365 enables warehouse managers to ‘pick’ any load from the warehouse and ‘put’ it directly to staging, making outbound loading and delivery quick and smooth.

Role of Advanced Warehouse Management In D365 F&O In Cost Reduction

Current trends indicate that supply chain management solutions focus mostly on controlling overhead. D365 can accomplish this by offering businesses full control and monitoring of their workforce and their warehouses.

‘D365 further helps reduce costs by offering full visibility of your operations, as well as the ability to manage your bills and invoices and optimize new or existing routes.

Other Benefits

  • Office IntegrationBeing able to streamline your supply chain is only possible when all related workflows are optimized, integrated, and capable of capturing and sharing key data without issue.

    D365’s native integration to Microsoft’s Office 365 products like Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, Teams, and more to make all possible to share and access information anywhere in the world.

  • Better Customer ExperienceWhen your systems are all fully integrated at a workflow level, you’re able to stay on top of your operations and the things that matter most to your customers, including things like timely support options, accurate forecasting, dynamic pricing and more.
  • Insight-driven ReportingD365 provides a wide range of detailed reporting options like Labor by job, Labor by users, Sales by product, equipment failures, warehouse transactions, and more. These insight-driven reports work in real-time to give businesses the ability to respond to problems and demands quickly and efficiently based on real data.
  • Warehouse PerformanceDynamics 365 offers multiple ways to monitor the overall performance of your supply chain quickly and easily by breaking down your entire warehouse into products, vendors, and sites. Inbound performance monitoring ensures vendor performance, tracks delivery, and identifies potential loopholes. Shipping performance monitoring ensures finished goods and products are shipped to customers at the right time.

Conclusion

It’s important to understand that the ability to streamline a supply chain depends on effective warehouse management – not an easy job.

This is where a scalable solution like D365 can be used to address a wide range of potential challenges related to ‘pick and put away’ orders, cycle counting, barcode and label support, and keep overheads to a minimum while still being able to meet continuously evolving customer demands.

Making sure it’s done right the first time means working with a partner that understands your industry and knows how to streamline the process and maximize your ROI (Return on Investment).

For more information and to find out how we can help optimize your supply chain contact us today.

Improve your inventory visibility with Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Improve your inventory visibility with the Microsoft Dynamics 365
Improve your inventory visibility with the Microsoft Dynamics 365 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Inventory can be your best friend or worst enemy, depending on how well it’s managed. If your business is experiencing issues managing its inventory, it’s time to take charge of your inventory management process. And prevent it from becoming an ongoing headache.

In this post, we look at the importance and benefits of inventory visibility and how to make inventory more accessible.

The importance of inventory visibility

Inventory visibility – One of the most frustrating aspects of running any business is tracking inventory levels so you know when it’s time to restock. Or, when products need to be sold off before they go bad.

This applies to finished goods and the raw materials used to make them, work-in-progress items (WIP). And anything used in maintenance, and repairs or operations (MRO).

Good inventory visibility means your inventory can be managed with as little hassle. When you can monitor what products are available and what quantity is in stock, you’re better equipped to make decisions that will help you manage your finances effectively.

It also goes a long way to reducing costs and offering a better customer experience. Proper inventory visibility makes it easy to track products and raw materials anywhere in the supply chain. Better visibility of your inventory leads to better visibility of your orders. From production to shipping and delivery.

Achieving Inventory Visibility

For most companies, inventory management is best left to dedicated solutions, like Microsoft Dynamics 365. Inventory systems like D365 help manage critical items like location, availability, status, cost, and stock levels.

Common practices to increase inventory visibility can include things like:

  • Increasing the accuracy of data captured for all products in your system.
  • Taking advantage of mobile devices and handheld scanners in fulfilment areas to track products in the supply chain.
  • Conduct regular audits and cycle counts against current inventory levels.
  • Investing in a modern inventory management solution that offers visibility of all raw materials and finished goods for multiple locations or channels.

Benefits of good inventory visibility

With enhanced inventory visibility, businesses can pinpoint any issues’ root cause faster than ever. Full visibility of your inventory means you’re in a perfect position to solve any problems. Without proper inventory visibility, it can be exceedingly difficult to generate accurate reports about your stock levels and costs or be able to manage orders. Or track items across different sites.

Some additional benefits of good inventory visibility include:

Figure 1:Benefits of Good Inventory Visibility

Benefits of Good Inventory Visibility

  • More efficient operations – Inventory visibility means you’ll reduce the amount of time you spend managing delays, complaints, or missing items.
  • More control of inventory and stock levels – Inventory visibility lets you reduce overstock as well as ensure you don’t run out of any must-have products.
  • Better security – Especially for highly regulated industries, inventory visibility is critical for tracking the movement of finished goods, raw materials, and specific batches.
  • Better response to customer demands – Improved inventory visibility means you’re always better equipped to meet changes in demand – This is one of the best ways to create a better customer experience.
  • Better resource allocation – Inventory visibility help you understand how much stock needs to go to different locations like warehouses, retail outlets, and more.
  • Increased forecasting accuracy – The data captured from good inventory visibility gives a better view of products you need to keep on hand. And improving distribution and purchasing at the same time.
  • Better responsiveness – Real-time inventory data lets you quickly respond to any changes in demand based on trends or other disruptions.
  • Better ROI – Better visibility means you can reduce your stock levels across the board, without disrupting the needs of your customers.

Inventory visibility challenges

Inventory visibility can indeed be challenging, especially without a dedicated system. Today, omnichannel marketplaces offering a growing list of new fulfillment options like Buy online pickup-in-store (BOPIS), drop shipments. And more means there is an increasing list of issues that can arise.

