Adeaca Announces the Release of Advanced Projects 4.0 for Microsoft Dynamics AX

Adeaca recently launched it's Advanced Projects 4.0 for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The full press release, on this can be found here.: Adeaca Announces Advanced Projects 4.0 Release for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

From the Press Release.:
"Advanced Projects with Dynamics AX is a one‐stop solution that is capable of replacing a host of specialized best of breed solutions like project; estimation, scheduling, resourcing, costing and reporting applications. Migrating to a single integrated project management system not only reduces IT costs it also greatly improves project visibility, automation and collaboration."



Daniel Bevort, President & CEO of Adeaca describes Advanced Projects 4.0, as the following.:
“The release of Advanced Projects V4.0 represents a clear continuation of our mission to deliver best in class fully integrated solutions to project driven companies"

The following list, is a set of links and a bit of information, for the different types of verticals that Advanced Projects focusing it's feature set for.:

• Project Manufacturing and Engineering - Advanced Projects PME is designed for project driven; manufacturing, service and engineering companies, that are faced with the challenging task of managing large and complex projects, often with a low degree of project repeatability.


• Civil Engineering and Construction - Advanced Projects CEC for Civil Engineering and Construction provides a single consolidated solution that enables you to effectively manage all critical project components, and provides a holistic and project centric approach to efficiently managing all parts of your projects life cycle, operational as well as administrative.


• Professional Services - Advanced Projects PSO™ delivers mission critical capabilities specifically designed for the industry, with focusing on increasing project profitability and resource utilization by effectively managing all critical business processes within a single integrated application.

If your a company, or partner, that focuses in on these vertical area's, I would recommend checking Adeaca, a sponsor of this site, out. Let them show you how Advanced Projects can help your company, or your clients.

You can signup to see a recorded demo of Advanced Projects in action, with the following link.:


That's all for now. I hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July week! I will be gone, but might sneak in a post, closer to the end of next week, and will be back in full force the week after.

Till next time!



"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"

Microsoft Dynamics Webcast Highlight for Professional Services Firms

A new Microsoft Dynamics Webcast is being held, for June 16th, 2011. This is an hour long webcast, that starts at 10:00 AM PDT.

A direct link to the webcast, so you can register, can be found here.: Microsoft Dynamics Webcast on Lessons Learned From the Recession — How Leading Professional Services Firms Thrived While Others Struggled

From the webcast information page.:
"Please join Jeanne Urich, Managing Director of SPI Research and Ted Kempf, North America Service Industries Director, Microsoft, as we cut through the noise and focus on the performance of market leading professional services firms along five key pillars: Leadership, Finance and Operations, Human Capital Alignment, Service Execution and Client Relationships. The discussion will draw upon results from SPI's recently published 2011 Benchmark Report, Becoming a Dynamic Professional Services Business.

Attend this webinar and learn how leading professional services firms:

• Plan and schedule resources to deliver more effectively


• Optimize service margins and cash flow


• Continually monitor their business using five key performance indicators (KPIs)

All attendees will receive a free copy of the 2011 Benchmark Report, Becoming a Dynamic Professional Services Business valued at $695."

This is actually right in line with what I posted about earlier today, with Microsoft's focus on the five industries. The Service Industry is one of those five, and Ted Kempf is the Director for Microsoft, North America, for this industry.

This is the new direction for Microsoft, that it built upon the work done with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Having specific industries, that will focus out-of-the-box, that Verticals and Micro-Verticals live in.

If your in the PSA, or Professional Services area, I highly recommend attending this. My recommendation goes for Microsoft, Partners and Customers.

That's all for now!

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ARP for Dynamics AX

Visit Hillstar Business Intelligence (www.HillstarBI.com) in order to truly unlock your data trapped in your Microsoft Dynamics investment. With our value driven business intelligence strategy Hillstar help you transform into a data informed company.





Update: For the latest information, around ARP and how it now lives as Advanced Projects from Adeaca, please visit the product website at www.Adeaca.com or check out the following blog entry check out the following blog entry: Adeaca Announces the Release of Advanced Projects 4.0 for Microsoft Dynamics AX.





