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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

ProductOverview

MicrosoftCorporation
June2012


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 2
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012







Product Overview
TableofContents

Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Industry-Specific Capabilities ............................................................................................................... 5
Manufacturing .................................................................................................................................... 5
Retail ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Distribution .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Services Industries ............................................................................................................................. 5
Public Sector ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Industry and Core ERP Capabilities .................................................................................................... 6
Financial Management .................................................................................................................... 6
Human Capital Management ........................................................................................................ 8
Production ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Supply Chain Management ........................................................................................................ 11
Procurement and Sourcing ......................................................................................................... 12
Retail .................................................................................................................................................... 14
Project Management and Accounting.................................................................................... 15
Sales and Marketing (CRM) ........................................................................................................ 17
Service Management .................................................................................................................... 18
Business Intelligence and Reporting ............................................................................................. 19
Application Foundation ....................................................................................................................... 20
Reference Data ................................................................................................................................ 20
Master Data ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Global Engines ................................................................................................................................. 21
Technology Framework ....................................................................................................................... 22
Clients ................................................................................................................................................. 22
Servers ................................................................................................................................................ 23
Tools .................................................................................................................................................... 24
Microsoft Productivity and Application Platform Interoperability ...................................... 25



MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 3
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012
HowtoUseThisDocument
Thisproductoverviewisintendedto
conveyahigh-levelunderstandingofthe
structure,keymodules,features,and
benefitsofMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012
toreadersthatarenotfamiliarwiththe
product.Ithighlightsthevaluedelivered
toourkeyindustrysectorsincluding
manufacturing,distribution,services,and
PublicSector.Itthendetailsthe
horizontalapplicationsolutions
includingfinancials,humanresources,
supplychainmanagement,andothers.
Finally,thesolutiondescribesthe
applicationfoundation,system
framework,andinteroperabilitywiththe
Microsoftproductivitysuiteand
applicationplatform.
MicrosoftDynamics

AX2012istheMicrosoftenterprise
resourceplanning(ERP)solutionforenterprisesthat
empowersyourpeopletoanticipateandembracechange
soyourbusinesscanthrive.Ithelpsemployeesbemore
productiveandincreasesthevalueofinformationby
providingallpeopleintheorganizationwithaccessto
criticalbusinessinformationandprocesses.Becauseit
includesrichindustryandcoreERPcapabilitiesinasingle,
globalsolution,MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012promotesfast
time-to-value.Simpletolearnanduse,itprovidesthe
agilityyouneedtoexpandbusinessopportunities,modify
processes,anddifferentiateyourbusiness.Withpervasive
interoperability,youcantakeadvantageofexisting
investments,lowerthetotalcostofownership(TCO),and
supportinnovationinyourorganization.

TheMicrosoftDynamicsRoleTailoreduserinterfaceincludesmorethan
30RoleCentersandmakesiteasyforeveryoneinkeybusinessareasto
accessandshareself-servicebusinessintelligence(BI)andreporting.
OrganizationscanlicenseMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012throughasimple
modelbasedonusertypesthathelpsanorganizationbuylicenses
basedontheexactneedsoftheirindividualuserswithoptionstogrow
easilyasneeded.

Figure1:MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012productoverview.
Product Overview


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 4
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012
Overview

Inasinglesolution,MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012helpsenterprisesmeettheir
businessrequirementseasilywithpurposelybuiltcapabilitiesforfive
industries(Manufacturing,Distribution,Retail,PublicSector,andServices).In
addition,thecoreERPcapabilitiessupportalluserswithfinancial
management,humancapitalmanagement,supplychainmanagement,sales
andmarketing,andmore.Figure2showsahigh-leveloverviewofMicrosoft
DynamicsAX2012capabilities.
Thesamesinglesolutioncansupportspecificbusinessrequirementseasily
byextendingtheindustryfoundationwithpackagedverticalsolutions
fromtheMicrosoftPartnerNetwork,alargepartnerecosystemofglobal
systemsintegrators(GSIs),independentsoftwarevendors(ISVs),andvalue-addedresellers(VARs).Microsoft
DynamicsAXsupportsglobalorganizationsbymanaging multisiteoperationsthroughsharedreferencedata,master
data,globalengines,andbusinessprocesses,aswellascountry-specificcapabilities,inasingleinstance.Development
toolssuchasMicrosoftVisualStudioallowforeasycustomizationtofitspecificorganizationrequirements.
Figure2:MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012functionaldomains.