Some common challenges with achieving inventory visibility include:

  • Manual processes – Manual processes are notoriously inefficient, especially when we have access to barcoding solutions and automation.
  • Poor visibility – Not being able to track your finished goods or raw materials means you can create several unplanned delays, resulting in a less-than-stellar customer experience.
  • Unknown demand – Lack of visibility makes it easy not to understand the demand for your products; this quickly leads to overstock or understock conditions.
  • Re-stock issues, loss of business – Lack of visibility can lead to several missed restocking opportunities and more business for your competition.

These are all issues that can be harmful to a business. And leading to loss of revenue, damage to your reputation, a poor customer experience, or worse.

Improving inventory visibility with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Many retailers struggle with visibility into their inventory – not only can it be time-consuming and costly. But, it can also lead to out-of-stock items or delayed shipments.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers many features that can help you improve inventory visibility, including creating multiple levels of item locations and reconciling inventory automatically and manually.

Some of the ways D365 helps improve the visibility of your inventory can include the following:

Figure 2:Improve Inventory Visibility with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Improve Inventory Visibility with Microsoft Dynamics 365

  • Support for mobile and handheld devices – Microsoft Dynamics fully supports shop-floor devices designed to minimize redundant manual processes.
  • Process and route optimization – Microsoft Dynamics let you customize and streamline your processes, resulting in highly optimized routing throughout your supply chain.
  • Process automation – Microsoft Dynamics gives you more control of the automation of your processes, which not only increases compliance. But also significantly reduces time spent on repetitive tasks.
  • Actionable insights – Microsoft Dynamics allows businesses to extract more data from everything they do. Forecasting, scheduling, routing, and more all become much more efficient.
  • Electronic signatures and approvals – Electronic signatures in D365 are quicker, more compliant, and much easier to track.

Final thoughts

While challenging, inventory visibility has become more important than ever before, continuing to prove itself as one of the best ways to streamline your company’s operations.

However Improving inventory management doesn’t have to be difficult, especially in today’s rapidly changing marketplace. Once you understand your specific requirements, the best way to start on the right path is to work with a partner who understands your industry’s ins and outs. And can help implement a solution that’s perfect for you.

Schedule a call today to discover how we can help optimize your inventory visibility.

References: Inventory Visibility Add-in overview

Benefits Of Batch Traceability in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Benefits Of Batch Traceability in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company
Benefits Of Batch Traceability in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

In a previous article: Batch traceability in pharmaceutical manufacturing, we talked about GS1 traceability standards, the DSCSA, and why the pharmaceutical industry has to be prepared for item-level traceability by the end of 2023. Now let’s go over the benefits of traceability that the industry should not ignore.

Benefits of Pharmaceutical Track and Trace

The pharmaceutical industry relies on several workflows, and the ability to track and trace batches are one of the most important. With traceability slated to be mandatory by the end of 2023, it will help to understand the benefits that will come along with this change.

  • Reduced counterfeits Counterfeits are still a significant challenge for the industry, accounting for nearly 7% of all medicines globally. These fakes can replace high-quality treatment anywhere in the supply chain.

    With real-time lot tracking and tracing, it’s easy to fully follow the journey of a batch to ensure it hasn’t been misplaced or replaced at any point in the supply chain. This is a crucial step in reducing the number of counterfeit medicines.

  • Streamlined recall processes Despite paying mandatory diligence, specific errors are bound to happen. There are as many as 1200 recalls on medicine every year. But remembrance can be difficult when the manufacturer isn’t aware of the exact position of finished goods and raw materials in their supply chain.

    After implementing a traceability solution, manufacturers have much more control over finished goods and raw materials as they move through their supply chain. This means more opportunities to recall or even stop defective medicines from reaching the public.

  • Increased quality throughout production To ensure continual production, and an adequate supply of raw materials is essential. By adopting the practice of advanced track and trace for pharmaceuticals, these companies can maintain quality tracking at every production stage.

    The right pharmaceutical tracking system can record critical data like quantities in pounds or gallons, products consumed, remaining stock, quality throughout production, finished goods quality, and more. This data ensures only the best products are produced and quality requirements are upheld.

  • Maintaining supply chain integrity Another benefit of a system offering traceability is maintaining a higher level of supply chain integrity.

    Traceability solutions like D365 let manufacturers closely track the quality and pedigree of every batch from raw materials to finished goods.

  • Increased compliances As a pharma industry player, adherence to certain compliances and regulations is fully necessary. Achieving full compliance is one of the most important benefits of having item-level traceability.

    Full traceability helps you track the journey of a lot from manufacturing units to the pharmacies which is crucial for things like the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS), GS1 traceability standards, and more.

Figure 1:Benefits of Pharmaceutical Track and Trace

Benefits of Pharmaceutical Track and Trace

  • Easy lot number tracking Traceability solutions like Microsoft D365 help departments assign specifics like a package, serial, and lot numbers to any outbound or inbound finished medicines. This makes tracking whole batches quick, easy, and accurate.

    Traceability solutions also help post tracking details as ledger entries – where there is a dedicated page for managing the workflow. This dedicated page even shows the total sums of traced items throughout production.

  • Item availability Lot traceability with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations helps calculate and report an item availability in real-time.

    It’s not just about tracking, though; D365 also helps by providing a wide range of accurate item information on the tracking page so that it’s easy to find out how much of the product is consumed and what remains.

    You can check the lot availability per lot number and serial number. It also prevents the double allocation of items in a lot or batch.

