Ask the Experts: Dynamics NAV users talk inventory, supply chain pain points

In the interactive Ask the Experts:  Manufacturing and Supply Chain conference session at NAVUG Forum, four seasoned supply professionals spent about an hour answering specific questions posed by the audience.

Led by Bob Bergman of ArcherPoint, Bob Buccigrossi of EBO Group, Marc Allman of AMS Controls, and Microsoft's Tom Blaisdell, the session kicked off with a representative from a homeopathic over-the-counter (OTC) firm discussing his pain points around variant codes within NAV. He wanted to be able to manage different versioning of specific SKUs - an issue that Bob Bergman addressed by explaining the process of establishing item numbers from the point of view of inventory and costing. "And don't forget," Bergman added, "that the items in your stockroom must clearly identify the different parts [versions]."

Next, a representative from a global fluids management firm inquired about the best way to manage inventory fluctuations without simply throwing additional stock at the problem. "What are the best strategies within NAV to keep inventory low but also be reactive?" he asked. Calling this inquiry "more of a philosophy question," Bergman said a combination of lean manufacturing processes and the use of NAV to set priorities could help the user better handle its uncertain inventory issues.

One participant said his own firm solves a similar issue by identifying those components that it wants delivered on a just in time (JIT) basis and then creates a contract for those parts. "We commit to a certain level of inventory based on our own customers' wants and needs," the NAVUG member explained. "This arrangement has been fairly successful for us."

When asked to identify some of their biggest pain points with NAV, one customer said she was ...