2015 Q2/Q3 - AXUG Magazine by Dynamic Communities, Inc

Q2/Q3 2015

WWW.AXUG.COM

Staying on Target WITH YOUR UPGRADE

Project Planning A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Determining Fit

WAREHOUSE CONSIDERATIONS

contents Q2/Q3 2015 www.axug.com

Tweet It! What is your favorite volunteer activity in the AXUG® community? Share your thoughts on Twitter #AXUG.

Q2/Q3 2015

WWW.AXUG.COM

Staying on Target WITH YOUR UPGRADE

Project Planning

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Determining Fit

WAREHOUSE CONSIDERATIONS

Advertiser Index Altec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Arbela Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 AxSource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 AXUG Summit 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Client Strategy Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39 Dynaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Experlogix, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Globe Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Greenshades Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

In Every Issue 5 From the Director 7 Events 8 Meet Your Peers 9 Welcome to Our New Members 10 Chapter News 20 Focus on Education 21 Word Find 22 Academy Corner 31 Member Connection 34 As Seen on the Web 35 Name That Photo Contest 40 On Topic 46 What’s New on Collaborate 51 Find the Logo Contest 55 Volunteer of the Quarter

The AX List, from The Partner Channel

Features 12 User Member Showcase

Global Industries, Inc.

Project Planning: A Recipe for Success

18 24

Security Issues and You

The Major Reasons Implementations and Upgrades Fail

Tips & Tricks Data Migration: What to Know

Microsoft Member Showcase Pepijn Richter

Industry Showcase Retail

42 48

Determining Your Fit

Chapter Sponsor Showcase

NMB Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

52 54

RF-SMART. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Jet Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 k-eCommerce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 MetaViewer from Metafile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Microsoft Convergence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Scalable Data Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 SK Global Software, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

VAR Partner Member Showcase Edgewater Fullscope Why YOU Should Attend AXUG Summit 2015 Tips & Tricks Administration for User Management

ISV Partner Member Showcase Solver 60 Tips & Tricks Filtering Wildcards Q2/Q3 2015 | 3

Self-Service

Business Intelligence

Suite REPORTING

PLANNING

DASHBOARDS

DATA WAREHOUSE

Dynamics AX

CRM

Ž Ž Ž Ž Ž Ž Ž

OTHER DATA SOURCES

Out-of-the-box integration to Microsoft Dynamics™ AX Both Excel and Web-based Reporting, Budgeting and Dashboards Mobile application for anywhere access to your BI360 reports Integrated Budgeting, Forecasting and What-if analysis Financial Consolidations and Operational Reporting (for GL and Sub-ledgers) Conﬁgurable Data Warehouse (Combine data across multiple sources or companies) New Web Portal for sharing reports, discussions and decision-support

www.solverusa.com

info@solverusa.com

800.281.6351

G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG U AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU X U G G A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G A UG UG X U G G A X U A X U G G A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G A X U A X U G G XU AX AX A G A G A UG UG XU XU G U G U XU X X A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G A UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X X A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG X G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG

letter H

Goingfrom to the the Next Level... axug director Sherry Linares

Upgrade? Here We Go Again!

ello, everyone! Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Paul Vaughan, and I am the new program director for our Microsoft Dynamics AX User Group. Frank Vukovits has done an outstanding job in this position through the great leadership he has provided over these past 10+ years. I am looking forward to continuing in his footsteps and working hard each and every day for you just as he has done. I am also very excited to share information and insights with you via our AXUG® Magazine, yet another example of the great resources your AXUG membership provides. As I am sure you can tell already, this issue is dedicated to upgrading. I came into this position directly from being a User and implementer of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Each time our company would hear about Microsoft releasing a new full release of Microsoft Dynamics AX – or maybe it was just a cumulative update – we would oftentimes feel the following. To take a quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: To be, or not to be, that is the question— Whether ‘tis Nobler in the mind to suﬀer The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep— No more; and by a sleep, to say we end

Paul Vaughan

While upgrading to a different version of Microsoft Dynamics AX or a different service pack is not as bad as this sounds, it can certainly sometimes feel that way to all parties involved. Trying to figure out how to take advantage of new functionality with the least amount of effort and cost possible? What will be our return on this effort and investment? What kind of planning and effort is it going to take to get to where we want? How are our Users going to feel about going through another round of testing? Resources…resources…resources. Where will we find the resources? Should we bring over our historical data? Should we simply just do a reimplementation? Who should we contact to see how their implementation is going? There are so many questions that always need answering when you are thinking about and planning for your next upgrade. Well, that is where our User Group comes into play. In this issue you will find articles on approaches you can take to your upgrade and insight from Partners that can help you avoid critical mistakes. The interesting thing I have experienced about upgrades is that no one path applies to all companies. As you upgrade, you will experience unique challenges specific to your efforts. One underlying common reason for any company to upgrade can be found in the desire to take advantage of the new functionality found in the latest release or cumulative update. No matter the version you are upgrading to, you are part of a great resource (AXUG) where you can find the answers to your upgrade questions. Whether you participate in weekly webinars to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics AX, attend an Academy class for a much more indepth educational experience, or come to Focus or Summit (or both) where you can attend the various upgrade sessions, the answers are there for you as part of your AXUG membership. Again, I am very excited to be your new program director for our Microsoft Dynamics AX User Group. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Good luck as you approach your upgrade. The answers are at your fingertips, right here at AXUG. See you in Reno, Nevada at AXUG Summit in October!

Paul Vaughan Director – Programming, AXUG Q2/Q3 2015 | 5

events sessions meetings courses

The event calendar on www.axug.com and the weekly AXUG Event Guide are your best sources for the latest AXUG event information as this list is subject to change. Events are added weekly, so check back often and get registered for the next exciting AXUG event. ÂŽ

AXUG Academy Preâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Conference Training October 12-13, 2015 | Reno, Nevada

October 2 Advanced Management Reporter October 30 Introduction to Management

Reporter

www.axugsummit.com/event/academy-training

Chapter Meetings AXUG Summit 2015

August 20 Missouri | St. Louis

October 13-16, 2015 | Reno, Nevada

August 20 Indiana | Indianapolis

www.axugsummit.com

August 20 Texas | Austin August 20 California | Northern

Academy Courses

August 21 Ohio

August 21 Introduction to Management

September 2 Texas | Houston

Reporter

September 10 Kentucky

September 4 Advanced Management Reporter

September 15 Florida

September 4 KPIs, SSAS, & Cubes in

September 17 Canada

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 September 25 Introduction to Management Reporter

September 17 Oregon | Portland

Check out the event calendar on www.axug.com Q2/Q3 2015 | 7

AX A G G U U X X U XU AX AX A A G G UG A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G UG UG G G G UG U XU X AX A A A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G G U U X X A A G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G XU AX AX A G A G G U U X G U U X X A A G G UG AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG UG AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG U AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A A G G U U X X G UG UG XU XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A A A G G U U X X X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG AX A A G G U U X X A U U XU X AX A G A G A UG UG G G G U G U XU X X A A A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G G UG U XU XU AX AX G A G XU X AX A G G U U A G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A U X X A A G G U U X G

peers meet your axug peers

Daniel Perkins COMPANY Schaefer Systems International, Inc. TITLE IT manager EMAIL Daniel.perkins@ssischaefer.us

What did you enjoy most about FOCUS? The networking with other Users, Partners, and Microsoft staﬀ. The variety of sessions that helped me to get better direction on our strategic goals for our BI strategy. Our team members were similarly able to get very tactical with ideas for how to improve their reporting methods using the tools they already have. What did you learn at FOCUS that you have immediately applied to your business or your role? I was able to take away some great tips on how to properly formulate a BI strategy for our organization. This will give us a great return going forward so we can work towards meeting the business needs around reporting and analytics rather than just throwing more technology, time, and money against it with no measurable return.

Lori Holmes COMPANY Hamamatsu Corporation TITLE IT operations manager and AXUG® New Jersey (Central) chapter leader EMAIL Lholmes@ hamamatsu.com

8 | AXUG Magazine

What did you enjoy most about FOCUS? I enjoyed several sessions geared towards upgrade content. It was great to go from one session to the next and build on what I learned in the prior session(s). What did you learn at FOCUS that you have immediately applied to your business or your role? I took away so many upgrade tips that I immediately shared with our IT teams. It is great to hear what can be done now in preparation for future upgrades. Since upgrading Microsoft Dynamics AX customizations can be complex, it was beneﬁcial to hear best practices when deciding when one should/should not customize.

XU AX AX A G A G G U U X G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A G G U G U XU X A A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G A G G U U X X A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G UG UG A X U G G G G U U X X A A A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G G U U X X A A G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G XU AX AX A G A G G U U X G U U X X A A G G UG AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG UG AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU X U G G A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G A UG UG X U G G A X U A X U G G A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G A X U A X U G G XU AX AX A G A G A UG UG XU XU G U G U XU X X A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G A UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X X A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG X G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG AX A A G G U U X X A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A G G U G U XU X A A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G A G G U U X X A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G UG UG A X U G G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX A A X U G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A U

members welcome to our new members

Welcome to the new Members who have invested in AXUG® User and Partner membership! Each new Member adds value not only to their own organization, but also to the entire AXUG community as they share their knowledge and experiences.

New AXUG User Members ADAC Automotive Allen and Allen Aqua Star BTI Systems Inc Bush Brothers & Company Champion Windows CORERX DAS Companies Inc. Enoro Group Eze Software Group Flexaust Fortna Inc. Fresenius Medical Care Canada, Inc. Gigamon Inc. GLOCK, Inc. Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc. Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana Greenﬁeld Industries, Inc Grupo Gtd Guy and O’Neill, Inc. Huvepharma, Inc. Independent

Pharmacy Cooperative Industrial Power Units Limited Innospec Inc. Jean Coutu Group John Henry Foster Key Technology, Inc Kroll Ontrack Magnussen Furniture Marc Jacobs International Medxcel Global LLC Microsemi Corporation MMBB Financial Services Montana Silversmiths Multiview nLIGHT Photonics Corporation NMC, Inc. Northern Tool + Equipment Company, Inc PAR Technology Performance Controls, Inc.

Peterson Paciﬁc Corp. RMP Powertrain Solutions Schaefer Systems International Inc. Seaboard Corporation Stack-On Products Steel & Tube Holdings Ltd Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp Tactical & Survival Specialities Inc TalkTalk Communications Limited Techo-Bloc The Bradford Hammacher Group The New York Times Tolko Industries Ltd. Trican Well Service, LP Troy University UnitedLex University Physicians, Inc

Meet one of our newest Members...

The GLOCK GROUP is a leading global manufacturer of pistols and accessories. GLOCK’s superior engineering has produced a pistol with only 34 parts and a rugged polymer frame, providing industry-leading reliability shot after shot. GLOCK is renowned for its pistols which are safe, featuring three safeties; simple, offering a low number of components to provide reliability; and fast, with no encumbering parts to slow the speed to fire. This combination makes GLOCK pistols the first choice among consumers and law enforcement, with approximately 65 percent of agencies within the United States choosing to carry GLOCK. Austrian-engineered, the group has manufacturing facilities in the United States and Austria, and is based in Smyrna, Georgia. For more information, visit www.us.glock.com. “With the ability to customize Microsoft Dynamics AX in so many different ways,

New AXUG Partner Members Greenshades Software

Hillstar B.V.

HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions

Real Dynamics ScanWorkX/eNSYNC Solutions

Thomson Reuters

having a place to discuss and learn how other Microsoft Dynamics AX developers and administrators have solved some of the same problems we encounter can point us in the right direction before the ﬁrst line of code is written or modiﬁed,” says Nathan Evans, programmer / ERP administrator for GLOCK, Inc.

AXUG

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G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G UG AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG UG AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG U AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A G G U U X X A A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG AX A A G G U U X X A U U XU X AX A G A G A UG UG G G G U G U XU X X A A A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G G UG U XU XU AX AX G A G XU X AX A G G U U A G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G A UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X X A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG X G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG

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Up-and-Coming Chapter

COLORADO (DENVER) Chapter Leadership Team Bobby Small, Bobbys@ouraysportswear.com; David Prinaris, Davidp@ouraysportswear.com; Justin Carter, Jcarter@bhsolutions.com; and Mike Perlick, Mperlick@whipmix.com

Up-and-Coming Chaper: Colorado Ain’t no mountain high enough for the Colorado chapter of AXUG®, as this group continues to build momentum through User engagement, high-quality topics, FUN, and bribery! “We adopted a few ideas we learned through AXUG webinars and other research, such as the meeting door prize,” says Bobby Small, director of information systems for Ouray Sportswear and the Colorado chapter leader. “Overall, we are trying to stress the importance each User has in making the meetings and group a success. The leadership is constantly looking at ways to draw more Users to the AXUG meetings by listening to our Members and taking advantage of the AXUG community through webinars and peer-to-peer support.” A highlight for Bobby was hosting the ﬁrst meeting and giving fellow Users a “very loud, but fun” facilities tour of Ouray Sportswear, as well as providing a sneak peek at a few of the unique ways that Ouray Sportswear has leveraged Microsoft Dynamics AX. The Colorado chapter knows that Member showcase meetings are a

Chapter

HIGHLIGHTS 10 | AXUG Magazine

highly successful chapter meeting format, and they have some upcoming leads for future onsite meetings. While this new leadership group has hosted just two meetings, its well on its way to keeping this chapter alive. “It is hard to ﬁzzle,” Bobby says, “when each meeting is infused with the opulent style of Mick Jagger, a dash of Forrest Gump’s humility, and a room full of enlightened and awesome Microsoft Dynamics AX Users! I think that both meetings have been very successful, and we are super excited by the outcome and participation so far.” “I also want to take a moment to thank the Members who are actively attending meetings and participating in online group discussions on www.axug.com,” adds Bobby. “With each interaction, it is evident that the core group has a strong interest in learning and growing our chapter! As for future growth of the chapter, we are open to everyone and encourage all of our local Microsoft Dynamics AX Users to join us, using any and all channels available! In fact, I may resort to sign spinning on the corner if I think it will help!”

» 68 oﬃcial Members » Karen at Forney Industries was the chapter’s ﬁrst door prize winner (Congrats, Karen!)

» Bribery at its ﬁnest: The chapter printed custom AXUG t-shirts for the more than 30 attendees of its ﬁrst meeting!

G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G UG AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG UG AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU X U G G A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G A UG UG X U G G A X U A X U G G A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G A X U A X U G G XU AX AX A G A G A UG UG XU XU G U G U XU X X A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G A UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X X A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG X G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG

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Up-and-Coming Leader

CHRIS GAWRONSKI senior manager, enterprise systems Fluidigm Corporation Chris.gawronski@ﬂuidigm.com

Up-and-Coming Leader: Chris Gawronski Chris Gawronski is the leader of the Northern California chapter of AXUG® and Member of AXUG Board of Advisors. As an upand-coming leader, Chris has a focus on delivering impactful User stories – both their successes and failures – in his chapter’s quarterly meetings. “We want to focus on fostering networking and end User interaction, all while resisting the urge to ﬁll every hour with classroom-style content delivery,” says Chris. “We also want to get into some deep vertical business discussions, talking about how those verticals can be paired with Microsoft Dynamics AX functionality.” Chris continues, “I am inspired by the diverse set of companies and Users who are seeking to expand their use and leverage of Microsoft Dynamics AX, and I am grateful to be a part of this growing community.” AXUG

» 20-40 active Members » Most popular meeting topics: EDO and Warehousing in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3

“We want to focus on fostering networking and end User interaction, all while resisting the urge to ﬁll every hour with classroom-style content delivery,”

Chapter

HIGHLIGHTS

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G G U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G U G U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G G G U U X X XU AX AX A G A G UG U G UG UG XU XU AXU AX XU AX AX A G A G G G U U X X A A AX A G A G UG UG XU X U XU XU AX AX A G A AX G A G A G UG U XU U XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A G A G UG UG XU U XU XU AX AX A G AX G A G A G UG U XU G G X A G UG UG XU XU AXU AX G AX A XU AX AX G A G A UG U G A G G U G U G XU XU U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G U G U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G

user member showcase

Breaking the Mold of an Un-integrated Existence ZACH HENRY

JUSTIN SCOTT COMPANY Global Industries, Inc. INTERVIEWEES Zach Henry, IT specialist, and Justin Scott, IT manager WEBSITE www.globalindinc.com HEADQUARTERS Grand Island, Nebraska PHONE 308-389-4300 EMAIL Zhenry@globalindinc.com; Jscott@globalindinc.com ESTABLISHED 1996 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 600 MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX USER SINCE 2014 MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX VERSION Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 RTM NUMBER OF USERS 200+

12 | AXUG Magazine

lobal Industries, Inc., is headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska and has four divisions located in Nebraska and Kansas. The divisions are all inner-related and manufacture grain storage and handling equipment, metal buildings, and water treatment systems. Global Industries is an engineered-to-order, discreet manufacturer and sees about 70 percent of its business domestically and 30 percent shipped out to more than 50 countries worldwide. Global Industries was a mix of multiple independent divisions before being purchased and placed under the Global Industries umbrella. With this, the parent company inherited a mix of ERP systems and operated inside those systems for 30+ years. “As you can imagine, over that time, our business and ERP platform had molded together” says Justin. “Our goal in implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX was to bring our business as much to automation as possible through process reengineering.” Global has done a great job of breaking that mold and leveraging Microsoft Dynamics AX to align with its business goals. After a three-year process of analyzing operational processes and extensive testing, Global completed its implementation across its four divisions. “We went big-bang with our facilities, and intermeshed all those processes in Microsoft Dynamics AX,” Justin says. “We use Microsoft Dynamics AX front to back, from engineering to manufacturing execution to sales, to inter-company, and ﬁnance.” Global made sure to staﬀ a solid team to see it through the implementation process successfully. Justin states, “Communication at all levels was vital, and having the support and backing at the executive level of the business was tremendous in moving forward with process and software change.” From the very beginning, Global also kept close track of issues that arose after it went live on Microsoft Dynamics AX. “Documenting issues proved to be a great way to circle back around in case we lost sight of the solution,” Zach recalls. “In

the end, we’ve created some great documentation for our Users and developed best practices along the way.” Global – live on Microsoft Dynamics AX for about a year – is now getting a glimpse of the business intelligence and availability of data. “This is a major shift for us, from command-driven disparate systems to a complete uniﬁed and centralized interface,” Justin shares. “The start of being able to visualize our data in real time will allow us to make informed decisions more quickly. We are just getting our feet underneath us to see how we can utilize it now and into the future.” Although Global nixed some custom work during its implementation to stay within scope, the company is already beginning some unique integrations with 3D modeling and building specs software. Global also plans to utilize perpetual inventory, barcoding, and real-time scanning in the near future. Zach says, “We want to make Microsoft Dynamics AX the one stop shop for our Users so they don’t need to access other systems just to get the right information.”