    Some of the critical metrics D365 offers visibility on include things like:

    • Total Quantity
    • Current Requested Quantity
    • Total Requested Quantity
    • Current Pending Quantity and
    • Total Available Quantity
  • Lot or serial number allocation for inbound transactions Not likely to change anytime soon, seamless purchase order management is essential for inbound transactions, and D365 F&O makes it possible. D365 helps manufacturers process real-time lot code tracking from the moment they are part of the organization.

    This tool can automatically transfer the lot/serial number in the transaction documents and keep the warehouse team updated.

  • Lot/batch sales Whether you want to block a lot in the sales lines or control its entire journey, D365 F&O makes it possible.

    This solution enables manufacturers to freeze or partially dispatch specific lots before they’re sold. This plays a crucial role when it comes to managing recalls, especially important when you’re dealing with expired or defective lots.

    The job is done by clicking on the Items and selecting the Sales Blocked options.

  • Complete control of the track and trace items The real-time lot control and traceability abilities of Microsoft D365 Finance and Operations enable manufacturers to find out where a tracked item is used and how. This makes it easy to follow the present instances of a specific lot/batch.

    Regarding quality control, these features are significant as they help you understand which customer received which item. In case of defective product delivery, immediate actions can be taken to minimize damages.

Final thoughts

Regarding the pharmaceutical industry, we know accurate items and batch-level tracking will soon be a requirement – not just a nice to have. With advanced lot control and traceability capabilities, Microsoft D365 F&O is here to make everything more accessible than ever.

With that in mind, the effective implementation of solutions like D365 F&O will deliver the promised outcomes. The task is often a massive challenge as it is a comprehensive tool with multiple modules and features.

A seasoned Dynamics expert that understands your industry is the best way to keep the hassles to a minimum while extracting the maximum potential of a system like Microsoft Dynamics.

For more information or to find out how we can help, schedule a call today.

Improve Your Supply Chain with Microsoft D365 Transportation Management
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Improve Your Supply Chain with Microsoft D365 Transportation Management
Improve Your Supply Chain with Microsoft D365 Transportation Management 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Today, most businesses are starting to realize that managing their supply chain effectively improves customer service, reduces costs and increases profit margins. But with increased workforce challenges and constantly changing data, the logistics involved can still be complicated. For most companies, the answer is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, designed to improve your business’s supply chain, transportation management and overall efficiency. With Microsoft D365, you can streamline operations, consolidate data and gain greater visibility into crucial business details that matter most, giving you more time to focus on your customers.

The importance of transportation management in any business

Transportation management is proving increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. Supply chain planning is increasingly focusing its local perspective on global strategy, so companies must keep up. For this, businesses will need access to modern tools and resources, which means looking beyond traditional processes, excel sheets and email notifications. Next-generation transportation management solutions offer the flexibility and – more importantly – scalability that businesses today need to help them grow without being hampered by outdated systems. Suppose you’re genuinely interested in moving away from an older legacy system. In that case, you want something that can go beyond your everyday operational needs, offering increased visibility of sales, distribution, and customer service departments, giving you a full-scope view of all your company’s operations.

How your business can benefit from using Microsoft D365 for transportation management

Microsoft Dynamics 365 helps businesses improve their transportation management by offering access to inventory management, customer service, and more – all in real-time. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is flexible and scalable enough for day-to-day operations to meet the demands of any size business. The transportation planning solution helps you understand where products are going and how to manage your supply chainbetter. This solution also helps you better meet customer service needs and increase sales with greater visibility on distribution, service, marketing, and more. With Dynamics 365 and the right partner, you can get up and running quickly, letting you take advantage of these features right away.

Transportation management in Microsoft D365

Microsoft has included several transportation features in Dynamics 365 that make it easy to see your fleet and track important metrics like fuel usage, mileage, driver hours, and total miles. Plus, you can always keep an eye on things like vendors and routes, as well as the status of your fleet, by tracking maintenance updates and scheduling jobs like oil changes. Information is available from any device at the click of a button, giving you the flexibility to look at things whenever and wherever you want. And because Dynamics 365 has been built to be flexible and scalable, you get full access to the benefits without worrying about limitations or overspending. When you decide on Microsoft Dynamics 365 as your transportation management system, data will be stored in one place so everything stays organized.

Figure 1: Use of Dynamics 365 with Respective Departments in Transport Management

Use of Dynamics 365 with Respective Departments in Transport Management

When it comes to planning, Dynamics helps you:

  1. 1.Plan inbound and outbound shipments more effectively with the help of D365, which provides visibility into pending orders for easier scheduling.
  2. 2.Manage costs better with detailed shipment cost reports and freight quotes for each shipment to help you find the best rates and save money.
  3. 3.Get accurate, up-to-the minute information on trucks with mobile access to the latest truck location, letting you know exactly where it is, how much gas is left, who is driving, etc., enabling you to give immediate feedback as needed to streamline business processes.

For inventory control, Dynamics gives you:

  1. 1.Real-time visibility into your inventory, with on-screen alerts if something needs attention.
  2. 2.Better forecasting thanks to more precise insights gained through analyzing historical demand patterns, weather forecasts, and other data sets.
  3. 3.More automation across sales channels including eCommerce sites so you have fewer manual transactions to manage and less risk of human error.
  4. 4.The ability to sell online without worrying about whether your back-end systems can accommodate new customers and orders coming in constantly. You’ll also get notifications via email and text message every time there’s a new order or product alert, eliminating the need for constant phone calls with vendors.