SoftEnigma, this past sprind launched a new product / module for Dynamics AX 4.0 SP2 & Dynamics AX 2009, called ARP. This stands for Advanced Resource Planning, and let me tell you the word Advanced is the right one to describe what this module offers.



I took some time to review ARP with Daniel Bevort, President and Owner of SoftEnigma, Inc. In this review, I really was given a great look into what ARP really is, and what it can do for customers. The target of this software module is customers that are in the Project Based Manufacturing vertical, as well as Professional Services Vertical.

These two verticals are for sure worlds apart when it comes to what they produce typically, but when it comes to projects and managing resources on those projects, that were these two verticals have similar needs, and therefore why ARP makes sense for them.

Lets take a step inside ARP for a little bit. During the review, one of the first things that I was shown, was ARP's ability to import from a MS Project file, and start resource planning from that point. This is not the only way to start, but for those familiar with MS Project interface, terms, and data layouts this is a great way to transition into using ARP for DAX.

Now, let me add, not only does ARP have the ability to import from Project, but also, it has user interface elements, data setup and project setup abilites similar to that of MS Project. Again this is yet another advantage for those that use project or have used project in the past to manage with.



Now with the MS Project references in mind, there are some setup items of course that need to take place. And the resources assigned to a given task in MS Project actually need to map what are called Roles inside ARP. These roles are different that the Role Center roles, and also different than the Roles in, say the IEM vertical offering from To-Increase. However once setup is done, which must be done for any module, your ready to integrate with MS Project and import into ARP.

Now this is the start, and lets move into actual ARP functional area's that go beyond what MS Project can offer you. Let's move to capactiy planning, which is basically what ARP will shine for, espcially for project based manufacturing clients. This is were the rubber meets the road, if you want to look at it in a certain way.



With capacity planning, and different ways of doing so, like Infinite, Finite and Capacity itself, this becomes a primer for Master Planning and Proudction Orders. For project based manufacturing, this becomes most crtical for resources to build the production orders, to servicing, installing, sourcing, any number of area's that could make up a large project that spans months and even years to complete.

Because of the design of ARP, it sits on to of the project modules inside DAX, and does not destory them but actually uses them as they are intended to be used. Therefore, all accounting, ledgers, sales order, purchase orders, production orders, all works like it's suppose to out of the box. Again making ARP a perfect primer for capacity planning and allowing project based manufacturing to really have a very detailed hold and plan for their production processes.

Now the capacity planning being a primer for a project based manufacturing client is different than say a Demand Planner use. You would use a Demand Planning Application, to source and keep your Textile flowing, or small parts flowing in order to build your widgets to the forecasted demand of your produts. Capacity planning, in more of a client has a project that could build many products, and also span large one that cover many months to create. Therefore demand is more stable and static and capacity is more the focus.

Professional Services again is another vertical area in which this module can be used. Allowing the ability of a project manager and team members to create task, track task, and product allows the team members to update, accept and complete task through a 'My Assignments' form, which then Dynamically updates the project itself. Allowing for the project to be Dynamic, vs. static and freeing up the project manager to reports and tracking and not having to update a single file.



So a consulting company / firm can take huge advantage of the abilities of ARP module, to track projects, project tasks, make use of EVM or Earned Value Management, see resouce hours hit GL accounts, and be used to create Sales orders and then invoices for clients that the projects related too. This also give the ability to company management to rank resouces by skill, skill level and see who is free for what projects and really have insight into open abilities for future and current capacity.

All in all ARP for Dynamics AX is something that Project Based Manufacturing and Professional Services should really give a look at for helping improving the overall bottom line and insight into production / resource capacity planning. As of today there are over 15 some Microsoft Partners that are using ARP in some form or fashion to help manage their own Professional Services, and their was a recent successful pilot done for GM by MIcrosoft that involved the use of ARP as the primer for GM's plant production.

To find out more visit the web site here: Softenigma, Inc. Web site And you can also download the latest brochure here: ARP Brochure

As always check back soon!



Visit Hillstar Business Intelligence (www.HillstarBI.com) in order to truly unlock your data trapped in your Microsoft Dynamics investment. With our value driven business intelligence strategy Hillstar help you transform into a data informed company.





"Visit the Dynamics AX Community Page today!"