Extending the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft partner Insight Works has developed add-ons for Dynamics 365 Business Central since 2008, when the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system was known as Microsoft NAV. Headquartered in Canada, Insight Works sells its add-ons globally through a network of more than 130 Microsoft resellers. Its Warehouse Insight add-on is a mobile warehouse management system that gives users full access to Dynamics 365 Business Central’s scalability and automated data capture systems via barcode scanners and handheld computers. The Advanced Inventory Count add-on simplifies inventory and cycle counts with comprehensive data entry, reconciliation, posting, and analysis tools.

KONG, based in Golden, Colorado, specializes in toys for dogs and cats. From its founding in 1976, KONG has steadily grown, expanding sales and operations to Europe in 2004 and to Australia in 2009. KONG’s distribution center in Australia used QuickBooks accounting software, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and paper-based processes, but the company began to get bogged down by time-consuming inventory management. Because of the time-intensive nature of doing inventory, staff counted only one-twelfth of their bins a month, and KONG’s head office would offset the lack of data by overstocking to ensure order fulfillment. KONG knew it needed a more efficient system.

KONG’s new system saves time and improves inventory visibility

KONG switched to Dynamics 365 Business Central and Insight Works’s Warehouse Insight and Advanced Inventory Count add-ons. To complement the integration, Insight Works procured Datalogic Falcon X3+ handheld mobile computers, which connected Dynamics 365 Business Central to KONG’s warehouse floor for inventory counts, picks, put-aways, and more. Because KONG products are prepackaged for retailers, everything already had barcodes, so the add-ons made it simple to add scanning capabilities to the new ERP environment. Barcode-enabled pick lists and the ability to create barcode labels for bins rounded out the process, with KONG’s remote operations gaining access to Dynamics 365 Business Central via Citrix desktop virtualization.

Previously, inventory counts took KONG 144 hours. With Dynamics 365 Business Central and the Insight Works add-ons, that task shrunk to only 12 hours, a savings of almost 92 percent. Handheld mobile computers reduced counting errors, and count error details could be corrected quickly with real-time dashboard reporting. Because workers could perform cycle counts more rapidly, KONG was able to institute weekly cycle counts, giving its head office an accurate inventory picture. KONG could then reallocate staff to more productive tasks, increasing the efficiency of its capital resources.