Can enhancements in Microsoft Dynamics AX drive sustainable improvements in retail supply chain?

Kurt Hatlevik's recent blog post on retail and supply chain trends highlights some of the key challenges that retailers are grappling with in today's changing business environment and explores how Microsoft Dynamics AX is stepping up to the plate to help customers work through those obstacles.

In many cases, the supply chain is the Achilles heel that technology must be able to address efficiently and effectively. As many companies are learning, Hatlevik writes, "an inefficient and poorly functioning supply chain can negatively impact every aspect of a retail organization, jeopardizing the long-term performance and success of a business."

As MSDynamicsWorld.com has been reporting recently, Dynamics AX team has made it a priority to enhance its supply chain and retail capabilities.  The expanded warehouse and transportation capabilities of the upcoming feature packs for AX 2012 R2 will begin to improve the product's supply chain pedigree. And Microsoft believes it is well positioned to use Dynamics for Retail to take advantage of industry trends.

Based on his experience working with key companies in food and beverage, consumer products, high tech, and industrial manufacturing, Hatlevik pinpoints trends that are impacting and changing retailers' performance:

• Demand planning (Hatlevik expects that demand planning will a very important feature to look into when the AX 2012 R3 is released.)
• Globalization and supply chain management
• Global competition and price pressures
• Shortened and more complex product life cycles
• Integration and collaboration with customers and suppliers

As supply chain networks have become ...