Unlike many Tier-I business management solutions that force you to accept a pre-configured set of functionality, Microsoft Dynamics AX software enables you to implement only the functionality you need with the option to quickly and easily add new features later as your business needs change. This integrated development environment gives you the power to tailor your solution to your exact needs, at much lower cost than many of our Tier-I competitors. That's what we mean by affordable adaptability. You can optimize your sourcing and production processes, speed production, make the material flow more efficient, and get products to your customers faster. Customers will appreciate the ability to configure products through your company's Web site and instantly receive updated prices and delivery times for their custom products. The increased efficiencies and economies in your production processes will help you offer products at more competitive prices. Microsoft Dynamics AX works with and like familiar Microsoft software and tools such as Microsoft Office products and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Your employees can work in a software environment they are already comfortable with—so your company can reap the benefits of increased productivity soon after implementation. Microsoft Dynamics AX integrates smoothly with Microsoft Office System programs and other Microsoft products and technologies in your business. This integration occurs in a streamlined, unified business management infrastructure that makes the most of your business investments in skills, processes, and technology. On This PageOperational flexibilityHere are some of the ways Microsoft Dynamics AX can increase the flexibility of your organization: | • | You can honor your delivery commitments to customers with a reliable production plan and master planning that performs simultaneous finite capacity and finite materials scheduling. | | • | All employees have visibility into master planning and can quickly act on any changes with a single master planning run to cover the entire business. | | • | You can perform production and materials planning hourly, daily, or weekly—as often as you need and in a net change mode to accelerate processes. | | • | Different sales forecasts enable you to plan effectively based on realistic what-if scenarios. | | • | You can easily outsource production to subcontractors to mitigate capacity issues and avoid delays; and, you can use Microsoft Dynamics AX Commerce Gateway to streamline interactions with subcontractors through automatically generated purchase orders and order confirmations. | | • | Early notifications to your customers of possible exceptions help avoid customer dissatisfaction and can give you enough time to make alternate plans to satisfy their needs. | | • | With detailed insight into inventory and warehouse activity, you can make rapid adjustments to the economy and efficiency of purchasing, warehouse, and inventory management—and serve customers fast. | | • | Microsoft Dynamics AX enables you to monitor plant floor operations so you can assess performance and costs, and maximize the efficiency of your business processes. |
Business benefitsYou need a business management solution that gives you room to grow into new markets and opportunities. Here is a high-level overview of how challenges in the area of flexibility can impact several key business roles in your company, and how Microsoft Dynamics AX can help address these issues. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | | • | Attainment of business objectives is impacted by a slow and costly growth process |
| | • | Increased ease aligning manufacturing with changing business goals | | • | Technical infrastructure for efficient company growth |
| Chief financial officer (CFO) | | • | High costs of doing business are further increased by company growth | | • | Poor planning capabilities | | • | Capital tied up in inventory |
| | • | Supported business growth without a rapid increase in the costs of technical infrastructure and production processes | | • | Dependable production planning based on realistic what-if scenarios | | • | Capability to offer custom products in a cost-effective manner | | • | Economical inventory management at optimal stock levels |
| Chief operations officer (COO) | | • | Problems implementing changes in production processes | | • | Limited insight into performance, economy, and efficiency of production | | • | Planning efforts are not fully reliable; unable to avoid production bottlenecks | | • | Inefficient, costly inventory management |
| | • | Ability to implement changes in the production process quickly | | • | Ability to avoid production bottlenecks through outsourcing | | • | Full visibility into all aspects of production at every step | | • | Ability to plan based on dependable sales forecasts | | • | More efficient inventory flow designed to avoid outages and overages |
| Vice president sales and marketing | | • | Difficulties increasing customer base and serving customers effectively | | • | Company is unable to offer custom products economically | | • | Limited capability to address changing market trends | | • | High cost and resource requirements to support customers | | • | Problems honoring customer commitments |
| | • | Flexibility to anticipate and respond quickly to changes in demand and customer preferences | | • | Reliable production plan and increased ability to honor customer commitments | | • | Sales forecasts flow directly into manufacturing planning | | • | Enables customers to configure competitively priced, custom products over the Web | | • | Ability to boost customer satisfaction by making business information accessible |
| Chief technology officer (CTO), chief information officer (CIO), IT director | | • | High cost of systems ownership with limited return on investment | | • | Technology infrastructure lacks the flexibility to grow with the company and adjust to changing business needs | | • | Limited IT resources and expertise for extending and supporting the manufacturing and business management solution |
| | • | Measurable return on investment soon after implementation, and low cost of systems ownership | | • | Reduced IT support needs for electronic communications and transactions with vendors and customers | | • | Ability to customize solution to business requirements with ease and efficiency | | • | Access to resources, solutions, and expertise of Microsoft Dynamics partners and independent software vendors | | • | Scalable solution that accommodates additional users, lines of business, and locations |
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