The Four Best Features of Microsoft’s New Manufacturing Accelerator

Posted on: July 20, 2020 | By: Guy Logan | Microsoft Dynamics Manufacturing, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central

Following the launch of five other industry accelerators over the past year, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Manufacturing Accelerator was finally released in May 2020. As a part of their accelerator, Microsoft also launched an exciting new Supplier Relationship Management application. 

Manufacturers need a digital transformation more than ever. Initially created to help manufacturers manage their suppliers, the accelerator has shown increasing promise and use as manufacturers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global supply chain. Using a single platform with some of Microsoft’s best tools like Power Portals, manufacturers can gather valuable data to determine where to cut costs, vendor performance, and more.

We want to help our manufacturing clients best understand the tools available when it comes to managing their suppliers. Here’s what you need to know about the accelerator and its best features. 

 

What is the Dynamics 365 Manufacturing Accelerator?

With the increasing need for a digital transformation, innovative supply chain management software has become crucial to maintaining manufacturing efficiency. Understanding all of the factors of your relationship with a supplier can help to increase productivity by identifying points of inefficiency. 

The Dynamics 365 manufacturing accelerator gives manufacturers a quick way to develop solutions or extend tailored apps to business needs. Specifically, the accelerator helps to facilitate intelligent supplier relationship management and supplier onboarding. The Supplier Relationship Management app enables manufacturers to qualify a supplier, onboard suppliers for data integration, and provide data about your relationship with the supplier as well. 

With the ability to integrate API data from other suppliers and manage supplier business relationships, the solution is able to bring together a seamless workflow for manufacturers. Manufacturers can then reassess any vendor’s performance to pinpoint and correct any issues quickly and efficiently. Through these different features, manufacturers can optimize supplier selection and performance to rapidly produce and deliver higher quality products.

 

The Best Features You Should Know

1. Proactively handle registration for new suppliers

Like with any new client, managing and communicating with new suppliers can be difficult and disorganized. Using the portal, you can start managing registration for new suppliers with a single platform to give them access to your site. You can also provide a guided experience to qualify suppliers who do business with your manufacturing company. This allows you to proactively engage with your new suppliers and help them with the onboarding process. 

microsoft supplier relationship management manufacturing accelerator portal

2. Manage requests from suppliers

Through the model-driven app, your manufacturing company can review any request forms, and approve or reject the new supplier’s request. Once they are approved, the supplier receives an invitation to complete the onboarding process. This allows you to efficiently field numerous requests from new suppliers and ease the process for them as well.

manage and review requests on supplier relationship management app microsoft

3. Qualifying your supplier

After a new supplier is approved, the supplier can easily onboard within the portal. The new supplier can then start adding any additional information about their company, like account names and certifications to help you better understand their qualifications. This information can be continually updated by the supplier as their relationship with your manufacturing company grows. 

getting started portal microsoft manufacturing accelerator supplier relationship management

4. Manage and track supplier health

The purpose-built role-based console provides account details, technical details, and monitoring of electronic data message status. But most importantly, it also gives you a single view on supplier relationship health. This dashboard displays the status of a specific supplier’s current functions, such as order performance by month. This means you can easily track supplier performance and quickly identify any issues with the supplier. It also allows you to compare a supplier’s performance in relation to other suppliers of your manufacturing company. 

microsoft manufacturing accelerator supplier relationship management dashboard

Starting Your Digital Transformation

Interested in learning more about how you can use the new Microsoft Dynamics 365 Manufacturing Accelerator? Logan Consulting, based in Chicago, is committed to making technology easier for clients across the nation. Talk to us about any of your Dynamics 365 and Business Central needs today. 



2020 Nucleus Research Report on ERP Technology

Free Download:

2020 Nucleus Research Report on ERP Technology

Download the guide ›