Feedback we get from customers tells us that the issues and complexity of managing data securely and efficiently is a challenge they routinely face whenever any data leaves, or external data is imported into, the trusted environment of Dynamics 365 for Supply Chain Management (D365 SCM).
The management requirements, data integrity issues and general overheads involved when exporting and importing data to external software products can multiply very quickly. This can become a major headache when it is not properly understood or managed.
The data export/import tools that Microsoft provide in D365 SCM are flexible but are not intended for routine use by end-users. This makes interfacing with external products fiddly and error-prone when users have to use these tools.
Many forecasting products, including Microsoft’s Demand Planning App, that work with D365 SCM, require routine exporting and importing of data to/from D365 SCM to function.
Farsight Demand Forecasting does not rely on importing and exporting data from D365 SCM’s database by design. It is written in the same code and uses the same tools that D365 SCM itself is written in, which means it securely reads and writes data inside the same database that D365 SCM uses.
This ensures that all the data used or generated by Demand Forecasting never leaves the control of D365 SCM unless you want it to. This design also means it works natively with D365 SCM product and storage dimensions: Configuration, Colour, Size, Style, Site, Warehouse, Location and Inventory status.
Also, by utilizing the batch functionality in D365 SCM, Demand Forecasting customers can easily implement a ‘set and forget’ strategy for automating the recurring processes in the Forecasting Cycle that are critical to forecasting. This capability helps reduce the workload to a management-by-exception basis, rather than relying on constant hands-on engagement.
It also simplifies the generation of Demand Forecasting data from D365 SCM transactions, and the recording of forecasts in the D365 SCM Forecast Sales table used by Master Planning. All data is securely managed in the D365 SCM database and all forecasting functions are controlled by D365 SCM security.
This design, coupled with all the other functionality Demand Forecasting provides to manage item supersessions, demand outliers, external events and more, provides you with a powerful solution that is easy to install and implement, while always keeping your data secure.