User interfaces such as
the kanban scheduling
board feature an intuitive
visualization to help you
stay on top of production
job status.
Product Overview


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 5
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012
Industry-Specific Capabilities
Manufacturing
Takeadvantageofasingle,unifiedsolutionthatincludes
theabilitytorundiscrete,process,andlean
manufacturingallatonce.Usepowerfulhorizontal
applicationssuchasproductionandsupplychain
managementtomodernizeandgrowyour
manufacturingbusiness.Keybusinessprocesses
supportingmanufacturingindustriesinclude:
Discretemanufacturing
Processmanufacturing
Leanmanufacturing
Multisiteplanningandmanufacturing
Shopfloormanagement

Retail
Todaysretaillandscapeoffersunprecedented
opportunityevenasitpresentsnewchallenges.
Economicpressures,increasingchoiceinproductsand
shoppingformats,andunparalleledaccessto
informationarefuelingtodaysempoweredshoppers,
whoexpectmorefromtheirretailexperiences.Dynamic
retailersdriveretailacrosschannels,locallyorglobally,
withasinglesolutionforstoreoperationsandback-
officeERP,includingthefollowingcapabilities:
Point-of-sale
Multichannelmanagement
Storeoperations
Merchandising
Distribution
Supportrapidlychangingconditionsinabusinesswith
globalcomplexity.MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012offers
keycapabilitiessuchassupplychainmanagementand
multisitetoallowyoutoscaleyourbusinessquickly.
Distribution-specificcapabilitiesinclude:
Warehousemanagement
Supplychainplanning
Salesordermanagement
Productinformationmanagement
Procurementandsourcing
ServicesIndustries
Balancingclientrelationships,global
resources,servicedelivery,and
financialresultsiscriticalfor
companiesintheservicesindustry.
Keycapabilitiesinclude:
Projectmanagement
andaccounting
Projectbudgetingand
costcontrol
Employeeself-service
Clientrelationshipmanagement
PublicSector
Governmentsneedtomodernizetheirworkplacesby
replacingoldtechnology,increasingproductivity,
operatingtransparently,meetingcompliance
requirements,andmaintainingfiscalaccountability.
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012offersPublicSector
organizationskeycapabilitiesincludingclient
(constituent)relationshipmanagementandfinancial
management.SpecificPublicSectorcapabilitiesinclude:
GrantsmanagementandmultiyearCIPproject
accountingcapabilities
Budgetarycontrol
Fund-basedaccounting
Encumbranceandpre-encumbranceaccounting
Product Overview: Industry-Specific Capabilities


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 6
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

IndustryandCoreERPCapabilities
FinancialManagement
Provideafastandefficientwaytoregisterfinancialtransactions,
managerelationshipsbetweensubsidiariesandtheparent
organization,andmanageinternalcostaccounting.Gainfinancial
insight,helpcontrolexpenditures,andsupporttheenforcement
ofaccountingpoliciesandrules.
Figure3:Easilycreateorganizationhierarchiesbasedonthefinancialdimension
departmentstoviewandreportonyourbusinessfromdifferentperspectives.
Module Description
RoleCenters Accountant,accountingmanager,accountspayablecoordinator,accountsreceivable
administrator,bookkeeper,chiefexecutiveofficer(CEO),chieffinancialofficer(CFO),
controller,treasurer,budgetmanager,environmentalmanager,creditand
collectionsmanager.
Generalledger Financialaccountingrecordmanagementwithabilitytoconfiguremultipleand
recurringjournals,allocationofcostandincome,andsupportcreationofclosing
transactions,includingpreparationofpreclosingdocumentsandclosingbooks.Gain
insightusingunlimitedfinancialdimensionsandadvancedaccountstructuresand
rules.
Bankmanagement Maintainthelegalentitysbankaccountsandfinancialinstrumentsthatare
associatedwiththosebankaccounts.Monitordeposits,payments,drafts,andbank
balanceswithsupportforelectronicpayments.Managelettersofguaranteeand
checks.
Accountspayable Matchandpayinvoices,allocatecharges,payexpenses,commissions,andsalaries,
andtrackpurchaseorderprepayments.Offervendorsaccesstorelevantinformation
throughthevendorportal.
Accountsreceivable Trackinvoices,terms,anddiscounts.Processcustomerprepayments.Receiveand
entercustomerpayments.Monitorcreditchecksandmanagecollectionswith
integrationtocasemanagementtocentralizeandmonitorallactivitiespercase.
Fixedassets Managethefullaccountinglifecycleofassetsfromacquisitiontodepreciation,and
transfer/disposition.
Costaccounting Track,record,andanalyzecostsassociatedwithproductsoractivitiesincluding
normal,absorption,andstandardcostingmethods.

