Implementations for a leading Business Central vertical solution for the timber industry
Challenges
acadon and Global Mediator established a long-lasting partnership working on multiple projects related to acadon’s vertical solution for the timber industry. While building a continuous process, we ensure that the business knowledge within the solution is strengthened.
The scale and complexity of the project implied problem-solving and proactive approaches in addition to extensive Business Central development expertise. To help acadon’s customers benefit from more recent versions of Business Central, the team had to respond to the following challenges:
- Manage multiple challenging migrations of the Timber solution along with customizations to more recent versions of Business Central: on-premises and cloud versions.
- Conduct solution modifications and complex third-party integrations to optimize customer-specific processes, and ensure continuous maintenance and support.
- Future-proof the core Timber solution with high-quality code development.
- Contribute to automating manual processes for timber traders with a mobile application powered by Xamarin.
Jorrit Wulffers
Director at acadon B.V.
"Working on larger vertical solutions not only requires knowledge of Dynamics 365 Business Central but also an in-depth understanding of the vertical business solution itself. Succeeding in a cooperation like this requires strong business continuity and excellent communication. Global Mediator has managed to deliver on all these parameters for an extended period of time."
Solution
01
Migration to the recent versions of Business Central. Within the continuous cooperation, our team implements balanced strategies to migrate numerous add-on installations with lots of customizations, extensive data sets, and complex business processes from older versions of the ERP (such as NAV 2016, 2017, etc.) to more recent versions of Business Central, both on-premises and cloud versions.
• As one of the best practices to optimize the migration process, decrease the project cost, and minimize the compatibility risks, the team often offers to first migrate to the most standard Business Central functionality.
• After moving to the newer ERP versions, customers test its functionality and assess the necessity of customizations used with an older NAV version. Then the team either reimplements critical customizations or implements them from scratch (instead of moving them along with the solution).
• Along the way, Global Mediator’s team swiftly adapts to the altering project requirements like implementing the transition of a customer’s Timber solution to the cloud (Business Central 2023) instead of proceeding with an on-premises version, as previously planned.
02
Customizations implementation.
To help maximize the potential of the add-on in conjunction with Business Central, our software engineers also provide solution modifications as per specific customer requirements and business processes.
Currently, the team also provides ongoing support and customer-specific development for the project.
In addition, the team successfully manages the implementation of third-party integrations that help:
• Optimize logistics: a PTV Group solution integration enhances building logistic routes for delivering timber and construction materials. The team set up the same app for multiple customers with different sets of configurations via BC mapping. Within the third-party database, the team managed the fixed fields and configured them in customer-specific ways for each customer to use exactly the fields they needed.
• Automate manual processes for cashiers: the Cash Desk app integration facilitates selling timber or construction materials through sales orders; provides payment options for customers (cash, card, or banking account); simplifies transactions with customers, allows to skip warehouse processes, and considers customers’ geographical positions.
03
As part of the ongoing development process, the team contributes to developing the core of the Timber solution with:
• Robust code: clear, extensible, and easy-to-maintain code ensuring that new features and required changes to the extension are implemented smoothly.
• Strategic code implementation: considering and applying the most relevant approaches to fixing errors and developing new functions within a working solution. They ensure that the delivered code correctly shapes the application.
• Proactive approach: the GM specialist proactively reacted to an issue in the Business Central code that directly affected the core application development and submitted a pull request to Microsoft.
The corporation accepted the suggested changes, and the issue was fixed with the next Business Central release allowing for further smooth development of the Timber solution.
04
A Global Mediator specialist is engaged in the ongoing development project of the mobile application for manual processes automation on the Business Central side for multiple customers.
• Development and integration of the new modules into the existing solutions and project maintenance.
• Different devices: the Xamarin application is available on cell phones (Android) and scanners to accelerate the connection between these mobile devices and Business Central.
• Instant updates: the solution strengthens warehouse management with enhanced item control and on-the-fly updates on the latest operations with warehouse items, their availability, and location.
• Synchronized performance: the application aims at the online work of multiple users without conflicts. Our software engineer is currently optimizing the background processes on the BC side to boost the app's responsiveness and online performance overall
Technologies behind the project
A snapshot of what we leverage to deliver best-of-breed solutions
Jorrit Wulffers
Director at acadon B.V.
"acadon's Timber solution spans from turnkey industry software to tailored projects addressing intricate customers' requirements. Throughout this process, high quality remains the number one priority. We are thankful for Global Mediator's collaboration in ensuring exceptional service for our customers."
Impact
About our customer
acadon, our long-term partner, has been empowering ERP solutions for timber traders and wooden packaging businesses for almost 40 years – in Germany and worldwide. The software provider delivers tailored IT concepts and industry-specific solutions around Microsoft Dynamics 365 to address the unique needs of the industry. acadon commits to its customers’ digitization, strategic guidance, and process optimization to accelerate their success.
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