MOTOR JIKOV Group: Microsoft Dynamics AX Has Helped to Unify Processes in Subsidiaries

Production of accessories and components for cars and trucks, aluminium and zinc alloy pressure castings, ductile and grey iron castings, special machining units, assembly devices, casting dies, riveting tools, small agricultural machinery, and cleaning machines.

Although we jointly set challenging targets to be achieved over a very short period of time, there were no serious complications impeding the transition to the new Microsoft Dynamics AX information system and we obtained a modern environment for improving our internal processes, especially planning. Ing. Vladimír Kubeš, Head of the Implementation Project at MOTOR JIKOV Group

Task

Before Microsoft Dynamics AX was deployed, each subsidiary had had an independent application based on the XAL product (Concorde). The MOTOR JIKOV Group decided to migrate to Microsoft Dynamics AX and deploy the solution in cooperation with Infinity, the Group’s long-term partner in the area of information technologies.

The project deployed the Dynamics AX information management system at all four manufacturing companies with different types of production – custom, serial, flow and project – within one application. The aim was to create a single application with data centralized for all four companies and to unify processes and data structures. The company also wanted to expand the business information system with processes that had not been previously supported.

Solutions

The modern architecture and technological advancement of Dynamics AX and the extensive experience of Infinity’s consultants facilitated a successful deployment of the system. The information management system was deployed in the fields of financial management, asset management, corporate savings platform, logistics, warehouse management, manufacturing, and production output booking by means of barcodes, quality, metrology, and iProcurement. From the very beginning of the implementation, the integration of processes and data structures within the companies in the Group was emphasised. A different method of process support had to be selected due to the differences in the nature of that company. However, this did not have any influence on maintaining a single application for all companies in the Group.

Both standard modules of Microsoft Dynamics AX and add-on modules and vertical solutions for quality management, supplier evaluation, items classification, overview of tools management, including planning, iProcurement, metrology (i.e. records about the management and calibration of measuring and monitoring devices), maintenance planning, die casting, production output booking with barcode reader software, departmental (internal) management, and the module for the corporate savings platform were applied as part of the implementation.

The corporate savings platform keeps accounts for employees of MOTOR JIKOV Group, allowing them to withdraw cash and send money orders on site. In the production area, the special feature of the solution is the readiness of the Dynamics AX application to integrate with Teamcenter and TPV 2000 add-on software applications which are used in the Design Office and Technical Engineering Department. iProcure is a Dynamics AX add-on module that extends the software capabilities for supplier orders and procurement procedures or public auctions. All these operations are executed in a single integrated system, enabling inquires or orders to be placed easily using the Approval workflow. For selected suppliers, a link can be created directly to their enterprise information systems, for example in the form of a XML order. Within the Group, the Microsoft Dynamics AX enterprise information management system is now used by 100 concurrently working users. It took a full year, from December 2007 to December 2008, to complete the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX at the MOTOR JIKOV Group.

Subsequently, Infinity secured an upgrade of the information management system to MS Dynamics AX 2009 at the MOTOR JIKOV Group. The project, which was under way until the end of 2012, primarily covered the areas of business analyses, customer relationship management, project management, and the enterprise portal. The aim was overall integration of enterprise applications to a single Microsoft SQL Server platform. The applied data integrator tool is a new Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, which provides data for the newly installed Enterprise portal. The basis for report outputs and key indicators is the implementation of business intelligence cubes on a separate OLAP server.

The actual reporting is assured by the Reporting Services module, which is a standard component included with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009. Tools for graphical editing of the workflow and a project management module connected to the service management were also deployed. The clear arrangement and faster decision-making at all management levels are supported with the management of the workspaces assigned to individual roles of the system users. By innovating its information management system, MOTOR JIKOV Group also gained the ability to fully manage the system from web applications, including simple access to analytical tools within the scope of the whole system.

Achievements

Having implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX, the companies in the MOTOR JIKOV Group started making use of the benefits of the integrated system, seeing the most significant benefits in the following areas: low costs of the system ownership, only one application is administered now instead of four, savings in hardware and hardware administration costs through servers virtualization and increased system availability, unification and support of business processes throughout the Group by means of single Dynamics AX application, increased production throughput and its effective management, effective and fast resource planning for production and purchasing, subcontracting and cooperation, inventory optimization, low training costs and good orientation in the system for users who work in the familiar Microsoft environment, increased security and availability of corporate data, readiness of Dynamics AX to integrate with complementary Teamcenter and TPV 2000 software programmes, achieving synergies through integration with other Microsoft products, and system readiness for its further development.

Business Impacts

The low cost of the system ownership, savings in hardware and hardware administration costs through servers virtualization, increased availability of systems, unification and support of business processes throughout the Group.