Slow and Steady Wins the Upgrade Race Now that Global is getting comfortable with Microsoft Dynamics AX, the IT department is planning its upgrade strategy for the short and long term. They’ll be making a plan to make the sizable jump to Microsoft Dynamics AX R3 CU8. “We don’t plan to move at the pace of Microsoft’s

quarterly release schedule,” Zach explains, “as it takes six to eight weeks for us to see through an upgrade, and we just couldn’t keep up with that.” Justin adds, “We are not seeking the latest releases to just be on the leading edge; we need to evaluate features and enhancements of any release to see if we can leverage them against our business, eliminating ineﬃciencies while boosting employee productivity and product quality, which in turn meets our goals of becoming a leader in our industry, and more importantly, increasing customer satisfaction.” Having gone through a small upgrade to CU7 just eight months after its go-live date, Zach has sound advice to share with other Users going through an upgrade, “You can never test enough! Obviously at some point, you have to move forward, but I would recommend testing in every which direction you can think of, and when you’re done, test it again.” Global is also planning to reassemble a new team for its next upgrade with new and existing members. “We’re on the search for individuals with an eagerness to learn, the dedication to spend time outside of their current role, and to test and vet the solution along with the desire to help the business go forward. However, we also need to keep those with tribal knowledge close at hand,” Justin says. “The members that served on the team through selection and implementation were and will be integral in the continued success of Microsoft Dynamics AX in our organization. In any upgrade situation, we don’t use the word ‘team’ lightly.”

synergies with likeminded businesses and Users. The community is extremely helpful,” Justin concludes. “It’s been amazing to see the quickness in responses to posts, oﬀering of solutions, or proposing ideas at the Customer-to-Customer level. AXUG has been a sound business choice that stabilizes our Microsoft Dynamics AX investment.” AXUG

Apples to Apples Now in their second year as AXUG® Members, Zach and Justin have really enjoyed gaining new insight directly from other Users. “The ability to compare apples to apples with companies similar to ours is invaluable and makes us a little more self-suﬃcient. As a Microsoft Dynamics AX community, we can harness others’ experiences to help each other solve issues. It’s been great to create

Q2/Q3 2015 | 13

G G U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G UG U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G G G U U X X XU AX AX A G A G UG U G UG UG XU XU AXU AX XU AX AX A G A G G G U U X X A A AX A G A G UG UG XU X U XU XU AX AX A G A AX G A G A G UG U XU U XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A G A G UG UG XU U XU XU AX AX A G AX G A G A G UG U XU G G X A G UG UG XU XU AXU AX G AX A G G UG A X A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G G U U U XU AXU AX AX A G A G U G G X AX A G A G UG UG XU A X U G U U X X A A

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PROJECT PLANNING A Recipe for Success! story by Thomas L. Farmer, PMP, TricorBraun illustration by Dave Swang

pgrading ng your Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation to the next version can be a daunting task. If you are still window shopping and want to see what is involved with implementing a new version, you may be tempted to jump right in and start installing, configuring, and moving data into a new test environment. But if your company has made the decision to upgrade, you will want to develop a comprehensive project plan before you get started. A project plan can help you estimate the amount of work, keep track of all the project tasks, and keep your project on course. But it’s not a magic bullet. A project plan is just a plan. And plans can change. When you develop your project plan at the beginning of the project, no matter how thorough you are, you can’t anticipate everything. You will need to change your plan. The key to developing a successful project plan is to change it when needed. One way to develop a project plan involves thinking about several different areas of work, and what it will take to complete that work over several different phases of the project. You can think of this as a grid with phases as the rows and work areas as the columns. If we wanted to create a plan for making a cake, we might use the following:

Materials

Equipment

Processes

Prepare

Buy ingredients

Get bowls, measuring cups, spoons, mixer, turn on the oven

Read the recipe instructions

Bake

Measure, mix ingredients

Use bowls, measuring cups, spoons, mixer

Mix ingredients in bowl, pour into cake pan, put in oven

Eat

Store leftovers

Wash the dishes

Eat cake

The phases of making a cake include prepare, cook, and eat. The work areas can include materials, equipment, and processes. Because each project is unique, another person might have a plan with diﬀerent work areas, or more phases. If we wanted to create a plan for making a wedding cake, we might use this:

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M Materials

Equipment

Processes

Billing

Prepare

Buy ingredients B

Get bowls, measuring cups, price, spoons, mixer, turn on the oven

Read the recipe instructions

Estimate price, provide quote

Bake

Measure, mix ingredients M

Use bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and mixer

Mix ingredients in bowl, pour into cake pan, put in oven

Calculate actual cost

Deliver

SStore leftovers

Put cake in box, put box in truck, get serving knife, forks, plates

Package, transport, set up, and display the cake

Receive payment

Serve

SServing knife

Discard box, clean serving knife

Cut, serve, eat the cake

Calculate proﬁt

Developing a project plan requires deﬁning the work areas and phases, then identifying the tasks for Developin each work ar area in each phase. Conveniently, Microsoft has developed a project methodology speciﬁcally for a Micros Microsoft Dynamics upgrade project. The SureStep methodology is a set of processes and tools designed to help implement Microsoft Dynamics and is available from the Microsoft CustomerSource website. The SureStep methodology uses the following phases and work areas:

Work Areas

Phases Ph hases » » » » » »

Diagnos Diagnostic Analysis Design Development Develop Deployment Deploym Operation

» » » » » » » » »

Project Management Infrastructure Data Migration Business Process Analysis Conﬁguration Custom Coding Integration Testing Training

work areas Project Management

Infrastructure

Data Migration

Business Process Analysis

Conﬁguration

Custom Coding

Integration

Testing

Training

phases

Diagnostic Analysis Design Development Deployment Operation

Using this framework, you can begin to identify the individual tasks within each work area and sequence them by phase. Notice that project management itself is a work area. This means that there will be project management tasks to complete throughout the project. The plan is not developed at the beginning of the project and set in stone. The project plan will change and needs to be managed. To determine the speciﬁc tasks in each work area, you will need to deﬁne the scope of the upgrade project. This involves making some decisions about various options such as: » Data – How much historical data to migrate, what level of detail? Q2/Q3 2015 | 15

» Functionality – Duplicate business processes of existing system or include business process changes to take advantage of best practices in new system?

» Customizations – Migrate or redevelop existing customizations, or use standard functionality without customizations?

» Cutover – Implement and go-live all at once, or roll out by functional areas or geographic locations? When the scope is deﬁned, you will be able to break down the work areas into individual tasks. Each individual task should be small enough to be able to estimate the amount of eﬀort (usually number of hours) and the duration. The individual tasks can then be assigned to resources, sequenced, and put into a schedule. You can use your favorite tool to manage the schedule, such as Microsoft Project or a simple list of tasks and dates in Microsoft Excel.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL WITH AX 2012 R3 ... As the leading solution provider of Inventory Management and Shop Floor Control for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, is here to help you select the best ﬁt for your company. Whether that’s WMS I or WMS Advanced, we can help you optimize your investment. Do you Know your WMS Options? Making things simple can be very complicated, and “dumbing down” the advanced warehousing management module is not a prudent option. If the added cost and complexity of full-blown WMS does not ﬁt your needs, you can still leverage AX 2012 R3 functionality by utilizing WMS I.

Have a Plan for Hardware & Infrastructure? Did you know R3 WMS Advanced won’t work with Telnet and there are mobile device limitations? Get tools to enable you to leverage your existing mobile devices instead of replacing them!

Want to Avoid Printing & Labeling Headaches? If your operations need more than the limited printing capabilities of R3, you can automate your label printing straight from R3 with an enterprise labeling solution. Stop by our booth at AXUG Summit to see for yourself!

LEARN MORE AT AXUG SUMMIT 2015 OCTOBER 12-16 IN RENO CERTIFIED FOR

ax. 16 | AXUG Magazine

com

AX 2012

The project plan can include more than just a schedule of tasks. Some other project documents that you may consider include: » Project Charter – Authorization from management to work on the project, including a high level scope, schedule, and list of stakeholders. » Scope of Work – A separate document listing the work areas included in the upgrade project and usually also a list of areas not included. » Risk Plan and Risk Log – A list of potential issues to look for, mitigation strategies and escalation procedures, and a list of actual risks identified and mitigation actions taken. » Project Status Reports – A communication periodically distributed to stakeholders to provide an update on project tasks, schedules, and scope changes. » Test Documents – Test procedures to verify that system functionality meets requirements. » Training Documents – Documented procedures for executing specific functions. Developing a project plan for a Microsoft Dynamics AX upgrade project will require more than just a list of tasks. A framework such as SureStep can help you identify the work areas and the project phases typically required in an upgrade project. However, your own circumstances and scope decisions will dictate the specific tasks required in each work area. And be prepared to update the plan as required. Remember: The plan is not complete until the project is complete. AXUG Thomas L. Farmer, PMP, is a senior system architect for TricorBraun and can be reached at Tfarmer@tricorbraun.com.

G G U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G UG U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G G G U U X X XU AX AX A G A G UG U G UG UG XU XU AXU AX XU AX AX A G A G G G U U X X A A AX A G A G UG UG XU X U XU XU AX AX A G A AX G A G A G UG U XU U XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A G A G UG UG XU U XU XU AX AX A G AX G A G A G UG U XU G G X A G UG UG XU XU AXU AX G AX A G G UG A X A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G G U U U XU AXU AX AX A G A G U G G X AX A G A G UG UG XU A X U G U U X X A A

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ecurity is a daily focus for many Microsoft Dynamics AX Users. AXUG® sat down with two security experts, GG Rowe, IT project manager for Planar Systems, Inc. and veteran presenter for AXUG webinars and AXUG Summit sessions, and Mike Cassady, vice president of development for Fastpath, Inc. GG’s organization implemented its Microsoft Dynamics AX security model in May 2013, and Mike’s organization works with Users and fellow Partners’ Customers on their security needs. Below you’ll read about challenges that Users often face, solutions that may address those challenges, and advice for creating a perfect scenario.

Don’t Wait. Start Now!

SECURITY ISSUES AND YOU

Planning an implementation or upgrade? Put security at the top of your to-do list. It’s one of those things that can easily fall to the wayside when you’re addressing everything else that comes with an ERP project, but it’s also one of those things that can create a sharp pain in the side if left unaddressed, one of which could actually be having access to the system. “One of the big things we recommend is to plan for security early on in the implementation process,” says Mike. “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 has a pessimistic security model, so if you don’t set up the privileges and assign roles, nobody will have access to the product.” Another challenge relates to customizations, whether they’re done internally within your organization or through your Partner, to make sure the access and controls are set up appropriately. “We have done some customizations with our Partner, and some of them are stopping Microsoft Dynamics AX from what it wants to do naturally,” says GG. “There were a couple of places where it knocked out all of our quality orders. We had our Partner take care of that for us, and now we’re set.” A sure way to avoid the customization hassle is to stay as close to out-of-the-box functionality as possible. “When we did our security, we decided to tackle security from a functional perspective,” says GG. “I took it on without a developer as they were all busy getting up to speed with Microsoft Dynamics AX, so I did everything I could through the User interface.”

Granting – and Limiting – Access

“It’s not personal, it’s business,” has a whole new meaning when it comes to security controls. In order to maintain compliance and data integrity, you need to keep an eye on who does what. Many of the access issues are resolved if you go back to square one, the planning. “When Customers don’t plan for security or allocate enough time and leave it for the end of the implementation, they often realize they don’t have enough time to fully design it the way they should, so they go with a diluted version or tag everybody as a system admin,” shares Mike. “That’s a concern for any company, but especially for those that fall under compliance guidelines.” A way to circumvent that is to work your plan and map out who needs access to what and when. “We didn’t want to give too much access if they didn’t need it or shouldn’t have it,” says GG of her company’s implementation. “Some of the things I did were controlling access by organization and legal entity, which is a capability in Microsoft Dynamics AX through the User interface, and utilized User groups to add an additional control to journal transactions. We would like to have the capability to have it by site and warehouse now, so that’s one of my new projects.” “Oftentimes companies will go through User acceptance testing before implementing security, but that doesn’t provide the User with an accurate representation of the go-live User experience. This can lead to go-live issues such as under-granting access, resulting in high volumes of help desk calls because people can’t do their jobs, or over-granting access, resulting in too many system administrators,” explains Mike. “Treat security just as you do code. Go through security and test it as that will really give you better control of your environment.” “In Planar’s Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation project, we set up our Users with restricted security, starting with our second CRP,” says GG. “We then added or subtracted security as needed after that. By CRP4, we were pretty close! Our ﬁnal UAT was a test of the security model that was intended for use in our go-live.”

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 You started early, you spent a lot of time looking at the permission controls, and you’re feeling ready to launch. Take a step to the side and look at your implementation in the sandbox. Testing before go-live means extra time built into your project, but it also means that you’ll be able to tackle issues before they become obstacles. For example, if you’re implementing or upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, in order to access the application object tree (AOT), you must be a system administrator. “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 enabled you to access it through a developer security key, but in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, you have to be a system admin,” adds Mike. “A lot of Customers struggle with that because their developers really shouldn’t have access to production, but need to have it for code development.” Some Users have worked through that issue by creating a process where developers work in a development environment, and then code is deployed to production by a non-developer who has system admin access. “Another thing to consider is that your licenses in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 are dependent on security access. That didn’t exist prior to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, and if the impact on licensing is not evaluated properly during security implementation, it could result in a signiﬁcant cost to your company,” adds Mike.

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The testing process also enables Users to gain a deeper understanding of how security roles influence specific menu items. “Using AOT or the Microsoft Security Development tool during testing to understand security roles and how to grant access to see specific objects and roles has been a great help,” says GG. “Testing has also helped us refine business processes that we had previously defined. For example, we wanted a universal ban on the ability for Users to delete an order. That one was reversed during our testing as somebody thought of a reason why they should be able to delete.” Another example revolves around general reporting checks and balances. “I’m building reports now for User security access so I can do a security review,” says GG. “One is by reporting manager, the traditional way of checking security, and one by business process owner, which enables us to look at things like the purchase order process.”

Testing Bonus: Exploring Functionality The testing environment also enables you to learn more about functionality that you are still in the process of learning. “Segregation of duties is a tough one, and I’m still working on it,” says GG. “When we first went live, I set up roles appropriately, but there are some things to tidy. I’ve played with it in test to see things but haven’t put it into production yet.” “Management Reporter (MR) access was a concern, but we recently tackled that,” she says. “Since MR is used to create the financial statements, we needed to implement ‘change control’ on the reports. And since it’s an end User tool, we removed day-to-day access to ‘Designer’, which then denies the ability to modify reports. It is tricky as access is inherited from Microsoft Dynamics AX, so care needs to be taken when updating or removing Users from Microsoft Dynamics AX.” “We’re working on SOX right now, so the auditors are bringing up things that I didn’t think of,” continues GG. “It has been enlightening as some of the things I had segregated aren’t as segregated as I thought. For example, fields by module are overly granted at the moment. It’s just something we didn’t catch.”

Creating Your Perfect Scenario “The biggest thing to remember is that you can’t lock down your security to the point where you won’t have any segregation of duties issues,” says Mike. “You really need to think about security, along with process controls, to mitigate risk.” Finding that balance will result in the greatest productivity without creating a rigid system. “Be sure to document all of your processes and follow your methodologies,” shares Mike. “The more consistency you have, the easier it will be to manage the system in the future.” “My advice to people is to look at their organization and divide it into main functions,” says GG. “We came up with the 40 User roles and five IT roles that we’re using Microsoft Dynamics AX for, and I created a custom role for all of those functions.” To start, GG created a purchasing clerk with standard Microsoft Dynamics AX roles and then added and subtracted them during her testing. “You really need to think of them as a template, just like defining reports,” says GG. “You can define as many as you want as a vendor, but as a User, it changes based on need. I then assigned my SMEs to the lead roles and assigned the appropriate role to each. If I had to subtract, I cloned the standard Microsoft Dynamics AX role and then removed what wasn’t needed. I did that for upgrade reasons so I can compare between versions and stay with standard Microsoft Dynamics AX roles as much as possible.” That’s not to say you won’t have some hybrids, but starting with native functionality affords you the opportunity to make the project a little more streamlined.

Keep the Conversation Going As you know from your AXUG membership, there is so much to be gained from talking with fellow Users about their experiences, challenges, and found solutions. “It’s nice to hear Customer feedback about what they’re seeing, how they’re setting up security, and about the methodologies they’ve used,” says Mike. “We’ve created monthly security Special Interest Groups (SIGs) with AXUG, and getting together more often is benefitting the group as having more time together enables us to go into areas we may not have been able to dive into as deep previously.” “When our project launched, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 was very new, and there wasn’t much knowledge out there,” says GG. “The knowledge is there now, and if you’re just getting started, there are so many resources out there. Take advantage of the webinars and recordings that are out there, and see how they can help you.” In addition to the information available at www.axug.com and through SIGs, chapter meetings, and AXUG Summit, Microsoft has a heap of information available on MSDN and the general Microsoft downloads page, including information on security design for developers, security roles, licensing, and the Microsoft Dynamics AX server team blog. “As GG said, people are a lot more proficient with the security model today,” says Mike. “There are a lot of gaps in security, but from a general set-up perspective, Partners have gotten a lot better at filling those holes, and Users have more tools than before to help them create their security design.” AXUG Q2/Q3 2015 | 19

FOCUS ON

EDUCATION AXUG® reached out to Keith Woznica of Gaffney-Kroese Supply Corp. to ﬁnd out more about the value he received from attending AXUG Academy’s conﬁguration series.

KEITH WOZNICA Gaffney-Kroese Supply Corp. chief information ofﬁcer Kwoznica@gaffney-kroese.com

Why did you decide to enroll in these classes?

The conﬁguration series from AXUG Academy provided a unique gamut of topics for particular modules in Microsoft Dynamics AX, with a hands-on approach for students, which exposes simple to technical features.

What do you enjoy most about this learning experience?

As a hands-on person, this approach suits me well. This is an experience that builds on fundamentals, muscle memory, and ultimately intuition as to how the system is designed. At the end of the course you begin to understand how the setup progresses into transactions.

How has what you’ve learned helped you in your career?

My company is in mid-ﬂight of our Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation, and as the CIO of Gaffney-Kroese, it is in my mandate to know Microsoft Dynamics AX. The conﬁguration series strengthens the roots of my knowledge and opens the vision of Microsoft Dynamics AX, helping Gaffney-Kroese Supply Corp. become an exceptional distributor.

What do you value most about professional development?

I value professional development the most when it becomes a tangible skill that can become actionable for the business. For example, with Microsoft Dynamics AX, only when I can present facts about the system, demonstrate the product to stakeholders, and then match functionality with business need do I believe I’ve made good use of my time.

What types of learning opportunities do you recommend to fellow Microsoft Dynamics AX Users?

There is a saying, “You eat with your eyes”. That saying is a great analogy for how I’ve looked at Microsoft Dynamics AX. Since the ﬁrst demo, the look, feel, and integration with the Microsoft stack have made me want to consume and explore it.

20 | AXUG Magazine

My advice for learning is to ﬁrst be honest with yourself about what you think of Microsoft Dynamics AX, and second consume it when and where your time allows. The great aspect of Microsoft Dynamics AX is that information is available everywhere for you. Tap into it over the books, AXUG chapters, e-readers, forums, blogs, and networks. Don’t create excuses, because this product runs your business.

Congratulations to Eric Ervin of Fort Wayne Metals for winning the Q1 2015 Word Find.

Academy

Your prize is in the mail! Below are 25 words that relate to the topics and theme in this issue

AXUG

of AXUG Magazine. These words can be found in the grid horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backwards, and forwards. Submit your completed Word Find for a chance to win a gift

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Data Migration

E D G E W A T E R G N I N N A L P T C E J O R P U

V G L O B E I N D U S T R I E S I N C V E D T R S

U S E R M A N A G E M E N T C O L G E H T A I L E

E P N W R E N T R A P S K C I R T D N A A T P S R

N R I I O A D E U G G R Y T I N U M M O C A S R M

T O N N W R C A R S P R O J E C T P L A A M A E A

N J N D E N G P T E E T N E M E L P M I D I N N N

O E A U G G Y G A H C R M E M B E R C O E G D T A

I C L S A D V I C E U P S G R A D E H T M R T R G

T T P T S S E C C U S E D A R G P U A P Y A R A E

C E E R O C S L L U F R E T H C I R N J I P E P M

E S R I E D G E W A T E R F U L L S C O P E R I E

N G U P G R A D E A D V I C E O I T C E N N O C N

N L P M N O C E P O C S L L U F T I N U M M O C O

O O G A M A N A G E S N O I T A T N E M E L P M I

C B R N T I P S A N D T R I C K S E C I V D A L T

R E A A G G T A G L O B E S U O H E R A W E U E A

E I R G R O W E X R I C H T E R A N R E V R P A R

B L E A R N I N G U L E H T P U O R G E L S G H G

M S T I M P L E M E G M I C H A E L N N T T R C I

E R P G R O U P T R I C K S A N D T A D V A A I M

M W A R E H O U S E F I T E V E S S U C C E I M A

E W H O R G N I N N A L P T N E M E G A N A M L T

M I C H A E L C A S S A D Y I N D U S T R I E S A

P R O J E C T P L P U O R G K C O L G E H T L N D

Edgewater Fullscope Events GG Rowe Globe Industries, Inc. Implementations Learning Member Connection Michael Cassady Partners Pepijn Richter Project Planning Retail Summit The GLOCK GROUP Tips and Tricks Upgrade Advice Upgrade Success User Management Users Warehouse Fit

Q2/Q3 2015 | 21

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learn academy corner

2015 AXUG SUMMIT

Pre-Conference Academy Training Monday, October 12 Tuesday, October 13

Make the most of your trip to Reno by taking advantage of focused, instructor-led classroom training before AXUG® Summit 2015 ofﬁcially kicks off. This training, delivered by AXUG Academy, is designed to provide in-depth product education in an interactive, hands-on setting.

On-site Learning

AXUG Academy pre-conference training courses offer:

 KPIs & SQL Server Analysis Services in Microsoft Dynamics AX

» Instructor-led classroom training environment

 Inventory Setup, Management, and Reconciliation in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

» Focused content that dives deep into targeted functional areas » Half- or full-day course options at prices that are considerably lower than traditional in-person classes » CPE credits for all AXUG Academy courses

 Master Planning in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012  Understanding the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Security  BI101 Exploring & Customizing Role Centers for the Power User  Process Manufacturing for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Here are just some of the more than 30 classes we are planning for you:

 Warehouse Management I & II for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

 Understanding the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Security Model

 Advanced Warehouse and Transportation in Microsoft Dynamics AX

 Using Microsoft Dynamics ERP to Support Lean Manufacturing Implementations

 Project 101 Essentials Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012  Project 202 for External Use

Plant Maintenance for Dynamics AX built-in, not bolted on! 2XW of WKH Eo[ inWHJUaWion Wo VWandaUd Ă&#x20AC;nancH inYHnWoUy SUoMHcWV SUodXcWion Ă&#x20AC;[Hd aVVHWV and human resource in Microsoft DynamicsÂŽ AX.

