What was the business problem the customer needed to solve?
The business problem the customer needed to solve was streamlining the process of managing and tracking shipments and controlling the costs associated with them, especially in cases of international shipments due to legal and tax concerns from customs. Additionally, they wanted a system that could monitor and compare expenses on premium shipments among different domains and provide information on estimated and actual costs. They needed a more efficient way to collect and process shipping data and ensure the party responsible for each shipment was easily identifiable. They also required an efficient approval system that involved different roles when the costs of the Shipping Requests (SR) exceeded 5,000 USD.
Description of how your service/solution solved their business problem.
Our service/solution addressed their business problem by utilizing Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Azure SQL, Power BI, and integration with the QAD ERP system to create a Shipping Request Application. This application allowed users to easily input shipping information, including the responsible party and shipping reference data. The application also auto-filled relevant data from the existing database upon request creation, improving efficiency and accuracy. The integration with the QAD ERP system allowed for extracting information about the part numbers of the products being shipped according to the company's Domain.
The application provides specific workflows for the roles of Requestor, Compliance Reviewer, Shipping Specialist, Approver, Finance, and System Admin, facilitating efficient management of the shipping process.
The solution also included the use of Power BI for visualizing and comparing information about premium shipments, such as expenses across different domains and the comparison of estimated and actual costs. Power Automate was used to automate the approval process, sending approval requests to different roles based on the amounts involved in the Shipping Request (SR).
What were the deciding factors for the customer in selecting your service/solution?
The deciding factors for the customer in selecting our service/solution were:
1. Integration with existing systems: Our solution was able to seamlessly integrate with existing Microsoft Business Applications and the QAD ERP system, making implementation easier and less disruptive to their current processes.
2. Customization and scalability: The Power Apps and Power Automate platforms allowed for a high degree of customization and scalability to meet the unique needs of the customer's business, including specific workflows for each role involved in the shipping process and an efficient approval system based on cost amounts.
3. Automation and efficiency: Our solution utilized Power Automate to optimize workflows, reducing manual tasks and improving overall efficiency, allowing users to complete their tasks more effectively and providing a suitable approval system based on amounts involved in the Shipping Requests (SR).
4. Data analysis and visualization: Our solution implemented Power BI to provide analysis and visualization of relevant information for premium shipments, helping to control and compare the expenses associated with shipments among different domains and the comparison of estimated and actual costs.
5. Interoperability with ERP systems: The integration of our solution with the QAD ERP system allowed users to extract relevant information about the part numbers of the products being shipped according to the company's Domain. This ensured greater accuracy in shipping information and facilitated tracking and management of the shipments.
In summary, the solution provided the customer with a more efficient and effective approach to managing and tracking shipments and controlling associated costs while seamlessly integrating with their existing systems and offering customization and scalability to fit their specific business needs.
What Microsoft Business Applications products were involved (existing or newly implemented)?
The Microsoft Business Applications products involved in this solution, both existing and newly implemented, include:
1. Microsoft Power Apps: Power Apps was used to create the Shipping Request Application, which enabled users to input shipping information, manage the shipping process, and automate workflows for various roles involved in the process. This platform allowed for customization and scalability to meet the unique needs of the customer's business.
2. Microsoft Power Automate: Power Automate was utilized to optimize workflows, automate the approval process, and reduce manual tasks, improving overall efficiency. It allowed for the creation of an efficient approval system based on the amounts involved in Shipping Requests (SR), as well as the sending of approval requests to different roles as needed.
3. Microsoft Azure SQL: Azure SQL was used as the backend database for storing and managing the shipping request data. The shipping request data was accessed from the QAD ERP system's SQL database through a Gateway, which allowed for seamless integration between the two systems.
4. Microsoft Power BI: Power BI was implemented for data analysis and visualization, providing insights into premium shipments, and allowing users to control and compare expenses among different domains and the comparison of estimated and actual costs. This tool facilitated data-driven decision-making and monitoring of shipping costs.
5. Microsoft SharePoint: SharePoint was used to store the attachments that users added to each Shipping Request (SR). This provided a central location for storing and managing attachments.
These Microsoft Business Applications products were integrated with the existing QAD ERP system, which stored information in an SQL database accessed via a Gateway, to provide a seamless and efficient solution for managing and tracking shipments and controlling associated costs
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