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The client of our partner, a wholesale distributor of FMCG in the UAE and Oman, assigned us with the task of refining standard Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 functionality. The company has a vast customer database, which includes large-scale retail chains and small neighborhood stores.

The client’s problem

Within the standard functionality of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 each customer’s card states the sum that limits monetary expenses – a credit limit for sales. If a client goes outside their limits, i.e. delays payment or buys goods at the cost exceeding the specified sum – the system will block further transactions on generation of orders and related documents.

To resume operations, managers had to call or write to sales representatives and several-days negotiations would ensue.

In short – the client didn’t want the work to stop with their clients in cases of credit overdraft.

Our solution

We have developed a workflow — an operating process with the help of which a manager can send to a responsible person a suggestion to approve a client’s order, even if their limit has been exceeded. If a person in charge approves the order, the program allows to create a purchase and draft all necessary documents. A person in charge can send the proposal for correction or reject it.

Result of work

After modification of standard functionality, the communication within the company enhanced — in case of disputed orders, the necessity to call or write disappeared. The only thing they need to do is to send a request to a manager. Approval of disputed orders now takes one day instead of three days. The workload of staff has decreased by 50 percent. Monitoring of a client’s credit score has improved as well.

One of our dedicated teams recently completed a project for a client that involved the development of a mobile application based on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Unified Operations mobile app framework. The client’s customer is a major waste disposal company that wanted to switch from laptops to mobile devices in an effort to optimize the way users performed two key operations – weighing vehicles on weighbridges and editing weighing slips.

Upon return to a warehouse, every waste collection truck is weighed on a weighbridge to determine the quantity and classification of the material collected. Previously, the user would record all this information using a laptop. Now with the new app, the user can simply scan the barcode with a smart phone or tablet and begin to enter the weight of the truck, select the material classification (e.g. dangerous goods), allocate the appropriate storage location in the warehouse, and create a weighing slip in Dynamics 365 that will be used to invoice the customer. All weighing slips accumulated throughout the day are then automatically posted together as a batch in Dynamics 365 at a later time.

Importantly, the app also allows for the user to make deductions to the weighing slip in the event that the collected load contains more than one type of material. These changes will be reflected in the customer invoice and ensures that the customer is charged the correct amount.

The second functionality provided by the app is the ability to edit weighing slips after they are created. Once again, using a mobile device, the user can select an existing weighing slip and change the weight, edit/delete deductions, correct errors, or even edit weighing slips produced via automated weighbridges.

The project took approximately 3 months to complete with the team of 3 (2 developers and 1 consultant) working on a full-time outstaffing basis. The experience gained by our team means that they are now able to create mobile applications for DAX365 much faster in the future.

Outstaffing is ideal when the client has an experienced project manager and only requires developers and consultants to perform the work. Essentially, they become an extension of your team where you control the entire process. If you have projects but are experiencing a shortage of resources, reach out to us. We have a strong pool of resources of senior developers and consultants with a wide spectrum of experience that can help you to deliver your projects successfully.

We have a long-term client who is an MS Partner and ISV-solution provider. As part of our cooperation, we provide them with a dedicated team of D365FO developers and consultants.

The client implemented a vertical solution for their customer in the recycling industry and utilizes our team for solution customization. A technical support project also runs in parallel where bug fixing is performed and new functionality constantly implemented.

DIXF framework and OData protocol are extensively used throughout the project for data exchange. For DIXF framework, numerous custom data entities are implemented and our developers perform their modifications, as well as create new entities. The OData protocol provides an access to the system externally, with multiple OData actions implemented within.

Business-events feature is also widely used in the project. Major events that occur in the solution are covered by business-events. They are then consumed from within the MS Flow.

Solution Customization

The features of the vertical solution that were developed and tested by our team include:

1. Business Partner Maintenance

Ability to maintain business partners (customers & vendors). Each business partner has its own settings, contact information and default values used throughout the system. The way the user interacts with the “Business partners” form is quite similar to that applied to the standard “Party” form.

2. Container Maintenance

It’s possible for the user to view a container’s on-hand information (e.g. dimensions, weight, contents, container type, ownership, etc.), associated container movements and a posting history.

3. Contracts and Contract Quotations

Contract quotation is nothing more than just a contract draft. Once a contract quotation is confirmed, an associated contract is created that is very similar in details to the initial quotation.

Every contract and contract quotation is associated with some particular business partner, and a contract is an agreement with the business partner for a service, waste disposal, material shipment or material removal. Contract has an effective date.

There are lines user creates within the contract/contract quotation, describing terms of the contract. Each line has its own item identifier, quantity, price, delivery terms, storage dimensions, as well as financial dimensions.

Lines can contain a link to containers, which means that the particular material is going to be shipped/removed within the container specified.

4. Work Orders

Once the contract is confirmed, an associated work order is created in the system, containing all or particular lines from the initial contract. A work order creation is accompanied with the related sales/purchase order creation, and this sales/purchase order contains lines from the contract as well.

Work order is shipped, and in a parallel an associated sales order is delivered as well as a purchase order is received.

It is possible to schedule a service, and the system will create work orders based on contracts on a regular basis.

5. Hazardous Materials Maintenance

Classes of hazardous materials are applied to contracts. NFPA identifiers selection is available, as well as transport/health/physical/environmental hazard labels.

Applied to the waste removal, EWC, OECD, Basel, Y-Code and H-Code available.

These are then inherited into the work order.

Technical Support

In regards to technical support, bug fixing is performed as well as new functionality is constantly implemented. It is usually so that while implementing one particular functionality, code refactoring and system optimization is done by a particular developer to ensure that the overall system demonstrates a high level of performance.

While working on the project developers usually administered their own development boxes by themselves. They applied updates and hot-fixes, and dealt with database routines. Every developer has experience with an environment set up.

If you also have a project that requires a dedicated team of D365FO professionals, contact us and let us show you how we can help.