| External WMS and Supply Chain Management | | | | fulfillment or allocation) for Barcoding, where allocation |
| Systems are available on the Corporate ERP and | | | | is done in the warehouse floor via barcode scanning. |
| MRP software market. They do often perfect work | | | | Secondly, we open GP Purchase Order Processing |
| and provide integration tools or connectors for generic | | | | Purchase Receipt for inventory replenishment. And |
| ERP or Accounting application. However external | | | | finally, we open Inventory Adjustment and Stock |
| Warehouse Management System might require | | | | Count screens for Barcoding as well. These three |
| additional implementation phase - WMS to ERP | | | | directions should allow you to capitalize on Great Plains |
| integration should be designed, tested and even often | | | | user licenses and pay modest fee for Barcoding |
| customized to fit your business processes. Plus, | | | | enabling. We also have elements of Supply Chain |
| there is often the case, that your Corporate ERP | | | | Management logic with Consignment, Trucks routing |
| application already has the same logic available | | | | (optimized delivery path). We are not covering RFID |
| internally (in Purchasing, Sales and Inventory modules) | | | | topics in this article, please see our dedicated |
| and you have to deploy external WMS system, | | | | publications on Alba Spectrum Website |
| because native Corporate ERP doesn't have Barcode | | | | 4. Light Discrete Assembly. We should be able to |
| scanning interface. And interfacing such relatively | | | | open Bill of Materials module for Barcoding in |
| complex documents from your WMS or SCM to ERP | | | | Dynamics GP. If you are implementing Great Plains |
| Purchase Receipt, Sales Invoice, Inventory Cycle | | | | Manufacturing Suite and you need barcoding |
| Count might be challenging, as all these documents | | | | automation, we think that you may need to discuss |
| have complex logic: Serial or Lot Numbering, Bins, Kits, | | | | your case with us. If you are looking for Process |
| Assemblies, Alternative Parts to name a few. This | | | | Manufacturing, Microsoft Business Solutions traditionally |
| small publication gives you initial highlights on | | | | recommends Dynamics AX (formerly known as |
| Warehouse Management System, which is in essence | | | | Axapta). However we should be able to recommend |
| extension to you Corporate ERP, in our case | | | | you couple of Dynamics GP process manufacturing |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP, also often referred as Great | | | | extensions (food, meat and poultry processing |
| Plains Dynamics: | | | | industries) |
| 1. WMS simplicity. It is often good thing to do to | | | | 5. WMS and International aspect. It is often a good |
| decide on being very or reasonably simple and easy | | | | idea to hire somebody who got MBA degree in |
| to implement, use and modify. SCM might require | | | | international business as when US corporation goes |
| complex business logic, however this doesn't always | | | | internationally, such questions as ERP localization, |
| mean that Warehouse Management customer should | | | | international language support, compliance to targeted |
| pay for complex barcoding scenarios, where they only | | | | country industry compliance legislation might be critical |
| need to use 10% of the logic (and will never use 90% | | | | or even imperative. Dynamics GP is localized in |
| of the nice features, they have to pay for). There is | | | | English speaking countries: USA, Canada (including GP |
| also another concern, related to the complexity of | | | | in Canadian French for Montreal and the whole |
| WMS to ERP integration implementation, with high | | | | Quebec province), Australia, New Zealand, South |
| failure rate. And also - even the most sophisticated | | | | Africa, Oceania, partially for South East Asia where |
| WMS application often is short of several features | | | | English language is used as primary language of |
| you must have in final working system, so the amount | | | | business communications. Dynamics GP is also |
| of required customizations might be comparable for | | | | localized in Spanish speaking Latin America: Mexico, |
| advanced and basic SCM systems | | | | South, Central America and Caribbean. Dynamics |
| 2. Great Plains Microsoft Dynamics GP as possible | | | | GP is also available in Arabic in Saudi Arabia and |
| Warehouse Management, Inventory Replenishment | | | | Arabic peninsula and huge region of Northern Africa |
| and Light Assembly Platform. Traditionally Great | | | | (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sahara countries, |
| Plains Software Dynamics and eEnteprise and later on | | | | plus Afghanistan, where Arabic alphabet is in use for |
| its successor (after Microsoft acquired GPS and | | | | Dari language). For such countries as China, Korea, |
| formed special Corporate ERP subdivision Microsoft | | | | Japan, Brazil, Russia - Dynamics GP is not localized |
| Business Solutions) Microsoft Dynamics GP has strong | | | | there - we recommend you to consider building your |
| set of Distribution modules (often referred as Logistics): | | | | Corporate ERP on SAP Business One (small to |
| Sales Order Processing, Inventory Control with Bill of | | | | midsize subsidiary or local business) or Dynamics AX |
| Materials, Purchase Order Processing with Purchasing | | | | Axapta (midsize to large business unit or independent |
| Configurator, Manufacturing Suite (native GP set of | | | | enterprise) |
| modules, very good choice for Discrete | | | | 6. How to get further help? Please, feel free to call |
| Manufacturing). So, Great Plains naturally has most of | | | | us in USA: 1-866-528-0577, internationally |
| the Warehouse Management, SCM, Logistics logic and | | | | 1-630-961-5918 (or skype albaspectrum) or email us |
| even ready for Consignment with simple procedures | | | | Our consultants speak English, Chinese, Spanish, |
| 3. Alba Spectrum WMS extension. We open Sales | | | | Portuguese (including Brazilian Portuguese), Russian, |
| Order Processing Sales Order (with manual line | | | | Arabic. |