Manufacturing

Paccess makes big savings with Dynamics AX

20 March 2008

Paccess, a global supply chain integrator based in Portland, Oregon, has selected Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 to replace an Oracle 11.0.3 system as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Microsoft Dynamics AX is a business-management solution that is designed to provide midsize and larger companies with end-to-end, industry-specific functionality, enabling them to do business across locations and countries.

“The five-year total cost of ownership for Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 was more than US$1 million less than Oracle’s, even though we already owned the Oracle software,” said Nina Palludan, vice president of IT for Paccess. “Actually re-buying the Oracle e-business suite would have cost less than upgrading our current licenses.”

In addition, the Microsoft solution used a familiar interface, similar to that of the Microsoft Office system, so that employees intuitively understand how to use and navigate through Microsoft Dynamics applications. Thus, with minimal instruction, personnel were able to grasp Microsoft Dynamics functionality as they worked; avoiding the downtime associated with extensive training.

Paccess, working with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Hitachi Consulting, implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0. The new technology integrated seamlessly with the other Microsoft applications the company was using, including Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server databases, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and the Microsoft Office system.

Beyond the cost advantages, Paccess anticipates gaining a number of other benefits including improved reporting through built-in report and query tools, alerts, favourites and SQL Report Writer. The Microsoft solution also allows the company to bring together all its key information into one database, eliminating the many versions of documents that it had to sort out before. Everyone will now have access to the same up-to-date information that they can trust to be accurate and timely. In addition the new solution is expected to provide Paccess with improved scalability, scheduling and supply chain management capabilities.

“Global companies are finding ways to simultaneously save money and advance their processes with the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president for Microsoft’s US Dynamics business. “Companies that seek new business management systems are looking for solutions that are simpler to use, less costly to own and easier to scale than their existing solutions. Around the world, companies are finding these benefits in Microsoft Dynamics AX, an ERP solution designed for growing businesses.”