For customer service, Dynamics offers:

  1. 1.A single view of customer history so you don’t have to search between different systems trying to find what you’re looking for; saving time and making it simpler than ever before.
  2. 2.Improved customer satisfaction with proactive and reactive strategies to reach out to your customers before they reach out to you.
  3. 3.Improved billing and collections, with the ability to charge interest if payment is not received within a specified period, plus the option of adding late fees and penalty charges.

Who is it for?

Dynamics 365 is an excellent product for companies whose supply chains are critical to their business. Really, any company that manages their inventory in bulk or has a fleet of trucks and drivers on the road will benefit from using Dynamics 365.

For a company that wants to improve its transportation management, Dynamics 365 is flexible and scalable enough for day-to-day operations with greater visibility of your entire supply chain.

Dynamics 365 can be used for any business that uses transportation management in their daily operations. The flexibility of Dynamics 365 means it can grow alongside your business, so you don’t need to worry about change as your company grows. Microsoft D365 allows you to use data analytics to help make better decisions when operating your business, tracking all aspects of your supply chain by integrating with other applications like Office 365, Power BI or SharePoint Online. This lets you automate workflows and easily create reports, which helps your entire supply chain run much more efficiently.

Next Steps

The first step is to understand the basic features included in D365’s Transportation Management. This is where you need to identify your specific transportation management needs and how Microsoft D365 can help you meet them, including which modules available will work best for you – from distribution and customer service to sales and marketing. This is the perfect time to speak to your Dynamics 365 partner, who can help walk through what it will take to integrate these into your business and ensure all bases are covered.

Schedule a call today to find out how we can help your business grow.

References: Transportation management overview

Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Biotech companies, like other highly regulated industries, must stay focused on their business to stay competitive and profitable, leading many to wonder if a solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help. Microsoft’s latest offerings include several different cloud-based software applications that can help your business succeed, no matter what industry you operate in. From CRM software that helps keep your customers satisfied to accounting and invoicing software that can streamline your operations, Dynamics 365 can improve every aspect of your business.

Overview of Microsoft Dynamics 365

We talk about Microsoft often, and with good reason. The latest version of Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive, integrated application suite that helps midsize and large enterprises of all industries and sizes operate more efficiently. Organizations that have leapt legacy software happily report increased efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction, especially over time.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses complex algorithms, data analytics, cloud storage, and processing power to provide users with real-time data across their entire operation. Built on Microsoft’s Cloud technologies, it is an extremely capable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that includes modules for finance, HR, sales, and marketing, integrating seamlessly with different Office365 applications like SharePoint Online.

Key capabilities include time management for HR teams and a BI (Business Intelligence) feature for analyzing important insights about sales performance or key metrics like customer loyalty. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, leaders can see where they stand with goals and forecast future results. With this information, they can make informed decisions based on reality instead of fear.

As organizations in the life sciences move into uncharted territory with technology innovations happening at an accelerated pace, they need solutions to help them stay competitive. A more thorough list of features includes inventory management (for example, purchase orders), financial forecasting (budgeting), contract management (including contracts with suppliers) and payment terms, which make the system highly flexible for any size organization or environment, reducing the need to customize solutions based on old ideology.

Benefits & Advantages of Switching to Dynamics 365

After switching from legacy software to Microsoft Dynamics 365, organizations can expect increased agility and enhanced efficiency in operations. Biotech companies will be able to find success by speeding up innovation and giving themselves a competitive edge over their competitors.

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, they’ll have more insight into what customers want, which products are working well and why they’re not doing as well as they should. Organizations will also have access to data that would have been difficult or impossible to retrieve, like customer feedback about past product launches.

Armed with more information, companies can go back and improve those products to give them better chances of success. They’ll also be able to make more informed decisions based on accurate data, meaning everything will run smoother when it comes time to restock inventory.

Employees will get more personalized insights allowing them to develop creative solutions to problems on the fly without having to wait for IT staff. Plus, all employees have an easier time finding needed resources because of how closely tailored Microsoft Dynamics 365 is to their needs as employees of that organization.

Microsoft Dynamics in Biotech

Biotech companies are constantly challenged to maintain compliance standards, but there are features within Microsoft Dynamics that help with regulatory requirements and inventory control.

And with eForms, document management, and archiving solutions, you’ll have all your data captured in a central repository where you can use intelligent or custom search to find what you need when needed.

Figure 1:Microsoft Dynamics 365 for the Biotech Industry

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for the Biotech Industry

Here are some more specific reasons for Microsoft Dynamics 365 in the Biotech industry.

  1. 1.Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables automation for several Biotech processes out of the box, which ensures you’ll spend as little time as possible getting up and running.
    1. a.AP automation
    2. b.Business Process Library (BPL) management for ISO certification
    3. c.Lot, batch and quality tracking
  2. 2.Dynamics 365 provides powerful insights through machine learning tools like Power BI that help measure customer engagement metrics, letting you plan and forecast more accurately.
    1. a.Expenses
    2. b.Budgets and forecasts
    3. c.Increased visibility for investors
  3. 3.Seamless integrations to the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem and other third-party solutions give you greater visibility of everything under one roof for maximum long-term value.
    1. a.Banks
    2. b.Label and Lab software
    3. c.Payroll systems
    4. d.ACH
  4. 4.Powerful scalability means you can add additional functionality or users as your business grows.
    1. a.Subscription-based pricing helps you manage your technology budget
    2. b.Secure team collaboration from different devices around the world
    3. c.One solution is to invest in the long-term

Microsoft Dynamics offers more than just sales, finance, and operations functionality. So, suppose any part of your operation needs a software solution. In that case, it’s worth exploring how Microsoft Dynamics 365 could be leveraged to give you a competitive edge over others in your industry.