CERTIFIED FOR

Immediate advantages 9 6uSSort for ad hoc SreYentiYe and condition Eased maintenance 9 Tools for warranty tracking and advanced fault analysis 9 MoEile client oStimi]ed for the maintenance worker 9 Touch Eased downtime registration client for the factory Ă oor

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Information Technology at ASO Worldwide says: Structured downtime registration combined with our 3lant Maintenance Srogram all directly available within our Microsoft DynamicsÂŽ AX environment - have given us a solid foundation for imSroving the effectiveness of our Sroduction lines which allows us to reduce our cost structure.

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Meet us at: CONVERGENCE 2015 AXUG SUMMIT 2015

AX 2012

microsoft member showcase

Pepijn Richter, ERP product marketing for the Microsoft Dynamics AX team

“The moments when I have the most satisfaction are when I go to a conference and stand on stage to present a new feature

XUG® sat down with Pepijn to talk about the innovations Microsoft Dynamics AX has made with Azure and Life Cycle Services (LCS).

AXUG: When did your team start working on integrating with Azure? Pepijn Richter (PR): Quite some time ago, probably two years. The first time we released something in a product was with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 in May 2014. Then in December 2014, Azure and LCS were significant with the release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU8. Our June 2015 release of CU9 is a natural transition to Microsoft Dynamics AX 7, taking that next step with more of a dependency on the Microsoft cloud. We have best practices in LCS to deploy the different scenarios in the cloud, and in Microsoft Dynamics AX 7, LCS will be the only way to deploy. AXUG: What’s the main User benefit to this change? PR: The experience in the ERP market is that most ERP projects take a long time to deploy and are over budget. We want to break through that paradigm and offer organizations quicker-todeploy solutions, looking at faster business process innovation.

If I zoom into LCS, it brings three benefits. The first is methodology. Customers are used to SureStep, and embedding that into LCS and having that agile methodology is a place where a Customer’s v-team and Partner can work in one place and find all documents and services. It helps them gain a better grip on implementations and business process innovations. The second is around best practices. Methodologies bring best practices, but documenting business processes through a Camtasia-like recorder enables Customers to go from configuration to an onboarding experience that should accelerate the implementation. With the recording, everybody is looking at the same information, and Users can watch the process to get up to speed. The third benefit is automation, which ensures that when Users validate business processes, they can deploy the configuration, data, and system application software quickly in the cloud. AXUG: Do you have any examples of these benefits in action? PR: One is the conference room/training topology. You can spin up a fully working environment with demo data from the Azure Marketplace very quickly.

and see the

“We’ve been able to take a three-week process

excitement

down to a couple of hours. There are still some

that comes

customizations that a Customer or Partner can do

from that

when deploying on Azure, but overall this means

information.”

the quicker innovation of business processes.”

24 | AXUG Magazine

We also have the dev test topology, where LCS automates the steps and deploys automatically to Azure. Since dev test is only used for a certain amount of time, LCS lets you set the timing of when you want to use the environment. That way, if you don’t use it, you can shut it down and you don’t have to pay for consumption. Then we have a high-availability production environment. If you go back to the business process model, conﬁguration settings can be loaded in an automated process. In the past, you needed a consultant to install and then diﬀerent specialists for each component and module. Now you can automate that so everything can be set up in a couple of hours by LCS on the Microsoft cloud. We’ve been able to take a three-week process down to a couple of hours. There are still some customizations that a Customer or Partner can do when deploying on Azure, but overall this means the quicker innovation of business processes. It’s so cool. AXUG: That is pretty cool! Do you have stats on how many virtual machines have been deployed? PR: We’ve been on Azure a year now and launched these topologies in October 2014. Since then, we’ve seen more than 11,000 VM deployments. At the beginning of 2015, the deployments were centered more around the conference room pilot/training and testing scenarios. In the last couple of months, it was shifting more to the dev test and production topologies. One of the reasons we saw that volume spike is that the Azure team released premium storage, which was needed for the business applications to run really well in that environment.

AXUG: What do you hear from Users about their experiences with cloud deployment? PR: They come in because their IT teams need to translate technology into business value, and they want to get out of the business of maintaining an infrastructure. They want to outsource all of that and transform their teams into business analysts to better serve the business, and I think the cloud enables them to do that faster. Specific scenarios can help reduce cost, especially when demand for infrastructure fluctuates – for example, retailers with peak seasons and companies that run dev test environments – but that’s not the reason why organizations stay in the cloud. We have great examples of organizations that are in different stages with their cloud deployment, and you can see the impact that decision has made. One of the examples is Pet Supplies Plus; they wanted to get out of infrastructure and focus on their business. Their new data center can fit in a closet, and they’re using the development and testing Azure environments to work on new business initiatives. Some orgs take it further and want to see how they can enable a mobile workforce and think through business innovation. JJ Food Service is using an Azure data service to do a click-stream analysis of customers on its site. They have an Amazon-style basket based on customers’ historical sales and typical sales of other customers, enabling them to create a starting basket with suggested products. These are just two ways for Customers to use the cloud and machine learning to optimize learning and customer satisfaction. So back to that statement about the reason organizations stay in the cloud. There is that cost savings component that is great, but using technology to advance their businesses is the reason they stay. AXUG

Want to read more about the Azure innovations of Pet Supplies Plus and JJ Food Service? Check out these case studies: Pet Supplies Plus: https://customers.microsoft.com/Pages/CustomerStory.aspx?recid=18916 JJ Food Service: https://customers.microsoft.com/Pages/CustomerStory.aspx?recid=18352

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G G U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G UG U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G G G U U X X XU AX AX A G A G UG U G UG UG XU XU AXU AX XU AX AX A G A G G G U U X X A A AX A G A G UG UG XU X U XU XU AX AX A G A AX G A G A G UG U XU U XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A G A G UG UG XU U XU XU AX AX A G AX G A G A G UG U XU G G X A G UG UG XU XU AXU AX G AX A G G UG A X A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G G U U U XU AXU AX AX A G A G U G G X AX A G A G UG UG XU A X U G U U X X A A

feature

story by Don Riggs, enVista illustration by Shawn Olson

ne of the most complex projects a company can ever undertake is the implementation or upgrade of its ERP system. It makes no diﬀerence what ERP system you are working with; they all have their own individual horror stories. Here are some of the most common reasons why these projects fail: » The right buying reasons – The product only represents 30 percent of the cost and cannot implement itself. » The role of IT in a project – What happens when the operational side does not step up? » Why upgrades and implementations go sideways – Anything is possible if it is not constrained by a budget. » The real cost of customizations – How to avoid moving your mistakes forward to the next version. 26 | AXUG Magazine

» Product acceptance – How bad consulting and poor User adoption lead to catastrophic outcomes.

» Not invented here – How companies virtually ensure failure by making the system a copy of their old one. Having been in the role of rescuing poorly implemented systems, I have identiﬁed some of the major contributors to a failed implementation project. These problems are avoidable, but it requires a change in philosophy on behalf of clients and Partners. Blaming each other for failure does not solve anything.

The Right Buying Reasons When you look at implementing a new ERP system, one of the important considerations is the product. The product must be suitable for the business needs and a good ﬁt overall for the present and future. This ﬁt typically runs about 80 percent of the company’s needs. There are other buying factors – both technical and functional – surrounding the product. It is safe to say there are many good products out there, and Microsoft Dynamics AX happens to be a very good one.

Q2/Q3 2015 | 27

Too often this is where the purchase is decided. These processes are like beauty pageants in that the most impressive presentation is oftentimes what wins out. They are presented by people whose sole purpose is to sell products. Once purchased, these are people you may never see again.

“Buying an ERP system solves nothing; the effective use of it does.” But there is a flaw in this thinking. The system itself represents about 30 percent of the overall cost, and only 20 percent of that is a continuing cost for maintenance. But that is not where the real risk lies. These systems do not implement themselves. In fact, the REAL risk and major costs of these projects are associated with implementation and development costs. How many companies have committed to $1,000,000+ contracts without even visiting the company that will be doing the work? What this ultimately means is that the Partner you select is much more important to the success than the products themselves. Here are some things you can do to help achieve success: » Get to know the Partner’s culture – What are their key values? What do they believe is their mission? What do they believe are the goals of your business relationship? » Visit the Partner – Get to know their people. Talk to their implementation team. » Ask good questions – What is their customer retention rate? Do they have examples of projects in progress after the initial installation? » Conduct a site visit – A reference call is helpful, but it does not give you the same breadth of a Partner’s experience as a site visit. In short, make this a Partner decision as well as a product decision. So many times have I heard, “I wish I had known then what I know now.” The decision-making processes and priorities are radically different the second time around.

The Role of IT In the early days of information technology, the IT department was responsible for most, if not all, of the computer operations. This is because of the lack of User interfaces and many non-integrated processes. Systems have evolved to give the Users much more control over their processes, and with that comes more responsibility. This needs to include the data, outcome, and the process itself. This means there is a diﬀerent level of learning and involvement.

“Some of the worst projects I have seen have been run by the IT department.” Many of you may find that hard to believe. There are new initiatives in education that are more encompassing, and I applaud those efforts, but this does not change the observation. IT should be a support group for the project. This is typically their current role (or what it should be). To understand this we need to look at the typical IT solution cycle: User: “My general journal does not balance.” IT: “What is the urgency of this problem?” User: “I am trying to close the books for June.” IT: “Okay; I will fix it.” IT to User: “It is fixed.” User: “What was the problem?” IT: “You would not understand.” What I am trying to illustrate is that IT, for the most part, is involved in short-term solution cycles. It is true that they are also involved in much larger projects, but those need to have more User involvement. The User typically understands his/her process or should. To get there, he/she must be involved in the implementation process. One of the purposes of the project is the change management process. To effectively do this, the Users must be involved. During an ERP project, IT personnel use a solution cycle similar to what they normally follow for other projects. They listen to the objection and make a change to mitigate the problem. This typically means a customization, which is a short-sided approach that mortgages the company’s future. However, it does solve the immediate problem. The business Users must be involved in the implementation project and actually own it. This ensures that they understand the capabilities of the new system and have the opportunity to see how it fits into their current process. 28 | AXUG Magazine

Why Upgrades and Implementations Go Sideways “Any process without feedback is by deﬁnition an out-of-control process.” This was never as true as it is within ERP projects. These are massively parallel and interdependent tasks. There are two primary resources to manage, people and cash. It has been my experience that neither resource is handled very well. So, is it any wonder why these projects spiral out of control? Here are some basic principles to keep projects from going sideways: » Execute within a two-week rolling schedule – How successful do you think you are going to be without short-range planning? Although people may have a long-range project plan, they very seldom have a visible short-range plan. This needs to be a short-term plan that is visible, reported against, and tracked, showing that the team is in agreement with it. There will be many objections to this process, but they boil down to the question of additional cost. Proper planning takes time, but lack of planning takes more time. » Hold people responsible for their plans – To illustrate this: How many of you would approve a plan that would have an expensive consultant waiting for an answer? How many of you would approve a plan that said we are to spend 80 percent of our time talking about things, and 20 percent actually doing them? How many of you would approve a plan that gave you no involvement in the process? Sound ridiculous? These are actual situations I have observed. » Hold people responsible for the budget – The whole team is responsible for the budget, not just the project manager. This means that tasks have to be accounted for in relationship to the budget. Without this you have no budgetary constraints, and people are not held to any type of performance standard. How can you manage a budget if you do not know what is going on?

DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ y ϮϬϭϮZϯ dD^ ǁǁǁ͘ŶŵďƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ͘ĐĂ

&ĞĚ yΠ͕ hW^Π ĂŶĚ <ĞǁŝůůΠ ŶŐŝŶĞ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟŽŶ ŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ͕ /ŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ͕ dƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ͕ WŝůŽƚƐ ĂŶĚ ŶŚĂŶĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ

ǀĂůƵĂƟŶŐ Žƌ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƟŶŐ ŵƵůƟͲĐĂƌƌŝĞƌ ƉĂƌĐĞů ĂŶĚ >d> ŝŶ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ y͍ ZĞƋƵŝƌĞ y dD^ ĐŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ͕ ĂŶĂůǇƐŝƐ͕ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ Žƌ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ĂƐƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ͍ WůĂŶ/d WĂĐŬ/d ^ŽŌǁĂƌĞ ^ŽůƵƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ &ĞĚ yΠ͕ hW^Π ĂŶĚ <ĞǁŝůůΠ WůĂŶ/d WĂĐŬ/d tŽƌŬďĞŶĐŚ͕ ĂƌƌŝĞƌ /ŶǀŽŝĐĞ ZĞĐŽŶĐŝůŝĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ , D d ĨŽƌ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ y ϮϬϬϵ ĂŶĚ ϮϬϭϮ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ yϮϬϭϮZϯ dD^ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͗ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶĂů ŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ Ͷ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŶĂůǇƐŝƐ KŶͲƐŝƚĞ dƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ tŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ WĞƌƐŽŶĂůŝǌĞĚ WŝůŽƚ tŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ ƵƐƚŽŵ ƐŽŌǁĂƌĞ ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĐĐĞůĞƌĂƚĞ ǇŽƵƌ ĞǀĂůƵĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ y ϮϬϭϮZϯ ǁŝƚŚ ƐŽŌǁĂƌĞ ĂŶĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ ŽŶ WĂƌĐĞů͕ >d> ^ŚŝƉƉŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ǇŶĂŵŝĐƐ dD^ ZĞŐŝŶĂůĚ ,ŽǁĂƚƐŽŶ͕ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ^ĂůĞƐ Θ DĂƌŬĞƟŶŐ ͮ ƌ͘ŚŽǁĂƚƐŽŶΛŶŵďƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ͘ĐĂ ͮ ϴϬϬͲϱϲϯͲϭϬϬϳ

Q2/Q3 2015 | 29

The Real Cost of Customizations The sad part about customizations is that they are so poorly planned and executed. The single most common reason for failure is out-of-control customizations. To understand this we need to understand the reasons why customizations are being performed and why they cause so many problems. They are as follows: » Consultants are not properly trained in handling exceptions – An exception is a condition put on by the client that needs further clariﬁcation. It is the role of the consultant to clearly understand the problem and then to exhaust all eﬀorts in mitigating this exception with customization being the absolute last resort. » Customers are requesting changes to a system before they even understand how the system operates. » Lack of control in the customization area particularly as it applies to budget – It is recommended that you put a formal process in place. There must be documented requirements from the client. These requirements must be approved by the implementation team. The impact on scope must be addressed. Finally, the return on investment should be analyzed. With no control, anything is possible. Customizations also require additional expenses and time when it comes time to upgrade, and the cost of the customization will be considerably higher than the initial investment during the life of the product. Lack of institutional, budgetary, and tactical control results in catastrophic failures.

Product Acceptance It is human nature to be resistant to change. People that have been using the same thing for 15 years are not anxious to change. In many cases, they have been the one responsible for designing the process. So in that case, we are not just resolving a reluctance to change, but also the pride of ownership. The assistance with change management is one of the most important things consultants are responsible for. The failures fall into two areas. In one case the consultant feels his/her job is to dictate to the client the process. On the other end of the spectrum, the consultant wants to give the Users everything they want. The answer actually lies somewhere in between. An implementation is a partnership with all people owning a stake in the successful outcome. To do this we must involve the User consistently within the process. The client needs to understand they need to be patient and understand the process better before trying to change it. I have actually seen implementations where the client was not involved in the process until the second conference room pilot. In other cases, I have seen in an adversarial relationship between Partner and client. Does anyone think you can be successful in these types of environments?

Not Invented Here It is hard to disagree with the business owner who feels his process is critical to the business’s success. The problem is what does that really mean? There are implementations in which the system has been modified to look like the current system. This is not in anyone’s best interest. There are things that companies manipulate, such as a business philosophy or processes, in order to give themselves a competitive edge. What is important to understand are the specific elements and what drives this belief. In general, these are the things that need to be accommodated within the environment. This also is an area where an enhancement to a system should be considered. The problem arises when the specific needs are not identified. In this case, the safest path to take involves emulating the existing processes. For this reason, it is critical to identify and articulate the specific needs and requirements of the businesses. Essentially, the goal should be to address the issues and not just simply change the Microsoft Dynamics AX process. AXUG Don Riggs is a senior director AX applications architect for enVista. He can be reached at Driggs@envistacorp.com.

30 | AXUG Magazine

MEMBER CONNECTION

Sunit Parikh, manager and solution architect for McGladrey AXUG® Partner Member Since: 2011

BEHIND THE MIC

We’ve presented webinars on inventory costing, Management Reporter, and production. I think it’s really good for our company to be involved and stay connected with the community.

IN THE AUDIENCE

I love using Collaborate to post questions, look for answers, and while I’m doing that, help Users. It’s a very resourceful tool and has helped us ﬁnd similar issues to what we and our Customers are dealing with. I’d also like to get more involved in the chapter meetings.

THINKING FORWARD TO AXUG SUMMIT

I’m scheduled to present a few sessions at AXUG Summit this year. It will be my ﬁrst time at the event, and I’m excited to attend. It’s a different role and audience for our organization, and we’re excited to make more connections and learn directly from Users. Getting more deeply involved will be fantastic.

FOR THE AXUG COMMENT BOX

I would like to see a quarterly newsletter or update that consolidates all of the new articles posted for easy reference.

THE BEST THING

I love the webinars and training from AXUG. The training is always well-presented and eases out the concern end Users have that they’re in it alone. I use AXUG for solid answers.

IF YOU TAKE AWAY ONE THING…

AXUG provides a lot of conﬁdence to Users that there is a community for them to reach out to. When there is no time to research, the community can help in no time at all, and that is a fantastic thing.

Q2/Q3 2015 | 31

Make Your Own Rules

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TIPS & TRICKS

Data Migration: What to Know by Grant Wilson, Microsemi efore you begin your data migration, it is important to look at where your legacy data stands and what changes need to be made. One of the most dangerous assumptions people make is that they know their data. Be sure to ask: » What is a normal record versus an exception? Do you or your Users know the difference, and how exceptions should be handled? » Do you know all the tables and relations in your system? Make sure you understand where the data on screens and reports actually comes from and how it is related. » Is your historical data valid? Are addresses and contacts correct? Are there old items that need to be updated? Fix these in the legacy system before migration. » How much customization has been done on your legacy system? Have changes in your data schema changed data over time? Sometimes adding new fields or re-purposing fields makes older entries invalid.

from, its correct format, and any transformations done on it. Keep everything documented.

Where will the data come from? » Is it all in your legacy ERP? Having all data come from one

Areas to watch out for: » Reporting/data warehouse use. Do your reports really

» »

source will simplify migration.

» Is there new data? Are you adding data to your legacy data while migration is happening?

» External/integrated systems? If you are integrating with other systems, or combining multiple systems into Microsoft Dynamics AX, make sure you understand which data is coming from where and how you will handle de-duplication of data, and how you will ﬁll in gaps in the Microsoft Dynamics AX schema. » How will you manage multiple streams with updates? Make sure someone is in charge and is the keeper of the data. He/she needs to know where everything is coming

reﬂect the actual data in the system, or is the output changed by a report? Verify that the data the Users see can be tied back to the data in the database. Addresses – Microsoft Dynamics AX will validate that city/state/zip match. If the addresses in your legacy system do not match the city/state/zip combinations in Microsoft Dynamics AX, the imports will fail. Bad/old data hidden by default views. Do any of the screens in your legacy system automatically hide any old, open, or bad data? Do your core team members understand all data across the business? Make sure the core Users understand everyone and every segment of your business, not just the customer/ vendors/items they work with daily. What data is required for system integrations? Are you bringing over all the data required? Will the format from Microsoft Dynamics AX work? Make sure that the data size in Microsoft Dynamics AX matches what is required for the input/ output from integrations and test them. How will the system be frozen for test runs and validations? You need to freeze the data to have a system you can validate against. Make sure you plan how this is accomplished and where the frozen data will be. AXUG

Grant Wilson is an ERP solutions architect at Microsemi and Member of the AXUG Board of Advisors. He can be reached at Grant.wilson@microsemi.com.

