We improve companies in the building materials industry with our ERP system (Dynamics 365 Business Central). Benefit now from numerous advantages such as improved efficiency, centralized data management, better planning and control of resources, as well as optimized business processes!
Do you still have to carry out processes like order processing, invoicing, and inventory management manually? This is time-consuming and can lead to errors. Is your company struggling to keep track of your data? Information about orders, inventory levels, and customer relationships is fragmented and difficult to access?
It doesn’t have to be this way!
We have not committed to specific industries. Nevertheless, we currently have some clients from the construction materials industry and are well aware of the challenges in this sector. What is our approach to ERP software for the construction materials industry? In short:
We always align ourselves with the standard ERP solution Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly Dynamics NAV/Navision), which covers various departments, and we incorporate additional technologies such as Microsoft Office 365, the Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Copilot, as well as industry-specific add-ons. If necessary, we also program custom modifications for you. This significantly sets us apart from our competitors. Your system remains updatable and you are independent from the partner company. In our blog post “Standard ERP Solutions vs. Industry Solutions,” (German article) you will find a detailed comparison of the options.
Dynamics 365 Business Central connects all sales and purchasing processes, taking inventory data into account. This makes the movement of goods within the company – from receipt, through transfer and picking, to dispatch – always transparent. The processes are intuitively operable and accessible on mobile devices.
In the system standard, you can manually record your orders or automatically via Outlook. All data is captured (e.g., contact data, item data, shipping data, communication). It is also possible to work with different units (e.g., hours, kilograms, packages).
The following adjustments are also possible and popular:
With Anvaigo EDI (formerly Anveo EDI), you can easily exchange data
If needed, we provide a custom solution for label printing, such as for shipping and/or item labels (printer language ZPL).
With the Anvaigo Mobile App (formerly Anveo Mobile App), your employees can easily access Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly NAV/Navision) on the go. And this independently of network coverage and even offline. This module is ideal for field staff and service technicians.
If necessary, we program a customization for the overview of pallet movements:
If you, for example, maintain your items (e.g., floor coverings) in pieces but sell them in square meters, this requires a customization in the system. We program a custom solution that allows the system to round up to full package units automatically when making inquiries.
With our anaptis Configuration App, you can easily build your own product variants with individual assembly BOMs.
In the building materials industry, demand fluctuations and supply bottlenecks are not uncommon nowadays. Flexible and rapid planning and control of the company are therefore all the more important. With Dynamics 365 Business Central, you can plan your production based on demand forecasts. For material requirements planning, you receive intelligent recommendations for reorder points.
For control, the system standard includes a clear, role-based dashboard and standard reports with easy-to-understand charts and tables. The data is based on connected sales, purchasing, inventory, and CRM transactions. Excel exports are available at the push of a button. This allows you to easily get an overview (e.g., order statuses, sales, material consumption), initiate measures to minimize time and costs, and identify patterns and trends early on.
The following adjustments are also possible and popular:
The tree structure of the TreeControl Add-On from Orderbase allows you to quickly overview even complex production orders, including components and the interdependencies of component groups. Additionally, individual production steps of the production orders are displayed in the add-on.
Keep an overview and control of your production plan and present it even more clearly. Simply extend Dynamics 365 Business Central with a graphical planning board. We offer you either the complex solution Orderbase Megaboard or the add-on Visual (Advanced) Production Scheduler from Netronic.
Visualize your data from a variety of sources and gain new insights with Power BI for Dynamics 365 Business Central. Power BI is also included in the all-in-one data solution Microsoft Fabric.
In the building materials industry, the weight of goods plays a significant role. As previously mentioned, it is possible to work with different units in Dynamics 365 Business Central (e.g., hours, kilograms, packages) and automatically convert units (e.g., one pallet equals 1,200 pieces).
The following adjustments are also possible and popular:
For determining the weight of goods such as sand, we offer the connection of a truck scale to your ERP system. This way, the weight is displayed in the sales order.
For goods like sand and foils, delivery quantities sometimes vary. With our customization, it is possible to vary the delivery quantities in your ERP system within certain limits (e.g., 10 %). A conceivable example would be if, instead of 1.5 tons of sand, 1.55 tons of sand are delivered.
This feature is included in purchase orders starting with Dynamics 365 Business Central 17 as standard, but not in sales. This exemplary customization applies to the latter.
As a result, one ton would remain in the order, and the order would stay open. Employees would need to manually reduce the quantity in the order and close the order.
We program a customization that allows you to simply indicate that it is an underdelivery. Then the order is automatically closed, and the purchase order is deleted.
The number one challenge in the building materials industry is still the efficient design of logistics processes. In other words, the optimal route planning and maximum utilization of transport vehicles.
In the Dynamics 365 Business Central standard, you can network the supply chain and thus map the flow of goods. Returns can be easily processed, and freight costs can be easily determined.
The following adjustments are also possible and popular:
For optimal route planning, we implement an interface to a software of your choice (e.g., Wanko). This allows you to optimize your routes – even across personnel.
