Merit Matters Blog - Microsoft Dynamics Information

Improving Manufacturing Productivity with Microsoft Dynamics AX and SharePoint

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:08:14 -0400

Technology plays a vital role in simplifying processes and streamlining workflows across enterprises. With Microsoft solutions, your technology investments can be maximized with connected applications built on a broader platform that includes solutions that were developed to work together and connect business processes.

Let’s take a look at how integrated Microsoft solutions—including Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the Microsoft Office system, collaboration tools such as Microsoft SharePoint, and more—help fuel productivity by empowering manufacturers to accelerate innovation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and increase market responsiveness.

Microsoft solutions can help accelerate the effectiveness of business process and business intelligence.
Microsoft Dynamics provides powerful applications to help your business deliver business intelligence for confident decisions, streamlined processes, and improved productivity.

Make the right information available throughout the business process.
Provide the right people with easy access to the BI each needs in his or her role.
Use Microsoft SharePoint to help ensure consistent, effective workflow.

Next, consider the benefits of enterprise content management:
Microsoft servers and other collaboration tools empower your organization to:

Author, manage, and organize complex documents and content.
Integrate customer and document management.
Collaborate and share over customer/partner extranets.
Perform enterprise-wide searches.

Now let’s look at the communication and collaboration benefits:
Some of the world’s leading collaboration tools—including Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft BizTalk Server—together with Microsoft Dynamics solutions - provide an environment in which you can:

Keep coworkers, partners, customers—even online communities—in sync.
Provide contextual document workspaces for employees across departments and locations, and extend workspaces to partners and customers as needed—securely.
Unify communications across all relationships vital to your organization.

Together, BI, content management, and communication and collaboration can increase productivity. Finally, we need to support the Microsoft Dynamics business solution with a solid foundation:

Adding the Microsoft Office business platform not only lets you provide employees with the Microsoft Office system applications that many people already know and use, it also provides a platform for connecting specific business information and even creating new applications and dashboards that give each person the exact information needed in each role.

With an IT strategy built on Microsoft development and security-management tools - and running on a foundation that’s grounded in XML, Web services, industry standards, and Microsoft .NET innovations - manufacturers can build connected systems to bring together their people, processes, and information. Microsoft development tools are among the most widely known in the technology discipline, so your staff can manage systems based on knowledge many developers and IT managers are already familiar with.

As you can see, when built on a Microsoft foundation and connected with other widely familiar Microsoft solutions, Microsoft Dynamics is a powerful force to help drive business-process excellence across the enterprise. Connect Microsoft Dynamics with the Microsoft Office system and you’ve got applications that work with and like each other to streamline and simplify processes and drive deep and broad business intelligence to people across your organization.

Diets That Don't Work: Where Enterprise Resource Planning Goes Wrong

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:49:25 -0400

Over the past decade, large companies have invested billions of dollars and a lot of time trying to simplify the business processes and technologies they use to keep their organizations running.

When everything goes smoothly with these so-called enterprise resource planning projects, the ratio of savings to dollars invested typically increases over time. When plotted on a graph, the return on investment looks something like Nike's trademark "swoosh," plunging as the firm spends more than it saves early on, but then moving upward as the company becomes a leaner, more efficient entity.

Why does enterprise resource planning, or ERP, work so well for some companies and not for others?

After studying dozens of these projects over six years, we concluded that executives need to think more broadly if they want enterprise resource planning to pay off. Too many executives see ERP solely as a technology project, believing that if they buy a new software system, inefficiencies will magically disappear. It's no surprise that it doesn't work that way. Instead, they need to treat ERP as a transformation effort involving three areas of their business: processes, technology and spending.

Continue reading the story at the Wall Street Journal Online:
Diets That Don't Work: Where Enterprise Resource Planning Goes Wrong

Superior Supply Chains in the Food and Beverage Industry

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:45:41 -0400

Superior Supply Chains in the Food and Beverage Industries In a challenging environment full of new opportunities, food and beverage manufacturers must advance their supply chains beyond traditional buy-and-sell relationships to retain existing business and capture emerging markets. Without a strategic focus on supply-chain management and collaboration and the resources, best practices, and systems to support that focus—such as ERP, CRM, and BI solutions—operations throughout the supply chain can rapidly deteriorate, putting quality, profitability, and lives in jeopardy. In contrast, strategic supply-chain performance ensures that the right products hit the right markets at the right time, reducing waste, lowering inventories and costs, and improving customer satisfaction.

Is your food and beverage company ready to achieve world-class supply-chain management and collaboration?

View the White Paper:
Superior Supply Chains for the Food and Beverage Industry

Managing A Wholesale Distribution Business in the “Muddle Through Economy”

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:23:13 -0400

Efficiently managing a distribution business is a struggle in any market. Too little inventory causes delayed orders, creating missed deadlines. Too much inventory gives you dead weight and comes at a high cost to your warehouse. Finding that balance in an economy is an art form coupled with precision analytics.

Six-time best-selling Distribution Management Author – Brent Grover

Learn about Managing A Wholesale Distribution Business in the Muddle Through Economy with six-time best-selling distribution management author, keynote speaker and 20+ year veteran to the distribution industry, Brent Grover.