One of the most dangerous assumptions people make is that they know their data. Q2/Q3 2015 | 33

G XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G XU AX AX A G A G G U U X G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A G G U G U XU X A A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G A G G U U X X A U XU AXU AX AX A G A G UG UG A X U G G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX A A X U G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G UG AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG UG AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU X AX A A G G UG U AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A A G G U U X X G UG UG XU XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A A A G G U U X X X G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A UG AX A A G G U U X X A U U XU X AX A G A G A UG UG G G G U G U XU X X A A A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G G G UG U XU XU AX AX G A G XU X AX A G G U U A G UG U XU X AX A A G G XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX G U U X X A A G G U AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG U AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU G AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX A G A G UG AX G A G A G UG U XU X AX A G G U U X A X G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A G AX A G G U G U XU X A A X A G UG UG XU XU X AX A G A G A G G U U X X A U XU AX AX A A G A G UG UG

connect a s

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Have Chapter Questions? We Have Chapter Answers! Most importantly, how to ﬁnd YOUR chapter and get involved…PRONTO! If you’ve heard great things about chapter meetings and are starting to feel left out, don’t fret! The chapter page at www.axug.com/chapter will get you hooked up with the right chapter and virtual community within minutes!

Find a Local Chapter Meeting

What is a chapter meeting? Chapter meetings are where fellow Microsoft Dynamics AX Users and Partners gather in person to learn from each other and increase their Microsoft Dynamics AX skills – and they have a little fun! » Visit www.axug.com/chapter. » Click the “Find A Local Meeting” button. » Click under the Tags for your region to see a list of upcoming meetings in your area OR type your state or country in the Keyword Search box. » Select your meeting from the search results, and click Details to get signed up! Don’t see a meeting scheduled for your area? Contact Rose Spitzer (Rose@axug.com), chapter manager, to start one up!

1 34 | AXUG Magazine

Join Your Virtual Community

What is a virtual community? Virtual chapter communities keep you connected with your fellow chapter Members between meetings. Use the communities to build relationships, ask questions, share materials from past meetings, or suggest topic ideas to your chapter leaders. » Visit www.axug.com/chapter. » Click the “Find Your Virtual Community” button and type your state or country in the Search Chapters box. » Select your community and start engaging with chapter Members…now! AXUG

NAME THAT PHOTO

CONTEST

Free help! Who doesn’t love sitting down with Microsoft Dynamics support engineers? What do you think was the topic at hand during this helpdesk session? Q1 CONTEST WINNER: VE Chip Thiel of Ohio Gratings, Inc. “I sure wish I had submitted that very clever caption!!”

Simply email your submission to Captioncontest@axug.com. The winning submission will be printed in the magazine’s next issue.

Q2/Q3 2015 | 35

industry showcase

Retail: Taking Retail to a Leading Level

icrosoft Dynamics AX helps these retailers sell the best in home goods, pet supplies, IT products, gifts, sporting goods, and so much more. These AXUG® Members take retailing to a whole new level, reaching leading and largest status in their market niche all across the globe.

SILVER STAR BRANDS Oshkosh, Wisconsin Silver Star Brands is one of America’s ﬁrst and largest direct marketers of consumer gifts and household products. Current brands include Miles Kimball, Walter Drake, Exposures, As We Change, Easy Comforts, and Native Remedies. Today Silver Star Brands catalogs and websites reach more than 120 million households. While Christmas cards and personalization are at the heart of Silver Star Brands, the company also oﬀers more than 16,000 products across home accessories, cookware, high-end decor, candy, and more.

36 | AXUG Magazine

LEHMAN’S Dalton, Ohio From home goods to ecofriendly gardening supplies to oﬀ-grid living, Lehman’s provides hundreds of simple products for a simpler life. Lehman’s is located in Ohio’s Amish Country, where its story began.

FANTASY WORLD TOYS Kuwait Years ago, Kuwaiti toy wholesaler Fantasy World Toys had its sights set on making the leap to retail. After securing space at a local mall, the company approached Southﬁeld, Michigan. Now, the kidfriendly retailer has ﬁve Fantasy World locations up and running and is the #1 toy retailer in Kuwait.

COASTAL.COM Vancouver, Canada Coastal.com is the largest online eyewear company in the world with a mission to make vision correction accessible worldwide. Founded in 2000, Coastal.com’s family of websites oﬀers the most extensive selection of contact lenses, eyeglasses, and sunglasses, all shipped directly to customers’ doors. Through Coastal.com’s Change the View Project, every purchase helps ﬁght poor vision by providing access to tailored eye health solutions on a global scale.

PCM, INC. El Segundo, California Since 1987, PCM has been a leading provider of IT products, services, and solutions to businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. The company provides access to more than 300,000 IT products such as tablets, notebooks, desktops, servers, storage, and networking from leading manufacturers including Cisco, HP, Apple, Adobe, Lenovo, and Microsoft.

PET SUPPLIES PLUS® Livonia, Michigan In 1988, Jack Berry and Harry Shallop came up with the novel idea of opening a supermarket-style pet food and supply store in Redford, Michigan. Nearly 25 years later, Pet Supplies Plus has more than 250 neighborhood locations in 23 states and continues to grow across the country.

PROVIDE COMMERCE San Diego, California As a premier gifting company delivering ﬂowers, chocolates, gift baskets, and unique personalized gifts, Provide Commerce is more than just an e-commerce retailer. From gourmet, hand-dipped strawberries to unique, personalized merchandise, Provide Commerce delivers a “wow” experience to doorsteps across the country.

BILTEMA Villars-sur-Glane, Switzerland Biltema offers a wide range of products with high functional quality at such low prices that everyone can afford to buy them. With a vision to make it financially easier for people to own a car, boat, home, tools, and leisure articles of high quality, Biltema’s vast range of products includes cars, motorbikes, boats, leisure, home, electronics, DIY, chemicals, and tools.

TEAM EXPRESS DISTRIBUTING, LLC. San Antonio, Texas Team Express Distributing, LLC. is a distributor of sporting goods and athletic equipment, footwear, and apparel. It markets through its catalogs, retail store in San Antonio, Texas, and website.

DRIVETIME Phoenix, Arizona DriveTime is the nation’s largest auto dealer in helping people with credit issues purchase a great vehicle. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, DriveTime operates more than 129 dealerships across the country, with thousands of vehicles in stock.

VITACOST.COM Boca Raton, Florida Vitacost.com carries more than 45,000 diﬀerent healthy products. Those products range from vitamins to beauty and personal care to pet health and come from more than 2,500 leading brands, including high-quality Vitacost brand products.

HOG SLAT INC. Newton Grove, North Carolina Hog Slat Inc. produces and oﬀers a full range of hog and poultry farming equipment. Hog Slat is the largest contractor and manufacturer of hog equipment in the United States with approximately 1,000 people directly employed and an additional 1,400 subcontractors working on the company’s construction projects.

BORDER CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTIES Phoenix, Arizona Border Construction Specialties has been a leader in the Southwest construction industry since 1955. Border has 12 operating locations specializing in concrete accessories, masonry supplies, fabricated rebar, industrial maintenance, and sustainable building products.

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topic on

...with AXUGÂŽ Members We reached out to AXUG Members and asked what tips they have for fellow Users for a smooth upgrade. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they had to say:

Mike Chudy ERP team leader | John Henry Foster Co. Mchudy@jhf.com

Stephen M. Hollingsworth enterprise IS manager/DAX project manager | Stupp Bros., Inc. Smh@stupp.com

We built an issues tracker within SharePoint with several identiďŹ ers such as the person assigned, status (active or closed issue), priority, and due date. We printed these on colored paper by department and taped them to a wall under columns of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not Startedâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Processâ&#x20AC;?, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Completedâ&#x20AC;?.Â Having a visual tracker helped our core team and Partner understand what was being worked on and how they could get involved daily to move the project forward.Â We held daily stand-up meetings following the agile scrum methodology where each core team member had to answer the following three questions: Âť What did you do yesterday? Âť What is keeping you from making progress? Âť What are you working on today?

Âť Clearly deďŹ ne the project objectives, business requirements, and the goals of the implementation. t .BOBHF ZPVS 1BSUOFS EPO U MFU ZPVS 1BSUOFS NBOBHF ZPV t 4FMFDU ZPVS CFTU QFPQMF UP CF QBSU PG UIF UFBN BOE CBDLmMM JG required. t %PO U FYQFDU ZPVS 1BSUOFS UP CF BCMF UP EFMJWFS B QSPEVDU UIBU IBT not been clearly deďŹ ned by your business. t 4UBZ iJO UIF CPYw XIFSF QPTTJCMF :PVS CVTJOFTT JT /05 unique. t 6TF ZPVS JNQMFNFOUBUJPO UP ESJWF QSPDFTT JNQSPWFNFOUT Âť Network with other Microsoft Dynamics AX Users and validate what your Partner is telling you.

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Âť You cannot prepare enough! All successful implementations are driven with a well-prepared project plan and list of REALISTIC goals and delivery dates. t %FWFMPQ B QSPKFDU iUPPMLJUw UIBU XJMM JODMVEF BMM the artifacts required during the span of the project. Examples of documents that should be in your toolkit are: x A communication plan (How will notices be delivered? Where are documents posted/shared? What are the document naming standards? Etc.) x Templates for agendas, minutes, business and functional docs, etc. t &TUBCMJTI B XFMM TUSVDUVSFE HPWFSOBODF NPEFM GPS SFTPMWJOH conďŹ&#x201A;icts. t %PO U VOEFSFTUJNBUF UIF JNQPSUBODF UIF SPMF PG DIBOHF management plays within the implementation! t &OTVSF UIBU BMM NFFUJOHT DBO CF QFSGPSNFE XJUIJO BO IPVS PS less. Produce meeting agendas that have a clear set of deliverables. If you reach those deliverables prior to the end of the hour, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to call the meeting. Âť Establish goals for your conference and business room pilots: t 6TF SFBM MJGF FYBNQMFT XIFO QFSGPSNJOH EBUB FOUSZ UBTLT t 5FTU 5FTU 5FTU t 6TF ZPVS QJMPUT UP WBMJEBUF 6TFS USBJOJOH TZTUFN QFSGPSNBODF tasks, and security. Âť Depending on the scale of your implementation, plan for two pre go-live pilots. t 8IFO QFSGPSNJOH ZPVS QSF HP MJWF QJMPU NBLF TVSF UP FNVMBUF all the tasks (sequence, responsibilities, and time allowed) that are needed to be performed during the go-live event. t *G QPTTJCMF NPEFM B HP MJWF TUSBUFHZ UIBU JODMVEFT B iTUBHJOHw PS pre-production environment. If you can perform data loads and make conďŹ gurations in the weeks prior, it will limit the amount of risk during the go-live weekend. AXUG

Atlas 6.0

A Whole New Experience

All-in-One Report & Upload Software Atlas is easy-to-use and offers you effective self-service capabilities. Atlas is an all-in-one report and upload software that gives you the ability to mash up business information mation from Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SQLL databases and OLAP Cubes in a

Desktop p

Atlasize your OfĂ&#x20AC;ce documents making them em a dynamic & natural extension of your enteprise eprise systems & collaborative experience.

Visualize: Blending multimedia with enterprise system data to deliver dashboards & canvases.

variety of consumption platforms, like Microsoft OfĂ&#x20AC;ce, a visualization canvas app and mobile devices. Atlas provides secure, convenient and familiar access to your business systems unlocking their information potential.

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Multiple M ultiple Data sour es es Mash-up Microsoft Dynamics AX, A Cubes CRM, SQL Databases, OLAP Cub using Atlas clients.

globesoftware.com | #Atlas6 Download a presentation resentation of Atlas 6.0 at globesoftware.com/Learning/Atlas-Demonstration or contact: Asia Paci ci c: +61 8 9443 5322 | Americas: +1 (701) 235 4084 | EMEA: +44 20 7544 8479

G G U XU AXU AX AX A G A G G G G UG U XU X A U XU AXU AX AX G A G A U G G G U U X X XU AX AX A G A G UG U G UG UG XU XU AXU AX XU AX AX A G A G G G U U X X A A AX A G A G UG UG XU X U XU XU AX AX A G A AX G A G A G UG U XU U XU XU AX AX G A G A G AX A G A G UG UG XU U XU XU AX AX A G AX G A G A G UG U XU G G X A G UG UG XU XU AXU AX G AX A G G UG A X A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G G U U U XU AXU AX AX A G A G U G G X AX A G A G UG UG XU A X U G U U X X A A

feature DETERMINING

YOUR

FIT WA R E H O U S E

CONSIDERATIONS

FOR MICROSOFT

DY NA M ICS

AX 2012 R3 story by Brian Carlson, Cornerstone Edge, LLC and Stephanie Adelson, RF-SMART

hile evaluating the overall process to migrate to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, it is important to best understand how Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 works and its capabilities and complexities. Because Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 has several diﬀerent options, a strategy is required to best utilize the software. In addition, key setup elements, such as activating advanced warehouse management (WHS) in a speciﬁc warehouse, cannot be changed after beginning the process. It is imperative to make correct decisions at the start. Here are the top considerations to aid you in this process:

42 | AXUG Magazine

Operational Complexity ORDER FULFILLMENT STRATEGY When thinking through the best fit with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, a great place to start is with a well-defined order fulfillment strategy. During the fulfillment process, several methods should be considered for picking. If it is a simplistic operation, then Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 WMS I capabilities can be used. For a little more operational control, some key WMS II capabilities should be considered, as this provides key capabilities while minimizing the level of effort in system setup, maintenance, and overall project timeline. While WMS II is not supported past its current release, many Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers are finding success with this viable functionality for R3. For more complicated approaches or a desire for system-directed operations, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 WHS should be considered. The following table provides guidance in making decisions in this area: Functional Considerations

WMS I

WMS II

WHS

Basic Order Loading

Order Consolidation

OutboundPallets

Basic Order Picking Basic Order Staging

License Plating

Wave Management

Multi-Step Staging

Cluster (Cart) Picking

Batch Case Picking

Gap

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, leveraging the flexibility of Location Directives provides User-defined capabilities that help identify pick-and-put locations for inventory movement. Using this capability can be set up in a simplified manner; however, providing true functional capability within your operation can make this far more complex. Making decisions to leverage zones, location profiles, or other criteria are not only important for key operational efficiencies, but also for system performance, regardless of the R3 option you choose. It is also important to dig into the logic on how WHS determines location capacity. Your business must determine if you will leverage usable dimensions or a specific location volume to determine the capacity. In order to do that, you might need to import the height, width, and depth of locations. With this, even if your operation is able to gather all units of measure dimensions for product, the Location Directive Engine takes time to calculate location volume and may have some performance degradation. Leveraging stocking limits by item or pack size category may provide a solid compromise between detailed dimensional data versus more effective put-away methods. SALES RESERVATION STRATEGY Similar to order fulfillment, your sales reservation strategy has a lot to do with the final decision. Within Microsoft Dynamics AX, we have found that the reservation process historically has been challenging. It becomes more complex when you need to track batches or other more detailed item variants. While basic order picking in WMS I or WMS II is effective for many organizations, if you need a more flexible reservation that does not tie to the location, that indicates WHS. This approach provides the ability to reserve without creating the challenges of tying up a particular location, batch, or serial number. Having this flexibility is a more effective way to manage reservations within the system-directed system. LICENSE PLATING Utilizing license plating is often a debated topic on each project. Whether you plan to use license plating or not is key in the decision process, as this is a requirement for WHS. License plating can be used to track inventory at a more detailed level (such as bulk locations, staging areas, etc.). This is also needed for effective use of system-directed concepts (unless a list is provided for Work ID). Keep in mind that utilizing license plating can be turned on at a location profile level. License plates can also be created “behind the scenes,” which may be more useful in some areas. If you don’t have a need for license plating, the use of the pallet ID dimension can be used for basic

Q2/Q3 2015 | 43

movement of product within Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 functionality for WMS II. Utilizing the “picking pallet” approach for pick routes also provides some fundamental warehouse functionality. If you do plan to use it, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 WHS provides item dimensions leveraging license plating (rather than pallet ID).

Operational Culture USER-DIRECTED VERSUS SYSTEM-DIRECTED As with any operation, it is important to understand the operational culture; some are driven by simpler processes and User-based decisions, while others are fully automated and direct the warehouse personnel for every move. In our experience, if you try to implement a system-directed solution like WHS but don’t have a culture that effectively embraces the system decisions, it will lead to failure. Having executive leadership and on-floor management involved in these decisions is critical. While Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 WHS was designed to be fully automated and direct all warehouse personnel, there are more simplistic methods and approaches that have been used in implementing the system. Doing so does give the warehouse personnel more flexibility; however, if the system is properly set up for full operational optimization, then a simpler implementation may lose a number of key efficiencies. IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH AND COST Since all WMS capabilities are embedded into Microsoft Dynamics AX, it correctly has been assumed that WMS I and WMS II solutions are a relatively small effort to set up and implement. The setup capabilities in those options are often days or weeks of effort (depending on the functionality and operational complexity). With WHS, we have found that the effort is 700 to 1,500 hours of services. This is because the design is built around true and deep WMS capabilities. Having this flexibility often leads to complexity.

Transportation Management System (TMS) Considerations As companies evaluate Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 capabilities, it is helpful to also understand the needs for transportation capabilities. While the system is not designed as a full-blown TMS, it does have solid transportation execution capabilities. Some capabilities include rating, routing, freight reconciliation, and appointment scheduling. However, because the line between WMS and TMS is blurred, you can still leverage the load building workbench without the signiﬁcant TMS setup. Alternatively, you can leverage rating capabilities within the TMS without implementing WHS capabilities. One disappointment that currently exists is leveraging the capabilities of parcel labeling and manifesting. While Microsoft has acquired the code that contained the rate engines and integration that retrieves rates from other systems (such as FedEx, UPS, or ConnectShip Toolkit leveraging Progistics AMP), it is not available in any upcoming release. However, Microsoft has made the code available to the Partner community through PartnerSource.

Hardware Considerations One final consideration with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 is in regards to hardware. This critical component often does not get the same amount of attention when it comes to the complexity of a business solution, but as an enabling component, there are intricate operational details to consider. These of course include the technology and hardware selection, but also site surveys, connectivity, labeling requirements, warehouse media/signage, and printing. If Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 WHS is the right fit, basic RF technology is included in the cost of the system. With the included RF though, telnet is not supported, so Customers with older hardware will need to buy new devices. In addition, the basic RF does not support barcode parsing, and it provides limited labeling capabilities. In summary, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 steps into new territory, introducing license plating, system directed rule engines, and a flexible reservation hierarchy. This added functionality increases the need for experienced warehouse operational knowledge during the implementation. While there are additional considerations that come along with implementing any system, addressing these is a great place to start in regards to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3. AXUG Brian Carlson is a principal at Cornerstone Edge, LLC, and can be reached at Bcarlson@cornerstone-edge. com. Stephanie Adelson is a business analyst at RF-SMART and can be reached at Stephanie.adelson@ rfsmart.com. For a deeper review of your specific circumstances, or if you have questions related to R3, visit services.rfsmart.com or email Info@rfsmart.com.

44 | AXUG Magazine

knows

Commodity & Manufacturing Built on the ERP Platform and providing seamless integrated ERP solutions TRADERS Scalable Commodity allows: Real time position management – Physical and financial Mark to market valuations Future contract hedging Contract pricing – Fixed & multiple price fixing options – Exchange based – Multiple fixings per contract/shipment/ load – Flexible allocation of price fixings – Non-fixed price contracts Quality specifications – Record quality analysis (QA) results per load – User defined formulae to calculate bonus and discounts based on QA results Prepayment of buy and sell contracts Provisional invoicing

INDUSTRIES Scalable Commodity works with a diverse range of industries including: Agri-Commodities: Grains, Cereals, Oilseeds, Soya, Pulses, Nuts, Seeds Softs: Coffee, Cocoa, Sugar, Cotton, Wool Nuts and Oils: Spices, Nuts, Seeds, Essential Oils, Botanicals, Edible Oils Chemicals: Fertilizers, Nitrates, Ammonia, Drug & Cosmetic Companies Food: Breweries and Distilleries, Pasta Manufacturers, Snack Foods, Meat and Poultry Processors, Fruit Juice, Bakers, Animal Feed, Tea, Coffee, Dairy Energy: Bio-Fuels, Coal, Woodchips

MANUFACTURERS Scalable Commodity allows manufactures the ability to allocate contract quantities against planned requirements generated from standard Dynamics AX master planning. Key features include: Q Master planning and demand forecasting Q

Visibility of production demand across the supply chain

Manage raw material contracts

Track and manage costs for each contract and shipment to calculate landed cost for raw materials

Use allocations to generate shipping/delivery instructions and MORE…

Metals: Scrap, Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Gold

Accrual management – and MORE…

Dealer Enquiries Welcome Global enquiries: +1 714 594 7690 info@scalableax.com

www.scalableax.com

D Y N A M I C S AX U S E R G R O U P

WHAT’S NEW ON COLLABORATE Update, Edit, Add...Oh My!

