high tech & electronic equipment companies gain greater … · 2015-10-26 · high...
TRANSCRIPT
Gain Greater Efficiency, Agility and Control with a Unified ERP and CRM Solution with Microsoft Dynamics
An Axonom White Paper
High Tech & Electronic Equipment Companies
Introduction
Unique Requirements and Business Process Imperatives for High Tech Companies
Positioned for Success with a Unified, Industry-Specific ERP/CRM
ERP Requirements for High Tech Companies
HighTech-SpecificCapabilitiesYouNeedinYourERPSystem
CRMCapabilitiesforHighTechCompanies
TwoTrendsinCRMOptimizationtoConsider
TheKeyDifferentiator:UnifiedBusinessProcessesacrosstheEnterprise
The Armanino Consulting Solution
BuiltonIndustry-LeadingTechnology
ServicesandBest-PracticesTemplatesCompletetheSolution
WhyChoosetheMicrosoftStack?
TheBenefitsofUnifyingYourBack-andFront-OfficeProcesses
CustomerExample:SupportingGrowthWhileIncreasingControl andQuality
Conclusion
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Table of Contents
Volatile markets. Capital-intensive research and development. Global compe-tition and outsourcing.
Theseareonlyafewoftheconsiderableindustrychallengessemiconductor,relateddeviceandelectronicequipment(hightech)companiesfaceastheyattempttogrowandincreaseprofitability.Toovercomethesedifficultiesandpositiontheiror-ganizationstobecomethenextAppleorIntel,hightechfirmsneedtooptimizeandadapttheirbusinessprocessesforgreaterefficiency,agility,andcontrol.
Attheheartofeveryhightechcompanyarefront-andback-officebusinesspro-cessesthatareripeforoptimizing,automating,andunifying.Andwhilethemajorityofhightechcompaniesalreadyhavesomeformofenterpriseresourceplanning(ERP)andcustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)capabilities,mostdonothaveasolutiondesignedexpresslyfortheiruniqueindustryrequirements.
Onlyaunified,hightech-specificERPandCRMsolutioncandeliverthehighestlevelofvisibilityandcontrolfirmsneedtodaytocontinueinnovatingatarapidpaceandincreasemarketandcustomerresponsiveness,whilecontrollingcostsandadheringtoregulations.
Thiswhitepaperdiscussestheuniqueaspectsofthehightechindustryandtheim-pactofindustrychallengesontheback-andfront-officebusinessprocesseswithinhightechcompanies.We’lltakeacloselookattherequirementsofhightechfirmsandthebenefitsofdeployingaunified,industry-specificMicrosoftDynamicsAXandCRMsolution.
Introduction
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Fewindustrysectorsareasfast-pacedorasvolatileasthehightechindustry.Companiesinthissectorarefacedwithenormouschallengesthatplayoutinveryuniquewayswithintheirenterprisebusinesspro-cesses:
Creating and promoting innovative products–AccordingtoAccenture,thewindowtobringnewproductstomarkethasshrunkbyasmuchas400percentinthepastdecade.Creatingandoptimizingbusinessesprocessesthatacceleratethedevel-opmentofsophisticated,complexproductsisamustforhightechfirms.
Driving sustainability leadership –Asconsumersandgovernmentsincreasinglychooseproductsand
companiesbasedonadherencetosustainabilityprinciples,hightechcompaniesareunderpressuretomakeastrongcommitmenttosus-tainability.Thiscommitmentmeansthatthebusinessprocessesforsupplierselectionandrelationshipmanagement,productdesign,prod-uctrecycling,andmoremustensurecompliancewiththecompany’sanditscustomers’sustainabilitygoals.
Increasing market and customer responsiveness–Hightechfirmsneedtominimizecostsandreducerisksintensifiedbyshorterproductlifecycles,increasedproductcomplex-ity,andchangingdemand.Todothis,hightechfirmsneedtoincreasetheagilityandresponsivenessofthefol-lowingtwoareas:
Unique Requirements and Business Process Imperatives for High Tech Companies
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Operations:Hightechcompaniesmust improve overall effectiveness andefficiencyofoperations,whileadaptingtochangingdemandpat-terns,forecastingaccuratelyandcollaborativelywithsuppliers,anddrivingcostsavings.
Supply chain:Companiesinthehigh tech space must have greater visibilityintotheirdiversesupplychainforimprovedplanninganddecisionmaking.Executionofsupplychainprocessesneedtobestreamlinedtoimproveresponsive-nesstochangingcustomerneedsandmarketdemands.
