Table of Contents

PART 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 a) Case Study 1 .................................................................................................................................... 2 Company and Challenges: ........................................................................................................... 2 Solutions...................................................................................................................................... 2

Case Study 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Company and Challenges: ........................................................................................................... 3 Solutions: .................................................................................................................................... 3

Case Study 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 4 b) Company and Challenges: ........................................................................................................... 4 Solution: ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Fruterine: Risks and Challenges ...................................................................................................... 4

PART 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 c) d) Request for Proposal....................................................................................................................... 5 Research .......................................................................................................................................... 7 System Requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 ............................................................ 7

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 9

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PART 1 a) Case Study 1

Company and Challenges:
Ford Motor Company, one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers, has worked with Penske on several Six Sigma initiatives. Penskes top team of associates, the companys lead logistics provider (LLP), are trained in Six Sigma practices and work closely with Ford to optimise operations and create and maintain a more centralized logistics network. Together, they uncovered several areas for real cost savings as a result of reducing inbound carrier discrepancies, eliminating unnecessary premium costs and reducing shipment overages. In addition, Penske implemented accountability procedures and advanced logistics management technologies to gain more visibility of its overall supply network. The present challenges faced by the company can be listed as:

To develop, implement and operate a centralized logistics network for Ford. To streamline supplier and carrier operations for improved performance and accountability.

To provide Ford with real-time supply chain and financial visibility (PENSKE 2012).

Solutions
Penske established 10 Order Dispatch Centres (ODCs) and consolidated shipments to plants. Approximately 1,200 trailers now ship to and from Ford's ODCs per day, with most trucks at 95 percent capacity. Penske has reduced plant inventory by 15 percent
(PENSKE 2012).

Penske trained more than 1,500 suppliers on a uniform set of procedures and logistics technologies. Stringent carrier requirements and a Carrier Rating System were implemented to measure carrier performance (PENSKE 2012).

Penske implemented strict accountability procedures and advanced logistics management technologies to gain real-time visibility of delivery status, routing schedules and productivity. A new freight billing system was designed to immediately capture logistics costs (PENSKE 2012).

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Case Study 2
Company and Challenges:
Lee Company, a construction service provider based in Franklin, Tennessee, provides air conditioning, heating, plumbing, electrical and other environmental solutions for commercial and residential buildings. Outdated technology was haltering the companys further growth. Supervisors and managers at construction job sites were using handheld devices with IBM Lotus Notes to communicate with the office, but the solution did not work well and required a great deal of support. Job site managers had to wait until they returned to the office to respond to e-mail, or until they could access e-mail on their laptops using a very inefficient remote access protocol. Vital information, such as design or schedule changes or financial decisions, was often delayed and field employees found it difficult to do their jobs effectively due to the prevailing inefficient communication (Microsoft Case Studies 2012).

Solutions:
The Company decided to significantly upgrade its back-end infrastructure by upgrading in several stages, beginning with the deployment of Windows Essential Business Server 2008. It also deployed to field staff 40 phones such as Palm Treo 700wx, Motorola Q, and the Samsung SCH-i760 that are powered by Windows Mobile versions 6 and 6.1. At present, Lee Company is using Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with the Windows SharePoint Services add-in for Windows Essential Business Server, which installed during the Windows Essential Business 2008 instillation process. During 2009, the company planned to introduce Microsoft Dynamics CRM and to upgrade Microsoft Dynamics SL, its range of business software. The company plans additional uses for Windows Mobile phones along with third-party software, including mobile credit card services and inventory-search applications (Microsoft Case Studies 2012).

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Case Study 3
Company and Challenges:
When Apex Office Supply first began in 1986, it was easy to process orders by hand where the driver manifest was printed after the orders were entered into the system. Then it was up to the drivers and delivery manager to decide how to schedule delivery. This process took time, and orders were not delivered always in the most efficient manner. In addition, the limited flexibility in scheduling meant that there was little opportunity to address personal appointments and unforeseen events that occurred during their delivery times. A continuing concern was that there wasnt enough time allotted for deliveries, which was a problem for customer service and driver safety. The company had been using a GPS to track vehicles and it had its difficulties. Many drivers felt they were being constantly watched. The data wasnt real time; instead, it was downloaded when the trucks came back to the office (esri Understanding our world 2006).

Solution:
The company needed a software program to help them plan their delivery routes and that choosing the right package would help them overcome some of the other issues within the business. The software, ArcLogistics, was a complete solution for complex routing and scheduling problems, whether the company has a small fleet operation or work in a large multiuser environment. The company sought the help from Pathfinder Logistics, a logistics solutions company based in Springfield, Pennsylvania, to perform the installation of the software. Now Apex has a software system that can adapt to their needs. It flexibly handles scheduled and catalogue deliveries; special projects; and after-hour, high-priority deliveries. Apex now has a solution that routes deliveries overnight, then prints invoices and driving instructions (esri Understanding our world 2006).

b) Fruterine: Risks and Challenges

Fruterine was founded in 1968, and has rapidly expanded into a major force in the dried fruit ingredients business. It now employs 200 staff in five main locations and last year had a turnover of 120m Euros. Its sourcing skills, expertise and management have enabled Fruterine to source quality international products. It invests extensive resources and time to audit, inspect and establish the suitability of products, growers, packers and processors. Challenges can arise during when system integration where different systems serve variety of functions and the possibility of integrating all these systems under one roof seems farfetched.
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Another major problem is when connecting different organisational levels where the overall process is rather strenuous and costly. Enlarging scope of management thinking is yet another daunting management challenge faced by Fruterine where it requires huge system investments and long development time must be guided by common objectives.

