Centralized Procurement and Logistics Solution for a Fortune 500 Electronics Company
Logistics •
.Net, Microsoft Dynamics and C#
About the client
- Our Client is a Fortune 500 Electronics Corporation & a global technology solutions provider specializing in distributing electronic components and enterprise computing solutions.
- The company was headquartered in the USA and operated in over 90 countries.
- They serve various industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, healthcare, and telecommunications.
- Their successful implementation of supply chain management initiatives highlights the importance of streamlining operations. The company overcame the complex and fragmented supply chain system by consolidating its global distribution centers, investing in advanced technology solutions, and implementing centralized procurement and demand planning systems.
Challenges faced by the Client
The Client faced a challenge in streamlining its supply chain management and global
reporting system by moving from a
legacy enterprise reporting tool to a more streamlined nextgen Microsoft product. The
company has grown rapidly in
recent years by acquiring several local companies and expanding its global reach. However,
the growth has led to a
complex and fragmented supply chain system by having different local ERPs for managing and
reporting, and consolidating
all to the main company level. Making it difficult to efficiently manage inventory and
ensure the timely delivery of
products to customers.
Gramener Digital Solution
The Client implemented a series of initiatives to optimize its supply chain system with the
help of Gramener Digital in
the EMEA region, where they have a presence in almost 13 countries. We first consolidated
their global distribution
centers and streamlined their logistics operations by integrating all the local and legacy
reporting tools into one
consolidated MS Dynamics, reducing the number of suppliers they worked with and improving
their relationships with key
vendors.
- We invested in advanced technological solutions, including developing a new warehouse and logistics management system, which improved inventory accuracy and reduced order processing times.
- We have updated the ERP solution so it can understand and configure all the global changes and rules concerning governing bodies around the supply chain and taxation.
- We implemented a centralized procurement system, which enabled them to leverage their global scale to negotiate better prices and terms with suppliers.
- We also implemented a demand planning system, which helped them to forecast customer demand more accurately, reducing the risk of stockouts and excess inventory.
- Solution to handle their books of accounts ranging from the US, EMEA, and APAC geographies, making them a global conglomerate with various taxation policies and book closings.
The project
The project revolved around implementing the MS Dynamics modules for Finance and operations
and integrating the
procurement, collection, invoicing, and financial reporting for all the countries in EMEA &
APAC regions.
- Business analysts/ Functional Consultants did a fit-gap analysis to identify the gaps in the current standard MS Dynamics product, map the business requirements, and document the enhancements and configurations.
- Configuring the user requirements in the current scope of the product (MS Dynamics) and documenting the enhancements by writing detailed functional design and solution design documents.
- The development team receives the need and guarantees prompt coding and execution.
- AX 2012's PFM and PBM environment also uses Executive Automate to write test scripts.
- Business processes are documented in use cases to implement new or updated versions of AX 2012 & Dynamics 365 F&O modules and implement a new business unit or nation.
- Integrate MS Dynamics with procurement and order management applications like EDOK, asset, trade sphere, etc.
- SIT after the code is implemented. By creating use cases and test cases, running the test scripts, and documenting the results, the QA Team tests in lower environments.
Key Technologies Used
The Client’s AX system is the flagship ERP application run on Microsoft Dynamics
2012
R3,
Dynamics 365. C#, .NET, visual
studio, windows server, SSRS, SSIS, BizTalk, Microsoft Office, and Sharepoint 2010
were used
to build the solution. The
system was hosted on Azure cloud platforms and operated on the Windows 11
operating system.
The Achievements
- The Client's efforts to optimize its supply chain management system significantly improved operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- The company reduced its inventory holding costs by 20% while improving its on-time delivery performance by 25%.
- This helped in the taxation process and also helped with the global procurement system with proper regulations.
- They also saw increased customer satisfaction scores, as customers received their orders more quickly and accurately.