Managing complex sales channels –Improvedmanagementandutiliza-tionofamulti-tieredsaleschannelcanhelpcompaniesincreasesales,reducecosts,stayclosetotheendcustomer,anddecreasenon-sellingtime.
Today,manyhightechfirmsfindthemselvesataninflectionpoint–thetime is ripe to move to the next stage ofcompanymaturityandgrowthorriskstagnatingandlosingtheircompetitiveedge.Aunifiedandindustry-specificbackofficeandfrontofficesolution–ERPandCRM–iscriticaltomeetingyouruniqueindustrychallengesandpositioningyourbusinessforgrowth.
“BEST-IN-CLASS ERP IMPLEMENTATIONS IN MANUFACTURING SLASH 100 PERCENT MORE COSTS THAN ALL OTHER COMPANIES, WITH 120 PERCENT BETTER GROWTH IN OPERAT-ING MARGIN AND 170 PERCENT IMPROVEMENT IN TIME TO DECISION.” ERP IN MANUFAC-TURING 2011, KEVIN PROUTY AND NICK CASTELLINA, ABERDEEN GROUP, JULY 2011
ERP REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH TECH COMPANIES
Firstwe’llreviewthebackofficeprocessesthatyoursolutionneedstosupport.Thenwe’llreviewthefrontofficeprocessesaswellastheunifiedprocessesthatspanthetwo. Figure1showstheareasofERPfunc-tionalityandtheback-officebusinessprocessestheyshouldsupport.Thefollowingdescribesthecapabilitiesyoushouldlookforinahightech-specificERPsystem:
Financial Management.YourERPsystemshouldincludecorefinancialmanagementcapabilitiesthatincor-poratehightechrequirements.Thesefinancialcapabilitiesencompasscomprehensive accounting functional-ity,includinggeneralledger,accountsreceivable,fixedassets,andbudget-ingandforecasting.Financialreport-ingandanalysisarealsoessentialcapabilities.
Supply Chain Management.YourERPsystemshouldstreamlineandautomateyourbusinessprocessesthroughoutthesupplychaintoim-
proveplanning,optimizeinventorylevels,reducecosts,andenableyourcompanytorespondquicklytochang-esincustomerandsupplierdemand.
Human Resources Management.YourERPsystemshouldhelpyoueffectivelymanageandalignyourworkforcetoachieveyourbusinessgoals.Todothis,youneedreal-timeinformationaboutemployees,jobs,andspecificskillsacrossyourorgani-zation.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).PLMhelpsyoumanagetheentirelifecycleofaproductfromitsconception,throughdesignandmanu-facture,toserviceanddisposal.Itisimportant to have a clear approach for managingyourPLMprocesseswithinyourERPsystem,ortightintegrationtoapreferred,third-partyPLMsystem.
Production Management.Real-timeinsightintobusinessandsupplychaininformation—includinginventory,warehouse,andin-houseaswellasoutsourcedproductionactivities—canhelpyouoptimizeproductionflowbyplanningeffectively,maximizingresourceutilization,drivingaccurate
Positioned for Success with a Unified, Industry-Specific ERP/CRMUnlike standalone ERP and CRM
systems, a unified front- and
back-office solution for high tech
companies supports the industry’s
specific business challenges,
models, and processes to enable
the alignment of the supply and
demand chains. The following
sections describe the functionality
that high tech companies need to
optimally support their back office,
front office, and cross-depart-
mental business processes with
Microsoft Dynamics.
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deliveryperformance,andstreamlin-ingbusinessprocesses.
Business Intelligence and Report-ing.LookforanERPsystemthatde-liverseasy-to-use,self-serviceaccesstobusinessinformationtohelpusersmakefaster,betterdecisions.Thebusinessintelligencecapabilitycanbeanembeddedpartofyoursystem,orunifiedwithabest-of-breedbusinessintelligencetool.Eitherway,you’ll
wanttoensureyoursolutionincludesindustry-specificoperationalreportsandeasyaccesstoinformationthatfacilitatesself-servicereporting.
Workfl ow Management.Workflowautomationhelpsusersvisualizeandquicklyprioritizetheworktheyshouldbedoing.Thesystemshouldnotonlydocumentwhenusersfinishtheirwork,buthelpthemfollowconsistentprocessesandfocusontheirmost
importanttasks.
