Three usage scenarios where Business Integration Solutions can help with version management

1. Project changes:When a modification of a project component takes place in one of your environments, you need to save the change and implement it in all other environments. This means the project needs to be exported and manually imported into the other environments. Changes could be lost when several back-ups exist.
2. Issue resolution: During testing, when you find and resolve an issue in one of the messages, the fix should also be translated to the other environments. This means the project needs to be exported and then imported into the development environment. In this scenario, it is easy to confuse several backups during this process.
3. Updates in test environments: When you are working in a pre-production test environment (that is updated frequently), each update changes the project content. Each person working in the test environment has to remember to perform project backups. Resetting means that users have to be cognizant about backing up the latest version. In case a user forgets to back up a project when project content changes, many hours of work may be lost.

How version management in Business Integration Solutions works

In Business Integration Solutions, version management takes place at the project level. It includes all project details and components, including migrations, messages, documents, connectors, type conversion, and transformations. Now you can easily apply version management to a complete project. The version management feature makes it safe to save and restore project data. In all three scenarios we mentioned, you could easily save the project data in a shared folder. The versions are the same for all linked environments. You can efficiently save and restore them into these environments. In addition, the solutions protect projects against unintentional changes, because checked-in projects prevent such changes.

In the first two scenarios, version management keeps the environments current. Whenever a modification is needed, just check the project out. Modify the project components and then check it in again. In the third scenario, make sure to have the project checked in just before you update the environment with a new database. Following the update, you can restore the project. Now you can trust your setup because you always have the latest version!

Find out how our business integration solutions can help you with version management.

Het bericht Business Integration Solutions: 3 Version Management Scenarios verscheen eerst op To-Increase.

As companies upgrade and/or replace their ERP and other business management systems, it is clear they want to migrate data to the new solutions. In the case of an ERP implementation, which is generally a complex project with myriad moving parts and dependencies, data migration from legacy systems quickly becomes complicated and challenging. That complexity increases when it concerns multiple entities in an international environment. Data from several sources, multiple legacy systems with limited import and export capabilities, multiple lines of business, and stages in the company’s history may come in different, even obsolete formats; display various degrees of integrity; or present distinct requirements for access and protection.

How do companies approach data migration?

Some companies follow an unstructured approach to data migration. The technical team hand-codes migrations using only Microsoft Excel and.CSV files, manually. Others use data migration solutions to simplify the process and minimize the risk and cost of migration projects. In recent years, more and more companies perform data migration following a project-oriented approach, based on best practices.

Bloor Research has charted out best practices for data migration. They recommend that companies ensure high data quality by using automated tools to perform data profiling and cleansing before undertaking a migration. They suggest using a proven data migration tool with a sound methodology instead of hand-coding migrations for speed and efficiency. Businesses should plan data migration as a distinct, separately resourced project that is not simply a component of an implementation. Business stakeholders, not just technical experts, need to be involved in planning and testing the migration and validating its alignment with their goals.

Where should you start?

I recommend, go for Business Integration Solutions that enable organizations to follow best practices that lead to more successful data migrations. An apt solution would have the needs of both business and technical users embedded in it. Ensure that within a business process-oriented framework, the solution provides a huge array of data migration capabilities and accommodates a great variety of data formats and sources. The solution should be able to facilitate specific complex migrations without the need for extensive custom coding. It provides powerful modeling and scripting resources to speed multiple migrations with best-practice configurations within internationally active companies. The solution you go for must contribute to a lower cost of ownership for your ERP systems.

Learn how To-Increase’s Data Migration Studio reduces the risk and increases the predictability of data migrations.

Het bericht Why You Should Follow Best Practices for Data Migration verscheen eerst op To-Increase.

A value-driven BPM tool can help you can achieve a strategically sound ERP implementation that enables people, processes, and technology to align behind the company’s business goals. Further, it helps improve your business processes and leverage your ERP system to optimize workflows. A BPM tool brings in established industry best practices and processes making your ERP implementation more streamlined.

BPM helps create higher customer value

Some of our key partners now follow a value-driven BPM approach when addressing their customers’ complex issues. Engineers and project managers work with their customers to define goals, establish deliverables, document and optimize the processes these deliverables need to support, model them within the solution, and eventually deliver them with great efficiency. They use BPM tool capabilities to create and publish process-oriented documentation and user guidance for their products. This helps them provide their customers with an exceptional value experience. It also helps them unearth process optimizations and efficiencies that make their practice more profitable.

