Dynamics GP Distribution, Barcoding and Warehouse Management Notes

The term barcoding might be also generalized, meaning generic Retail, Warehouse Management, Shipping and Receiving, Picking and Packing automation.  In this small publication we are concentrating on Distribution and Barcoding topics for Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly also referred as Great Plains Dynamics and eEnterprise
1. Barcoding in Shipping.  Shipping is often associated with Customer Sales Order fulfillment.  In Dynamics GP this logic is in Sales Transaction Entry screen, where you need to disable automatic fulfillment for the specific warehouse management handled order type and do manual allocation by order line.  Allocation is trigger for Order to be fulfilled (or ready for being to the customer).  Integration works this way - warehouse worker scans items to be picked and packed in real time or batch mode.  Barcode scanner uploads fulfilled lines info to GP, where custom logic (often programmed in Great Plains Dexterity) reads Barcoding scanner data flow and applies fulfillment logic to specific line of the Sales Order
2. Barcoding in Receiving.  It is just opposite to Shipping, where you receive merchandise or parts from your suppliers.  Normally it is associated with GP Purchase Order Processing module, where you can receive against open Purchase Order lines.  Barcode scanning and integration logic is similar to paragraph #1.  If you are mid-size or large company, you may have additional needs to place Purchase Order to your suppliers via EDI channel.  EDI purchase orders could be auto generated from Sales Orders (with checking inventory reserves or minimum replenishment levels).  For EDI you can purchase Dynamics GP EDI add-on, or simply program EDI compliant export (typically into EDI formatted text with header, lines and EDI trailer) via precisely formatted SQL Select statement (we published numerous articles where we give you sample SQL codes)
3. Barcoding in Consignment.  Consignment is when you do not own the merchandize, physically stored in your inventory sites, however you typically need to see the quantities of items under consignment contract (to be able to reorder items, based on expected future Sales Orders).  Consignment itself is typically Accounting procedure, and barcode scanning for consignment may require custom business logic
4. Barcoding in Inventory transfers and cycle count.  In Dynamics GP both: inventory site to site transfer and cycle count are based on inventory transactions (adjustment and transfer).  In both cases barcode scanner upload should be altering inventory transaction screen business logic
5. Barcoding in Retail integrations.  Dynamics GP has native and custom integrations to Microsoft RMS, as well as to such non-Microsoft POS applications as Counterpoint.  We saw multiple requests from MS RMS customers, where Great Plains is their ERP application - they wanted to control Receiving in Dynamics GP (inventory quantities, barcode label printing, store to store merchandise transfer)
6. Barcoding in light assembly.  If you are happy with Microsoft Dynamics GP Bill of Materials module functionality (and do not want or need to implement full suite of Dynamics GP Manufacturing modules), barcoding and scanner upload could be associated with BOM transaction screen
7. Custom Programming for Microsoft Dynamics GP Barcoding.  The preferred way in our opinion is "solution", where GP Barcoding partner with existing proven codes offers you to tune existing logic to your business processes.  From the stand point of technology Microsoft Dexterity is one of the most advanced choices, next would be (in our opinion) eConnect SDK.  Reasonable tool for simple integration is Dynamics GP Integration Manager (especially with Advanced ODBC queries, based on SQL Views, including cross platform: Oracle, MS Access, MySQL/PHP, Ingress, DBII, Pervasive SQL, Ctree, Excel)
8. How to get help?  Please, give us a call 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, or email us help@albaspectrum.com