Global Risk and Compliance Man-agement.YourERPsystemshouldenableyoutoimproveinternalcon-trolsandincreasevisibilityintoriskandcompliance-relatedprocessesandactivities.Specifically,yourERPshouldhelpyoucomplywithavarietyofrequirementsandcustomerman-dates,includingfinancial,legal,andenvironmental.
CM OEM
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX
PLM
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS CRM
SALES CHANNELSUPPLIER CUSTOMER
Idea-to-Design
Engineering Change Management
Inventory Management
Problem-to-Resolution
Design-In to Design-Win
Forecast Collaboration
Product Con�guration-to-Quote
Warranty & Install Base Management
Reverse Logistics
Demand-to-OrderOrder-to-Cash
Plan-to-Produce
Procure-to-Pay
Enterprise Performance Management
Compliance
Figure 1. Microsoft Dynamics Functionality to Support Back-Offi ce Business Processes
“EIGHTY-NINE PERCENT OF HIGH TECH MANUFACTURERS ARE CURRENTLY USING SOME FORM OF ERP. THE BENEFITS OF ERP FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE AMPLIFIED IN THIS INDUSTRY BECAUSE HIGH TECH TENDS TO HAVE A HIGH VELOCITY IN BOTH ITS DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND ITS NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION (NPI) PROCESS.” ERP IN HIGH TECH: DRIVING IN-NOVATION WITH INSIGHT, NICK CASTELLINA, ABERDEEN GROUP, FEBRUARY 2012
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HIGH TECH-SPECIFIC CAPABILITIES YOU NEED IN YOUR ERP SYSTEM
WhilemanyERPsystemscanprovideyouwithsomeoftheabovefunctional-ityinageneric,“everybusiness”kindofway,hightechcompaniesneedindustryvertical-specificcapabilities.Herearesomecommonbusinesschallengesandrequirementsofhightechcompaniesthatonlyahightech-specificERPsolutioncanaccommo-date:
Mixed-Mode Manufacturing.Hightechcompaniesoftenneedtocon-tinueevolvingtheirbusinessestosurvive.Assuch,theyneedanERPsystemthatdoesn’tjustsupportlean,process,ordiscretemanufacturing,butonethatsupportsalloftheseproductionmodelsinamixed-modemanufacturingenvironment.Thisincludessupportingthedifferencesininventorymeasuresandbillsofmate-rials,aswellasotherpotentialareaswherethebusinessprocessesdiffer.Whilemanyhightechmanufacturershaveadoptedleanmanufacturingprocesses,traditionalERPapplica-tionsarenotoptimizedtosupporta
lean,pull-basedKanbanenvironmentalongsidediscreteworkordersforbillsofmaterials(BOMs),constraint-basedsemiconductorproductionwithreverseBOMs,andprocessmanufac-turingbasedonformulas.
Supply Chain Partner Integration.Youneedtheabilitytoeasilyconnectwithyourglobalsupplychainpartnersregardlessoftheinternalsystemstheymaybeusing.LookforanERPsolutionthatgivesyouacomprehen-siverangeofintegrationpossibilitieswithyourpartners,includingsupportforopenstandardssuchasRosettaNetandEDI,aswellassupportforindustry-specificrequirementsforintegratingpartnerssuchasthird-partylogisticscompanies,contractmanufacturers,foundries,fabs,anddistributors.
Production Route Flexibility:YourERPneedstheflexibilitytohandleproductionroutechangeswithoutmanualinterventionsthatcostyourcompanytimeandincreaserisk.Forexample,yourcompanymaystartwithaplannedroutetobeusedforproduc-tion,butbasedoncostanalysis,ca-pacityconstraints,demandvariations,
andotherfactors,youmaychoosetodeviateentirelyfromtheplannedproductionroute,makechangestotheprocessthatresultinadifferentfinishedgood,oryoumaysplitapor-tionofftoadifferentproductionroutesuchasanalternateproductionlineorplant,ordifferentsubcontractorbe-causeofcapacityorcostissues.YourERPsystemshouldbeabletohandleanyofthesesituations.
