| Supply Chain Management often is Barcode driven | | | | this module might be the core of your SCM |
| and includes inventory replenishment, and also Sales | | | | Inventory Replenishment), Sales Order Processing |
| order execution with high level of processes | | | | (where you can capitalize on order execution steps, |
| automation. If you are mid-size organization, | | | | including order or invoice line allocation/fulfillment, |
| engaged in Warehouse Management, Merchandise | | | | backorders) - to give you several reasons to |
| Automatic Replenishment, advanced Barcode | | | | consider. You may pose the question for your |
| automated Order Execution (Order Assembly, Picking | | | | management team - we already bought Dynamics GP |
| and Packing, Finished Goods Returns and | | | | Business Ready licenses, where a lot of our SCM |
| Disassembly), you may expect certain level of | | | | required logic is already included - we just need to |
| custom programming in implementing Supply Chain | | | | enable Barcode automation to make Great Plains |
| Management Solution for Microsoft Dynamics GP. | | | | friendly for your Warehouse workers. If you decide |
| We already described in several publications specifics | | | | to take Dynamics GP existing business logic extension |
| of Great Plains Warehouse Management, Barcoding, | | | | route, here are the tools for you to consider: |
| Consignment, integration with Retail Application, | | | | Microsoft Dexterity (this is Great Plains architecture |
| Inventory Cycle count. In this paper we will try to | | | | with its own scripting language Sanscript and |
| give you generic SCM approaches and options, | | | | Integrated Development Environment, you have no |
| especially when you came to the conclusion, that | | | | limits with Dexterity, except probably the fact that |
| existing out-of-the-box Dynamics GP SCM packages | | | | Dex requires experienced programmers, who are |
| do not provide required functionality: | | | | preferably familiar with Dynamics GP Source Code). |
| 1. External Application integration with Dynamics GP | | | | Second tools could be Modifier with VBA - it is not |
| versus extending Great Plains screen in Supply Chain | | | | .Net compliant but still does wonderful job or |
| Management application. This is probably one of the | | | | extending Dynamics GP screens with new editable |
| first questions or topics for your homework. There | | | | fields, push buttons, etc., where you would need to |
| are great SCM self sufficient systems out there on | | | | animate these new objects with VBA scripts. VBA |
| the Corporate ERP software market and if you think | | | | allows you to push data to Dynamics GP tables via |
| that reasonable integration to Dynamics GP is OK, | | | | ADO technology |
| you can decide to take that route. In Dynamics GP | | | | 3. Barcoding Focus. In Dynamics GP every screen |
| there are several integration tools to consider. In | | | | where you have editable fields could be subject for |
| the simplest and probably the most recommended | | | | Barcode integration (or where you would like to |
| scenario, consider GP Integration Manager module, | | | | upload barcode scanner batch). The reason to |
| where you can integrate CSV or tab delimited text | | | | consider custom add-on programming here is simple - |
| files as well as via Advanced ODBC query - whatever | | | | each Corporate ERP application screen has several |
| could be exposed via ODBC bridge (including cross | | | | types of editable fields: Drop Down List, Check Box, |
| platform DB queries: Oracle, DBII, PHP/MySQL/Linux, | | | | Radio Group, Edit Field and plus these fields should be |
| Pervasive SQL). You can also explore Dynamics GP | | | | filled in determined sequence. Barcode scanner is |
| eConnect to move records from SCM system to | | | | capable to fill scanned code into Edit Field, and it |
| GP. In the case of eConnect you have more | | | | requires custom logic to automate the rest of the |
| control, including real time transaction integration | | | | Screen business logic |
| triggering options (eConnect libraries could be included | | | | 4. International SCM focus. Microsoft Dynamics GP |
| into your MS Visual Studio C#, VB application, where | | | | is localized in most of English speaking countries: USA, |
| you program your custom integration) | | | | Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, South |
| 2. Extending native Dynamics GP Screens and | | | | Africa, plus it is localized to some extent in Spanish |
| business logic to achieve Supply Chain Management | | | | speaking South and Central America and Caribbean |
| goals. Microsoft Dynamics GP itself has very rich | | | | basin, It is also available in French in Quebec |
| business logic, especially in such modules as Inventory | | | | Montreal. Dynamics GP is also translated to Arabic. |
| Control (items transfer between the sites, cycle | | | | In the countries and regions where GP is not localized: |
| count, cost and price control), Bill of Materials (for | | | | Brazil, China, Russia, Japan, Continental Europe, Korea |
| light discrete manufacturing, including production on | | | | - we recommend SAP Business One |
| demand or order execution), Purchase Order | | | | 5. How to get further help? |
| Processing (especially with Purchasing Configurator - | | | | |