Event Registrations Just Got Easier on www.axug.com With AXUG® Summit 2015 right around the corner, getting your busy educational schedule lined up is top of mind! We know how important it is to sign up for all the right courses and bring all the right people from your organization toReno, so we’ve made it easier for you to build and manage your team’s AXUG learning schedule! You can now easily add new attendees and update your own registration from the same web page, all while confirming the details are correct. Once you’ve registered for an event, you’ll notice a new Edit button that appears when you click into the event details (See Figure A). Click Edit, and you’ll see your current registration details along with the ability to edit or cancel your registration. For conferences like Summit, the Edit option will give you the ability to add on-site Academy classes or other agenda items to your existing registration. You also have the option to add colleagues by selecting Register More Attendees (See Figure B). Helpful hint: quickly find all of the events that you’ve registered for (upcoming and past) by visiting My Profile and clicking My Registrations. Go ahead, try it out today, and we’ll see you in Reno!

Figure A

Figure B

s NOT All, Folks… Searching for a relevant webinar?

Easy breezy AXUG membership!

Don’t spend more time searching than you do learning. All webinar recording files are tagged by relevant roles, topics, and industries. By clicking on these tags, you will see other webinar recordings with that same tag. When you’re viewing a webinar recording file in the content library, scroll down to the Tags and Keywords section, then click on any tag to find more recordings on that topic! Happy learning!

Everything you need to know about being a Member is at www. axug.com/questions in frequently asked questions (FAQ) format. Don’t needlessly wander around www.axug.com; gain focus with this helpful FAQ! AXUG

46 | AXUG Magazine

var partner member showcase

Edgewater Fullscope GINA PABALAN

JAMIE BRACEWELL COMPANY Edgewater Fullscope INTERVIEWEE Gina Pabalan, director of customer support & optimization services, and Jamie Bracewell, director of marketing WEBSITE www.fullscope.com PHONE 256-771-7050 HEADQUARTERS Athens, Alabama ESTABLISHED 1999 AXUG® PARTNER MEMBER SINCE 2007

48 | AXUG Magazine

dgewater Fullscope is an award-winning Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and business intelligence (BI). The company helps its Customers solve their business challenges through strategic consulting services, innovative offerings, and industry-specific solutions built on the latest Microsoft technologies. AXUG: What’s the story behind your company? How did Fullscope come to be a Microsoft Partner? Jamie Bracewell (JB): Fullscope began delivering enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions and services 16 years ago as a Baan reseller. When Microsoft purchased Axapta (later renamed Microsoft Dynamics AX), we shifted our business model away from Baan and became 100 percent Microsoft focused. Fullscope was an original member of the Microsoft industry builder initiative (IBI), and as such, developed the process modules that now have become standard in Microsoft Dynamics AX. In 2010, Edgewater acquired Fullscope. Edgewater brought expanded Microsoft technology capabilities to our business, complementing the Fullscope offering and adding incremental value for our Customers. There have been a lot of synergies across the Edgewater organization. Gina Pabalan (GP): For example, if a Customer has a business requirement that drives the need for a custom web solution or .NET application integrated with Microsoft Dynamics AX, we

bring our Edgewater colleagues in to augment the Fullscope team to deliver this solution. Through Edgewater, we can also offer Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers consulting services to assist with mergers and acquisitions, change management, and more. AXUG: What would you say your Customers love most about you? GP: Fullscope shows its commitment to its Customers every day with our tenacity to “get it right.” No Partner is perfect all the time, but what separates the great Partners from the others is a Partner’s willingness and ability to make the required investments to do the right thing on behalf of its people and its Customers. The Fullscope Customer Support & Optimization (CSO) team is a prime example. Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers need a different level of service from their Partner after go-live. Even after go-live, each Customer has unique needs to support and optimize their solution. We saw the unfulfilled need in the Microsoft Dynamics AX community six years ago, and we developed a dedicated practice to serve these needs. We believe our Customers deserve: » A trusted advisor to help extend and optimize Microsoft Dynamics AX while honoring and maximizing the Microsoft investment. » A proactive and consultative approach to account management. » Access to experienced senior level resources – flexible and on-demand – with people who know them.

» Support in reaching self-enablement goals. Our management team made a commitment to staff this organization with a dedicated team versus trying to share the staff with the implementation consultants. We also built the CSO team with individuals with 10+ years of Microsoft Dynamics AX experience. This has made all the difference in the world and really demonstrates our commitment to our Customers. AXUG: How do you think that directly correlates with the upgrade process? GP: We learned a lot with our Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 upgrades. The biggest lesson we learned was that upgrades are very different than implementations, and they deserve a more concentrated focus and an overall different approach. This is why when Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 was released, we contemplated our upgrade support structure and determined this was best driven through our CSO organization. We did this to ensure a level of continuity across each upgrade, and to harvest knowledge and tools to continually improve how we were delivering upgrades to our Customers. We now have a consolidated effort that helps us provide the right tools and services for Customers going through an upgrade. It’s a strategic process as we seek to become trusted advisors by taking

a consultative approach, asking the right questions and providing advice that’s real and in the best interest of our Customers. AXUG: You have a ton of awards to be proud of: 2014 Microsoft Dynamics Industry Partner of the Year, 2014 Customer Reference Excellence, Inner Circle, 2013 CPG Partner of the Year…the list goes on! What award is your favorite and why? JB: I would say being named Manufacturing Partner of the Year in 2009, the first year that award was given, was the most gratifying since we serve manufacturers. It’s now been renamed Dynamics Industry Partner of the Year, and the competition has extended across all industries, but we most recently won it again last year. GP: For me, it’s definitely the Customer Reference Excellence Award since I work in that area of business and am passionate about our Customers. The fact that our Customers have great things to say about us says it all. AXUG: Fullscope has always had a vertical focus. Why do you think that’s so important? JB: Industries are so different, retail versus manufacturing, and all have different needs and requirements. Most of our employees came from the manufacturing world, so we know it and are comfortable in this space. Not only do we speak “manufacturing,” but we also

“Fullscope has been our trusted advisor and strategic partner since we ﬁrst implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 in 2008. They assisted in our upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, then again recently to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2. Fullscope’s infrastructure support has also been instrumental in keeping our systems running at peak performance. As our projects do not always allow us to commit to full time resources, their team offers us highly experienced, responsive, ﬂexible, and consistent resources that know our business and are able to focus on projects when and how we need them.” Robert Childress, IT Executive - Pine Hall Brick Company

Q2/Q3 2015 | 49

speak “process” and “discrete.” Going further, we go even deeper to speak food versus chemical, which while they have similar operations, they are also very different. That’s really what it’s all about: Being able to really understand someone’s business in order to provide the right software and services. The manufacturing industry never gets simpler either; there’s always a rule or regulation we need to be aware of, and we can never say we really know everything. It’s always moving, but we understand that, as do our Customers. We’re in the same boat, which makes us better prepared to move our Customers forward with the right technology. AXUG: You are a Microsoft Dynamics AX VAR, but I noticed you offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM as well. Why would you say a good CRM solution is important for manufacturers? JB: We have offered our Customers Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions for the past several years. As Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online became more relevant, we contemplated our growth strategy, and at Convergence 2015, we announced the acquisition of Zero2Ten, an award-winning Microsoft Dynamics CRM cloud Partner that manages more than 20,000 CRM seats. Now we can better serve all Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers who desire a fixed fee, rapid

implementation of CRM in the cloud or on-premise. Zero2Ten also offers a world-class connector that allows for seamless integration between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX. Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers looking for better connectivity with Microsoft Dynamics CRM should check it out. AXUG: What’s on the horizon for Fullscope in 2015-16? GP: The upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics AX 7 is front of mind for me and my CSO team. We plan to provide a certain level of thought leadership with our Customers around this upgrade. This release will be a significant change for our Customers as well as for our consultants, so we are preparing for a major ramp-up before we recommend upgrading to our clients. JB: We are part of a Microsoft pilot program that aligns industryspecific templates with Microsoft LCS offering. We developed a rapid deployment template for food manufacturers that will help streamline the implementation process. Our template, EDGE for AX, is available on Azure as part of an early adopter program. With this initiative, we plan to continue pushing out industry-flavored templates that make our clients’ lives easier. AXUG

www.microsoft.com/convergence

Where business meets possibility. Discover the solutions, the connections, and the inspiration to take your business to the next level. At Microsoft Convergence, you’ll hear from visionary leaders who are blazing new trails and will challenge you to think about your business in news ways. Get an insider’s look at innovations that address your business challenges. Share insights with colleagues from around the world, and make connections that will last long after the event.

Barcelona, Spain 30 November–2 December Register before 18 September to save €300

50 | AXUG Magazine

New Orleans, Louisiana April 4–7 Save the date!

U U X X A A AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A A X U A X U G G X U G G X A A U U U A X G G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G G G AX A G G UG U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX A A A X G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G G U U XU X AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG X U A G G X X A A U AX A A G G U U X X U U G G U XU XU AX AX A A G G G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG G AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX U XU XU AX AX G A G A UG UG X U G G G G G G U U X X A A G G U U X X A A A X U XU AX AX A G A G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX G A G A G UG UG XU XU AXU G UG UG XU XU AXU AX AX G A G A UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A G A G XU AX AX A G A G G U U X X A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G UG UG XU XU AX G G U G U U X X A A G G UG UG XU XU AX AX A A G G U U X X A A A

ﬁnd the

logo

G G U XU A XU A X A X A G A G G G UG U XU A U XU A XU A X A X G A G A G G G U U X XU A X A X A G A G UG G UG U XU X A X XU A X A X G A G A UG UG G U U X X A A X A G A G UG UG XU U XU X A X A A G A X G A G A UG UG XU XU U XU XU A X A X G A G G A X A G A G UG UG XU U XU X A X A A A X G A G A UG UG XU XU G X A G UG UG XU XU A XU A X G AX A X A A G G G UG UG XU XU A X A X A G G U U XU A XU A X A X A G A G G G UG U XU A U XU A XU A X A X G A G A G

Congratulations to our Q1 2015 contest

winner, Rachel Proﬁtt from Junction

feature

Solutions! Rachel found the logo on page

13 of the Q1 2015 issue of AXUG® Magazine.

Let’s play again. Hidden somewhere between the covers of this magazine is our AXUG logo.

Can you ﬁnd it?

While our logo shows up throughout the

The BI Market

With analytics and data now being at the forefront of so much of what we do, BI is a fastgrowing market and has experienced a massive growth in vendors. Some vendors have history back through the late ’80s and early ’90s, others no more than a couple of years, some with thousands of customers, some with no customers but big ideas and growth projections. We like to look at this in “waves”, and I am hoping this will help you as well. There are no conclusions, just observations.

WAVE 1 After the growth of ERP in the mid to late ’80s, there were a number of enterprise BI vendors that found a great market servicing larger businesses and their needs. These vendors were the true pioneers of ERP BI and developed large, complex, and functionally-rich solutions to service their customers, many of whom were Fortune 500 caliber. More than 30 years later, these vendors (many of which have been acquired) have continued to re-invest by adding a vast array of solutions to their portfolios. From the transformation of data to building the data relationships, from the requirement for reports, dashboards, and scorecards to the need for enterprise controls and self-service, and now

recently the need for servicing a mobile User, these vendors now have a huge number of solutions that they oﬀer all across varying technologies and architectures. However, with this diversity of time combined with this diversity of solution comes massive risk for a User (maybe like you) who knows only too well the challenges around enterprise upgrades combined with the world’s steady march towards the cloud.

WAVE 2 With these initial Wave 1 vendors being extremely focused and experienced in the true enterprise arena, many lower enterprise and mid-market Customers were left to consider what they could do to support the needs of their Users. At this point, which was early this century, two things happened: One being that most of these businesses took to building out their own BI consisting of great cost, risk, and a continual re-work of applications due to staﬀ turnover; and two, we saw the advent of the Wave 2 vendor being a new type of BI company that could provide a group of Users or a department with

magazine in conventional spots, it’s hidden in only one place.

Q1 2015 | 13

When you’ve found it, send an email to

Logocontest@axug.com with an

explanation of where and on what page it’s at. We’ll choose a winner at random and will highlight

him/her in the next

issue of the magazine.

Q2/Q3 2015 | 51

Dynaway

CHAPTER SPONSOR

AXUG® is fortunate to work with Partner organizations that bring strong product expertise to our User Members. The following Partner has given back to our chapters through sponsorship, and as a thank you for that commitment, we are highlighting them here. You’ll read about a User who has achieved business success through a combined use of Microsoft Dynamics AX and the Partner’s solution.

52 | AXUG Magazine

Sarah Patthoff, IT generalist at Luck Companies™ Andy Jordan, procurement manager at Luck Companies Add-On Solution: Dynaway Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Dynaway User Since: May 2015

Luck Stone, one of four distinct business divisions of Luck Companies, is one of the largest family-owned and operated producers of crushed stone, sand, and gravel in the nation. With 20 locations across Virginia and North Carolina, 800 employees, and 200+ Microsoft Dynamics AX Users, Luck Stone has its work cut out for itself in terms of technology. Since April 2013, when Luck Stone implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX, the company has dealt with very manual processes in tracking and maintaining its equipment. “We’re a very asset-intensive business, and preventative maintenance on our plant and mobile equipment is critical to our operations.” Andy Jordan continues, “We had an EAM solution that we implemented in 1999, but it was never integrated with Microsoft Dynamics AX, and it was very difficult to use.” In addition to poor User adoption, Luck Stone had minimal visibility into cost information for each piece of equipment. Sarah Patthoff recalls, “There was no common platform for maintenance information. We managed our data in Outlook, spreadsheets, the Microsoft Dynamics AX Projects module, and in the old EAM system. This all took a lot of time and effort to communicate between the multiple platforms.” When Luck Stone started searching for a new EAM solution, it had three imperatives the solution had to meet: Easy to use, easy to access, and easy to pull information out of the system. Dynaway’s EAM solution met this criteria and more, and now Luck Stone is on one common platform that gives visibility into equipment and reduces the effort required to find information. This has resulted in improved business decisions. Andy shares, “Dynaway is essentially another module within Microsoft Dynamics AX with the same look and feel. Many Users were already familiar with the project, inventory, and procurement modules. This, along with Dynaway’s easy-to-use and intuitive functionality, simplified the rollout to our Users. It’s so seamless. With just a couple weeks under our belt, Users have hit the ground running.” Luck Stone is already benefiting from the ease of use as Users are catching on quickly. Sarah shares, “It takes us just three hours to train our field associates on Dynaway, including the mobile solution, and they’re up and running on their own. Compared with our old system, it’s night and day on how easy it is to use.” Dynaway is improving how and when Luck Stone employees can access the data they need, and since it’s built on the Microsoft platform, Users can do data mining on their own by exporting to Microsoft Excel from any screen. “Creating a work order only requires three pieces of information. It would take us twice as long to create and manage a work order with our old solution,” Andy explains. Getting information out, through the cost control tool, allows Luck Stone to slice and dice information so it can better understand its business. The company can also see exactly when it needs to maintain and/or replace its equipment, which helps serve customers quicker and more effectively. Luck Stone has had experience working with Partners in ERP over the past four years and says, “Hands down, Dynaway is the best Partner we have worked with.” Sarah continues, “The fact that our end Users are already realizing value speaks volumes to how great Dynaway is. Technology is meant to empower Users and help them get their jobs done more effectively. Dynaway has done that – and so much more – for us in such a short time!”

t osof Micr ics AX ’t am Dyn ers don E n t r M a A p PreG miss Summit 3 to 1 1 OFt

O C T O B E R

1 3 – 1 6

RENO●TAHOE 2015

´TKe ÀrVt VeVVion I DttenGeG JDYe me enouJK inIormDtion to MuVtiI\ tKe FoVt oI tKe entire FonIerenFe µ JOHN STEELE, CR ENGLAND INC.

#AXUGSummit #INreno15

Tom Berry Tyler Union

Jay Shefchik US Venture

Although networking wasn’t high on my list, I found this to be most beneficial. I enjoyed the way the lunches were set up each day, which allowed us to network with people in our area and then people within our profession.

The most valuable experience was networking with other Users to understand how they’ve approached dealing with certain Microsoft Dynamics AX issues or satisfying certain business or reporting needs.

Chris Thalacker Trilliant Food and Nutrition

Grant Wilson Microsemi Corporation Great job! Thank you for all that you do. Summit 2014 was awesome and you should be congratulated for putting on such a great show. As always, I had a great time and am completely exhausted, but there is no other event in the world that I get as much out of. Bravo.

Tom Lin Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. My favorite part was networking with others who are in similar positions and/or usage of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The content of the courses was extremely helpful from a strategic business perspective… gave me many ideas with where to go and what to do.

Why YOU Should Attend Gary Deinert Freshmark, Inc. I learned a bunch about how other companies are using Microsoft Dynamics AX and came home with new tools and ideas.

RENO●TAHOE 2015 We could talk all day long about why we’d love to see you at AXUG® Summit 2015 in Reno, Nevada, but it’s much better for you to hear it from a colleague! Check out these comments from 10 Users, and then check out information about this year’s event at www.axugsummit.com.

Alison Wright The Dodge Company I picked up great Information to help our company decide whether and when to upgrade Microsoft Dynamics AX. This is my third year attending AXUG Summit, and I have found it to be an invaluable source of knowledge.

Jenee Demski Leatherman Tool Group I enjoyed having access to Microsoft developers and product managers. They are able to listen and hear feedback to products and User experiences, and it was great to be able to ask questions directly and get solutions immediately.

Maria Battaglia Bushnell Outdoor Products AXUG Summit was very informative, and I learned that Microsoft Dynamics AX has a lot more to oﬀer than what we are using currently.

54 | AXUG Magazine

Jeff Timmons Sutphen Corporation What was your most valuable experience at AXUG Summit? “Too many to list a single experience!”

MINUTES WITH AXUG’S VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER

Who interests you on social media right now? I am always interested in staying engaged with anything related to Microsoft Dynamics AX. On my desk right now… Project plans, task lists, Jelly Belly® jelly beans, pictures of my family, and a great book, “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. My three goals for 2015… To obtain a greater work/life balance, meet all my Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 goals for our America implementation, and successfully enhance and support our Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 instance in EMEA. What I do when I’m not at work… Camp with my family. Our most favored spot

Jennifer Salinas Jennifer.salinas@driscolls.com Driscoll’s director of business applications

is Big Sur, California, where I love to walk along the beautiful beaches. The best advice I ever received… To leave accounting and move into IT. Working on business application implementation projects has been a challenging – but also a very rewarding – experience.

Q2/Q3 2015 | 55

t&t

TIPS & TRICKS

Microsoft Dynamics AX: Administration for User Management by Craig Leska, Logan Consulting ftentimes, the daily administration tasks within Microsoft Dynamics AX get overlooked, which can lead to compliance and licensing issues down the road. Microsoft Dynamics AX User information comes from Active Directory (AD), and as long as the User is enabled in AD, he/she will have access to Microsoft Dynamics AX, if that is also enabled. If the User is disabled in AD, he/she will not have access to Microsoft Dynamics AX; however, the User will still consume a license and may be in violation of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliances. It is best practice to adopt SOX compliances, even if you are not a public entity. Why not automate the process? Disabling the User within SOX can be set up as a batch process by adding a small piece of code. Here’s how:

Running the code manually will result in this Infolog.

In this example, the Users with the red “X” are disabled in Active Directory. However, these Users are still consuming a license within Microsoft Dynamics AX. Conﬁrmed the Users are disabled

The project can be downloaded from www.axug.com, just search by “Craig Leska”. Import and merge the project into your environment. Consult your Partner if you are unsure how to do this. Follow best practices and create the appropriate labels. Once the code has been merged, compiled, and a CIL has been generated, the batch job can be added and scheduled per your policy.