Planning Complexity.Inthehightechbusiness,planningcomplex-ityisagivenandyourERPsystemneedstoaccommodatechangesandvariationsfromtheoriginalplan.Forinstance,acompanyproducingalotofsolarcellscanexpectthatduetosubtletiesinvariationsoftheprocess,theindividualfinalproductswillvaryintheirlevelsofperformanceandassuch,theymaytestouttoadifferentbinofgoods,impactingtheabilitytofilldependentdemand.Additionally,some of the items will fail to meet spec andwillresultinyieldloss.ManyERPsystemsplanforandbuildasinglepartandtypicallyrestrictyoutocom-
pletingthatsinglepart.Forhightech,youneedanERPsystemthatnotonlyletsyoucompletemultiplepartsoffofaworkorderbutalsoletsyouanticipateandplanforthosemultiplefinishedgoodsorproduct“bins”andyieldlosstoensureplanningaccuracy.
Tracking Channel Sales.LookforanERPsystemdesignedtohandlethecomplexityofchannelsalesandgiveyoutotalvisibilitythroughoutthechan-nel.ManycompanieswillneedtheirERPtotrackchannelsalesacrossmultiple parties in the transaction includingdistributors,value-addedresellers,endcustomers,parentcompaniesofendcustomers,andothers.Recognizingrevenuebasedondistributorsell-throughisanothercapabilitymanyhightechcompaniesrequire.Inthiscase,theERPneedstoprovidevisibilityintoinventorystocklevelsthathavebeensoldtoadis-tributorbeforeproductsaresoldtoanendcustomerandthenrecognizetherevenueonceconfirmationofasaleisreceived.
“… ONE OF THE MAJOR PAIN POINTS FOR THIS INDUSTRY [HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURERS] WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING A NEW ERP SYSTEM IS FINDING A SOLUTION THAT FUNCTIONALLY FITS HIGH-TECH SPECIFIC BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS AND QUICK-LY ADAPTS TO FAST-CHANGING BUSINESS PROCESSES.” BEATING COMPLEXITY, ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE — CALL TO ACTION FOR THE HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY, PIERFRANCESCO MANENTI, IDC, JULY 2010
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CRM CAPABILITIES FOR HIGH TECH COMPANIES
Hightechcompaniestypicallyhavemulti-tieredsaleschannelsanduniquemarketingrequirementsthatgobeyondwhatastandardcustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)sys-temisbuilttohandle.WithaMicrosoftDynamicsindustry-specificCRMsolu-tion,hightechcompaniescanbettermanage their complex sales pro-cessesanddistributionmodel,drivevalue-addedsalesactivities,speednewproductstomarket,andprioritizehigh-value accounts for maximum profitability.
Tooptimizesalesandmarketingpro-cesses,hightechcompaniesneedtodeployaCRMsystemthatoffersthecapabilitiesrequiredtosupportkeyfront-officebusinessprocesses
Foreachfront-officebusinesspro-cess,yourCRMshouldprovidefunc-tionalitythatautomatesandoptimizesthatprocess.Below,wedescribethefunctionalityyoushouldbelookingfor
inaCRMsystem:
Marketing Automation.YourCRMsystemshouldenableyoutotrackandcoordinatemarketingcampaignswithsalesefforts,andidentifyhowcurrentcampaignsareimpactingsales.Lookforasystemthatdeliversautomatedemailtracking,webintelligence,leadscoring,marketinganalytics,andcustomizableworkflowsthatcanhelpsalesteamsmaximizeopportunities.
Product Configurator.Oneofthecritical functions high tech companies needisaproductconfigurationcapa-bilitythatdeliverssophisticatedquot-ingandorderingfunctions.LookforaCRMsolutionthatsupportsfullkitting,SKUvariants,andunlimitedproductdimensionstobuildcomplexpricingandproductconfigurationseasilyandaccurately.
Forecasting.HightechcompaniesneedaCRMsolutionthatcanhandlecomplex,multi-channelrevenuefore-casting.Seekoutasolutionthatcanprovidedetailed,globalinformation
thattracksorders(plantoactual)overtimeagainsttradeagreementcommit-mentstoimprovecoordinationamongyoursales,financialandmanufactur-inggroups,aswellaspartners.
Sales Opportunity Management.YourCRMneedstoprovideacentral-izedsystemtotracksalesopportuni-tiesandcommunicationswithcustom-ersandprospects.Itshouldempoweryoursalesforcetoefficientlyidentifyandmanageopportunities,whilegiv-ingyoubetterdemandforecasting,in-sightintokeyperformanceindicators,andidentificationofcriticalsuccessdrivers.
