If you have extensive Picking and Packing, Shipping and Receiving and other warehouse floor operations, where you plan to deploy Barcode scanners and integration, we would like to describe WMS extension in this small publication
In our opinion Supply Chain Management partner selection should not be restricted to the companies with local offices,
as initial installation consultants travel cost might be insignificant, comparing to WMS software licenses and consulting budget. We are also giving you some highlights on External Warehouse Management System comparisons with the WMS, working directly as Dynamics GP SOP, POP and Inventory modules extension. Please, note, that other ERP applications in Microsoft Dynamics family, such as Axapta Dynamics AX, Solomon (SL) or Navision (NAV) – even being united in one Corporate ERP family of products, still have different code base and business logic and rather at this time are similar by ERP user interface, so if you are looking for WMS for AX, SL, NAV – you can give us a call for directions, but at this time our WMS extension works with Microsoft Dynamics GP out-of-the-box:
1. Warehouse Management System functionalities. Normally you should expect generic WMS to support Sales Order Fulfillment (also referred as allocation), Inventory Replenishment (merchandise restocking) and Inventory transactions, such as inter sites transfer, cycle count, adjustment
2. WMS extension vs. Standalone Warehouse Management application with connectors to Dynamics GP. If you look at the paragraph #1 – all the classical features of Warehouse Management module are already available in Dynamics GP Sales Order Processing (Order Fulfillment is done in SOP Sales Order with manual allocation, and allocation is happening when you scan Barcode labels of the items to be picking from their bins on the warehouse floor). Inventory replenishment is naturally tits to GP POP Purchase Receipt and Inventory Adjustment, Transfer and Physical count are supported in Great Plains Inventory control. Plus, you can have such features as Lot Number. If you decide to purchase Standalone WMS – you may expect to pay twice for the WMS functionality, already available in Great Plains SOP, POP and Inventory modules. If you decide on WMS extensions, you are just extending the features you already paid for and just have Barcode scanner enabling
3. WMS technology architecture. It has two tiers: WMS Server and client. The server runs on Windows Server or Workstation, connected to your Fiber Optic (huge number of barcode transactions), Ethernet (moderate level of Barcoding), Wireless (low level of Barcode scanning) network – this application talks to Dynamics GP company database via ODBC connection. Warehouse Management Client application runs directly on the Barcode scanner (Symbol, Zebra, etc.) and it is coded in Visual Basic to fit Barcode scanner tinny computer limited capacities
4. WMS sales cycle and installation. We are committed to the idea to sell, implement and support Warehouse Management Systems, Supply Chain Management extensions, such as Consignment USA, Canada nationwide and internationally. As our business model proved to be efficient, we recommend you to call us for reference in your region, including internationally. We move you through sales cycle with our sales force in Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles and Michigan and when we are ready to begin implementation, our consultant flies to your location and does initial installation and user training. Call us 1-866-528-0577, 1-269-605-0330 (Michigan and Northern Indiana customers) or email us help@albaspectrum.com
5. Custom features implementation for WMS extensions. Modification is natural for larger organization, custom requirements often allow you to succeed on the market with your unique knowhow. Microsoft Dynamics GP has rich functionality and most of the objects and transactions in Great Plains could be opened to Barcode scanner integration: Bill Of Material, Manufacturing, Field Service Suite, Fixed Assets, Microsoft CRM to name you few examples. We are ready and happy to provide software programming services, based on our Warehouse Management System Source code, as well as via our Microsoft Dynamics GP Dexterity Software Development Factory, where we do eConnect, SQL, Modifier with VBA, Integration Manager programming, Crystal Reports, SSRS, Report Writer, FRx reporting design. We also have Dynamics GP eCommerce extension, integration with such popular shopping carts as Magento, ASP .Net Store Front