For optimal shipping processing and label printing, we offer an interface to the Comsol Multiship Add-On.
The add-on also helps to meet all EU transport regulations for the transport of hazardous goods. In the context of shipping processing, the necessary information and documents are provided to the carrier.
For shipping tracking, we program an interface to a system of your choice (e.g., DPD).
With the Comsol Exposys Zoll Atlas AES Add-On, exporting companies can report their exports directly from Dynamics 365 Business Central to the Atlas procedure of the German customs administration. The entire registration (MRN), approval process, export accompanying document (ABD), and proof of export are transparently available digitally to all sales and shipping clerks.
In the system standard, Dynamics 365 Business Central offers extensive Functions in the areas of invoicing, financial accounting, and cost accounting, as well as reports to accelerate financial closings. As mentioned earlier, the system also automatically sends recommendations, such as taking advantage of discounts or avoiding late fees.
The following adjustments are also possible and popular:
With BELWARE XRECHNUNG, you can easily send invoices as XRechnungen XML, ensuring compatibility with government requirements.
It is our top priority to implement your requirements as closely as possible to the standard. Your system should be updatable and you should remain independent.
Scalability
With Dynamics 365 Business Central, you are always flexible and free. Whether it’s storage, users, or Add-Ons from AppSource – the system scales with you.
Deployment
You can currently run Dynamics 365 Business Central on servers in your own company (On-Premises), online (from the Cloud), or in a hybrid environment.
Transparency
By using interconnected data, you can easily create reports and analyses in real time, identify trends and forecasts, and make well-informed decisions. Stay one step ahead of the competition!
Microsoft Tools
You can seamlessly integrate the ERP system with Microsoft tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Power Platform) and experience the unified Microsoft look and feel. What are you waiting for?
Expertise
We bring over 20 years of experience as a Microsoft-certified ERP partner in the mid-sized sector! We understand the challenges of the building materials industry and optimize, for example, the design of efficient logistics processes with Dynamics 365 Business Central.
We understand the central role of change management in the ERP project and have seamlessly integrated it into our project methodology. Our clients can rely on us to collaboratively implement a future-proof ERP project.
Why anaptis? Discover the advantages that will make your heart beat faster:
We prefer a standard-based software approach and first assess if a requirement can be solved with the standard. This is how we ensure that you remain independent and
The costs of an ERP introduction are highly individual and vary from company to company because they depend on many factors (e.g., deployment method, requirements, number of users, current data quality, internal effort). For a cloud ERP solution, the subscription is decisive, and you pay monthly or annually per user. For a local installation/On-Premises version, there are one-time license costs (per user), an annual maintenance contract, as well as internal infrastructure and possibly personnel costs.
In our blog article “Purchase of ERP Software: How to Define Your Budget” (German article), we discuss how you can roughly estimate the budget for an ERP introduction.
Alternatively, if desired, there is the option to lease your ERP project with us. For example, you can work with our leasing partner MMV and pay off your investment amount through an attractive monthly rate.
The duration of an ERP introduction varies from company to company. Different factors come into play, such as size and the proportion of individual requirements. Additionally, a distinction can be made between Cloud and On-Premises solutions (German article).
The deployment of the online solution takes only a few minutes. The setup duration of your On-Premises solution is longer due solely to the setup of the On-Premises (local) components, as the necessary server systems (database, application, etc.) need to be provisioned.
Furthermore, the following points are relevant:
There are different methods of ERP introduction. Generally, a distinction is made between the waterfall model or an agile approach. We have developed our own agile methodology, which is a combination of both: Initially, we conduct high-level planning within 3-4 days (all necessary functionalities, project start, framework conditions). Detailed specifications and requirements documents are not needed.
Then, we proceed with the introduction in 4-week iterative phases or sprints. In each phase, we plan the sprint, conceptualize the tasks and budget, and execute them. At the end of each phase, the client must test the implementations and assess the quality. Only then does the next implementation phase begin. Any unfinished tasks are transferred to the next implementation phase. This process repeats in each of the implementation phases.
At the end, the implementations are compiled together. Subsequently, we train your team and allow them to thoroughly test the system before going live.
Yes, we do. In our download area you’ll find both a checklist for ERP selection and a whitepaper on ERP introduction from A to Z (only available in German).
Why anaptis? Why should you choose us as your partner company for ERP introduction from the vast Microsoft network? We’ll give you an overview of what makes us unique.
If requirements cannot already be covered by the system standard, the system can easily be expanded or customized using apps.
You can find more information in our overview of extensions for Business Central. In our success stories, we also describe a number of individual customizations.
There are several risks that can lead to the failure of an ERP project. These include, among others, underestimating the complexity, having an inadequate project team, lack of change management, or selecting an unsuitable system. You can find all the information in our blog:
We are looking forward to your inquiry!
Picture credits: ID 1700282 © saweang | pixabay (Picture building materials industry)