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As we could imagine, if you are reading this article – you are in the decision making mode, probably replacing legacy system with the new one or abandoning either Unix/Mainframe or Apple direction for your corporation. In any case, nobody should make an outside influence on your decision – you should be maximally objective. Let us give you our estimates and the parameters to check on the pool of the possible ERPs/MRPs.
• Lifecycle. Each application has its lifecycle: from inception and initial fighting for the “place under the sun”, to maturing and then slowly or rapidly declining. Great Plains Software Dynamics, which is prototype of our days Microsoft Great Plains was released in 1994-95 as the first Graphical Accounting/MRP application, working on the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Plus Great Plains Dexterity – Dynamics platform was designed as both computer graphical platform as well as database platform independent (to some extent of course, especially when we talk about tuning it to the database platform for performance reason). So, technically Microsoft Great Plains has 10 years of history and is currently in the maturity phase.
• Database Platform. Current trends in the IT applied science are biased toward reliable and standard database platform. If you look at such product as SAP (Abap) or Navision (C/Side native database). This is probably reflection of the future multiple OS harmony: Linux, Windows, Unix systems will coexist communicating via XML (pure text) inbound and outbound streams. We'd say you should be looking for ERP which sits in the standard database: Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DBII, Ingress, Sybase, Unidata. SQL is the survivor and it will stay for a very long time. It should be possible to query your data via SQL queries – this will make your life easier when you face integration, customization and reporting needs. Microsoft Great Plains uses MS SQL Sever.
• Positions in your country. If you are in the USA – you should know these facts about Microsoft Business Solutions. First jewel, that was bought by Microsoft was Great Plains Software, in fact Doug Burgum, GPS leader was old friend of Bill Gates. Few years before acquisition by Microsoft GPS bought Solomon Software, its old and major competitor. Currently Microsoft Solomon is targeted to Project Oriented Business – Construction, Consulting, etc. Few years after Great Plains acquisition, Microsoft Business Solutions purchased Denmark based Navision Software. Navision had long presence in the USA, especially in the manufacturing ERP market. But, as we believe – and this is our private opinion – Navision acquisition allowed Microsoft to gain substantial portion of the European ERP market. We think that if you are in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Latin America and your are not a construction company – then Great Plains is good choice for you.
• Industry specifics. Microsoft Great Plains should be considered as ERP platform ready for tuning to your business needs and so, you should make your decision if you would prefer customization or purchasing so-called rich-functionality ERP. Great Plains is the platform for the customization. It fits to all the spectrum of industries: apparel, medical, pharmaceutical, distribution, logistics, aerospace, defense, wholesale, metals, chemicals, retail to name a few.
Good luck with selection, implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 866-528-0577 or 630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com
In this small article we will show you the possible way of deploying Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains for the market niche of large, mid-size and small reselling and distribution business in carpeting and floor covering, textile & fabric. We will not be talking about fabric production, but rather cutting for the end-user or small retailer. Microsoft Great Plains itself in our case should be considered as a platform for light customization and modification. We'll describe industry requirements and the way them to be implemented in Great Plains
• Variable Length Rolls. Usually, when you place and order through your supplier – there is no way to know exact length of the roll or bolt. It might have 75 yards or 80 yards – you typically know the average length, say 77 yards and this is why you know what to expect in yards if you purchase 10 bolts
• Inventory in Yards. When you receive the roll – you need to place it into inventory in exact yards. Typical method is to assign lot number to the bolt and then associate the exact initial length in yards with this unique lot number. This is Great Plains Dexterity customization, which provides parallel unit of measure, associated with the lot number
• Light Assembly. Bill of Materials would be probably too complex for cutting the fabric. This is why we suggest to deploy automatic inventory decrease and increase adjustments – you decrease number of yards in the roll and increase your finished good in the number of units assembled
• Meter / Yard challenge. If you purchase from the supplier in China, Mexico, South East Asia or Europe – they measure their rolls in meters, not yards – so you need to implement automatic unit of measure translation and conversion. You resolve this on the level of your EDI – electronic document interchange
• Cut-beds tracking to original roll. If you are assembling/cutting something like billiard table beds – you would like them to be tracked to the original roll in the case of customer complaint. This means that you will have to assign the same or modified lot number to the cut-bed
• Inventory Count. You need to track what is the current length of the bolt/roll. This is realized via custom Dexterity table, having Item Number, Lot Number, Initial Length in Yards, Current Length in Yards
• Customization Tools: Great Plains Dexterity – this is Great Plains Dynamics programming language and development environment; Modifier with VBA – will allow your modify Great Plains forms and attach VBA scripts to your custom buttons; SQL scripts and stored procedures – low level database programming, excellent for the professional with profound GP tables structure and data flow knowledge.
Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 866-528-0577 or 630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com