From the Inbound Logistics article:

An ERP solution equipped with supply chain management functions gives businesses all the logistics tools they need.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems were developed to run entire businesses. So it’s no surprise that ERP solutions have always addressed supply chain functions. In fact, the first ERP systems, which emerged in the late 1980s, often included distribution, inventory management, and transportation modules.

For rich, robust supply chain management (SCM) functions, however, many large companies have turned to vendors that specialize in supply chain planning, execution, or both. Often, users have built interfaces to move data between these “point solutions” and the ERP packages that manage functions such as manufacturing, sales, finance, and human resources.

In their desire to serve up suites that meet more needs, ERP vendors have begun adding full SCM systems to their portfolios. They intend these solutions to provide everything a company might find in a best-of-breed SCM package.

One reason ERP vendors are expanding their product lines to include more SCM tools is that the North American ERP market has… Read Complete Article from Inbound Logistics

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Integrated EDI for Microsoft Dynamics: The Must-have Accessory for Apparel and Footwear Companies

If you’re planning to attend, don’t miss Data Masons’ Dennis Bruce who will be onsite to share his expertise on EDI for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. I think you’ll be interested to hear Dennis talk more about how your EDI and compliance requirements can be accomplished without any customizations to the NAV ERP.  Then, following breakfast, head on over to hear Tom Taylor from Microsoft kick-off the event and give a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 preview.

Here’s what’s on deck for today’s agenda:

•15 Different Sessions Offered In 2 Tracks
•“Ask Your Peers” Panel Discussion Including Group O, Augsburg Fortress and 2 Microsoft Customer Excellence Award Winners – Saris Cycling Group & Single Source
•Networking Over Pizza & Beer at a Pre-Event Mixer on Tuesday Night, May 8th
•NAV Customer Case Study Presentation by Schoep’s Ice Cream, a Food Manufacturer
•NAV Roadmap Discussion & RTC Deep Dives Led by Microsoft’s Tom Taylor
•Tips & Tricks Sharing Session Led by NAV User and Publisher, Augsburg Fortress
•Reporting Session Led by NAV User & Security Company, Alarm Detection Systems
•NAV Customer Case Study Presentation by Technical Prospects, a Used Medical Equipment Supplier
•Lunch with Networking Huddles Based on Role & Interest

All Microsoft Dynamics NAV users are welcome and encouraged to attend these regional events. NAVUG Partners are also welcome, provided they are accompanied by a customer.  For partners interested in attending future events, please contact Trish Boccuti, NAVUG Program Director at trish.boccuti@navug.com.

Tracks and sessions have been published! It’s your first look at what’s in store at the 2012 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference July 8 – 12. Embrace all that Toronto has to offer and register today for an experience that will elevate your course of business.

HOW CAN WPC IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE?

Our tracks are focused around what matters to you most. Our sessions will provide you with the insights and knowledge you need to be most successful.

• Gain insight into proven strategies and best practices, as well as key programs and initiatives Microsoft is offering to reseller partners.
• Scale your reach through thousands of channel partners looking to sell your hosting and cloud services.
• MPN partners now have a new benefit to build their business with advertising offers, including credits/coupons, available to all partners.
• The Business Leadership Track will bring you the latest thinking from industry analysts, innovation experts, and leading partners.

Register Now for WPC 2012!

The GP Technical Airlift event is designed to deliver advanced technical skills around Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 via two tracks, one for consultants and one for developers. Attendees will learn in the areas of workflow, business intelligence, SQL Reporting Services, and planning for security or compliance.

Designed for Dynamics GP implementation professionals, consultants, developers and technical sales engineers who work for Microsoft Dynamics VARs and ISVs, Kim Peterson, GPPC Director, anticipates that the event will likely sell out with approximately 400 attendees. Kim noted that “Partners are extremely excited about Dynamics GP 2013 and are looking forward to the in-depth training that this event will provide.”  Microsoft and GPPC are currently finalizing the agenda and session content, but Kim informed me that they’ll be publishing more information soon.  In the interim, you can find the tentative agenda and registration information at http://www.gpug.com/conferences/Airlift2012.

Also part of their working plan is a ‘social’ component to the conference. Kim explained that “GPPC is utilizing social media channels as part of the ‘prep’ for the event and we’ll be using the Twitter hashtags #GPPC and #airlift12 to keep the community informed. We’re also going to plan for ‘checking in’ and getting folks to blog/tweet before they come, during the event and after.”   Lastly, this summer look forward to a webinar on “how to” leverage social media so we can all share what we are learning on Dynamics GP 2013.

Stay tuned for more information coming from GPPC on this event and if you haven’t already, make sure you’re following #GPPC and #airlift12 so that you don’t miss any important information.

