Mastering the Production Floor in Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain
Mastering the production floor is a challenge many manufacturers face. Many manufacturers experience lags in production due to manual or time-consuming processes, unexpected downtime, or inability to procure the required materials. Even with Dynamics 365 in place, many could still face issues if their system is not set up or optimized correctly. In order to truly master the production floor, there are some key areas of focus.
Supply Chain Business Networks
Businesses are sharing data at a much higher rate than ever before. Information flows in a neural network across supply chains, resulting in a loss of some anonymity for production companies. Data is shared with a high degree of frequency and low degree of detail.
Movement to Mobile
A movement to working on mobile devices has changed the way employees interact with customers and the shop floor. To meet the need for mobile device compatibility, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management is adding more functionality to mobile workspaces. An interface optimized for smaller screens enables employees to work on a phone or tablet. By giving users options in terms of mobility, flexibility, and visibility, real-time data and transactions can be seen in many different forms.
Forecasting
Dynamics 365 demand forecasting modifies outputs according to specific circumstances and applies information into the MRP. A planning function built into D365 captures the previous history to build a forecast using set algorithms for future needs.
Shop Floor Data
Kitting, staging, in-process, and queue data are difficult to measure and often pose problems. Placing computers on the shop floor can be complicated and impractical, contributing to this difficulty. More and more customers are using tablets on the shop floor instead. A manufacturing execution module with a tablet-like interface is used in these cases.
Production Analysis
Real-time Power BI reporting is available in D365 to produce graphics and drill-down data. Cost administration for inventory is available out of the box with Power BI turned on. This tool provides useful snapshots of data.
Planning Engine
Running MRP 24/7 is no longer the exception, it’s the rule. Dynamics 365 is rolling out the planning optimization engine, a long-term replacement to the classic MRP engine. Planning optimization increases efficiency by lowering lead time. This functionality is rolling out and will be fully released in April 2022 but is available now for distribution-only entities.
Main Takeaways
- Microsoft is moving towards more machine learning to enhance user experience and create a network of machines to better inform users. This includes changes in AI, IoT, and technology.
- There is a strong movement towards working on mobile devices.
- D365 has support for shop floor reporting.
- Performance around critical business functions like MRP is being improved. Access will be increased via moving data between networks.
Is it time to take a look at your production floor processes? Reach out to the experts at Stoneridge Software to learn how to best optimize Dynamics 365 to master the production floor.
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