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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Intercompanyaccounting
andsharedservicessupport
Booktransactionsacrosssubsidiariesandtheparentcompany.Consolidatefinancial
records.Supportsharedservicesinorganizationswithmultiplelegalentitiesbyusing
centralizedprocessingofcustomerandvendorpayments.
Country-specificcapabilities Supportsmultiplecurrencies,aswellascountry-specificcapabilitiestohelp
organizationsmeetlocalandregionalfinancialregulations(suchasvalue-addedtax
(VAT)requirements)andmarketrequirements(suchaselectronicbanking).
Budgetarycontrol Manageyourorganizationsbudgetincludingflexibleconfigurationoptions,instant
calculationofavailablebudgetfunds,poolingofbudgets,andbudgetworkflowsfor
reviewandapproval.
Complianceand
internalcontrols
Helpensurecompliancewithlaws,regulations,policies,andbusinessrules.Manage
theimplementationandexecutionofinternalcontrolswiththeComplianceCenter.
Definecorporatepoliciesforexpenses,invoices,andpurchaseordersandautomate
theauditingprocesswiththeAuditWorkbench.Useelectronicsignaturestoidentify
andregisterthepersonchangingand/orapprovingchanges.Thetoolsetis
supplementedwithadatabaselogthatenablesadministratorstoseewhenarecord
wascreatedorlastchanged,andwhochangedit.Ensuresegregationofdutieswith
role-basedsecurity.Determinetheorganizationsenvironmentalfootprintusingthe
EnvironmentalManagerRoleCenter.
Financialreporting Financialstatementsenableacustomreportingstructureandmappingofledger
accountsordimensionstothereportingstructures.Financialreports,tocomplywith
legalrequirementsandinternationalaccountingstandards,includebalancesheet,
incomestatement,andcashflowstatement.Financialstatementsarecompatible
withExtensibleBusinessReportingLanguage(XBRL).
Inaddition,gaininsightintotheorganizationsfinancialsusingtransactionalreports
(retrievedatafromthetransactionprocessingdatabase),analyticalreports(retrieve
datafromMicrosoftSQLServerAnalysisServicescubes),andkeyperformance
indicators(KPIs).Examplesofpredefinedcubesforthefinancialdomainareaccounts
payable,accountsreceivable,environmentalsustainability,andgeneralledger.
Createboardroom-qualityreportswithoutITassistance,consolidateacrossboth
MicrosoftDynamicsERPandothergeneralledgers,andtakeadvantageofsecure
reportdistributionandstoragethroughthecentralizedReportLibraryusing
ManagementReporter.*
*RequiresManagementReporter.

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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

HumanCapitalManagement
Takeadvantageofacomprehensiveframeworkofhumanresource
managementcapabilitiesincludingstoringandmanaging
employeerecords,employeerecruitmentandtraining,and
organizationmanagement.

