A prominent Midwest distributor was looking for a strategic partner to implement an accounting, distribution, warehouse management, CRM and e-commerce solution. This growing distributor has been in business for more than 30 years, offering both wholesale and retail supplies, and is known for its fine customer service. Faced with a changing marketplace, however, company representatives knew they lacked the overall technology that would allow them to continue flourishing. They had an older, Progressed based system and were quickly outgrowing it.
They were referred to The TM Group by their IT partner because of our sterling reputation and 31 years of expertise with Microsoft Dynamics implementations. The distributor’s old system was very cumbersome and lacked the ability to integrate with newer technology, and the solutions partner didn’t know how to support their business’s future vision. After thoroughly researching the options, the decision was made to move forward with The TM Group and Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. One of the company’s main priorities was to enhance its Magento e-commerce website and integrate it with Microsoft Dynamics GP. The TM Group introduced a Magento partner that was able to customize the distributor’s website as well as its inside sales portal. The Magento e-commerce website is used for both the company’s retail e-commerce and its wholesale customers. The Magento partner built an inside sales order entry system for internal order processing and configured the outside e-commerce website. The distributor’s outside sales group is managed with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which also integrates with its Dynamics GP, allowing the group to streamline its sales processes and better analyze its customers. (To learn more about the company’s CRM implementation, visit Microsoft Dynamics CRM Give Sales Better Customer Visability blog on crmsoftwareblog.com .)
To better manage its warehouse, the distributor implemented Appolis’s WoW warehouse management and bar coding technology. This allowed employees to use data capture technology such as bar code scanners, laptops and mobile devices (phones or tablets) to manage their inventory within the four walls of their warehouse. Being fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics GP, Appolis provides them with real-time visibility of all inventory transactions.
This was a complex implementation that included the full scope of Dynamics GP modules such as Invoicing, Bank Reconciliation, General Ledger, Management Reporter, Accounts Payables and Receivables, Purchasing, Inventory, Sales Orders, and Extended Pricing. There are also many trusted ISV (independent software vendor) solutions, including Accountable Forms Printer, eOne SmartConnect and SmartPost, Nolan Advanced Bank Reconciliation, Scribe Small Business, and Trinity Advanced Inventory Management. Trinity’s solution is especially important because it provides more advanced inventory and replenishment functionality.
Originally published on www.erpsoftwareblog.com.
