Dynamics GP in Supply Chain Management: WMS, Delivery Route Optimization

If you have it already implemented and now looking for the second phase, where you would like some of the Supply Chain Management features to be added: Warehouse Management System, Delivery Trucks Route and Time optimization, Consignment, or you name it… Then this small publication should be for you.  Before we begin, we would like to share with you the opinion that SCM is not something engraved in the stone, Supply Chain Management typically include Warehouse Management System as its core functionality and it is more flexible in the definitions for its peripheral concepts, such as Delivery Route Optimization, and others:

1. WMS in Dynamics GP.  Technically all or most of the functionality expected in Warehouse Management System is already present in Great Plains Distribution modules: Sales Order Processing, Purchase Order Processing, Inventory Control: Sales Order Fulfillment, Inventory Restocking, Inventory Counts and Transfers.  However native user interface of Dynamics GP SOP, POP and Inventory modules doesn’t support advanced barcode scanners (it obviously does support USB scanners – cheaper clone, where you just extend computer keyboard with the barcode laser scanner) – such features as scanning the whole document or the batch of documents and then uploading the document or the batch on demand.  This is why you have to purchase and implement so-called Warehouse Management System for Dynamics GP (where barcoding is supported and automated).  There are several flavors of Warehouse Management Systems, available for Great Plains Dynamics, we recommend you to compare External Stand Alone WMS versus Dynamics GP Warehouse Management Extensions.  External WMS does perfect job within its own borders and then it had to be integrated with Dynamics GP POP, SOP, Inventory modules, where some of the customers reported the issues.  WMS extensions do not require integration as they work out of GP tables, however Great Plains Warehouse Management Extensions have narrow volume of customers (as they are committed to Dynamics GP platform only), and you should be tolerant to the possible software bugs

2. Beyond the Warehouse Management System.  WMS, as we already mentioned above is often considered as the heart of the SCM theory.  Supply Chain Management concept is tightly connected to such “hardware oriented” technologies as laser barcode scanning, RFID, Wireless, plus Cellular related 3G and now 4G Wi-Max and LTE (hoping to emerge in 2011 as the counteroffer from AT&T in its battle with Sprint/Verizon – Wi-Max 4G flavor).  We do believe that your truck drivers will be on the My-Fi devices (likely 3G in the short run, but the longer future should open 4G technology to be more reliable and cross such natural borders as aluminum sidings, hills and other natural barriers, this is what we have and expect currently from 3G technology and it works).  We do believe that Wi-Max as the service available from Sprint and Clearwire is still in beta testing phase, but 3G is pretty reliable and widespread (it works in most of the 2010 manufactured Smartphones on Android and Apple iPhone 4). We also believe that future Barcode Scanners and Barcode Servers will be available across the USA, Canada and Mexico being connected to G4 and G3 powered My-Fi hotspots

3. SCM customer is unique and it is really difficult to create universal product, which would fit to all the customers.  If your truck drivers are on Wi-Max 4G or traditional CDMA or GSM 3G networks, we still expect that in your case our module should be considered rather as the “Solution”, where the source code might or has to be modified to address your unique requirements

4. Well, how about XML based formats and technologies?!!  Let’s try to cool down a little bit.  XML was welcomed as computer platform neutral interface (you might be on Microsoft Windows, UNIX/Linux, Solaris, Supercomputer X, Java, PHP, Oracle, Apple Macintosh – XML is compatible with all of the above and plus as it is structured text file)

5. Delivery Route Optimization as part of the SCM for Dynamics GP.  We have this module, To request further support, please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com We need to discuss your cards in order to recommend you the best solutions, which is not contingent to our preferences.  We serve you USA/Canada nationwide via remote support (web sessions and phone/Skype conferences).  Local service is available in Western Michigan, Chicagoland, Southern California (LA, Orange County, San Diego), Houston area of the state of Texas