For years CFO’s and CIO’s have preached about maintaining data integrity by instituting a “Single Source of Truth” internally. This Single Source of Truth has been defined by InformationWeek as “one source [of data] that everyone in a company agrees is the real, trusted number for some operating data.” Using Dynamics GP as the true record of inventory has been a number one priority for Panatrack and our customers. As such, Panatrack customers can capture a transaction in a warehouse or the field and submit these directly into GP. Using Microsoft’s eConnect platform means that PanatrackerGP follows all of GP’s business rules.
Why do we want an SSOT?
Best business practices dictate that a single host database is an ideal situation for any organization’s inventory. The host system must be updated immediately when something occurs in the warehouse. Investing in an independent inventory system with its own separate database that requires periodic synchronization to your host ERP presents risks. From out of date and inconsistent data, to complex audits, maintaining multiple databases can be a minefield. A Single Source of Truth can greatly diminish the risks associated with managing inventory in the warehouse.
When purchase and sales orders are synchronized at the start of the day from your GP database to a WMS and someone makes a change after that moment, the separated WMS will not have the most current or accurate data. This can result in unintentional mis-shipments or receiving errors which incur additional time & cost overhead. If your setup doesn’t match perfectly across all systems, you are at risk for out-of-sync data across the board. For example, if a unit of measure conversion is set up differently, there is the risk that incorrect quantities are updated back to the host database resulting in discrepancies and reconciliation nightmares. Do you need the overhead of maintaining 2 separate systems? Maintaining 2 systems adds complexity anywhere you touch the data; this is very evident during an audit as the auditor will want to verify that your WMS and your ERP are in perfect synchronization.
Less opportunity for faults
Mistakes in the warehouse happen every day, however, the impact from these mistakes reverberates down the line. Tony picks the wrong color widget, packs the box, and sends it to the customer. The customer receives the wrong product and must send it back or accept something different from what they ordered. Shipping charges are incurred on this single order, two times more than necessary. The warehouse will be required to examine and restock the incorrect item, while also picking and packing the correct item; this takes time out of an employee’s day when they could be handling new orders. When it comes time for the customer to reorder; is their confidence in the company shaken? One scanned validation could have avoided all of this. Shown below are examples of the PanatrackerGP solution when the wrong and correct item is scanned. This validation is performed using the GP sales order information.
Verifying Item on Order Picking
Single Source of Truth vs WMS – Is there only one choice?
A WMS is appealing because it offers sought-after features like barcode scanning and easy access to inventory data in the warehouse. However, capabilities such as these are not limited to standalone solutions and are in fact available within Dynamics GP. An embedded WMS such as PanatrackerGP takes advantage of the existing framework in your ERP investment offering the same core functionality as standalone systems. The benefits that we see customer seeking in any warehouse system are those that PanatrackerGP can offer:
- Fast and easy data capture
- Elimination of paper-based tracking
- Real-time validation to eliminate errors
- Access to location and quantity of inventory available
Direct and accurate communication with Dynamics GP is a bonus with an embedded solution like PanatrackerGP and takes out the expense and overhead that comes from both setting up and maintaining a second independent system.
For organizations that have put the time, effort, and capital into acquiring, configuring, and tweaking Dynamics GP to fit your needs; you are expecting a system that always provides accurate information. Having a Single Source of Truth is a confidence inspiring notion and Panatrack has proven that GP has the capability to fit this need for your inventory management. As companies invest in ERP software, ISV Solutions, and consultants, there must be a goal in mind. At Panatrack, our goal is to enable your employees to fully trust in the data they see in Dynamics GP.