A muddled market can mean more obstacles to overcome, such as:

Cautious and timid customers, suppliers and lenders.
Potential government intervention with interest rates and tax rates creating sceptics.
Managing the risk of deflation while managing the return of inflation.

Download the article now:
Managing A Wholesale Distribution Business in the “Muddle Through Economy”

Virtual Convergence 2010 Now Live

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:21:51 -0400

Virtual Convergence 2010 is now live! This is your online resource for all post-conference materials. Keynote presentations, general sessions and concurrent sessions will all be available for viewing online in Microsoft Silverlight, so that you can revisit sessions or view them for the first time. In addition, in case you missed any of the sponsors or exhibitors in the Convergence Expo, all of their contact information and downloadable content will be available within Virtual Convergence.

You can access Virtual Convergence by logging on with your Windows Live ID (if you do not have one, create your Windows Live ID). Please contact Virtual Convergence Help to resolve any access issues.

Concurrent Session Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations Available

To locate PowerPoint presentations from Convergence concurrent sessions, you can find them via the Schedule Builder tool (you will need to log-in using the username & password you created during the registration process, or your Windows Live ID).

Microsoft Dynamics ERP User Offer

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Mon, 03 May 2010 10:28:35 -0400

For a very limited time, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics AX customers can receive up to 15% off when purchasing additional user licenses or add-on module licenses.

Current BRL and MBL customers can receive discounts of:

10% on the purchase of additional user licenses and add-on module licenses between $5,000 and $19,999
15% on the purchase of additional user licenses and add-on module licenses above $20,000

Offer available only in the US and Canada, and valid until June 25, 2010. Contact Merit Solutions for more information.

WPC Nominations Close Today

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:19:14 -0400

Have you delivered an innovative solution built on Microsoft Dynamics technologies? Then it’s time to get the recognition you deserve!

The nomination submission period for 2010 Microsoft Dynamics WPC awards has been extended to today (April 9th, 2010)! Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your Microsoft Dynamics solutions.

Winning a Microsoft WPC Partner Award gives you valuable business advantage—through public recognition from your peers, press, analysts, Microsoft and your customers. It is a great way to differentiate your company from your competition.

Receive onsite acknowledgement at WPC 2010 and a comprehensive marketing and press kit designed to help you attract prospects and gain new customers.

Click here for more information and to submit your entry by today!

New Microsoft Dynamics Customer Promotion

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:26:19 -0500

BRL and MBL customers can receive discounts of:

10% on the purchase of additional user licenses and add-on module licenses between $5,000 and $19,999
15% on the purchase of additional user licenses and add-on module licenses above $20,000

Offer valid May 1 - June 25, 2010. Offer only available to customers in the United States and Canada who are on a current plan, and have purchased their Microsoft Dynamics solution prior to January 1st, 2010.

Check out other Microsoft Dynamics Promotions, or contact Merit Solutions for more information.

The Benefits of Sure Step to Microsoft Dynamics Customers

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:48:06 -0500

Companies investing in Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM should engage with Microsoft partners who use the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step implementation methodology. Sure Step enables customers to reduce deployment cost and risk and accelerate payback.

In an effort to help ensure on-time, on-budget Microsoft Dynamics solutions, Microsoft began providing the Sure Step methodology to all its Microsoft Dynamics partners. Sure Step includes:

Standardized content and workflow diagrams to structure and streamline the solution delivery process, from initial business diagnosis to implementation and hand-off to internal IT support teams.
Tools and detailed documentation for project activities, resource allocation, and system configuration.
Best practices guidance based on the experience of Microsoft partners for tailoring Dynamics applications to customers’ unique requirements.

There are a number of components and characteristics of the Sure Step methodology that reduce the risk and increase the success of Microsoft Dynamics deployments.

Learn more:
The Benefits of Sure Step to Microsoft Dynamics Customers

The Big Easy Offer Ends Next Week

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:36:07 -0500

Microsoft's "Big Easy Offer 4.0" ends next Wednesday, March 31.

The Big Easy Offer gives you choices on Microsoft products and solutions that fit your needs. For every qualifying product you purchase, Microsoft pays you partner subsidy* funds that can be used with a Microsoft Partner of your choice to help with the implementation of your Microsoft solution including software, hardware and services.

*A subsidy check is made payable to the Microsoft partner of your choice. This subsidy can be used to enrich and implement your Microsoft solution. The subsidy allows you to purchase additional products or services from the Microsoft partner of your choice thus lowering your Total Cost of Ownership.

You can increase your subsidy by choosing:

Products from more than one product group.
Licenses with Software Assurance.
Advanced or Enterprise Editions.

Contact Merit Solutions to learn more about The Big Easy Offer.

Microsoft Convergence 2010 Attendee Offer

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:29:03 -0500

Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics AX customers who attend Convergence 2010 are eligible to receive up to a 20% discount when:

Acquiring additional users
Acquiring additional modules/granules
Transitioning between Microsoft Dynamics product lines, editions or Licensing Models (LMT)

Offer available from April 21, 2010 through May 28, 2010, and only to existing Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics AX customers who:

Attend Convergence 2010;
Have purchased their Microsoft Dynamics solution prior to December 25, 2009;
Have a currently valid Enhancement Plan.