Attention all Dynamics NAV users in the Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa and Kentucky areas!  Join Data Masons as we head out to the NAVUG Midwest Regional User Group Meeting on Wednesday, May 9th  in Waupaca, WI

We’re excited to join you and another anticipated 75+ NAV professionals for a day of knowledge-sharing and networking. Data Masons will be hosting breakfast, during which time you can hear a little more about our EDI for Dynamics NAV solution that avoids any customizations to the NAV ERP.  Following breakfast, Tom Taylor from Microsoft will lead the event kick-off and give a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 Preview (formerly known as NAV 7).

Other highlights include:

• 15 Different Sessions Offered In 2 Tracks
• “Ask Your Peers” Panel Discussion Including Group O, Augsburg Fortress and 2 Microsoft Customer Excellence Award Winners – Saris Cycling Group & Single Source
• Networking Over Pizza & Beer at a Pre-Event Mixer on Tuesday Night, May 8th
• NAV Customer Case Study Presentation by Schoep’s Ice Cream, a Food Manufacturer
• NAV Roadmap Discussion & RTC Deep Dives Led by Microsoft’s Tom Taylor
• Tips & Tricks Sharing Session Led by NAV User and Publisher, Augsburg Fortress
• Reporting Session Led by NAV User & Security Company, Alarm Detection Systems
• NAV Customer Case Study Presentation by Technical Prospects, a Used Medical Equipment Supplier
• Lunch with Networking Huddles Based on Role & Interest

As always, all Microsoft Dynamics NAV users are welcome and encouraged to attend. NAVUG Partners are also welcome, provided they are accompanied by a customer.  For partners interested in attending, please contact Trish Boccuti, NAVUG Program Director at trish.boccuti@navug.com.

Find more information or to register online visit http://may9midwestnavusergroup.eventbrite.com/.

Data Masons welcomes LaCrosse Footwear as a new customer who purchased the Certified for Microsoft Dynamics Vantage Point EDI for Microsoft Dynamics AX solution in March 2012.

Headquartered in Portland, OR, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. (Nasdaq: BOOT) is a leading developer and marketer of premium, branded-footwear for dedicated work and outdoor users. The Company’s trusted Danner® and LaCrosse® brands are sold through a network of specialty retailers and distributors in North America, Europe and Asia.

The Certified for Microsoft Dynamics Vantage Point EDI solution will delivers an integrated EDI solution that will quickly allow the company to manage current trading partner requirements and extend their growing partner network with confidence.

Welcome to the Data Masons Family.

To learn more about LaCrosse Footwear check them out online.

Bob McAdam, GPPC Co-Leader; Jesse Byam, GPPC Co-Leader; and Kim Peterson, GPPC Director, recently reminded this year’s GPPC PreGAME attendees in Houston that they can provide feedback on the event via a quick survey. GPPC is a partner-driven group and your feedback is critical!

They’ve also made the presentation materials available to review and share with your team members:

Kick off keynotes by Pam Misialek and Errol Schoenfish. Both shared their views on the exciting opportunity Dynamics GP 2013 will bring to the market.

Kevin Racer’s two sessions on the technical aspects on how Dynamics GP 2013 will work.

• Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Deep Dive
• Dynamics GP 2013 Web Client Unplugged

Mark Stuyt of Sales Works did an excellent job for the sales and marketing room sharing how to shorten the sales cycle.

Pam Kram of Microsoft also offered follow up information for you to leverage for sales support. We hope you take what you learned from Mark and continue to brush up your skills in preparation of Dynamics GP 2013:

• Accelerated Sales Methodology On Demand Training (featuring Mark Stuyt, Sales Work)
• SMB Resource Center
• Road to Repeatability Rally Group Registration
• Recorded Rally Group Sessions

Lastly, David Musgrave of Microsoft shared his experiences of PreGAME: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2012/03/27/microsoft-convergence-2012-houston-gppc-pregame.aspx

Thanks GPPC for another great event at Convergence 2012! Hope to see many of the same faces, and more, at the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift event hosted by GPPC.  Plan now for your trip to
Fargo to learn how Dynamics GP 2013 will perform.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift Hosted by GPPC
Location: Microsoft Campus in Fargo, ND
Dates: September 12 – 14, 2012
Audience: Technical resources that will implement and develop on Dynamics GP 2013

For example, I thought what NAVUG did at its DayONE event was a great example of getting the community engaged in using social media channels. In talking with Trish Boccuti of NAVUG, I asked how they came up with the idea of hosting a “Twitter Hunt” during the event.

Trish: “At first we thought it would be cool to do an in person scavenger hunt, but we thought it would take time away from people’s learning experiences. So we came up with the virtual scavenger hunt idea and figured Twitter was an easy way to implement it. It’s such a great, easy way to communicate without burdening people with too many emails.”

Jon: What were your goals in hosting a Twitter Hunt?

Trish: “We wanted to get our members more involved in using Social Media. The goal was actually two part: 1) get users engaged with each other, and 2) encourage the use of Twitter within the NAVUG community.