Using BPM to build better software

ISVs are using BPM to document, model, and optimize the business processes that their solutions support. They incorporate industry expertise and best practices into the process content and in the same tool, manage progressive iterations of their products with their various enhancements and improvements. Serving as a simple central repository for reusable, maintainable business strategy and process knowledge, an apt BPM tool helps teams deliver strategically aligned enhancements in the way companies operate. The value-driven BPM approach and process-oriented mindset can ensure that joint projects proceed smoothly and deliver outstanding, lasting value to all parties.

Find out how To-Increase’s RapidValue BPM suite, a business process management tool makes it possible to sync business processes with the ERP system and align it with your company’s objectives and strategies.

Het bericht Accomplish Successful, Strategic ERP Deployments with Business Process Management verscheen eerst op To-Increase.

1. Measure and move

You can reduce your machine downtime by measuring – when the machine breaks down, how long does it take to fix it, when does the breakdown recur, what is the availability, how much does it cost to fix it, and other important KPIs. This is a precursor to preventive maintenance. ERP systems and CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems) allow you to manage the history of your assets as well as spare parts, repair, and operation supplies. With an access to the history, your service engineer can document machine issues and workarounds in fixing the issues. This data can then be used prudently, the next time the machine breaks down. This process also enables you to calculate values like – the mean time between one breakdown and the next. This information, in turn, can help you adjust your preventive maintenance schedule.
2. Optimize equipment uptime with predictive maintenance

While the first way was based on historical data when the machine had broken down earlier, this second way is based on hard data that comes from the machine real time. Predictive maintenance is a need-based way and you do not need to wait for a breakdown or maintaining on schedule (preventive). Real-time data is collected with the help of sensors about the current condition and operation of your assets. This data is turned into meaningful insights with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics to optimize maintenance, when and where needed. Needless to say that this minimizes downtime of your equipment. Predictive maintenance plays a crucial role in ensuring the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
3. Extend easy access to technology

Educating your workers on how to take care of machines to prevent downtime is just one aspect of it. Your crew needs to know what to do, when, and how. Access to easy technology for them to have a clear direction in terms of execution, helping them to get the right information at the right time and right place is underrated. Technology enables you to ensure what exactly needs to be done when your maintenance worker is on the field. Over and above training them, the right tool and right documentation to be able to do his job in the right way could be a deal maker. So, make sure that the maintenance technician is on a platform where he has all the data, KPIs cause with that information you can take a lot of effective and informed decisions.

Want to implement maintenance schedules accurately that will result in minimizing downtime and costs? Know more on Enterprise Asset Management here.

Het bericht 3 Ways to Optimize your MRO Practices to Reduce Machine Downtime verscheen eerst op To-Increase.

A few years ago, such a thing would have been considered if not impossible, at least somewhat of a luxury. However, in today’s world, it has become a vital element in the streamlining of your operations. It is no longer acceptable to rely on inefficient processes with phone calls between your back office and field personnel and the incomplete memory of your busy resources on the field to run your business. You are required to provide immaculate service and maintain impeccable records at all times. The era of mobility solutions is here to address these issues.

However, just having your ERP system duplicated onto a handheld device may not be the answer here. What is needed is to build applications specifically to address mobility needs; then the outcome would be in sync with the specific needs of your company and make it easier to use. Not only does this ensure better usability but also significantly reduces mistakes making it a definite asset to both the employees as well as managers.

“The time of our field workers is better used to carry out their core work, not paperwork!” – DynaRent understands that.

Increased efficiency, easier paperwork, adherence to processes, and real-time update of jobs done, are some of the reasons why many rental companies have started to invest in mobility solutions.

DynaRent PowerApps

At DynaRent, we have designed our own-out-of-the-box PowerApps to meet the increasing demand for mobility solutions. Our solutions focus on an array of activities and processes that are part of a rental business’ operations.

These would include aspects like:

• Work order details
• Location details
• Hour registration
• Material consumption
• Follow-up
• Customer sign-off
• Sign-off email

Having these details on-hand can provide the support that on-site personnel, crane operators, and truck drivers require so that they can focus on their core work and spend minimal time to efficiently update hours, materials or other costs on the go.  As you have the option to limit process deviations, it would ensure that all such variations are restricted and recorded in case any occur. What is more, they can easily access any information they require from the trimmer version of the ERP solution on their mobile device.

Our focused approach at the designing stage of the DynaRent app ensures that usage is simple and that there is very less margin for errors that may occur due to usage on the run. However, any concerns about the wrong entries can be mitigated by the ERP back office as it has the option to fix any mistakes quickly.

Reach out to us at info@highsoftware.com if you have any queries about DynaRent’s PowerApps Solution within Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations application or want a free demo. If you are curious to learn more, click to view our previous PowerApps webinar.

Het bericht Learn How Mobility Solutions Can Help Your Field Resources verscheen eerst op To-Increase.