56 | AXUG Magazine

To create the batch job:* » In System administration/Inquiries/Batch jobs/batch jobs » Press CTRL+N for a new job » Enter the description of “Disable Microsoft Dynamics AX Users based on AD status” » Set the schedule in the scheduled start data/time ﬁeld » Press CTRL + S to save the job » Click the recurrence button and set the interval » Set an alert, if desired

Finished batch job and task

Add the task: Select the batch job you just created Click view tasks button Press CTRL+N for a new task Enter the description of Disable Users Enter DAT for company accounts In the class name, enter DisableAXUsersByADStatus » Select the batch group this would run under » Press CTRL+S to save and close the task » Set the task from Withhold to Waiting » Close the task

» » » » » »

How it works: When the batch job runs, it will query AD. If it finds any Microsoft Dynamics AX Users who are enabled in Microsoft Dynamics AX but disabled in AD, the job will disable the User in Microsoft Dynamics AX as well. This is a one-way replication. If the User gets re-enabled in AD, he/she will have to be manually enabled in Microsoft Dynamics AX. If you are using the HR module and have the User set to a worker, you will need to terminate the worker. However, by running this job, you are in alignment with SOX compliance measures and are keeping your Microsoft Dynamics AX licensing in check. This project has been tested in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 RTM, R2, and R3. *Per TechNet https://technet.microsoft. com/en-us/library/gg213151.aspx AXUG Craig Leska is a senior Microsoft Dynamics AX consultant at Logan Consulting. He can be reached at Craig.leska@outlook. com or 763-772-6690. Craig sends a special thanks to Lloyd Dehn for his assistance with this tip. Q2/Q3 2015 | 57

isv partner member showcase

Solver

COMPANY Solver INTERVIEWEE Nils Rasmussen, principal PHONE 310-691-5302 EMAIL Nhr@solverusa.com WEBSITE www.solverusa.com HEADQUARTERS Los Angeles, California ESTABLISHED 1996 AXUG® PARTNER MEMBER SINCE 2012

AXUG: How and where was Solver born? Nils Rasmussen (NR): Back in 1996, a friend and I were brainstorming the idea of starting a business intelligence (BI) company in a studio apartment in Los Angeles, California. We both worked at another ERP Partner at the time that had been around for 10+ years. BI was extremely young at that point, but ﬁnancial consolidation seemed to be a huge pain point, and with really only a couple products in the market, we decided to start a Microsoft Dynamics ERP ISV company to help Partners leverage consolidation tools. AXUG: Exciting times! When did the need for advanced BI really take oﬀ? NR: In 2007, the world needed even more consolidation tools for budgeting, dashboards, rich data warehouses, and data sources. So we designed BI360 after two and a half years in development, and it launched towards the end of 2009. Today, almost six years later, BI360 has become a full BI suite that was really a reinvention of what we’ve done before, and it has surfaced as a leading Microsoft platform for BI, reporting, and dashboards. AXUG: What do things look like for Solver in 2015-16? NR: This year is our big Microsoft Dynamics AX year. The Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 architecture has matured, and Microsoft Dynamics AX 7 is scheduled to launch later this year with what looks like a beautiful web interface. Microsoft Dynamics AX is really growing up, so we’re getting some muscle into that area of our business to make sure we’re in position when Microsoft Dynamics AX 7 is released. AXUG: What kind of muscle are we talking about? NR: We’re actively recruiting Microsoft Dynamics AX Partners, and although we have a good group, we have placed our focus on Microsoft Dynamics

58 | AXUG Magazine

GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV the past few years since that’s where our “low hanging” fruit tends to be due to our past relationships. There often seems to be newer people in the Microsoft Dynamics AX space, and that’s exciting to see, but we just need to work a little harder in making sure Microsoft Dynamics AX Partners know who we are and how a BI suite with full consolidations, budgeting, and a data warehouse very much complements Microsoft Dynamics AX and upcoming tools like PowerBI. Our schedule is jam-packed with Microsoft Dynamics AX events, and we’re getting increasingly involved in the AXUG community. AXUG: From an end-User perspective, what do Customers rave the most about in terms of BI360? NR: They like the fact that it’s based on a Microsoft Excel interface. The product is made for accountants that use Microsoft Dynamics AX, and everyone in that market knows Excel. BI360 is almost a modern Excel add-on with advanced budgeting modules and reports. Easy to use, but robust enough for the larger enterprise. We also gave the solution a web interface so that you can design reports and budget templates in Excel but access these as web-based reports and budget models in your web browser. This way, companies with a lot of end Users can share reports and collaborate with employees, even if they’re across the world. Global Users want and need the web interface to stay connected to the data that aﬀects their jobs. They can run reports,

enter budgets, use dashboards on the web, and share data anytime and from anywhere. Customers also love that BI360 is a full suite, including all the Microsoft platform-based tools you need that produce sub-ledger reporting, financial statements, consolidation, budgeting, and dashboards. If you attempt to get this functionality ad-hoc, you’re using and paying for at least four to five different tools. With BI360, you have it all right within one suite. Customers can also pick and choose what they need to save money. AXUG: Why do Microsoft Dynamics AX Users, specifically, need BI360 in their solution? NR: A very large percentage of Microsoft Dynamics AX Users need consolidation, and we’ve been doing that since the beginning. Part of our DNA is to do financial consolidations. Many run multi-national companies, so they need really good currency conversion, of which we can provide. Companies that use Microsoft Dynamics AX have bigger finance teams with the skillsets to manage and build it out. With more employees and larger teams, they need a world-class BI solution so that everything is integrated. Many aren’t there yet, but companies with Microsoft Dynamics AX have the resources to get there compared to other Microsoft Dynamics Users who wear multiple hats. More people in the company can improve Microsoft Dynamics AX adoption, and they can also realize the benefits with a complete BI solution more quickly. We’re also seeing more Microsoft Dynamics AX Customers in specific industries, and we’ve aligned ourselves vertically so we can speak to their specific needs and requirements. AXUG: What have you done to go vertical, and what verticals do you have experience in? NR: It’s important to know that BI360 can work in any vertical. All companies need financial reports and budgeting tools, but we have made things more vertical with the look and feel of our solution. We have specific models and templates for hospitality, healthcare providers, retail, not-for-profit, professional services, distribution, and soon, manufacturing. We deploy into a new vertical every three months. Like I said before, everyone is going to need the functionality, but Partners are vertical, and we are following suit to be vertical with them.

AXUG: This issue of AXUG Magazine is focused on upgrades. What insight can you share on that? NR: As a BI company, we tend to think in “Big Picture” views, and we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of software upgrades. With Microsoft Dynamics AX 7 coming up soon, I would urge Users to take advantage of the time before the release to plan out what you would do differently since your last upgrade. Plan out each step and ask the right questions: Should you use the same dimensions, flexibility, reporting? Should you use the same customizations or avoid some? Pay attention to its new features to see if you can pass on some customizations to save you money. This is essentially your second chance at life, so don’t forget those past upgrades and the lessons you’ve already learned. Everyone is also trying to create a BI roadmap, so make sure to think about key dashboards and reports that stakeholders need BEFORE you upgrade or re-implement Microsoft Dynamics AX. This will increase the rate of implementation success and define how you see into your business intelligence so you can make better business decisions now and years down the road. AXUG: What do you think of the Microsoft Dynamics AX and AXUG community? NR: Compared to other non-Microsoft channels out there, the Microsoft Dynamics community is so organized among the Users, the Partner channel, and Microsoft. The community is strong, and it’s getting stronger. I think the magazines, forums, and conferences are a huge factor in connecting the community. Microsoft Dynamics AX isn’t necessarily a young product, but it was reborn after the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 release. It’s an exciting time, but it really needs a strong, global community. Microsoft and Partners can’t do all the work alone. It needs ISVs and community builders, like Dynamic Communities and The Partner Channel, to create a great atmosphere for Users. I think AXUG is creating the community the product needs to succeed. I am a self-proclaimed futurist and try to look 10+ years in the future. Community is a huge part of creating longevity. You can’t just push out products. We have to work together. There’s so much knowledge to be shared so that the community can grow. AXUG and the other User Groups allow us to go and serve Customers who we possibly couldn’t work with before. AXUG has almost become a selling point because of all the great resources readily available for Microsoft Dynamics Users. AXUG

“BI360 is the best available product for reporting in Microsoft Dynamics AX I have seen. It is faster to build reports in than other Excel-based tools!” Petrus Jarlsbonde, controller at Nefab

Q2/Q3 2015 | 59

t&t

tips & tricks

Filtering Wildcards by Greg Reimer, Athabasca Oil Corporation

hen you are searching for information in a table within Microsoft Dynamics AX, you need to use special a character called a “wildcard”. Wildcards come in handy when you need to locate records with similar data or you’re trying to track down a specific record based on limited information. However, if you don’t use the right wildcard characters the right way, you could wind up with the wrong data. The good news is that when searching and filtering in Microsoft Dynamics AX, the values you use do not have to be case sensitive.

Wildcards Used for Filtering Syntax Description Example value Contains the “exact”value entered

Haul truck = Haul truck

*value* Filters for the *pipe* = SEALANT value and “all PIPE, PIPE characters before 3/8”, PIPEFITTING, and after” SANDPIPER PUMP, etc. value*

Filters for the value and”only characters after”

pipe* = PIPE1”, PIPE-AIR, PIPE GAUGE, etc.

*value Filters for the *pipe = KIT value and”only AIR PIPE, X/ characters OVER PIPE, before” GAUGE-0 TO200PSI 2 1/2 IN FACE 1/4 IN MALE PIPE, etc. ? Filters for the “single character missing”among the value entered

T?re = Tire, Tyre.

.. Filters for the “missing sequential information” between two values

01Jan10..04Jan10 = 01Jan10 02Jan10 03Jan10 04Jan10 A..K = A B C D E F G H I J K

! Filters out all items containing one value

!completed = removes completed from results displayed

Filters using multiple Truck, Tire = criteria, separated Truck AND Tire by a comma

< or >

Filters using less <500 = 499, 498, than and more than 497, 496...

60 | AXUG Magazine

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Introducing The List MOBILE

Now you can get The List To Go!

Search for the products and services you need with the new Mobile version of The List! Add it to your home screen from: www.thelistmobile.com or simply scan the QR code below:

Table of Contents Industry...................Page 62 Horizontal................Page 66 Services...................Page 73

The List from The Partner Channel® is your tool for finding the solutions available from Microsoft Dynamics® Partners. Review the various industry, horizontal, and service offerings available and you may just find exactly what you’ve been looking for! The List is unique in that it shares only those solutions and services that work with the Microsoft Dynamics product line. We want you to spend time using the solution, not looking for it. If you have a product or service that you would like included on The List, please contact Jane@thepartnerchannel.com. NOTE: The Partner Channel and Dynamic Communities offers no expressed or implied warranty or guarantee for any of the products included in this directory. Support and quality assurance of these software products and services are solely the responsibility of each Microsoft Dynamics Partner. *Due to the nature of the “classified” format used for The List, Microsoft Dynamics brand guidelines may not have been followed. We encourage Partners NOT to follow the example we are setting!

Industry Consumer Packaged Goods

Agriculture

INDUSTRY

Business Systems Integrators Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Commodity Trading Complete Solution for Commodity Trading: Manage all aspects of physical contracts from agreement to execution including: Contract Management, Logistics, Risk Management, Invoicing, Cost tracking and Accruals.

Automotive

http://www.datamasons.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-575-1631 Vantage Point EDI for Dynamics Tightly integrated EDI for Dynamics without customizations.

Chemicals Horizons International http://www.qualityessentialssuite.com 866-949-9504 ext. 811 Quality Essentials Suite Quality Management System integrates to all Dynamics products. Used in chemicals, food and other regulated industries. Control layouts for certificates of analysis, comply with ISO standards, manage lot holds.

HighJump Software http://www.highjump.com/truecommerce 888-430-4489 HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions

Commodity Trades

Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Commodity Trading Complete Solution for Commodity Trading: Manage all aspects of physical contracts from agreement to execution including: Contract Management, Logistics, Risk Management, Invoicing, Cost tracking and Accruals.

Construction

IPM Global Pty Ltd

Scalable & affordable EDI solutions for Microsoft Dynamics. A managed service approach, from one trusted source, helps lower your fulfillment & procurement costs & connects to you an expansive global trading network. RockySoft http://www.RockySoft.com 970-493-0868 ext. 106 Inventory Management and Supply Chain Planning Pack Light Supply Chain Mgmt SuiteForecasting, Inventory Mgmt, Purchase Order Planning, Vendor Lead Time Mgmt, Retail Store Planning and S&OP.

Cross Industry Solution

http://www.ipmglobal.net â&#x20AC;˘ 503-608-4770 NEW: IPM Project Management IPM Project Management is a purpose built XRM Solution that delivers a fresh approach to Project Management in the Construction / Engineering sectors. Incorporating Comprehensive Contract and Cost Control.

Axapta

Data Masons Software http://www.datamasons.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-575-1631 Vantage Point EDI for Dynamics Tightly integrated EDI for Dynamics without customizations.

Data Masons Software

KEY:

http://www.BusinessSysInteg.com 866-871-2097 EDI BSI provides superior EDI solutions for AX & GP, both on-premise & SaaS.

Great Plains

62 | AXUG Magazine

Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link, Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

Navision

Solomon

Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Master Data Centralization For Dynamics AX Arbela's Master Data Centralization for Dynamics AX manages product, customer, vendor, employees, and COA master data and their fields across multiple companies for better shared services. Gain from our experience!

Ariett http://www.ariett.com â&#x20AC;˘ 781-826-1120 Enterprise Purchasing & Expense/ Azure Cloud/On Premise Requisition, PO/Contract Mgmt., AP Automation, Travel/Expense Reporting. AssureSign LLC http://www.assuresign.com â&#x20AC;˘ 407-670-0400 AssureSign Electronic Signature Software Integrated cloud or on-premise enterprise class Electronic Signatures. Business Systems Integrators http://www.BusinessSysInteg.com 866-871-2097 EDI BSI provides superior EDI solutions for AX & GP, both on-premise & SaaS.

Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics.

DATABASICS, Inc. http://www.data-basics.com â&#x20AC;˘ 314-282-9561 DATABASICS Time, Expense and Invoice Reporting DATABASICS offers SaaS solutions for Expense Reporting, Time Tracking and Vendor Invoice Management. Flexible, powerful, easy to use. Datahaven for Dynamics http://www.datahaven4dynamics.com 757-222-2000 Datahaven for Dynamics Datahaven is the only scanning, OCR, and workflow solution natively embeddedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not simply integratedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;throughout the Microsoft Dynamics user experience and available to non-Dynamics users from Microsoft Outlook.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

docSTAR http://www.docstar.com â&#x20AC;˘ 888-docSTAR docSTAR eclipse Smart AP Automation docSTAR is the premier AP solution provider for small to mid-size enterprises. Streamline your AP invoice processing with intelligent data capture, workflow, and integration with Microsoft Dynamics ERP.

eRequester by Paperless Business Systems http://www.erequester.com 206-256-0771 ext. 123 eRequester Industry leading web based procurement, expense management, inventory & receiving, and business intelligence. Greenshades Software http://www.greenshades.com 888-255-3815 ext. 2 Greenshades Year End Forms Electronic distribution, print to blank paper, and fully automated mailing services help thousands of Greenshades clients create, distribute and electronically file their 1099, W-2 and 1095-C forms.

Higher Logic http://www.higherlogic.com â&#x20AC;˘ 202-360-4402 Higher Logic The leading cloud-based community platform used by organizations worldwide to bring people together in secure communities designed to ignite knowledge sharing, drive content creation and solve problems. Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.readsoft.com/solutions/documentprocess-automation/invoice-processingfor-microsoft-dynamics â&#x20AC;˘ 888-732-3763 Invoice Processing for Microsoft Dynamics Push the boundaries of process automation to gain even more productivity, efficiency, and control over your financial processes with invoice processing automationâ&#x20AC;Śavailable 100% cloud-based or on-premise.

Point of Sale

Solver http://www.solverusa.com â&#x20AC;˘ 310-691-5300 Solver - BI360 Suite Both Excel & Web-based Financial & Operational Reporting, Budgeting, Dashboards, & a pre-configured Data Warehouse w/ direct integration to Microsoft Dynamics.

Equipment Rental and Leasing

SYCOR GmbH http://www.sycor-group.com/rental +49 551 490 2491 Sycor.Rental AX 2012 solution for individual & bulk rentals, trade of mobile goods. Full rental lifecycle with key features: graphical scheduling, transport mgmt., service & maintenance, fleet mgmt., flexible billing methods, BI.

Nodus Technologies, Inc.

Finance/Banking http://www.nodus.com/epay_advantage.html 909-482-4701 ePay Advantage - Online Bill Pay Automate A/R, improve cash flow, and provide security and convenience to your customers with an online bill pay portal. Optional recurring/subscription billing, AutoPay, payment plans and remote order entry.

PaperSave http://www.PaperSave.com â&#x20AC;˘ 877-727-3799 PaperSave PaperSave is a complete document management, electronic workflow and invoice automation solution, Certified for Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, AX, & CRM. Paymate Software Corporation http://www.paymatesoftware.com 866-729-6283 (1-866-PAYMATE) NEW: Paymate Software Payroll, HR, Time tracking, Scheduling, ESS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; advanced & cost-effective.

AssureSign LLC http://www.assuresign.com â&#x20AC;˘ 407-670-0400 AssureSign Electronic Signature Software Integrated cloud or on-premise enterprise class Electronic Signatures.

Fleet Management

SYCOR GmbH http://www.sycor-group.com/fleet +49 551 490 2491 Sycor.Fleet AX 2012 solution for fleet management. Key features: graph. scheduling, transport mgmt., service & maintenance, vehicle data mgmt., vehicle history (costs, repairs, damage), BI & reporting, flexible billing methods.

Food and Beverage Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

Appolis http://www.appolis.com â&#x20AC;˘ 612-343-0404 WithoutWireâ&#x201E;˘ Warehouse WMS Barcode mobile traceable lot serial tracked inventory for Process Discrete MO Manufacture Distributor Food Beverage Supply Chain ship EDI.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

Navision

Solomon

Government Contracting

IPM Global Pty Ltd http://www.ipmglobal.net â&#x20AC;˘ 503-608-4770 NEW: IPM Project Management IPM Project Management is a purpose built XRM Solution that delivers a fresh approach to Project Management in the Construction / Engineering sectors. Incorporating Comprehensive Contract and Cost Control.

Healthcare

InterDyn BMI http://www.erp4health.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-264-3249 ERP4HealthÂŽ Financial Management Software powered by Microsoft Dynamics. Kronos Incorporated http://www.kronos.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-225-1561 Workforce CentralÂŽ Suite Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics to completely automate the essential timekeeping, human resources and financial processes. Paramount Technologies

Horizons International http://www.qualityessentialssuite.com 866-949-9504 ext. 811 Quality Essentials Suite Quality Management System integrates to all Dynamics products. Used in chemicals, food and other regulated industries. Control layouts for certificates of analysis, comply with ISO standards, manage lot holds. Metafile Information Systems, Inc. http://www.metaviewer.com â&#x20AC;˘ 507-286-9232 MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics Enhance your AX, GP, NAV & SL solutions by adding integrated scanning, OCR, eInvoicing, workflow, and AP/AR Automation. RockySoft http://www.RockySoft.com 970-493-0868 ext. 106 Inventory Management and Supply Chain Planning Pack Light Supply Chain Mgmt SuiteForecasting, Inventory Mgmt, Purchase Order Planning, Vendor Lead Time Mgmt, Retail Store Planning and S&OP. Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Procurement for Manufacturing Procurement of Commodity raw materials fully integrated with MRP providing visibility of production demand to procurement. Key features: Contract Management, Logistics, Risk Management, Track costs and Accruals.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

http://www.ParamountTechnologies.com 800-725-4408 WorkPlace for Healthcare Requisition, approval, budget checking and integration to Binary Stream for Materials Management Sierra Workforce Solutions http://www.sierraws.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-822-0973 Sierra Workforce Solutions Time & labor management solutions optimizing productivity and data integration for payroll, HR & job costing using biometrics, badge, WEB or PC based time clocks. Includes employee manager self service.

High Tech and Electronics Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios. QBD Systems http://www.qbdsys.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-743-9003 Universal PLM Integration Integration w/ PLM s/w incl. Agile, Arena, Aras, Solidworks EPDM & more.

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 63

INDUSTRY

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Trade and Pricing Adv Trade extends pricing capabilities to include complex pricing structures, extends billing, billing schedules and revenue recognition of complex transactions. Contracts can be generated and managed easily.

Industrial Equipment Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios.

Insurance AssureSign LLC http://www.assuresign.com â&#x20AC;˘ 407-670-0400 AssureSign Electronic Signature Software Integrated cloud or on-premise enterprise class Electronic Signatures.

Life Sciences Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Technologies Our specialties can align with all your industry-specific and evolving business needs. With minimum customizations, we tailor AX and CRM to effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency. Gain from our experience!

Maintenance Management eRPortal Software Group LLC http://www.erportalsoftware.com 413-233-5404 eRPortal CMMS Software Suite The eRPortal Software Group provides high performance, web-enabled, Asset Management, Maintenance Management, and Materials Tracking software solutions for managing strategic assets and operations.

Manufacturing Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

64 | AXUG Magazine

Appolis http://www.appolis.com â&#x20AC;˘ 612-343-0404 WithoutWireâ&#x201E;˘ Warehouse WMS Barcode mobile traceable lot serial tracked inventory for Process Manufacture MO Distributor Food Beverage Pharma Chemical CPG ship EDI.

Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios. HighJump Software

Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Technologies Our specialties can align with all your industry-specific and evolving business needs. With minimum customizations, we tailor AX and CRM to effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency. Gain from our experience! ASC Software http://www.ascsoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 937-429-1428 ASCTrac Award winning, scalable Warehouse Management Solutions & MFG operations. Bond Consulting Services http://www.BondConsultingServices.com 562-988-3451 NEW: Microsoft Dynamics ERP Solutions for Manufacturing & Distribution We are a Gold ERP/Silver CRM Partner and the go to multilingual consulting team for Process & Discrete Manufacturers and CPG and F&B Distributors from SMB to Enterprise.

eNSYNC Solutions, Inc. http://www.ScanWorkX.com â&#x20AC;˘ 913-647-8640 ScanWorkX for Dynamics AX Extend Dynamics AX to nearly any mobile device. More than 75 standard DAX functions with and without barcoding. Custom transactions available.

