We have blogged previously about the release of Microsoft Dynamics AX (7) (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations). Microsoft Dynamics AX enables enterprise to make smarter decisions, redesign business processes faster and fuel business growth. A Forrester research study 2016 commissioned by Microsoft, showed how Dynamics AX has improved business performance and resulted in cost savings with Lifecycle Services (LCS) reducing implementation time by 30%, a significant reduction in OPEX costs (£500K), and freeing up IT staff’s time to concentrate on innovation. This blog will look at how the rate of transformation has increased and what early adopters of the new Microsoft Dynamics AX (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations) think about the solution and how it has changed their business…
Business change and transformation – Technology as a catalyst for transformation
At Microsoft Envision 2016 Christian Pedersen, General Manager, Enterprise ERP, highlights the rate of change in the market place is greater than ever before; drawing on statistics from the S&P 500. Christian points out that in the 1920s the average S&P 500 lifespan was 67 years this has been decreasing dramatically with the average lifespan in 2010 being 15 years. Businesses need to be able to adapt to transformations taking place in their market. Technology in turn needs to be kept up-to-date with the rate of change, business requirements are going to change from one year to the next, and your ERP system needs to keep pace.
What do early adopters think?
During the same session Christian introduces Thomas Mayer, COO at Renault Formula One as an early adopter of the new Microsoft Dynamics AX (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations). With a new owner to the company, a new product design and a sharp increase in production quantity the Renault Formula One team faced several challenges, Thomas shares his thoughts “…We are a formula one team, but in fact we are a high tech engineering and prototype manufacturing company”. Thomas highlights where he personally works most in the AX solution, “My Power BI dashboards…really changed and revolutionised the way we are working, not only in the sense for me but we were able to make data and information available for the shop floor…to give them the tools in hand to make the right decision.” Thomas points out that Power BI reports allow them to track KPIs with “information at their fingertips”, ”… this is tremendously important as we are in the business of making fast decisions and you can only make a qualified good decision if you have the right information at hand…I think it’s a fantastic tool, it’s a very good tool for managing the shop floor but also the complete company… for me it’s almost like the nerve system which is in the company which is providing all the information.”
Christian asks Thomas how Renault Formula One benefit from a cloud application, Thomas summarises, “20% of my workforce is mobile… so when they are at the track they have exactly the same interface… you can in fact even do this on your mobile…its browser based you don’t need an app to run it’s really as simple as that…its mobility, its scalability, but for us it’s also security which a lot of people forget… enabling the business to do what we need to do better…”
Sri Srinivasan General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics AX (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations) adds, “what I hear from customers today is they are getting on with the job of adding value to their end users… it’s an amazing time to have a brilliant product out there powered by Azure with all the functionality we had in AX 2012 and… bringing the intelligent part of the cloud to the equation…”
Sri summarises, “I think customers value the fact that Microsoft provides all the capabilities of a cloud service but on the terms of the customer, it’s a customer managed environment… it’s the efficient productive experience that the cloud brings to bear. “
It is clear to see that Microsoft Dynamics AX (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations) is inspiring business with the application of technology to drive competitive differentiation with more personalised computing from anywhere anytime and with the unlimited computing power of the cloud.
For AX future roadmap highlights, upgrade processes and more customer insight and to find out more about how your business can benefit from the new Microsoft Dynamics AX (Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations), contact Prodware.
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