Microsoft recently introduced a new Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management (D365 SCM) capability called Warehouse management only mode (WMOM). This new mode aims to improve how businesses implement their D365 SCM warehouse management functionalities, especially in combination with their legacy external ERP systems. WMOM offers strong integration capabilities, which help organizations extend their business application landscape with advanced features of one of the best-of-breed warehouse management systems.
What is Warehouse management only mode?
WMOM is a mode in which D365 SCM can operate to either support integration with an external ERP system or provide shared warehousing functionalities for other legal entities in the same instance of D365 SCM.
This blog post will focus on WMOM's ability to integrate its warehouse management functions with external ERP systems. Businesses can use D365 SCM's advanced warehouse management features without replacing their existing ERP systems.
WMOM supports the exchange of key data, including:
- Inbound Shipment Orders: Details about purchase orders.
- Outbound Shipment Orders: Details about sales orders.
- Master Data: Information about products, variants, units of measure, and barcodes.
- Inventory Levels: Real-time stock level data exchange.
Additionally, WMOM updates external ERP systems with the progress of processing inbound and outbound orders and any changes in inventory levels. This ensures both systems are always in sync, promoting efficient and cohesive operations.
Key benefits of Warehouse management only mode
- Better integration with external ERPs: WMOM integrates smoothly with various ERP systems, allowing businesses to enhance their operations without changing their current ERP setup. This flexibility is key for companies looking to improve efficiency without major system changes.
- Simplified implementation: WMOM simplifies the integration process, reducing the time and resources needed to implement warehouse management solutions. This faster implementation means businesses can quickly start benefiting from improved warehouse operations.
- Increased data accuracy and consistency: Real-time data exchange ensures that the WMS and ERP systems always have up-to-date information. Accurate data is crucial for maintaining proper inventory levels, efficiently fulfilling orders, and avoiding disruptions caused by data discrepancies.
- Operational efficiency: WMOM enables businesses to use D365 SCM's advanced warehouse management features, like detailed inventory tracking, optimized picking and packing processes, and real-time order processing. These capabilities lead to higher efficiency and better service levels.
Integrating with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Given that we at InterRadish operate within the Microsoft Dynamics and Azure ecosystem, it made perfect sense for us to discover paths to integrate WMOM with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (D365 BC) as an external ERP. While D365 BC is a widely used ERP, it lacks comprehensive support for logistics processes. This integration allows us to leverage the strengths of both systems, flexibility and wide adoption of D365 BC and strengths of advanced warehouse management functionalities within D365 SCM WMOM.
The way we built integrations between D365 SCM WMOM and D365 BC is extremely unintrusive. To build the solution, we leveraged Azure integration services to connect APIs from both systems and orchestrate the exchange of messages without any extensions to either system's codebase. Furthermore, on top of the integration solution, we introduced the Azure monitoring services layer to provide better visibility into how the solution performs.
In the next blog post, you will learn more about integrating the outbound shipment orders, what configuration is needed in both systems to execute it, and an end-to-end demo of the process.