The Biotech industry is a perfect example with numerous variables such as complex research, high failure rates for drugs going into clinical trials, and fluctuating levels of competition. The technology tools businesses use in this sector include precision engineering and computer modeling, proprietary manufacturing methods and other specialized equipment.

One thing to consider with Microsoft Dynamics is that the company updates their products at least once a year, ensuring they’re always keeping up with the latest trends in technology. For example, annual releases include updates across the entire product portfolio. Each solution can provide better support for real-time decisions based on emerging technologies such as Ai (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), and analytics.

Technology that Supports Your Workflows

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a complete suite of technologies designed to streamline workflows and get more done in less time. The complete suite is designed with the people and processes that power your business in mind. Microsoft Dynamics 365 incorporates three main categories – customer engagement, employee engagement, and intelligence capabilities – to help all your employees work better together by offering a cloud-based app that functions on any device so that you always have access to information.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 also includes all necessary functionalities such as finance and accounting, manufacturing, retail management, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and marketing tools to be flexible enough to adapt to any size or type of business.

These tools are designed to save you time while improving your decision-making abilities. Additional benefits include easy deployment and customization options tailored specifically to meet your company’s needs and greater security due to its compliance with data protection regulations like HIPAA, GDPR and PCI DSS standards.

Factors That Can Affect Your Migration

Key factors that can affect your migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 usually include financial considerations, customer-facing tools, and Industry-specific modules. Considering these factors is essential when looking at the different migration paths and key decisions, such as starting from scratch or migrating everything from your existing system.

These decisions should be made with a strong understanding of Microsoft Dynamics 365 functionality and features. As mentioned previously, it’s important to research the best path for your organization before beginning any work on migrating data into Dynamics 365.

One major consideration is working with a Microsoft Partner specializing in either Data Migration Services or Application Integration Services, who’s worked with both systems. The right Partner will work with you through the process and help ensure it goes smoothly and efficiently.

It may take longer initially if you want all your data transferred. Still, this way, you won’t have any gaps in information once everything has been moved over, which could lead to a smoother transition overall while also avoiding potential errors due to duplicate records or inaccurate information.

Critical Aspects when Migrating to a New Platform

Below are five critical aspects to remember when migrating your business to any new platform.

  1. 1.Think about how long it will take you to make the migration before you start. Migrations that take weeks or months can consume your budget and cost you valuable time.
  2. 2.Ensure all stakeholders agree on what they want to achieve through a migration before your project starts.
  3. 3.Evaluate whether it’s feasible to do an incremental migration rather than a full one-time conversion from the legacy system to Dynamics 365 (keep in mind incremental migrations have their own set of issues and problems).
  4. 4.Consider migrating other aspects of your business, along with data – Integrating Dynamics 365 with your partners and vendors, for example, can help streamline day-to-day business functions.
  5. 5.Focus on understanding who uses which features and how they use them.

Understanding your needs ahead of time will help optimize your experience in the future. You’ll also want to set up a post-migration process where feedback channels are open at every step of the way, so that any challenges experienced by staff during the migration can be resolved quickly without disrupting business operations.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re an aspiring startup or an established Biotech company with a growing number of employees, Dynamics 365 continues to offer many powerful features that let you offer a better customer experience and help you keep things running smoothly.

Here are the next steps if you’re ready to get started updating your Biotech business solution to Microsoft Dynamics 365:

  • Find a Partner that understands the software, your industry, and the work you do.
  • Consider your company’s specific needs and goals to ensure the proposed solution meets these criteria.
  • Assess the current state of any legacy software in use, including the time it takes to manage payroll with old systems.
  • Identify what functionality is already included in the system and set clear priorities for needs and wants.

Schedule a call right away for additional details or to learn how we can support the expansion of your Biotech company.

The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing
The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

We’ve seen quite a few changes in manufacturing over the past two decades, with the next two promising to bring even more exciting things to come. As manufacturing continues to evolve, there are several trends that manufacturers need to be aware of that can either help or hinder the success of their business in the future. Business Intelligence software and tools will play an important role in the future of manufacturing. Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O plays an important role in how this type of business intelligence information can be analyzed and used to guide business decisions for years to come.

Change in Operations

In today’s business climate, the ability to make data-driven decisions is more important than ever before. This means having access to the right business intelligence (BI) tools for manufacturers. With the right BI tools, manufacturers can gain insights into their operations that would otherwise be hidden. For example, they might discover an increasing trend of machine failures due to a manufacturing defect or determine which materials are most profitable at which price points. With so many BI options available on the market, it can be difficult for companies to figure out which ones will provide them with the best ROI.

Fortunately, Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O provides a comprehensive solution for any size company looking for a comprehensive BI toolset. Specifically, Microsoft Dynamics 365 has four modules designed to meet the needs of manufacturers across all industries: Operations (also known as Production), Sales, Financials/Accounting, and Customer Service. These modules provide everything from real-time data visualization tools to automated dashboards – all designed with specific manufacturing needs in mind.

A Change in Dynamics

As the world of business intelligence (BI) changes, so does Dynamics 365. This is especially apparent in the manufacturing industry. Microsoft Dynamics F&O provides users with access to data that can help them understand what is happening in their business and take corrective action when necessary.

The software has become an increasingly important tool for manufacturers as they seek to understand their operations and make decisions to improve their bottom line. But, as new technological developments bring a shift from relational databases to machine learning algorithms, it becomes essential for these companies to find a BI platform that can evolve with them. With Dynamics 365’s cloud-based solution being constantly updated; it offers just that functionality needed by these businesses.

