Dynamics GP Purchase Order Processing as Part of WMS

We would like to give WMS definition, as it is described in Wikipedia and them review Inventory Replenishment logic and how it could be implemented by exposing POP Purchase Receipt to the Barcode scanning
1. Warehouse Management System Definition.  You can find it in Wikipedia: “A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, putaway and picking. The systems also direct and optimize stock putaway based on real-time information about the status of bin utilization”.  To our interest here is Receiving, often referred as Inventory Replenishment, Restocking
2. Inventory Restocking in Dynamics GP POP module.  Purchasing is very powerful in Great Plains, where you can begin the process with Purchase Request in Dynamics GP Business Portal Requisition Management module (BP user license is typically below or around $50 and you can consider to have all your purchase request generators – typically in each department you have few responsible – as Business Portal RM users).  Then Purchase Request could be exposed to approval cycle (with approval hierarchy of purchasing managers).  Next step – Requisition document issuing and sending out to potential suppliers (tender).  When the winner in the tender is identified, Requisition is converted to Dynamics GP Purchase Order (and it leaves the realm of Business Portal Requisition Management and now is in Dynamics GP POP module in the form of Purchase Order document).  All the above mentioned logic is optional, and you do not have to implement Dynamics GP Business Portal, you can begin creating PO or even Purchase Receipt directly in GP.  Purchase Order is officially sent to the vendor and then you are awaiting delivery to one of your Warehouses.  When merchandise arrives, you have to create Purchase Receipt document for the shipper/vendor and begin entering items/QTY received.  You may decide to receive only the items, matching to existing open Purchase Order, or allow receiving without PO matching.  Purchase Receipt document moves items received to quantity on-hand in the warehouse (inventory site in Dynamics GP terminology).  Receipt line also supports such features of Great Plains Inventory item as Lot or Serial numbering, bins
3. Warehouse Management Extension for Dynamics GP.  Theoretically you can place computer with GP user workstation installed directly in the warehouse, placed on your network and have Purchase Receipt document keyed in by hand.  This solution should work when the volume of deliveries is really low or moderate.  If you are facing several delivery trucks per day or per hour, you probably want to get advantages of Barcode scanning.  This is where you need Warehouse Management System.  WMS extensions, which we recommend for consideration, have Server and Client application.  The WMS Server talks directly with Dynamics GP SQL Server via ODBC connection and WMS client application runs on the Barcode scanner (you can use high end scanner with Windows Mobile and nice graphical interface, or just budget scanner, which supports text only mode).  WMS client respects restricted computing resources of the barcode scanner, this is why it is programmed in Microsoft Visual Basic (pre .Net version)
4. WMS implementation.  The cost of the Warehouse Management System might be comparable with Dynamics GP user license cost.  This is why we do recommend you to consider GP version update to be in synch with Microsoft Business Solutions technical support.  As we are writing these lines in September 2010, current version is 2010/11.0 (it was released in May 2010 and announced on Microsoft Convergence 2010 tradeshow in Atlanta in April).  At this time, we would probably recommend you to update to Dynamics GP 10.0, as we are trying to be at the conservative side and wait several service packs released for the new version (2010/11.0).  But if you are doing new Dynamics GP implementation, our suggestion is always pick the recent version
5. For further information, please call us 1-866-528-0577, email us help@albaspectrum.com  By the nature of our service we are available for WMS implementation USA, Canada nationwide.  Local service is available in Western Michigan: St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, New Buffalo; in Chicagoland, North Western Indiana, Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County), Houston and Dallas areas of Texas