Supply Chain Management

 » Business Need » Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management

"The faster and more efficiently goods move from the raw-material phase to your customers, the more satisfied they'll be and the more profit you'll make. Columbus IT has solutions to manage every step of your supply chain.”-- Steen Hagengaard, CM, Columbus IT Denmark.

As a manufacturer, you must plan, manage, and control the transportation and storage of your raw materials, inventory, and finished goods from the point where you start manufacturing to the point where the goods reach your customers. Today's fast-moving economy brings new technologies, faster production cycles, and more demanding customers. Supply chain management enables you to control your supply chain efficiently. Microsoft Dynamics AX and implementations from Columbus IT give you the competitive edge.

 

Microsoft Dynamics AX is a solid foundation for your supply chain. It's efficient, reliable, and completely customizable depending on your business needs. And Columbus IT has worked with many manufacturing companies to implement Dynamics AX and streamline their supply chains - so we already know just what customizations and modules will give you the leanest supply chain at the best cost.

 

With the custom modules from Columbus IT, you'll find that you can reduce operational costs, optimize your operations, and quickly respond to customer demands. Much of the benefit from Supply Chain Management comes from our strong reporting and forecasting abilities, which help you minimize lead times, and make the best purchasing decisions.

 

Master Planning

The Master Planning module for Microsoft Dynamics AX gives you complete control over forecasting and scheduling. It collects information from other modules, such as logistics, to give you up-to-date, detailed reports on your entire supply chain, so that you can see forecasts and make the right decisions on supplies and product flow.

First, forecast scheduling uses product forecasts so you can see long-term changes in materials and capacity, and change course accordingly - before demand and market changes become a problem. This gives your organization the responsiveness to anticipate problems before they happen - and turn them into competitive opportunities.

 

Second, master scheduling lets you match your current capacity to demand based on total (current + production) orders to optimize the flow of materials through the supply chain over the short-run. You can run master scheduling several times a day in 'net change mode' to get continuous, real-time reports.

 

Other aspects of the Master Planning module are:

  • Finite capacity scheduling
  • Master scheduling for a single sales order as it is taken
  • Automatic searches for vendors with lowest unit prices or shortest lead times
  • Vendor calendars based on lead times in working days or calendar days
  • Automated purchase and production orders
  • Analysis of potential supply chain problems if raw materials are delayed
  • Time fence controls
  • Planned transfer orders
  • Safety stock levels calculated automatically based on historical data
  • Multiple master plans, including 'what-if' scenarios
For more information, download the Master Planning Fact Sheet in PDF format.

 

Warehouse Management

The Warehouse Management module for Dynamics AX provides you with the ability to easily process and track items at any point in the warehouse, stamp items with serial or batch numbers, locate items quickly, and pick and pack goods rapidly and efficiently.

 

You'll also have the ability to manage the warehouse itself by establishing priorities for storage areas based on demand, temperature, or other characteristics. The system can automatically assign an optimal storage location for goods as they arrive - ensuring you make the best use of your warehouse space.

 

For more information, download the Warehouse Management Fact Sheet in PDF format.

 

Read more information about our Enterprise Module in PDF format.

Next steps

Did you know?

"All these improvements—reduced production volatility, lower inventory levels, less expensive logistics and streamlined payments systems—have a common denominator: more efficient information management through better methodologies and technologies." - "Supply Chain Management: The Science of Better, Faster, Cheaper", Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Issue 2, March/April 2005.

Customer Story


Makita Makita
The success of power tool company Makita in Russia has transformed their representative office, established in 1997, into a full affiliated company in 2003. This organizational change and the subsequent growth in staff necessitated an upgrade of their ERP-system. Once again Makita turned to Columbus IT Partner for assistance. The partnership...
Read more