PART 2 c) Request for Proposal Section Vendor 1

Microsoft Dynamics delivers a compelling suite of software solutions to help improve financial, customer relationship, and supply chain management. Solution providers build on the standard Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM functionality to deliver powerful industry solutions that meet industry-specific needs. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these adaptable business solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business. a) Speed time-to-market by efficiently integrating recipes, manufacturing, financials, and procurement. Streamline financial processes and simplify analysis by automatically presenting formerly disparate sources of information in a single, RoleTailored view. b) Effective customer relationship management connects sales, marketing, and services across a diverse array of manufacturing relationships. Efficiently manage your complex relationships, gain cross-organizational insights and automate processes to drive consistent customer service experience boost productivity, quickly develop and deploy enterprise applications that streamline and optimize the manufacturing process using the xRM framework. c) Meet your organization's human resources (HR) and payroll needs and realize the potential of your employees.

Background- Fruterine, dried fruit ingredients business, sources dried fruits from all over the world and distributes these to retailers, food manufacturers, and the wider Fast Moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. The company now employs 200 staff in five main locations and last year had a turnover of 120m Euros.

a)

Finance & Accounting Accounting is run from headquarters in Dublin. Problems faced in accounts payable.

b) CRM problems that need to be addressed. c) Human Resources The Company employs 200 staff in 5 main locations. It invests extensive resources and time to audit, inspect and establish the suitability of products, growers, packers and processors.

Objectives and Technical Requirements a) Market share b ) Turnover

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c) Volume sales d) Certification and licences e) Staff biography Cost Proposal Requirements a) Fixed price b) VAT rates c) Salary Contractual Terms and Conditions a) Contract duration b) Bonus c) Contract terms Administrative a) Inquiries b) Insurance requirement Proposal Format & Content a) General instructions b) Organization and Number of copies Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Attachments (if any)

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d) Research
System Requirements for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012
Network requirements Microsoft Dynamics AX can operate on networks that use Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) ; (Microsoft 2012a). Domain requirements Computers that run Microsoft Dynamics AX components must belong to an Active Directory domain, and Active Directory must be configured in native mode. Computers that run Microsoft Dynamics AX components must have access to other computers in Active Directory. These computers may be either in the same domain or in another trusted domain. To support e-mail alerts in Microsoft Dynamics AX, an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server must be present in the environment; (Microsoft 2012a)

Software requirements Most Microsoft Dynamics AX components, including the Setup wizard, require .NET Framework 3.5 with Service Pack 1. For those components that require .NET Framework 4.0, it is listed as an additional requirement in this document. Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 or Windows Installer 4.0; (Microsoft 2012)

Software requirements for client computers

The following Microsoft Dynamics AX components can be installed on a client computer: Windows client Office Add-ins Remote Desktop Services integration Debugger Microsoft Visual Studio Tools Trace Parser .NET Business Connector Source: (Microsoft 2012a)
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Hardware and software requirements for Retail components The package recommends a minimum of four computers at the head office: the AOS computer, the database server, a communications server, and at least one client computer. At the store, we recommend a communications server, one computer for each register, and a database server. The following components are included in the Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail solution:

Retail Headquarters Retail POS (point of sale) Retail Store Connect Retail Transaction Service Retail Store Database Utility Retail POS Plug-Ins

Source: (Microsoft 2012).

Supported peripheral devices for Retail

Each store must have enough peripheral devicessuch as receipt printers, cash drawers, magnetic stripe reader (MSR) devices, and personal identification number (PIN) pad devicesfor each register in the store. Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail supports the following types of OLE for Retail (OPOS) devices for registers: Cash drawers Receipt printers Line or pole displays Dual displays (with a second monitor that faces the customer) Magnetic stripe readers (MSRs) Bar code scanners Scales Keylocks (keyboard locks for manager override keys) Keyboards PIN pads

Source: (Microsoft 2012a)

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Bibliography
Microsoft, 2012. Download: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 System Requirements - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details. Microsoft. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=11094 [Accessed March 9, 2012]. PENSKE, 2012. Ford Motor Company Case Study. PENSKE. Available at: http://www.penskelogistics.com/casestudies/ford2.html [Accessed March 7, 2012]. Microsoft Case Studies, 2009. Microsoft Case Study: Windows Mobile 6 - Lee Company. Microsoft Case Studies. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/WindowsMobile-6/Lee-Company/Construction-Company-Boosts-Productivity-Communications-withMobile-Solution/4000003482 [Accessed March 7, 2012]. esri Understanding our world, 2006. Case Studies. esri Understanding our world. Available at: http://www.esri.com/showcase/case-studies/index.html [Accessed March 8, 2012].

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