Navision

Solomon

http://www.highjump.com/truecommerce 888-430-4489 HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions Scalable & affordable EDI solutions for Microsoft Dynamics. A managed service approach, from one trusted source, helps lower your fulfillment & procurement costs & connects to you an expansive global trading network. Kronos Incorporated http://www.kronos.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-225-1561 Workforce CentralÂŽ Suite Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics to completely automate the essential timekeeping, human resources and financial processes. Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.readsoft.com/solutions/documentprocess-automation/invoice-processingfor-microsoft-dynamics â&#x20AC;˘ 888-732-3763 Invoice Processing for Microsoft Dynamics Push the boundaries of process automation to gain even more productivity, efficiency, and control over your financial processes with invoice processing automationâ&#x20AC;Śavailable 100% cloud-based or on-premise. Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.perceptivesoftware.com/ products/perceptive-evolution-platform/ integration/application-integration/ microsoft-dynamics-ax.html â&#x20AC;˘ 800-941-7460 Perceptive Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX brings integrated document capture and retrieval technology to the AX environment. Locate relevant content quickly and easily based on a customerdefined folder hierarchy. Liaison Software Corp http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger EDD Batch email, fax, print, archive Invoices, Statements, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders to customers, vendors, sales. Attach supporting documentation. Use existing reports (GP report writer, SSRS, Crystal).

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Metafile Information Systems, Inc. http://www.metaviewer.com â&#x20AC;˘ 507-286-9232 MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics Enhance your AX, GP, NAV & SL solutions by adding integrated scanning, OCR, eInvoicing, workflow, and AP/AR Automation. RF-SMART http://ax.rfsmart.com â&#x20AC;˘ 904-399-8500 RF-SMART Data Collection #1 brand of mobile solutions for AX warehousing, manufacturing, & retail inventory control. "Your Supply Chain: Mobile. Accurate. Real time."

Sana Commerce http://www.sana-commerce.com 646-362-0432 NEW: Sana Commerce Sana delivers fully integrated B2B e-commerce solutions for Microsoft Dynamics NAV & AX that help wholesalers and manufacturers to grow online. Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Procurement for Manufacturing Procurement of Commodity raw materials fully integrated with MRP providing visibility of production demand to procurement. Key features: Contract Management, Logistics, Risk Management, Track costs and Accruals.

Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-931-9972 Advanced Production Scheduling Review and adjust Production Schedule from the Gantt Chart. Key Features: Dashboard View, Additional sort sequences, Reroute to alternative work centers.

Sierra Workforce Solutions http://www.sierraws.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-822-0973 Sierra Workforce Solutions Time & labor management solutions optimizing productivity and data integration for payroll, HR & job costing using biometrics, badge, WEB or PC based time clocks. Includes employee manager self service.

Non-Profit Organizations Paramount Technologies http://www.ParamountTechnologies.com 800-725-4408 WorkPlace for Non-Profits Requisition & Expense with GL Distribution, Encumbrance & Audit Trails.

Point of Sale

Sierra Workforce Solutions

Software

Oil and Gas

Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software)

Avalara, Inc. http://www.info.avalara.com/TheList 877-780-4848 Avalara for Sales Tax Automation Automate and eliminate the complexity of sales tax management with Avalara. A cloud-based sales and use tax calculation, exemption certificate management, filing and remittance solution for Microsoft Dynamics.

Pharmaceuticals

Globe Software http://www.globesoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 701-235-4084 Atlas - Real-time Reporting & Upload into AX from Microsoft Office Using Atlas, you'll see how real-time two way data validation integrates between Office, Dynamics AX & CRM. From data migration to production, register on our web site for a free trial.

Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics. Corporate Services http://www.corpservice.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-293-6822 TrakQuip and RTMS Software Solutions Whether you own, rent, or utilize equipment, TrakQuip & RTMS make it easy to track & manage your assets, automate routine business operations, & produce excellent financial information to accurately run your business.

Enterprise Ventures Corporation

Kronos Incorporated http://www.kronos.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-225-1561 Workforce CentralÂŽ Suite Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics to completely automate the essential timekeeping, human resources and financial processes.

http://www.bpmtoday.net/ â&#x20AC;˘ 404-600-9252 NEW: Intelligent Business Process Management Solutions The #1 Gartner rated Business Process Management suite for Microsoft Dynamics. We provide organizations with a Total Optimization platform to achieve breakthrough results in lean process improvement.

Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics.

Metafile Information Systems, Inc.

NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Professional Services Globe Software http://www.globesoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 701-235-4084 Atlas - Real-time Reporting & Upload into AX from Microsoft Office Using Atlas, you'll see how real-time two way data validation integrates between Office, Dynamics AX & CRM. From data migration to production, register on our web site for a free trial.

Retail Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Technologies Our specialties can align with all your industry-specific and evolving business needs. With minimum customizations, we tailor AX and CRM to effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency. Gain from our experience! KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

Software Manufacturers

http://www.metaviewer.com â&#x20AC;˘ 507-286-9232 MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics Enhance your AX, GP, NAV & SL solutions by adding integrated scanning, OCR, eInvoicing, workflow, and AP/AR Automation.

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Credit Cards for Retail Adv. CC for Retail allows you to process credit cards in retail environments and directly integrate into AX. PCI validated CC solution native to AX. Red Maple has many processor options for CC for Retail. Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Credit Cards PCI validated CC solution native to AX and Retail for AX. We integrate to 13+ processors. Take payments in SO, AR or Projects. Tokenization is available. Process CC in multiple countries. Handle complex transactions.

Navision

Solomon

Transportation NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

http://www.readsoft.com/solutions/documentprocess-automation/invoice-processingfor-microsoft-dynamics â&#x20AC;˘ 888-732-3763 Invoice Processing for Microsoft Dynamics Push the boundaries of process automation to gain even more productivity, efficiency, and control over your financial processes with invoice processing automationâ&#x20AC;Śavailable 100% cloud-based or on-premise. Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.perceptivesoftware.com/ products/perceptive-evolution-platform/ integration/application-integration/ microsoft-dynamics-ax.html â&#x20AC;˘ 800-941-7460 Perceptive Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX brings integrated document capture and retrieval technology to the AX environment. Locate relevant content quickly and easily based on a customerdefined folder hierarchy.

Warehouse Management

Appolis http://www.appolis.com â&#x20AC;˘ 612-343-0404 WithoutWireâ&#x201E;˘ Warehouse WMS Barcode mobile traceable lot serial tracked inventory for Manufacture Distributor Pharma Chemical CPG Food Field Service tech job ship EDI.

ASC Software http://www.ascsoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 937-429-1428 ASCTrac Award winning, scalable, Warehouse Management Solutions (WMS) designed to support the demanding requirements of Distribution, Manufacturing and 3PL operations, covering the entire Supply Chain cycle. eNSYNC Solutions, Inc. http://www.ScanWorkX.com â&#x20AC;˘ 913-647-8640 ScanWorkX for Dynamics AX Extend Dynamics AX to nearly any mobile device. More than 75 standard DAX functions with and without barcoding. Custom transactions available. NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 65

INDUSTRY

http://www.sierraws.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-822-0973 Sierra Workforce Solutions Time & labor management solutions optimizing productivity and data integration for payroll, HR & job costing using biometrics, badge, WEB or PC based time clocks. Includes employee manager self service.

Utilities

Wholesale Trade: Durable Goods

HighJump Software http://www.highjump.com/truecommerce 888-430-4489 HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions

Flintfox International Limited http://www.flintfox.com â&#x20AC;˘ 844-876-4276 TPM for Dynamics Suite Flintfox solutions provide a single, integrated platform to manage all trade promotion activity, from client relationships to the financial execution; streamlining information and managing complex pricing with ease. Globe Software http://www.globesoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 701-235-4084 Atlas - Real-time Reporting & Upload into AX from Microsoft Office Using Atlas, you'll see how real-time two way data validation integrates between Office, Dynamics AX & CRM. From data migration to production, register on our web site for a free trial.

Wholesale Trade: Non-durable Goods Sana Commerce http://www.sana-commerce.com 646-362-0432 NEW: Sana Commerce Sana delivers fully integrated B2B e-commerce solutions for Microsoft Dynamics NAV & AX that help wholesalers and manufacturers to grow online.

Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Landed Cost Manage Multiple Vendors/PO's as one shipment to improve efficiency and visibility. Key features: Accruals, Auto Cost Allocation, in transit costing.

Horizontal

HORIZONTAL

Accounting Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.perceptivesoftware.com/ products/perceptive-evolution-platform/ integration/application-integration/ microsoft-dynamics-ax.html â&#x20AC;˘ 800-941-7460 Perceptive Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX brings integrated document capture and retrieval technology to the AX environment. Locate relevant content quickly and easily based on a customerdefined folder hierarchy.

Affordable Care Act Reporting

Analytics Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Technologies Our specialties can align with all your industry-specific and evolving business needs. With minimum customizations, we tailor AX and CRM to effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency. Gain from our experience! Kronos Incorporated http://www.kronos.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-225-1561 Workforce CentralÂŽ Suite Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Dynamics to completely automate the essential timekeeping, human resources and financial processes.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

66 | AXUG Magazine

eRPortal Software Group LLC http://www.erportalsoftware.com 413-233-5404 eRPortal CMMS Software Suite The eRPortal Software Group provides high performance, web-enabled, Asset Management, Maintenance Management, and Materials Tracking software solutions for managing strategic assets and operations.

Automation Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software)

Elevate HR, Inc. http://elevate-hr.com/solutions/ 877-968-4440 NEW: Elevate HR Extensions for AX HCM HCM Process Wizards, Approval Flow, Benefits Admin, Global Payroll, etc.

Business Intelligence

Asset Maintenance/MRO/ EAM

Barcode Data Collection

Navision

Solomon

MT Mobility http://www.mt-mobility.com 641-753-5999 ext. 151 MT Mobility Mobilized ERP system. Custom software & rugged low-cost barcode scanner. RF-SMART http://ax.rfsmart.com â&#x20AC;˘ 904-399-8500 RF-SMART Data Collection #1 brand of mobile solutions for AX warehousing, manufacturing, & retail inventory control. "Your Supply Chain: Mobile. Accurate. Real time."

Budgeting

deFacto Global, Inc. http://www.deFactoGlobal.com 203-894-1789 ext. 221 deFacto Performance Management Premier â&#x20AC;&#x153;All-in-Oneâ&#x20AC;? Dynamics Financial & Operational Budgeting, Forecasting, Consolidation, Analysis and Reporting, Excel/Web-based. Powerful, Affordable.

Solver

Client Strategy Group http://www.csgax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 216-524-2574 Dynamics AX Done Right! CSG has proven expertise in: AX Performance Tuning, Business Intelligence, and AX 2012 Upgrades.

http://www.solverusa.com â&#x20AC;˘ 310-691-5300 Solver - BI360 Suite Both Excel & Web-based Financial & Operational Reporting, Budgeting, Dashboards, & a pre-configured Data Warehouse w/ direct integration to Microsoft Dynamics.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software)

Collaboration Platform

Cost Accounting Corporate Renaissance Group

Halo Business Intelligence http://www.halobi.com â&#x20AC;˘ 888-300-0219 Halo Business Intelligence Any source, data quality, rapidly deploy, predict, collaborate & mobile. Solver http://www.solverusa.com â&#x20AC;˘ 310-691-5300 Solver - BI360 Suite Both Excel & Web-based Financial & Operational Reporting, Budgeting, Dashboards, & a pre-configured Data Warehouse w/ direct integration to Microsoft Dynamics.

ZAP http://www.zapbi.com â&#x20AC;˘ 415-889-5740 ZAP Business Intelligence ZAP provides 'Buy, Not Build' business intelligence for organizations using Microsoft Dynamics. ZAP's Trusted Analytics ensure your company is aligned through best practice metrics that deliver real business results.

Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics. docSTAR http://www.docstar.com â&#x20AC;˘ 888-docSTAR docSTAR eclipse Smart AP Automation docSTAR is the premier AP solution provider for small to mid-size enterprises. Streamline your AP invoice processing with intelligent data capture, workflow, and integration with Microsoft Dynamics ERP.

Enterprise Ventures Corporation

Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software) http://www.perceptivesoftware.com/ products/perceptive-evolution-platform/ integration/application-integration/ microsoft-dynamics-ax.html â&#x20AC;˘ 800-941-7460 Perceptive Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX Interact for Microsoft Dynamics AX brings integrated document capture and retrieval technology to the AX environment. Locate relevant content quickly and easily based on a customerdefined folder hierarchy. Metafile Information Systems, Inc. http://www.metaviewer.com â&#x20AC;˘ 507-286-9232 MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics Enhance your AX, GP, NAV & SL solutions by adding integrated scanning, OCR, eInvoicing, workflow, and AP/AR Automation.

Check Printing Liaison Software Corp

MHC Software, Inc. http://www.mhcsoftwareinc.com â&#x20AC;˘ 952-882-3341 Document Express Accounts Payable & Payroll MICR Check Printing MICR checks print to blank stock from standard Dynamics output. Ideal for unique customizations- print virtually any data available in Dynamics on checks. Digitized signatures, positive pay, secure remote printing.

Axapta

Great Plains

Navision

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Commissions Adv Commissions is flexible and handles complex commissions. Commissions can be calculated based on many criteria and can be paid at invoice, upon payment or periodically. It can be used in SO, Projects, AR & AP.

Compliance Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management doc-link electronic document solutions support compliance mandates.

Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Security Manager Arbela Security Manager addresses security creation & mgmt, risk & compliancy requirements, & audit preparation with inquires & reports. Focus on your business not your technology needs. Gain from our experience! Greenshades Software http://www.greenshades.com 888-255-3815 ext. 2 Greenshades Year End Forms Electronic distribution, print to blank paper, and fully automated mailing services help thousands of Greenshades clients create, distribute and electronically file their 1099, W-2 and 1095-C forms.

Solomon

http://www.crgroup.com â&#x20AC;˘ 613-232-4295 Cost Allocator Perform multi-level account allocations using 1 of 4 methods: percentage values, fixed amounts, cost drivers/measures, or account balance. Integrates with Dynamics, other ERP solutions or as a stand-alone system.

Credit Card/Check Processing

Commissions

http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger DD Batch email password protected Direct Deposit Statements to Employees.

KEY:

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

k-eCommerce http://www.k-eCommerce.com 855-k-eCommerce KloudPay Secure, PCI Certified ACH/credit card solution with batch processing and ability to store sensitive data off site with tokenization.

Customer Relationship Management eBridge Connections http://www.ebridgeconnections.com 800-755-6921 eBridge for CRM Cloud solution for seamless integration of customer & opportunity data. Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios.

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 67

HORIZONTAL

Business Process Management

Data Integration eBridge Connections http://www.ebridgeconnections.com 800-755-6921 eBridge Integration Solution The leading cloud integration platform for EDI, eCommerce & CRM systems.

Data Management

Globe Software http://www.globesoftware.com 701-235-4084 Atlas - Real-time Reporting & Upload into AX from Microsoft Office Using Atlas, you'll see how real-time two way data validation integrates between Office, Dynamics AX & CRM. From data migration to production, register on our web site for a free trial.

HORIZONTAL

Distribution

ASC Software http://www.ascsoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 937-429-1428 ASCTrac Award winning, scalable Warehouse Management Solutions & MFG operations.

Blue Horseshoe http://www.bhsolutions.com â&#x20AC;˘ 317-573-2583 Supply Chain Suite for Dynamics AX Gold Certified ERP Partner providing Tier-1 end-to-end implementation services as well as Industry Leading software to fully optimize your Supply Chain. See what's new in the Supply Chain Suite for Dynamics AX. NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

68 | AXUG Magazine

RockySoft http://www.RockySoft.com 970-493-0868 ext. 106 Inventory Management and Supply Chain Planning Pack Light Supply Chain Mgmt SuiteForecasting, Inventory Mgmt, Purchase Order Planning, Vendor Lead Time Mgmt, Retail Store Planning and S&OP. Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Landed Cost Manage Multiple Vendors/PO's as one shipment to improve efficiency and visibility. Key features: Accruals, Auto Cost Allocation, in transit costing.

Document Management

Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics. Datahaven for Dynamics http://www.datahaven4dynamics.com 757-222-2000 Datahaven for Dynamics Datahaven is the only scanning, OCR, and workflow solution natively embeddedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not simply integratedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;throughout the Microsoft Dynamics user experience and available to non-Dynamics users from Microsoft Outlook.

Esker Inc http://www.esker.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-368-5283 Document Process Automation Addressing processes like accounts payable, accounts receivable, and sales order processing, Esker solutions enable companies to automate the reception, processing and sending of documents with one platform.

Navision

Solomon

Lexmark Enterprise Software (fka Perceptive Software)

E-commerce

http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger EDD Batch email, fax, print, archive Invoices, Statements, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders to customers, vendors, sales. Attach supporting documentation. Use existing reports (GP report writer, SSRS, Crystal).

Metafile Information Systems, Inc. http://www.metaviewer.com â&#x20AC;˘ 507-286-9232 MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics Enhance your AX, GP, NAV & SL solutions by adding integrated scanning, OCR, eInvoicing, workflow, and AP/AR Automation. MHC Software, Inc. http://www.mhcsoftwareinc.com 952-882-3341 MHC Image Express Electronically archive vendor invoices, HRdocs, POs & more. Automated document entry. Retrieve documents from Dynamics screens or web browser. Retrieve related documents with a single click. Workflow & Report imaging

http://www.info.avalara.com/TheList 877-780-4848 Avalara for Sales Tax Automation Automate and eliminate the complexity of sales tax management with Avalara. A cloud-based sales and use tax calculation, exemption certificate management, filing and remittance solution for Microsoft Dynamics.

Clarity Ventures http://www.partnerchannelclarity.com 800-928-8160 NEW: Clarity eCommerce Fully custom, scalable enterprise eCommerce integrated with Dynamics for the best possible digital experience. Built in customized reporting, SEO, business intelligence and comprehensive administration features. eBridge Connections

Liaison Software Corp

Customer Relationship Management

Avalara, Inc.

http://www.ebridgeconnections.com 800-755-6921 eBridge for eCommerce Cloud integration with 20+ eCommerce platforms eg. Magento, Amazon, eBay.

k-eCommerce http://www.k-eCommerce.com 855-k-eCommerce k-eCommerce Integrated B2B, B2C & Sales Portal websites deployed on premise or in a PCI Certified cloud. Built-in CMS, SEO, multilingual / multicurrency capabilities & responsive web design to support mobile & tablet devices.

Vertex SMB http://www.VertexSMB.com/TheList 855-221-5885 Vertex SMB Sales & use tax automation with payas-you-go pricing and PDF returns.

Point of Sale

HR Management

EDI AIM Computer Solutions, Inc.

Liaison Software Corp

http://www.aimcom.com â&#x20AC;˘ 586-439-0300 AIM Vision AutoSys EDI, AIAG barcode labels, Demand Mgmt, Release Acctg., MMOG-LE/TS16949. Business Systems Integrators http://www.BusinessSysInteg.com 866-871-2097 EDI BSI provides superior EDI solutions for AX & GP, both on-premise & SaaS.

http://www.datamasons.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-575-1631 Vantage Point EDI for Dynamics Tightly integrated EDI for Dynamics without customizations.

http://www.gorillaexpense.com â&#x20AC;˘ 877-973-6737 Gorilla Expense The Gorilla Expense T&E solution includes mobile apps, purchase card & corporate credit card reconciliation, project accounting expenses, multi-currency, VAT/GST capture & robust integration with GP, NAV, AX & SL.

Corporate Renaissance Group http://www.employee-performance.com 877-711-0367 emPerform Award-winning employee performance management for Microsoft Dynamics GP & AX HR. Online performance reviews, 360Â° assessments, goal management, succession planning, pay-for-performance, reporting & social feedback.

Electronic Signatures AssureSign LLC

Data Masons Software

Gorilla Expense

Paramount Technologies

http://www.assuresign.com â&#x20AC;˘ 407-670-0400 AssureSign Electronic Signature Software Integrated cloud or on-premise enterprise class Electronic Signatures.

Expense Solutions

http://www.ParamountTechnologies.com 800-725-4408 WorkPlace Expense Web-based Travel Request and Expense entry. Mobile expense and receipt capture with integration to AP and Projects.

Elevate HR, Inc. http://elevate-hr.com/solutions/ 877-968-4440 NEW: Elevate HR Extensions for AX HCM HCM Process Wizards, Approval Flow, Benefits Admin, Global Payroll, etc.

eBridge Connections http://www.ebridgeconnections.com 800-755-6921 eBridge for EDI Cloud EDI solution, no transaction fees, 1000+ trading partners.