How people use BI tools also shifts over time, and with Dynamics 365’s modular design, there are no limitations on how you interact with your data. For example, you can use graphs or tables to show certain information at different times depending on the needs of your business. Suppose a user wants more advanced analytics like neural networks or deep learning capabilities. They are available through add-ons such as Azure Machine Learning Studio or R Server Developer Edition. There is no need to switch systems when you need more advanced analytics; all the options are right within Dynamics.

Business Analytics Tools

Today, data is more important than ever before. This is why more manufacturers are turning to Business Intelligence (BI) tools to help them make sense of the information they’re collecting. BI tools can help you track key performance indicators (KPIs), understand trends, and make better decisions for your business. And this will only become more important as regulations change, competition intensifies, and customer needs evolve.

As things continue to change, it’ll be essential for manufacturers to remain agile enough to adapt quickly – and that means looking at what Business Intelligence tools they’re using now and how their needs might shift over the next few years. For example, there’s been a significant shift from big Data Analytics over recent years as IoT (Internet of Things) solutions become more ubiquitous. As a result, analytics solutions designed for analyzing small datasets have fallen out of favor with larger manufacturing companies.

Industry Challenges

Tools aren’t the only important factor, either. The manufacturing industry is under constant pressure to improve productivity while reducing costs. To stay competitive, manufacturers must adopt new technologies where they can. With so many options on the market, it cannot be easy to know which BI tool is right for your business. Luckily, this question has been answered by a study from International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC’s 2018 Worldwide Semiannual Manufacturing Smart Machines Spending Guide revealed that artificial intelligence-powered analytics would become increasingly important over the next five years.

Figure 1:The Growth of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analytics

The Growth of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analytics

According to a report from marketsandmarketsblog.com, The global AI-powered analytics market is projected to grow from $10.5 billion in 2021 to $28.1 billion by 2026 – at a CAGR of up to 21.7% over the forecasted period.

What does this mean for manufacturing? Manufacturers need data about their performance – not just about their products or services but also about their employees and processes. Using intelligent systems like augmented reality or virtual reality combined with artificial intelligence-powered analytics will allow manufacturers to better predict outcomes and make data-driven decisions that drive profitability while improving employee engagement levels.

One organization already doing this is Caterpillar Inc., who implemented digital transformation into its retail stores through an AR application called CatAdvisor. CatAdvisor uses computer vision and 3D point clouds to help retailers sell more products, identify inventory gaps, analyze customer preferences and monitor store traffic patterns. And now Caterpillar is piloting sensors in stores using machine learning and IoT technology to get even more granular insights into customers’ preferences. With these AI-powered solutions available today, there really isn’t any excuse for a manufacturer not to embrace advanced analytics!

The Changing Role of Operations Management

Even operations management in the manufacturing industry is going through significant changes. In the past, the focus was on production efficiency and cost reduction. Today, the focus is on customer needs and market demand. To meet these new challenges, manufacturers are turning to business intelligence (BI) tools and Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O. Together; these modern solutions enable better insight into product quality, reliability, compliance, and any other KPIs that impact the end customer experience.

Manufacturing companies can also use BI tools to gain insights into their operations with real-time data analysis that can be used for decision-making, such as material sourcing or capacity planning. These solutions allow manufacturers to increase throughput and reduce downtime. For example, a manufacturer may have a bottleneck at one part of the process because they can’t produce enough parts quickly due to the limited availability of materials. With BI, they could track down the problem by looking at lead times, inventory levels, and component dependencies. With this information, they could find alternative suppliers or renegotiate with existing suppliers to free up those materials so they can increase production volume.

The bottom line is this: Manufacturers need to know more about their supply chain than ever before – which means being able to access real-time data at any time in any location.

Power BI Connectors

Business intelligence tools are nothing new. They’ve been around for decades. But what is new is how manufacturers use them to gain a competitive edge. With the rise of Industry 4.0, manufacturers are turning to business intelligence tools to help them make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by their factories. And with the help of included Power BI connectors, integrating these tools into different systems has become incredibly easy.

Power BI Connectors are an innovative way to enhance manufacturing business intelligence data with minimal coding. Rather than manually inputting data into your business intelligence software, connectors automatically export data from other sources directly into Power BI without extensive development. This saves time and money by minimizing any manual processes and gets you up and running faster than ever before. You can choose from various pre-built connectors for industry-leading applications like Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Twitter, and many more. You can even build your own if needed.

These pre-built connectors make it easy to create dashboards and reports that analyze and display information from multiple data sources simultaneously. With the advancement of these connections, more and more enterprises have access to enterprise-grade business intelligence capabilities for whatever ERP solution they use.

Schedule a call today for more information to get the ball rolling in your favor.

Putting it All Together

At least for the rest of the decade, the manufacturing industry will undergo some big changes. One of the most significant will be the increased adoption of modern business intelligence solutions, giving manufacturers a view of their operations that was previously unavailable. We should also see Microsoft Dynamics F&O become a more integral part of manufacturing operations. This cloud-based solution will allow manufacturers to manage their business processes more efficiently and effectively.

As manufacturing evolves towards smart factories and advanced automation, keeping up with the latest trends will require a constant commitment to learning new skill sets. This includes expertise in coding and digital engineering design and mastery of traditional engineering disciplines like materials science and mechanical engineering. For the best support, companies should look for partnerships with consulting firms that specialize in training employees across all levels of skill sets needed for today’s manufacturing environment.

Conclusion

As the manufacturing landscape changes, so do the business intelligence (BI) tools that help manufacturers make data-driven decisions. To stay competitive for the rest of the decade, manufacturers should consider ramping up the adoption of modern BI tools that can take advantage of the available wealth of data. Microsoft Dynamics is one of the best tools available to help manufacturers streamline their operations and better use their data.