Partner and Customer Portals.Particularlyrelevantforhightechcom-panies,yourCRMshouldenableyoutoeasilyprovideyourkeyinternalandexternalbusinesspartners,suchasdistributorsormanufacturersrepsandcustomers,withtheinformationtheyneed.Aself-serviceportalimprovesthecustomerexperience,reducescosts,andaddsvalueforyourbusi-nesspartners.
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Warranty management and cus-tomer service.YourCRMshouldincludewarranty/maintenancecon-tractmanagement,softwarelicensingmanagement,andcustomerservicecapabilities.Customerservicefea-turestolookforinclude:multi-level,returnmaterialauthorization(RMA)andincidentservicemanagement,escalationhandling,fieldservice,productproblemtracking,andcross-productdefectmanagementaswellasintegrationwithacallcenterdialerorvoicesystemforautodialingandcallerIDcapabilities.
Workflow Automation.Toimproveproductivityandensurecompliancewithcorporatepolicies,chooseaCRMsystemwithintegratedworkflowcapabilitiesthatallowyoutoautomateroutinetasksandescalateactivitiesbasedonotherevents.
Business Intelligence and Report-ing.HightechcompaniesneedaCRMsystemthatsupportsautomated
alerts,workflow,andforecastingcapabilitiestoproactivelymanagecustomerdemand,inventoryavailabil-ity,productionschedules,andmore.Withrobustbusinessintelligenceandreportingcapabilities,youcankeepacloseeyeonemergingsalestrends,knowwhichproductsaremostprofitable,andwhichcustomersareessentialtoyoursuccess.
Organizational and Territory Man-agement.LookforaCRMsystemthatletsyourcompanysetupterritoriesandteams,thenmanageandopti-mizethemforgreaterorganizationalefficiency.Youshouldbeabletoreassignaccounts,easilydefinenewterritories,andanalyzeperformancebyterritory.
Mobility.ChooseaCRMthatmakesyoursalesforcemoreproductivebygivingthemreal-timeaccesstocustomer,sales,supportandproductinformationinsideandoutsidetheof-fice,onthedeviceoftheirchoosing.
Two Trends in CRM Optimization to Consider
Whilenotspecifictohightech,therearetwomaturingtrendsimpact-ingCRMsolutionsthatyoushouldconsiderwhenmakingyourCRMselection:
Social Productivity.SocialCRMisthe convergence of social technolo-gieswithCRMprocessesandtech-nology.Basedonyoursalesmodelandtargetmarket,integratedsocialcollaborationcapabilitiescanhelpyourcompanyimprovesalespro-ductivity,deepenrelationships,andgainmoreinsightintothebehaviorsandneedsofyourcustomers.
Big Data / Data Augmentation.Bigdatagivescompaniestheabilitytofindinsightsandidentifytrendsbyharvestingandanalyzingthemas-siveamountsofdataavailablewith-inabusiness.MostCRMsystemstodayofferonlyverybasicanalyticsandreporting.However,toturnrawcustomerdataintoactionablein-sight,youneedaCRMsystemwitharobustbusinessintelligencecapa-bilityortheabilitytotightlyintegratewithatooltoprovidegreatervaluefromanalyzingthe“bigdata”aboutcustomers.
Integratedsupportfortoolssuchasdataaugmentationandcorrec-tion,socialmediacollaborationsites(LinkedIn),anddataintelligence(In-sideView)arenolongeremergingtechnologies,butcoreCRMsalesandmarketingcapabilities.
THE KEY DIFFERENTIATOR: UNIFIED BUSINESS PROCESS ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE
WhileselectingERPandCRMsys-temsthataredesignedspecificallyfor high tech companies is critical to ensuringyourfront-andback-officeprocessesareoptimallysupported,it’sevenmoreessentialtoselectasolutionthatunifiesyourbusinesspro-cessesacrossdepartments,locations,andsystems.Thismeanslookingforindustry-specificERPandCRMsys-temsdesignedtoworktogether,withbuilt-insupportforcross-systembusi-nessprocesses.Cross-systembusi-nessprocessesflowbetweenyourCRMandERPautomatically,andin-cludeaccounting,ordermanagement,quotes,invoices,creditmanagement,shippingstatus,backlog,available-to-promise,inventorystatus,financials,andotherareasofthebusiness.