Figure4:Skill-gapanalysispersonjob.
Module Description
RoleCenters Humanresourcemanager,trainingmanager.
Organizationadministration Administerorganizationalstructures,includingformalandinformalhierarchiesand
positionmanagement.
Recruitmentand
selectionmanagement
Administerrecruitmentprocessesincludingcampaigns,screening,developments,
andcandidatecorrespondence.SitesServices*extendtherecruitmentprocesswitha
cloud-basedservicefacilitatingthejobpostingprocesstoandapplicationof
externalcandidates.
Developmentand
performanceadministration
Manageemployeedevelopmentandperformanceincludingdevelopmentplans,
skill-gapanalysistools,andperiodiccareerdiscussions.
Skillmapping Analyzeskills(gaps)basedonjobprofilesandsearchforskills(includingfilteringand
weightingofskills).
Training Setup,deliver,andanalyzetrainingcourses.
Employeeself-serviceportal Managepersonalinformation,entertimesheets,orderproducts,doexpenses,and
morewiththissingleportal.
Travelandexpense Manageexpenseswithintegratedworkflow.Submitatravelrequisitionincluding
projectedcostoftravelforapproval.Defineexpensepoliciesandautomatethe
reimbursementoftravelexpenses.Gaininsightintoexpensebehaviorwiththe
expensemanagementcube.
Benefitsadministration Defineorganizationalbenefitplans,enrollworkersinbenefits,assigndependent
coverage,anddesignatebeneficiaries.
Absencemanagement Establish,communicate,andmonitorabsencepolicies.
Timeandattendance Trackprofile-based,clock-in/clock-outregistrationsforworkersandgeneratepay
informationtopayrollsystem.
Compensationmanagement Manageemployeecompensation.
*CheckavailabilitywithyourMicrosoftDynamicspartnerorlocalMicrosoftoffice.
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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Production
Minimizeleadtimes,fulfillcustomerdemand,andmanageyour
resourcestogetgreatefficiencyfromyourdiscrete,process,and
leanmanufacturingoperations.Usereal-timedatatotrack
productionprogress,getmoreaccuratedeliverydates,and
reducecosts.Executemultipleproductionstrategies,including
configure-to-order,assemble-to-order,make-to-stock,and
make-to-order.Usebothpushandpullproductioncontrol
mechanisms.
Figure5:Userinterfacessuchasthekanbanschedulingboardfeatureanintuitive
visualizationtohelpyoustayontopofproductionjobstatus.

Module Description
RoleCenters Operationsmanager,productionmanager.
Materialand
capacityplanning
Optimizeproductionandmaterialsplanning,forecasting,andscheduling.
Simultaneouslyschedulematerialsandcapacity.Calculateavailable-to-promise
(ATP)andcapable-to-promise(CTP)deliveries.Planandexecuteroutingand
operations.Usefiniteorinfiniteplanning.
Productionscheduling
andsequencing
Usefiniteorinfinitescheduling,forwardandbackwardfromvariousdates.Quickly
(re)schedulejobsandsimulatealternativesbydraggingGanttchartitems.Resolve
schedulingoverloadsbyreassigningoperationstoalternateworkcenters.Optimize
schedulingacrosstheorganizationwithaunifiedresourcemodelandscheduling
engine.Improvemachineutilizationbycombiningsimilarproductswhileletting
customersrequestmultiplequalityspecificationsperproduct.
Resourcemanagement Scheduleandtrackmaterial,shop,andmanpowerresources.Planresourcesbased
onproductionactivitiesandcapabilitiesofresources.Typesofresourcescanbetool,
machine,vendor,location,andhumanresource.Resourceallocationprinciples
includeresourcerequirementtypes:resource(group),type,capability,skill,course,
certificate,andtitle.
Subcontracting Managevariouswaysofpartneringwithsubcontractorsincludingoutsourcingof
routeoperations,vendor-supplieditems,anditemprovisioningtosubcontractors.
Linksubcontractorpurchaseorder(PO)toproductionorder.
Productionbillofmaterials
(BOM)
CreateabillofmaterialsforproductionincludingphantomsusingagraphicalBOM
designer.Modifyandtrackindividuallineitems.Managemultilevelformulasor
recipes,coproducts,andbyproducts.UseversioncontroltoreleasetherightBOM,
andelectronicsignaturestotrackchanges.