Partnering with an experienced provider who understands the manufacturing industry and can help you get the most out of your investment with full visibility is important. By working with the right company, manufacturers can better understand their customers’ needs and drive efficiency across all departments. A complete Business Intelligence solution should allow manufacturers to collect, store, analyze, and share information on every aspect of their business.

Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals
Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • The manufacturing industry runs with the integration of people, tools, processes, and information. The data generated from these facets need to be quantified and analyzed.
  • In the manufacturing world, those who know their metrics tend to learn the game’s tricks.
  • The metrics that matter the most are the ones that help you and your manufacturing company gain essential insights regarding different functionalities and business areas to improve the manufacturing process continuously.
  • One of the most crucial aspects of knowing and managing manufacturing metrics is systematically optimizing the best results.

Introduction

The world’s best chemical companies focus on building expertise in their lines of business to enhance customer experience, and one way to do it is by streamlining their supply chain. That’s why many chemical companies choose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations since it gives them access to modern tools they need to excel at managing their business and serving their customers better. With Microsoft D365 F&O, chemical companies can create higher quality products faster than ever before possible and will offer enhanced customer service.

The importance of Customer Experience (CX)

The recent focus on improving customer experience to increase profitability has made CX more critical than ever in several industries, including chemical and pharmaceutical. Companies are moving to modern technology like Dynamics 365 to help improve communication with customers, streamline processes, and enable data-driven decisions.

The result is a better overall experience for their customers, increasing profits. It is easy to see how improving customer experience can influence short- and long-term goals. While there are sure to be challenging when implementing these changes, it’ll be worth it in the end because of the benefits that include increased profits and happy customers. More industries should note how chemical companies are improving their customer experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

Why is the Chemical Industry Focusing More on Their Customers?

The chemical industry has recently begun to see the value of customer experience. This is because today’s customers are much more knowledgeable, with higher expectations than ever. To meet these expectations, businesses must provide a better customer experience – mainly with on-time, total shipments and competitive pricing.

It’s important to understand common misconceptions people may have about customer experience. It’s not about social media, marketing tactics, or creating a new app. CX includes understanding precisely what your customers want and then being able to deliver on those wants effectively.

Dynamics 365 F&O helps businesses in the chemical industry transform their data into actionable insights to help them understand exactly what their most valuable customers want, letting them improve their customer experience accordingly.

Some key areas that impact CX

CX has become a significant focus for businesses in recent years – happy customers are more likely to return and be part of your growth. They’re also more likely to spend money with a company they’re satisfied with.

More innovative pricing methods with coupons or discounts and supplying specialized packaging of chemicals are a few ways for companies to stay competitive in the market. Technology like Microsoft Dynamics 365 that accommodates these business needs can enable your business to stay ahead of the curve.

Microsoft’s cloud-based solution includes several CRM tools like managing contacts, tracking conversations and following up on leads, and analytical tools that can be tailored to meet your needs.

With these kinds of tools, businesses of any size can provide better service without hiring an expensive team of experts.

A better customer experience can:

  • lead to increased customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.
  • lead to increased revenue and market share for your business.
  • help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.
  • improve employee satisfaction and morale.
  • help reduce operating costs.
  • improve your company’s overall reputation.

Figure 1:Benefits of a Better Customer Experience

Benefits of a Better Customer Experience

How Microsoft Dynamics Fits In

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, businesses in the chemical industry can provide their customers with an experience that’s more efficient and effective. A robust suite of digital tools means companies can manage inventory and track shipments, and create invoices and sales orders. In addition, the software helps businesses track customer complaints and allows them to address them quickly.

Customers are looking for solutions that empower end-to-end business process automation. But not all enterprises have the right solution in place – usually, it’s a much older system still being used today, often held together with bits of string and tape. As one chemical company’s Chief Information Officer explains, Businesses today need more than just transaction processing—operational excellence and collaboration across the enterprise, whether in manufacturing or financial management. For many small and medium-sized businesses, Microsoft Dynamics may be the answer they’re looking for.

Maintaining control over processes has never been easier with Dynamics 365, which allows users to manage every stage of production from R&D through customer service, seamlessly and efficiently. With such an extensive feature set, enterprises of all sizes find it easy to customize the application according to their needs.

No matter what your business needs may be or how complex your operations are, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Financial & Operations provides you with everything you need to succeed!

Next Steps

To order to create the best user experience for your customers, one of the first steps is finding the right partner to help implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. The right partner will deeply understand your industry and how to implement best and utilize this solution to improve your customer’s experience. They’ll also be able to help you customize the software to fit your specific needs.

For example, suppose you’re a manufacturer or distributor in the chemical industry. In that case, a partner can help you set up products to be compatible with your company’s inventory system and make changes to reporting that reflect your business practices. They can also help with customizing processes or reports that specifically cater to your customers’ needs.

When selecting an IT consultant or business partner to work with on implementing your new ERP, it’s essential to consider their depth of knowledge about this industry and their ability to work closely with you and modify the software to fit your specific needs better. With the right partner, the process becomes easy to follow:

  • Evaluate your business needs and understand how a new ERP can help you reach your goals.
  • Choose an experienced partner who understands Microsoft Dynamics 365 and can help you get the most out of your investment.
  • Train your employees in the new system, so they can hit the ground running and provide a better experience for your customers.
  • Go live with Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O and start reaping the benefits of a more efficient and user-friendly chemical business.
  • Monitor your progress and ensure you’re getting a return on your investment by seeing an improvement in customer satisfaction levels.