Inadditiontotheseprocesses,thereare several others unique to high tech companiesthatyourERPandCRMsystemswillneedtosupportinauni-fiedmanner:
Design-Win.Thisprocessisbe-coming more popular with emerging fablessandotherhightechcompa-nies.Toenablevisibilityandcontrolofthedesign-winprocess,yourERPandCRMsystemsneedtodeliverintegratedcapabilitiesthatsupporttheprocessacrosstheenterprise.Forinstance,design-winbestpracticestolookforinclude:supportforsamplesmanagement,designin,designreg-istrations,tradeagreements,design-win,andmulti-periodforecastman-agementtotrackactualordersagainsttradeagreements.You’llneedtheabilitytotrackallsales,engineering,andcustomerserviceactivitiesthatgointowinningadesign,andyourstaffneedstobeabletotrackthedesign-winopportunitiestheyareworkingon.
Youalsoneedinsightintothemanu-facturingandfinancialrequirementsofapotentialdesign-winbeforeitoccurs.Informationneedstobecapturedinoneplace,inthiscasetheCRMsys-tem,andthenautomaticallypushedtotheERPsystem.Figure2showsthecapabilitiesrequiredacrossbothyourCRMandERPsystemstosupportthe
design-winprocess.
Channel Sales Workflow.Mosthightechcompaniessellprimarilythroughthepartnerchannel–distributors,manufacturerrepresentatives,partnerresellers,andmore.Butworkingwithmultiplepartnersaddscomplexity,particularlyaroundforecasting,col-laboration,andsupplychainman-agement.ERPandCRMsystemsdesignedtoworktogetherthroughunifiedbusinessprocesseshelpoptimizechannelsalesworkflow.Forinstance,yourCRMsystemshouldenableyoutostreamlinethequotingandorderingprocessforyourtradingpartners,whileforecastinginformationforpartner-drivendealsisautomati-callytransferredtotheERPsystemformoreaccurateproductionplanning.LeveragingchannelvisibilitytoolssuchasPOSreconciliationandpricemanagementstrategiesletyoumaxi-mizesaleschanneleffectiveness.
Price Management.Hightechcompaniesrequiregreaterflexibilityandcontrolofpricingthanbusinessesinotherindustries.Startingwithyour
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CRM,informationaboutpricingandcommissionsneedstoflowtoyourERPsothatyoucanreconcilecom-missionpayments,costs,andnegoti-atedpricessuchaspriceprotection,shipanddebit,andstockrotation.Manycompaniesmustmanuallyinput information from the CRM to the ERPsystem,impactingproductivityandhinderingvisibilityintoreal-timechanges.YourERPandCRMsys-temsshouldenableaunifiedprocess,withdataautomaticallytransferringbetweenthesystems.
Order-to-Cash.Supportforanend-to-end,order-to-cashbusinessprocesscanhelpimproveyourtimetorevenuesignificantly.AunifiedprocessacrossyourCRMandERPsystemsautomaticallysynchronizescustomer,product,pricing,quotes,orders,invoices,andinstallbaseinformation.Youcanalsoimprovecustomer service with more accurate andsynchronizedcustomerandorderdata,withvisibilityacrosstheentirebusinessprocess.
Forecasting
DESIGN-WIN
CustomerService
OrderManagement
SalesOpportunityManagement
AX
CRM
Figure 2. Unifi ed Process for Design-Win Across Microsoft Dynamics Systems
BUILT ON INDUSTRY- LEADING TECHNOLOGY
TheArmaninoConsultingsolutionisahighlytailoredMicrosoftDynam-icsCRMandMicrosoftDynamicsAXindustrysolutionforhightechcompa-nies,combinedwithAxonom’ssuiteofPowertrakmodules.Oursolutiondeliversthevisibilityyouneedtoman-ageeveryaspectofthesupplychain,includingcontractmanufacturingandtradingpartnermanagement,aswellasbalancedemandwithproductionefforts,maintainoptimuminventorylevelsandmeetcustomerexpecta-tionsprofitably.
ArmaninoConsulting’sCertifiedforMicrosoftDynamicsAXmodulesnativelyextendMicrosoftDynamics’alreadypowerfulcapabilitieswithad-
ditionalhightechfeaturesdesignedtosupport:
• Complex revenue recognition requirements for electronic equip-mentmanufacturersandothercompaniessubjecttoVSOE
• Supplychainintegrationwithvendors,contractmanufacturers,andcustomers
• Forecastingandplanningaccura-cyforsemiconductorandmixed-modeelectronicsmanufacturers
• Streamlinedmanagementoftheoutsourcedsupplychain,con-signedinventory,andoverseasmanufacturing
• Complex,multi-tierchannelsalesincludingdistributorsell-throughrelationships
AspartoftheArmaninoConsulting
The Armanino Consulting Solution
Armanino Consulting brings together industry-leading ERP and CRM capabilities in one unified so-lution specifically designed for high tech companies. Our deep domain and industry expertise means that we understand the challenges and requirements of the high tech in-dustry and are uniquely qualified to help your company position itself for growth and success.