Electronic Document Delivery (Email)/Faxing Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics. Datahaven for Dynamics http://www.datahaven4dynamics.com 757-222-2000 Datahaven for Dynamics Datahaven is the only scanning, OCR, and workflow solution natively embeddedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not simply integratedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;throughout the Microsoft Dynamics user experience and available to non-Dynamics users from Microsoft Outlook.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics.

eRequester by Paperless Business Systems http://www.erequester.com 206-256-0771 ext. 123 eRequester | EM Use eRequester Expense Management to automate and expedite expense processing. Improve visibility over discretionary spending.

Navision

Solomon

ReQlogic http://www.reqlogic.com â&#x20AC;˘ 734-302-2316 ReQlogic Expense Management ReQlogicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Expense Management module enables employees to enter expense reports using a browser or phone interface, or Import expense transactions from a bank or credit card account. Real time integration.

myStaffingPro http://mystaffingpro.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-939-2462 myStaffingPro Applicant Tracking System Recruiting software to qualify applicants, track jobs, and select hires.

Field Service Management

Paymate Software Corporation Appolis http://www.appolis.com â&#x20AC;˘ 612-343-0404 WithoutWireâ&#x201E;˘ Field Service Field Service WMS Barcode mobile phone tablet lot serial tracked inventory Job Work Order part return depot tech install telecom oilfield inspect.

FieldConnect, Inc. http://www.fieldconnect.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-428-1540 FieldConnect Mobile Workforce Solutions FieldConnect produces web-enabled tools for mobile field service automation. Work orders, timesheets, dispatch boards, quoting tools and customer portals integrate directly with Dynamics for maximum efficiency.

Customer Relationship Management

http://www.paymatesoftware.com 866-729-6283 (1-866-PAYMATE) NEW: Paymate Software Payroll, HR, Time tracking, Scheduling, ESS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; advanced & cost-effective.

Inventory Management ASC Software http://www.ascsoftware.com â&#x20AC;˘ 937-429-1428 ASCTrac Award winning, scalable Warehouse Management Solutions & MFG operations. eNSYNC Solutions, Inc. http://www.ScanWorkX.com â&#x20AC;˘ 913-647-8640 ScanWorkX for Dynamics AX Extend Dynamics AX to nearly any mobile device. More than 75 standard DAX functions with and without barcoding. Custom transactions available. RockySoft http://www.RockySoft.com 970-493-0868 ext. 106 Inventory Management and Supply Chain Planning Pack Light Supply Chain Mgmt SuiteForecasting, Inventory Mgmt, Purchase Order Planning, Vendor Lead Time Mgmt, Retail Store Planning and S&OP.

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 69

HORIZONTAL

HighJump Software

Ariett http://www.ariett.com â&#x20AC;˘ 781-826-1120 Enterprise Travel & Expense Reporting/Azure Cloud/On Premise Expense Reports, Travel, Receipts, Credit Cards, Currency, Any Device.

Invoicing Enhancement

Multi-Entity Management

Paramount Technologies

Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics.

http://www.ParamountTechnologies.com/ Solution_InvoiceAutomation.aspx 800-725-4408 WorkPlace AP Invoice Automation Enforce spend management and approvals for PO and non-PO Invoices.

Payables Enhancement

Nodus Technologies, Inc.

HORIZONTAL

http://www.nodus.com/epay_ advantage.html â&#x20AC;˘ 909-482-4701 ePay Advantage - Online Bill Pay Automate A/R, improve cash flow, and provide security and convenience to your customers with an online bill pay portal. Optional recurring/subscription billing, AutoPay, payment plans and remote order entry. Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Trade and Pricing Adv Trade extends pricing capabilities to include complex pricing structures, extends billing, billing schedules and revenue recognition of complex transactions. Contracts can be generated and managed easily.

Job Costing Sierra Workforce Solutions http://www.sierraws.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-822-0973 Sierra Workforce Solutions Time & labor management solutions optimizing productivity and data integration for payroll, HR & job costing using biometrics, badge, WEB or PC based time clocks. Includes employee manager self service.

Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

Payroll Enhancement Elevate HR, Inc. http://elevate-hr.com/solutions/ 877-968-4440 NEW: Elevate HR Extensions for AX HCM HCM Process Wizards, Approval Flow, Benefits Admin, Global Payroll, etc. Greenshades Software

Ariett http://www.ariett.com â&#x20AC;˘ 781-826-1120 Enterprise AP Invoice Automation/ Azure Cloud/On Premise Invoice Capture & Approval, Intercompany, Currency, New Vendor Mgmt. Concur https://www.concur.com â&#x20AC;˘ 425-590-5020 Travel Expense and Invoice Management Integrated travel expense and invoice software for Microsoft Dynamics.

http://www.greenshades.com 888-255-3815 ext. 2 Greenshades Year End Forms Electronic distribution, print to blank paper, and fully automated mailing services help thousands of Greenshades clients create, distribute and electronically file their 1099, W-2 and 1095-C forms. Liaison Software Corp

http://www.mhcsoftwareinc.com 952-882-3341 Electronic Direct Deposit Delivery Email direct deposits to employees rather than printing/distributing. Password protected PDF attachments are emailed to employee. Fast ROI.

http://www.qualityessentialssuite.com 866-949-9504 ext. 811 Quality Essentials Suite Quality Management System integrates to all Dynamics products. Used in chemicals, food and other regulated industries. Control layouts for certificates of analysis, comply with ISO standards, manage lot holds.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

70 | AXUG Magazine

http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger EFT Batch email & fax EFT Remittances to Vendors pref. Archive internal copy.

Portals Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios.

Pricing

http://www.flintfox.com â&#x20AC;˘ 844-876-4276 TPM for Dynamics Suite Flintfox solutions provide a single, integrated platform to manage all trade promotion activity, from client relationships to the financial execution; streamlining information and managing complex pricing with ease.

Procurement Management

Paymate Software Corporation

Liaison Software Corp

Horizons International

Flintfox International Limited

http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger DD Batch email password protected Direct Deposit Statements to Employees. MHC Software, Inc.

Manufacturing Enhancement

Sierra Workforce Solutions

http://www.paymatesoftware.com 866-729-6283 (1-866-PAYMATE) NEW: Paymate Software Payroll, HR, Time tracking, Scheduling, ESS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; advanced & cost-effective.

Ariett http://www.ariett.com â&#x20AC;˘ 781-826-1120 Enterprise Purchasing & Expense/ Azure Cloud/On Premise Requisition, Catalogs, PO, Contract Mgmt., Budgeting & Receiving.

MHC Software, Inc. http://www.mhcsoftwareinc.com 952-882-3341 Electronic Payment Notifications Email and/or fax remittance advices to vendors rather than printing and mailing. System also can be used for employee reimbursements. Huge cost and time savings. Fast ROI.

Navision

Solomon

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Production Planning eRequester by Paperless Business Systems http://www.erequester.com 206-256-0771 ext. 123 eRequester Web-based purchasing and expense management system. Enhances productivity for core procurement and payment processes. Streamlines requisition & authorization routing processes.

Purchase Order Processing Enhancement

Liaison Software Corp http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger EFT Batch email & fax EFT Remittances to Vendors pref. Archive internal copy.

ReQlogic http://www.reqlogic.com â&#x20AC;˘ 734-302-2316 ReQlogic ReQlogic is a browser-based employee productivity suite providing solutions for eProcurement, requisitions, vendor invoices, time & expense, and advanced workflow. Scalable Data Systems http://www.scalableax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 714-594-7690 Procurement for Manufacturing Procurement of Commodity raw materials fully integrated with MRP providing visibility of production demand to procurement. Key features: Contract Management, Logistics, Risk Management, Track costs and Accruals.

Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

eRequester by Paperless Business Systems http://www.erequester.com 206-256-0771 ext. 123 eRequester | PO Web requisitions, approvals and POs by allowing for pre-approval of purchases by using our flexible approval system.

Paramount Technologies http://www.ParamountTechnologies.com 800-725-4408 WorkPlace Requisition and Procurement Requisition, PunchOut, Check Request, Budget Compliance, RFQ, PO Generation, Receiving, Invoice Matching & Vendor Contract Compliance. Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Purchase Rebates Purchase Rebates tracks your rebates receivable. Rebates can be triggered and calculated on many criteria. Rebates can be calculated per invoice or over time. Promotional rebates can be calculated as well.

QBD Systems http://www.qbdsys.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-743-9003 Universal PLM Integration Integration w/ PLM s/w incl. Agile, Arena, Aras, Solidworks EPDM & more.

Axapta

Great Plains

Receivables Enhancement

Product Lifecycle Management

KEY:

Gorilla Expense

Navision

Solomon

Reporting

deFacto Global, Inc.

Nodus Technologies, Inc. http://www.nodus.com/epay_ advantage.html â&#x20AC;˘ 909-482-4701 ePay Advantage - Online Bill Pay Automate A/R, improve cash flow, and provide security and convenience to your customers with an online bill pay portal. Optional recurring/subscription billing, AutoPay, payment plans and remote order entry.

Reconciliation

Adra http://www.adra.com â&#x20AC;˘ +44 207 868 5171 ACCOUNTS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Transaction Matching Software ACCOUNTS is a software solution that replaces cumbersome spreadsheets and error-prone manual reconciliations with a rules driven, automated solution for all types of transaction matching.

http://www.deFactoGlobal.com 203-894-1789 ext. 221 deFacto Performance Management Premier â&#x20AC;&#x153;All-in-Oneâ&#x20AC;? Dynamics Financial & Operational Budgeting, Forecasting, Consolidation, Analysis and Reporting, Excel/Web-based. Powerful, Affordable.

Solver Adra http://www.adra.com â&#x20AC;˘ +44 207 868 5171 RECEIVABLES - Payment Matching Software RECEIVABLES handles complex incoming payments your ERP system canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t match. By using three information sources - the payment file, open invoices and the customer register - the system matches all incoming payments.

Adra http://www.adra.com â&#x20AC;˘ +44 207 868 5171 BALANCER - Balance Sheet Reconciliation Software BALANCER allows you to replace cumbersome spreadsheets and error-prone manual tasks with a full real-time overview of the entire balance sheet reconciliation process. Free up time and close faster with BALANCER.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Sales Order Processing Enhancement Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics. Experlogix, Inc. http://www.experlogix.com 805-504-9729 ext. 712 Experlogix CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP Experlogix CPQ solutions meet the demands of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive marketplace by simplifying the process of selling customized products, accelerating proposal development times and increasing quote-to-order ratios.

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 71

HORIZONTAL

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Purchase Rebates Purchase Rebates tracks your rebates receivable. Rebates can be triggered and calculated on many criteria. Rebates can be calculated per invoice or over time. Promotional rebates can be calculated as well.

matches all incoming payments.

Quality Control

Liaison Software Corp http://www.liaisonsc.com 800-811-4618 ext. 201 Liaison Messenger EDD Batch email, fax, print, archive Invoices, Statements, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders to customers, vendors, sales. Attach supporting documentation. Use existing reports (GP report writer, SSRS, Crystal). Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Trade and Pricing Adv Trade extends pricing capabilities to include complex pricing structures, extends billing, billing schedules and revenue recognition of complex transactions. Contracts can be generated and managed easily.

HORIZONTAL

Data Masons Software

Shipping/Manifesting Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Master Data Centralization For Dynamics AX Arbela's Master Data Centralization for Dynamics AX manages product, customer, vendor, employees, and COA master data and their fields across multiple companies for better shared services. Gain from our experience! NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Supply Chain Management Arbela Technologies http://www.arbelatech.com â&#x20AC;˘ 949-291-4777 Arbela Technologies Our specialties can align with all your industry-specific and evolving business needs. With minimum customizations, we tailor AX and CRM to effectively reduce costs and improve efficiency. Gain from our experience! Axapta

Tax

Avalara, Inc.

Security

KEY:

Great Plains

72 | AXUG Magazine

http://www.datamasons.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-575-1631 Vantage Point EDI for Dynamics Tightly integrated EDI for Dynamics without customizations.

HighJump Software http://www.highjump.com/truecommerce 888-430-4489 HighJump TrueCommerce EDI Solutions Scalable & affordable EDI solutions for Microsoft Dynamics. A managed service approach, from one trusted source, helps lower your fulfillment & procurement costs & connects to you an expansive global trading network. NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS. RockySoft http://www.RockySoft.com 970-493-0868 ext. 106 Inventory Management and Supply Chain Planning Pack Light Supply Chain Mgmt SuiteForecasting, Inventory Mgmt, Purchase Order Planning, Vendor Lead Time Mgmt, Retail Store Planning and S&OP.

Navision

Solomon

Vertex SMB http://www.VertexSMB.com/TheList 855-221-5885 Vertex SMB Sales & use tax automation with payas-you-go pricing and PDF returns.

Time and Attendance

Trade Promotion Management

Travel Expense Management

Gorilla Expense http://www.gorillaexpense.com â&#x20AC;˘ 877-973-6737 Gorilla Expense The Gorilla Expense T&E solution includes mobile apps, purchase card & corporate credit card reconciliation, project accounting expenses, multi-currency, VAT/GST capture & robust integration with GP, NAV, AX & SL.

Warranty and Claims Management

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Warranty Management Red Maple Warranty Management allows companies to automatically track the purchase and sales of items from vendor to distributor to end user. Generated claims can be tracked and managed.

Workflow / Notifications Altec http://www.altec-inc.com 800-997-9921 ext. 1255 doc-link Integrated Document Management Capture, workflow, output & archive w/doc-link, Doc. Mgmt. for Dynamics.

http://www.paymatesoftware.com 866-729-6283 (1-866-PAYMATE) NEW: Paymate Software Payroll, HR, Time tracking, Scheduling, ESS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; advanced & cost-effective.

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Datahaven for Dynamics http://www.datahaven4dynamics.com 757-222-2000 Datahaven for Dynamics Datahaven is the only scanning, OCR, and workflow solution natively embeddedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not simply integratedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;throughout the Microsoft Dynamics user experience and available to non-Dynamics users from Microsoft Outlook.

MHC Software, Inc.

http://www.mhcsoftwareinc.com 952-882-3341 MHC Workflow Easily route documents needing approval- invoices, HR docs, etc. electronically. Ensures they are not lost, stalled or misplaced.

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Workflow Adv Workflow enables workflows to launch automatically on defined criteria or events. Includes 50+ predefined Types (2012)/Templates (2009) to expedite rollouts. New records can be locked during approval process.

Red Maple http://www.redmaple.com â&#x20AC;˘ 972-980-6963 Red Maple's Advanced Workflow Email Client Adv. Workflow Email Client allows you to approve, reject or redirect workflows from mobile devices that use Microsoft Exchange Server without having to launch AX. Red Maple's Adv. Workflow is required.

Services Application Service Provider/Hosting

Myappsanywhere http://www.myappsanywhere.com 888-636-HOST Premier Cloud Computing Provider Myappsanywhere provides a complete go-to-market integrated cloud solution delivering 99.999% uptime, customizations, no minimums and secure storage in its privately-owned SSAE 16 Type 2 data center facilities.

RoseASP http://www.roseasp.com â&#x20AC;˘ 858-794-9403 RoseASP Hosted Microsoft Dynamics on Azure/ Private/Hybrid Cloud Solutions. Comprehensive pricing model for SPLA/Subscription Licensing - financially backed uptime guarantee. SSAE-16 data centers, SOX, HIPAA, FDA Compliancy.

Axapta

Great Plains

Business Process Outsourcing

Enterprise Ventures Corporation http://www.bpmtoday.net/ â&#x20AC;˘ 404-600-9252 NEW: Intelligent Business Process Management Solutions The #1 Gartner rated Business Process Management suite for Microsoft Dynamics. We provide organizations with a Total Optimization platform to achieve breakthrough results in lean process improvement.

Navision

Sierra Workforce Solutions

Data Resolution, LLC

http://www.dataresolution.net â&#x20AC;˘ 877-878-9108 ERP Clouds Data Resolution is dedicated to delivering private ERP cloud services branded as the partners brand. We keep all of our cloud customers optimized & working 24 hours a day, worldwide for the last 12 years.

WatServ http://www.watserv.com 866-531-2598 ext. 2311 Hosting and Cloud Computing for Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM WatServ is one of North America's largest, most experienced providers of Cloud Computing services for Dynamics AX, NAV, GP, SL & CRM.

Elevate HR, Inc. http://elevate-hr.com/solutions/ 877-968-4440 NEW: Elevate HR Extensions for AX HCM HCM Process Wizards, Approval Flow, Benefits Admin, Global Payroll, etc.

Custom Development NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Solomon

HR & Payroll Implementation & Consulting

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 73

SERVICES

KEY:

Cloud Computing

Implementation Services Bond Consulting Services

Marketing Planning & Services

Social Media

InDemand Trials

The Partner Marketing Group

Looking Glass Marketing http://www.BondConsultingServices.com 562-988-3451 NEW: Custom ERP & CRM Solutions That Streamline Your Business Processes We provide end to end ERP/CRM solutions which includes implementation, customization, integration, training and ongoing support. We work closely with ISVs to focus on multiple industries in SMB and Enterprise.

http://www.lookingglassmarketing.com 614-453-5927 Cost-effective Marketing Solutions for Microsoft Dynamics Partners Award-winning outsourced marketing services including lead generation, nurture marketing, email marketing, web design/SEO, content development.

RoseASP http://www.goERPcloud.com â&#x20AC;˘ 855-ERP-CLOUD ERP Cloud Trials Test drive preconfigured Microsoft Dynamics industry specific demo environments with integrated ISV solutions built for the web. goERPcloud trials help users understand the power of Dynamics and the cloud.

Partner Support Service The Partner Marketing Group Client Strategy Group http://www.csgax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 216-524-2574 Dynamics AX Done Right! CSG has proven expertise in: AX Performance Tuning, Business Intelligence, and AX 2012 Upgrades. NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS. Sierra Workforce Solutions http://www.sierraws.com â&#x20AC;˘ 800-822-0973 Sierra Workforce Solutions Time & labor management solutions optimizing productivity and data integration for payroll, HR & job costing using biometrics, badge, WEB or PC based time clocks. Includes employee manager self service.

http://www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com 605-574-9432 Microsoft Approved Vendor for Dynamics & R2R Marketing Consulting From strategic marketing plan development to the critical daily execution, this Microsoft experienced team can help fill your sales pipeline. Tornado Marketing, Inc. http://www.tornado-marketing.com 608-213-0377 Marketing Consulting Tornado Marketing offers high-impact, highly effective marketing consulting. 10+ years in the channel. Websites. SEO. Copywriting.

Member Organizations ERP Software Blog http://www.groupbloggers.com â&#x20AC;˘ 888-800-0999 ERP Software Blog/ CRM Software Blog Group blog sites for VAR/ISV partners to increase SEO, web traffic,leads

Plumbline Consulting, LLC. http://www.PlumblineConsulting.com 419-581-2300 Partner Support Services Leverage our Partner Support Services, including Support, Custom Development & Implementation Assistance to expand your offerings. 25+ yrs.

Sales Tax Management Service

http://www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com 732-237-8795 Butterfly Publisher Join Dynamics partners on Butterfly, a publishing & lead capture platform that makes your social, blog & newsletter marketing more effective!

Training NMB Solutions http://www.nmbsolutions.ca â&#x20AC;˘ 800-563-1007 Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Intergration for UPS and FedEx Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Multi Carrier Parcel and LTL Shipping Solution Integration: The NMB Solution Module is written using standard Dynamics AX objects and is designed to allow easy interaction with FedEx, DHL and UPS.

Upgrades

Client Strategy Group http://www.csgax.com â&#x20AC;˘ 216-524-2574 Dynamics AX Done Right! CSG has proven expertise in: AX Performance Tuning, Business Intelligence, and AX 2012 Upgrades.

Writing/Documentation Services The Partner Marketing Group http://www.thepartnermarketinggroup.com 605-574-9432 Blogs, Case Studies, Infographics, Websites Use 'content marketing' to build your brand and drive prospects into your sales pipeline.

SERVICES

Vertex SMB http://www.VertexSMB.com/TheList 855-221-5885 Vertex SMB Sales & use tax automation with payas-you-go pricing and PDF returns.

InterDyn BMI http://www.interdynbmi.com â&#x20AC;˘ 866-264-3249 InterDyn BMI Microsoft Gold Certified provider of innovative solutions for over 30 years.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

74 | AXUG Magazine

Navision

Solomon

Customer Relationship Management

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Narrow Your Search for Microsoft Dynamics Add-Ons With The List: Mobile! Visit www.thelistmobile.com on your mobile device and access an up-to-date list of Microsoft Dynamics products and services in your pocket anywhere you go.

KEY:

Axapta

Great Plains

Navision

Solomon

Customer Relationship Management

Search by company name, keyword, or filter by Microsoft Dynamics product line to find the products you need.

Retail Management System

Point of Sale

Q2/Q3 2015 | 75

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