Check out other Microsoft Dynamics Promotions, or learn more about Microsoft Convergence 2010.

Microsoft Dynamics: Taking Advantage of Technology Delivery Innovation

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:22:58 -0500

Let’s discuss a third area that Microsoft Dynamics approaches low cost computing — taking advantage of technology delivery innovation. In helping you take advantage of innovations in how we deliver technology, you can save money up front, reduce your operating expenses, and/or cut licensing costs.

There are two key points I want talk about here: The first is exploring the potential for switching to an online services model to save upfront costs and reduce ongoing operating expenses. With Microsoft, for the right applications, under the right circumstances, we’re finding that our customers can transfer sometimes significant capital expenditures to lower operating costs with online services. Online services reduces the associated maintenance that equivalent on-premises solutions require. This will free your IT staff, and budget, to focus on areas of the business that give your organization competitive advantage.

And the second is to discuss various licensing options, to ensure that you get the most for your money. A great place to start is to identify opportunities to consolidate the number of software vendors that you work with, which can deliver cost savings and streamline processes in a number of areas, including software acquisitions, support, maintenance, and management. As you concentrate your software investments on fewer vendors, you will likely find that you can realize additional value through volume licensing.

Which Implementation Strategy Has The Best Success Rate?

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:19:01 -0500

Houston Neal at Software Advice has a new survey going on right now: Which implementation strategy has the best success rate? Click thru to the site to take their quick, 4-question survey.

From the article:

There are hundreds of articles on “best practices” for implementing ERP software, but understanding each strategy and choosing the best option is difficult. So, we set out to consolidate the information in a single guide. Our aim is to give you enough information – and the most important pieces – to choose the best implementation process for your organization. We’ll cover the three most widely discussed ERP implementation strategies:

Big bang - Implementation happens in a single instance. All users move to the new system on a given date.
Phased rollout - Changeover occurs in phases over an extended period of time. Users move onto new system in a series of steps.
Parallel adoption - Both the legacy and new ERP system run at the same time. Users learn the new system while working on the old.

Microsoft Dynamics: Using Technology to Lower the Cost of Doing Business

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:39:55 -0500

We previously highlighted the opportunity to drive costs out of your IT infrastructure by improving efficiencies—whether by making better use of your hardware or helping your IT staff work more efficiently or making the most of cost-saving features in your licensed software.

Now we want to mention how you can use technology to lower your cost of doing business, without compromising productivity or competitiveness. This represents an equally important approach when it comes to optimizing your costs. As a February 2009 MIT study has pointed out, “IT averages only about 5% of the total cost in a business…shrinking IT costs by 50% will generate fewer savings than cutting business operations costs by 3%.”

There are three key opportunities that we see here:

Cutting back on travel and saving on communications expenses with unified communications.
Better support of offsite workers, so you can enable remote and teleworking and thereby reduce your real estate and facility costs.
Getting a better view into your project portfolio, so you can identify and eliminate projects that won’t return a profit.

Using Microsoft Dynamics, you can lower your cost of doing business—such as by replacing business travel with online meetings, by reducing your real estate and facility requirements by better supporting a remote workforce, and by helping ensure that your project investments will deliver the return you are looking for.

Microsoft Dynamics: Maximizing the Efficiency of Your IT Infrastructure

nospam@example.com (administrator) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:15:14 -0500

In CIO magazine’s annual “State of the CIO” report for 2009, the respondents indicated that they are focused on both cutting IT costs AND improving end user business productivity. The survey shows that “efficiency is the name of the game,” as surveyed CIOs reported implementing technologies such as virtualization and Internet-based communications.

So how can you make your IT infrastructure more efficient? The whole premise is to help you create a dynamic infrastructure that moves from being a cost center to a strategic asset. And this message is delivered in a Gartner Press Release as well: “Senior enterprise executives…expect IT to play a role in reducing enterprise costs, not merely with cost cutting but by changing business processes, workforce practices and information use.”

Microsoft Dynamics can help address these very issues—about the need to increase IT efficiency but also to use IT to drive greater efficiencies in the business and to enable employees to work more productively and effectively. It is not so much about cutting costs as it is about optimizing costs and delivering the right technology to help drive a business forward. Most companies have worked through Infrastructure Optimization models and so understand the key opportunities to standardize and advance an organization’s IT infrastructure capabilities. Optimization enables proactive IT management and can deliver cost and risk reductions across the IT organization.

Some of the key areas in which Microsoft Dynamics customers have realized benefits from a more efficient infrastructure include:

Reducing server hardware and software costs. The focus here is on driving efficiency with virtualization and consolidation, which can also help reduce related labor, maintenance, and support costs.
Cutting power costs. Virtualization can play a key role here too, as can power management capabilities.
Minimizing IT labor costs. By taking advantage of the latest tools to streamline deployment and management activities, you can save time and reduce the burden on your IT staff, ultimately getting more done with fewer resources.
Reducing data protection costs. No matter what state your IT budget is in, protecting your sensitive data will remain paramount.