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MicrosoftDynamicsCRMsolution,Axonom’sPowertrakforHighTechsuiteincludessupportfordesignwin,forecasting,customerandpartnerportals,quoteandproductconfigura-tion,servicemanagement,andprojecttimeandbilling.
SERVICES AND BEST-PRAC-TICES TEMPLATES COMPLETE THE SOLUTION
Withmorethan18yearsofexperi-encedevelopingsolutionsforthehightechindustry,ArmaninoConsultingcanprovidefull-serviceimplemen-tationsupportforyourend-to-endbusinessprocesses.Armaninobringsdeepindustrybestpracticeexpertiseandprovidescomprehensiveindustry-specificapplicationfunctionalityto
acceleratethedeploymentofaunifiedsolutionacrossyourenterprise.AsoneofthelargestERPandCRMGoldCertifiedMicrosoftDynamicsPartnersinthecountryandtheonlyMicrosoftVARwithcomprehensiveindustry-specificapplicationfunction-alitydesignedforthehightechindus-try,ArmaninoConsultinghasaproventrackrecordofsuccessfulMicrosoftDynamicsandCRMimplementations.OurhightechclientsincludeindustrymoversandleaderssuchasImpinj,Microsemi,anddpiXtonameafew.
Since2009,thefirm’sclientshavewon four prestigious Customer Excel-lenceAwards,includingthe2012IndustryExcellenceAward,atConver-gence,theMicrosoftDynamicsannualusergroupconvention.
ArmaninoConsultingprovidesaward-winningsales,implementationandsupportservicesforMicrosoftDynam-icsandPowertraksolutionsincluding:systemimplementation,integration,andcustomizationaswellastechni-calsupportandIToutsourcing.AndArmaninoConsulting’spre-configuredsolution templates for the high tech in-dustryreflectaccountingandsoftwarebestpracticestoimprovequalityandreliability,lowercosts,andaccelerateimplementation.
Inadditiontoprovidingworld-classim-plementationexpertiseforourclients,ArmaninoConsultingdevelopsandsupportsDynamicsAXforHighTechIndustries,aCertifiedforMicrosoftDynamicsAX(CfMD)ISVsolution.
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WHY CHOOSE THE MICROSOFT STACK?
MicrosoftDynamicsbringstogetherthebroadrangeofMicrosofttechnol-ogy,makingiteasierforbusinessestocollaborate,connectanddeliverre-sults.MicrosoftLync,SharePoint,andSQLServerBItoolsprovideembed-dedcommunications,collaboration,andanalyticscapabilitieswithintheend-to-endbusinesssolution.Micro-softDynamicsCRMrunsinOutlook,souserscanmovebetweentaskswithgreatereaseandwithoutdisruption.
Thispervasiveinteroperabilitydrivesproductivity,createsabetteruserexperience,reducesITcostsandcomplexity,andputsnewMicrosoftproductsintocustomers’handswith-outheadache.Forexample,itiseasyforyourITdepartmenttosupporttheDynamicssuiteofsolutionsonthefamiliarWindowsplatformandSQLinfrastructuretheyworkwithdaily.Userscanseamlesslymovedatabe-tweenMicrosoftDynamicsbusiness
applicationsandMicrosoftExceltoempoweradhocanalysis.
THE BENEFITS OF UNIFYING YOUR BACK- AND FRONT- OFFICE PROCESSES Byreplacingyouroutgrown,disparateback-andfront-officesystemswithaunified,industry-specificsolutionfromArmaninoConsulting,yourcompanycangainanend-to-endviewofyourbusinessandgreateroperationaltransparencyandcontrol.AndtheAr-maninoConsultingsolutionisscalabletosupportlargeenterprises,enablingyoutoeasilyaddnewlocations,in-troducenewproducts,andexpandtonewgeographiesaroundtheglobe.