Jon: Who participated in the Twitter Hunt? Twitter newbies, Twitter pros?

Trish: We had a lot of first time tweeters join the hunt. That was pretty cool to see. We also had a lot of people that had a Twitter account, but never used it really. So we definitely got people engaged and people loved seeing themselves get re-tweeted!”

Jon: Do you think you accomplished what you set out to do?

Trish: “Yes! We grew our @NAVUG and #NAVUG followers by about 35 people. By the end of the week everyone really had Twitter down, including the incorporation of popular community hashtags into their tweets. We’re really pleased with the outcome and hope the momentum carries through.”

What can I say, I love to see us all get more involved in sharing information and networking outside of face to face events! Great work Trish and the NAVUG DayONE planning committee! Looking forward to seeing more of you ‘socially’!

The automation of the transaction flow in the world of EDI is unclear for companies that want to automate the exchange of business documents between themselves (OEM for this discussion) and a sub-contract manufacturer, or those companies that are the subcontracting partner for others. Issues such as materials ownership, stocking, arrival notification, production scheduling, ERP system integration and the costing of the goods and service are not always well understood by EDI and ERP systems.

Often times the service provided is just one step in a manufacturing sequence that’s driven by a step in a shop order, as opposed to a purchase order or similar document. Some component materials may be provided by the sub-contractor, while others are owned by the buyer of the product and service. Lack of communication and integration of business systems  between the contractor and OEM often result in scheduling conflicts, stock shortages and other supply chain execution problems.

Handling these situations in a manual environment has its challenges and high overhead given the exchange of emails, phone calls, etc. that require manual re-entry into ERP systems. Automating this critical flow via EDI or another electronic document exchange can be confusing since there are some ambiguous documents that might be used, but have their pitfalls and shortcomings as well.

One potentially obvious flow is the Purchase Order, Advance Ship Notice and Invoice process since it’s probably the most common document set in the world of EDI and is widely supported by many systems. Yet this “set” of documents doesn’t make sense in the context of the business transactions at hand – the contract manufacturing of a product that may not even exist within the ERP system since it could be an intermediate step in creation of the “real” item that is tracked in inventory. In fact, the purchase order represents the service of the contracted process and that is the financial value reflected in the purchasing system and invoice. Additionally the PO, ASN and Invoice flow does not provide visibility of flow of materials to the contractor that they don’t purchase, nor the communication of inventory deviations of customer-owned products.

There are other document sets that can also be considered, but for the sake of brevity let’s consider the set that provides the most comprehensive and cohesive documents referred to in the world of ANSI X.12 EDI – the 94X Series. These documents specifically are:

• 940 – Warehouse Shipping Order – instruction to the contractor
• 943 – Warehouse Shipping Order
• 944 – Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice
• 945 – Warehouse Shipping Advice
• 947 – Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice

This transaction set is designed for Third-Party Logistic Providers (3PL’s), but has all of the necessary characteristics to meet the needs of the OEM / Contractor Relationship. The possible use of these documents is described below.

• The 940 can be used to communicate the initiation of a production process and can communicate where to ship the goods to continue the process and can emanate from the shop order or purchase order.
• The 945 communicates the shipment of the sub-contracted materials back to the OEM and can be used to update the shop order and possibly satisfy the Purchase Order, if desired or needed.
• The 943 alerts the contractor that inbound goods, purchased by the OEM are to arrive so that planning put away and validation of the goods can be done.
• The 944 can be used by the contractor to communicate the actual receipt of the goods so that those raw materials purchase orders can be “received” and inventory updated accordingly.
• The 947 can be used to communicate the gain/loss of material due to miscues or unavoidable shrinkage.

While the use of the 94X document automation of the OEM to Contract Manufacturer is not the only possible document set to utilize in this process, it does have all of the characteristics needed to handle this information flow very effectively.

Now with Convergence 2012 under our belts, it’s time to mark our calendars for other upcoming Dynamics-focused events. While the calendars are always full with local and regional events, below are some of the larger events yet to come in 2012.   And don’t forget that Convergence 2013 is already on the calendar, taking place March 18- 21, 2013 in New Orleans, LA.

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, July 8 – 12, 2012 in Toronto
The Partner Event, September 9 – 11, 2012 in Fargo, ND
Microsoft Dynamics GP Technical Airlift, September 12 – 14, 2012 in Fargo, ND
Dynamics AX User Group (AXUG) Summit, October 15 – 18, 2012 in Seattle, WA
Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG) Summit, October 15 – 18, 2012 in Seattle, WA
Dynamics NAV User Group (NAVUG) Forum, October 15 – 18, 2012 in Seattle, WA
NAV Directions 2012, October 27 – October 30, 2012 in Phoenix, AZ

Hope to see you again at one of these upcoming events!