Are you ready to enhance your operations? Schedule a call today to get started.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for SMBs Is it the right ERP for you?
  • Xcelpros Team
  • No Comments

Why SMBs should consider Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Why SMBs should consider Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central? 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Every business needs a reliable way to effectively manage its operations to remain profitable and grow over time, regardless of the industry. While large organizations have the resources to invest in dedicated solutions that help them keep track of their processes, small businesses often work with many different programs to get everything they need out of one platform.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers small businesses the flexibility and ease-of-use of an all-in-one solution that caters to many departments in their organization, including sales, finance, project management, human resources, service desk and more.

What is it? Why should SMBs consider using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Master planning, or master scheduling, is the formal process of creating a set of goals and strategies for an organization to achieve its vision. Master Planning is an essential business management practice used by many companies to maintain control and strategic direction.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a complete business management software solution that can replace traditional desktop applications, making MD365 Business Central an effective alternative to other enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.

Dynamics 365 Business Central includes analytics and business intelligence tools to let small businesses better understand how their business is performing and what areas could use improvement. This Microsoft software offers every business owner everything they need to run their firm efficiently, such as sales force automation (SFA), financials, customer relationship management (CRM), project management and human capital management.

Essentially, MD365 Business Central is designed to be a comprehensive system that provides its users with real-time information from all aspects of their business. MD365 Business Central was built as an easy-to-use business management solution so that small businesses can make better decisions and improve their daily operations.

The intuitive design of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central means anyone can quickly learn how to use it, reducing training costs and improving employee productivity.

One of the main reasons that small businesses should consider using MD365 Business Central is because it’s a complete business management solution that doesn’t require additional software. This makes MD365 Business Central an increasingly attractive option because its users don’t have to spend money on extra software licenses or pay hefty implementation fees.

Critical Features for Today’s Modern SMBs

Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Business Central product is aimed squarely at mid-market businesses or SMBs. Some key features include a user-friendly interface and customizable dashboards that allow business owners to easily track their progress toward goals and monitor metrics such as sales performance, inventory levels and more.

The solution also offers financial management tools that includes a budgeting feature that helps businesses manage their cash flow by forecasting future expenses against projected revenues. Small businesses can take advantage of plenty of other benefits with Business Central, but they may be hard to see if you’re not familiar with how solutions like these work.

For example, using Business Central allows companies to quickly react to changing market conditions without making costly changes on an ongoing basis. This agility gives them a leg up over competitors who can’t move as quickly. It’s no wonder why Business Central is one of Microsoft’s fastest-growing business solutions.

This solution has been built with today’s businesses in mind, offering tools that make life easier and more productive than ever before. For example, small business owners can now complete payroll and HR management tasks through their mobile devices, allowing them to work when they want and where they want.

Microsoft Dynamics solutions have been built with today’s businesses in mind, offering tools that make life easier and more productive than ever before. When a business is just starting, there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on the software they don’t need or have time to learn how to use. Business owners can now cover all of their basic accounting needs with Business Central at a fraction of what similar solutions cost just a few years ago.

Business owners also have access to an online community where they can ask questions, share ideas and connect with others working in similar industries—all without leaving their desktops or mobile devices.

Is Business Central right for you

Business Central is designed to be customized for each industry. Some industries have pre-built templates that are offered out of box, but other industries will need a custom solution that is tailored specifically to their business needs. For example, a family-owned construction company will have very different requirements from an S corporation than a fully distributed software development firm working out of cubicles in 3 different countries. Business Central is extremely customizable for every industry.

Microsoft continues to partner with top industry leaders in every sector including retail, healthcare, government and more to provide a customized experience in every iteration.

Common Considerations

Business owners need to be aware of the various business solutions available. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a suitable ERP solution that businesses can consider, especially if they are small businesses or startups.

There are several advantages with Dynamics 365 Business Central, including its many CRM options. SMBs need to consider these options and the other available solutions before choosing Dynamics 365 Business Central. In addition, they also need to ensure they choose the right level of customization to suit their company’s needs and ensure it is set up correctly before using it.

If your business is considering moving to MD365 Business Central from another software, then you should think about what’s important to your business and how you want your business run. You should compare and contrast each option based on functionality, cost, time frame for implementation, integration possibilities (especially with other systems), etc.

SMBs can use an assessment tool like Microsoft Power Platform to find out which features in Dynamics 365 Business Central might benefit their business. They also need to look at their specific needs before choosing a solution because they will get precisely what they pay for in terms of customizations, number of users and more.

Let’s take a look at why SMBs should use MD365 Business Central in more detail.

Let’s have a look

Final Thoughts

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a good choice for SMBs because of its affordable pricing, ready-to-use business apps, and flexible deployment options. So much of small business success is about customization and Microsoft knows that.

Whether you want to add just a couple of new business processes or implement a complete digital transformation plan, Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help your business stay competitive with powerful functionalities designed for small businesses.

Microsoft has been an innovator in what’s now known as business process management—helping businesses succeed by streamlining their operations into repeatable workflows—for more than 25 years. Now, with MD365 Business Central, even small businesses can access previously reserved technology for Fortune 500 companies.

Also Read:

Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations: Comparison

References: Connect operations across your small or medium-sized business

Thinking
Unlimited!

There is no box! We believe in the limitless possibilities of human potential powered by technology.

Subscribe Now

Chicago

4580 Weaver Parkway, Suite 202 Warrenville, IL 60555

Phone: 630-869-0901

Bangalore

Plot No.11B, Survey No.40/9, Devasandra Industrial Area 2nd Stage, K.R. Puram Hobli, Bangalore - 560048

Search Services, Industries, Insights, and Products