Withaunified,hightechERPandCRMsolutionfromArmaninoConsult-ing,yourcompanycan:
• Increasevisibilityandcontrolofthesupplychain
• Improveforecastaccuracyandtimeliness
• Streamline operations for less overheadandcost
• ImprovemanagementofR&Dandsales
• Deepenpartnerandcustomerrelationships
• Becomemoreagileandrespon-sivetochangingmarketcondi-tions
CUSTOMER EXAMPLE: SUP-PORTING GROWTH WHILE INCREASING CONTROL AND QUALITY
NordicSemiconductor,afablesssemi-conductorcompanybasedinNorway,wasonagrowthtrajectory,butknewitneededtofirstgainmorevisibilityandcontrolofitsbusinessoperations.ThecompanyturnedtoArmaninoConsult-ingforasolutionthatwouldtohelpitimprovequalityandprofitabilitywhileenablinggrowthwithoutasignificantincreaseinpersonnel.
ThegoalsofthenewERPandCRMsolutionfromArmaninoConsultingweretoenablebettercollaborationwithNordic’spartnersandsuppliers,reduceproductionerrors,anddelivereasieraccesstointegratedcustomer,distributor,andsupplierdata,aswellasenablebettermanagementandcontroloflogistics,warehousing,finance,andproduction.
TheArmaninoConsultingsolutionenabledNordictogrowatarapidpace–withproductionvolumequadrupling,whileachievingitsoriginalqualityandprofitabilitygoals.Sincethedeploy-mentofthesolution,thecompanyhas:
• Eliminatedmanualeffortsandresulting errors in processing subcontractortransactions.Thecompanycannowsupportupto100 times more transactions than beforewiththesamepersonnel
• Improvedinventorylevelsthroughintegrationofforecasting,pointofsales(POS),anddistributorinventorydata
• Reducedthenumberofsystem-relatedincidents,withmoresecurehandlingofincidents
• Increasedthenumberofindividu-al price agreements it can support withendcustomers
• Implementedtheabilitytohandlestock,ship,anddebit(SSD)trans-actionswithdistributors
NordicSemiconductorachievedallthiswithoutincreasingthenumberoflogisticsstaff.Despiteproducingfourtimesthevolume,thecompanyonlyhiredoneadditionalproductionperson.Finally,theuser-friendlinessofthesystemcombinedwithaccesstointegrateddatahasbeenaproduc-tivityandcollaborationboontothecompany’semployeesaswellasitssuppliersanddistributors.
“MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX ... HAS HELPED US INTEGRATE GLOBAL OPERATIONS IN REAL TIME, REDUCE INVENTORY, IM-PROVE PRODUCTIVITY, AND BE MORE PROACTIVE IN OUR DECISION MAKING.” SCOTT HOWARTH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ISSI
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MicrosoftDynamicsAXandCRMsystemsareessentialsolutionsthateveryhightechcompanyneedsatthecoreofitsbusiness.Whilethevastmajorityofcompa-niesdohavesomeformofthesesystems,whatseparatestheindustryleadersfromtherestofthepackisthevisibilityandcontrolthatonlyaunified,industry-specificERPandCRMsolutioncanprovide.
Withyearsofhightechindustryknowledgeandexperience,ArmaninoConsult-ingcanhelpyourcompanymeetthecomplexchallengesofyourindustrywithahightech-specific,bestpractices-basedERPandCRMsolution.WiththeMicrosoftDynamicsforHighTechIndustriesandPowertraktechnologiesatitscore,theAr-maninoConsultingsolutionincorporatesallthecapabilitiesyourcompanyneedstohelpitgrowandthrive.
For more information about Armanino Consulting’s Microsoft Dynamics AX and CRM Solutions for High Tech, visit http://www.amllp.com/microsoft-dynamics.
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About Armanino ConsultingArmanino Consulting, a key division of ArmaninoMcKenna, provides comprehensive services to theCFO organization of fast-growing companies, in-cluding Microsoft Dynamics implementation, CFOAdvisory andOutsourcing services.The firm is the35th-largestpublicaccountingandbusinessconsult-ing firm in the nation, aMicrosoft President’s Clubmemberformanyyears,andthefastest-growingfirmontheWestCoast,accordingtoAccountingToday. About AxonomAxonom,aB2Bsolutionsprovider,delivers tools tosuccessfully service customers and partners in anenvironment that requires multi-level relationship tracking, web self-service, partner/dealer loyaltymanagement tools, streamlined quote-to-order pro-cessing, hassle-free payment options and aworld-wide presence. By delivering more transactionsmore efficiently through channels at a lower cost,Axonom’sPowertraksolutionhelpscustomers real-izegreaterprofitpotential.