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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Productconfiguration Configurecustomproductswithauniquebillofmaterialsandroutingbyusing
theproductconfigurator.Theproductconfigurationmodelsarebasedon
constraints,andcanbeusedfromsalesorder,salesquotation,purchaseorder,and
productionorder.
Routing Managerouting:Plansimple,sequential,andcomplexnetworks;usesimultaneous
routesinthesamenetwork.Userough-cutcapacityanddetailedscheduling
capabilities.Organizetheshopfloorintologicalproductionunitsatindividualsites.
Productionorders Create,schedule,view,track,split,rollback,orcategorizeproductionordersto
maximizeefficiency.Createproductionordersfromsalesorders.Followproduction
throughcreation,estimation,schedule,release,started,finished,andcosted.Use
scraponBOM,resource,androute.
Shopfloorcontrol Manageandtrackshopflooroperations.Registerproductsandresourcesanditems
foroperationsandjobsincludingatouch-enableddataentry.
Inventorydimensionsfor
processmanufacturing
Definemultipleinventorydimensions,includingdualunitsofmeasure,catch-weight
calculations,packagingcodes,variationstothemainitem,andlots.
Leanmanufacturing Modelmanufacturingandlogisticsprocessesasproductionflows.Usekanbansand
kanbanboardstosignaldemandrequirements.
Productioncosting Understandworkinprogress(WIP)andactualcostthroughproductiontrackingand
reporting.Trackdetailedresourceandthroughputcosts,includingworkcentercosts.
Reportproductionvariancestostandardcosts.
Productionreporting GaininsightwithpredefinedKPIsintheSQLServeranalysisdatacubefor
production.

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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

SupplyChainManagement
Connectssalesandpurchasingprocesseswithlogistics,production,
andwarehousemanagementtoprovidevisibilityandmanagement
throughoutthesupplychain.Managedistributedorganizationswith
intercompanyandmultisitecapabilities.




Figure6:Supplyscheduling.

Module Description
RoleCenters Purchasingagent,purchasingmanager,shippingandreceiving,orderprocessor.
Inventorymanagement Trackitemsbyinventorydimensionsincludingsite,warehouse,pallet,location,batch,and
serialnumber.Takeadvantageofmultipleinventorycontrolsystemsandinventory
valuationmethodsincludingfirstin/firstout(FIFO),lastin/firstout(LIFO),standardcost,
moving,andweightedaverage.Reduceinventorycostsandeliminatewastebyusingthe
ABC-analysisandbypullinginventoryinoptimalsequenceusingbest-before
managementandfirstexpired/firstout(FEFO)orfirstin/firstout(FIFO)pickingguidance.
Multisitewarehouse
management
Managestoragelocationsandmaterialhandlingwithinwarehouses.Applyadvanced
inboundalgorithmsusingmultiplewarehousezonesandreplenishmentstrategies.
Optimizepickingwithachoiceofpickingmethods.Trackinventoryonhandper
warehouse.
Shippingcarrierinterface Automaticallytransferinformationreceivedfromshippingcarriers(Fedex,UPS,andKewill),
includingfreightchargesandtrackingnumbers,toMicrosoftDynamicsAX.
Qualitymanagement

Improvebusinessprocessesforqualityassurance,qualitycontrol,andlottraceability.Manage
thetestprocess.Setasideitemsinquarantineusingquarantineorders.
Productmanagementof
goodsandservices
Centralizemanagementofproductsandservicesacrosstheorganizationincluding
BOMandprocessformulas(seeProductInformationManagement).
Returnsmanagement Managethereturnorderprocess.Controlwhocanreturnitems,andwhichitemscanbe
returned.Categorizereturnsaccordingtoreasoncodeormethodofdisposition.
Masterplanningincluding
orderpromising
Forecastdeliverydatesusingoperationsorbottleneckscheduling.Calculateavailable-to-
promise(ATP)andcapable-to-promise(CTP).Planacrossmultiplesites.
Forecasting Enterandeditsalesandpurchaseforecasts.Usespecifickeystoallocateforecastto
individualitemsandtimeperiods.
Intercompany Automatetradebetweensubsidiariesordistributioncenters.Salesandpurchase
orderscanbegeneratedmanuallyorautomaticallyacrossyoursubsidiaries.
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ProcurementandSourcing
Facilitatedirectandindirectprocurementofgoodsandservices,and
establishacentralizedbuyercapabilityacrossyourorganizationto
supportprocurementpoliciesandprocesses.

Figure7:Catalog-basedprocurement.

Module Description
RoleCenters Purchasingagent,purchasingmanager,employee,shippingandreceiving,
orderprocessor.
Directprocurement Managetheentirelifecycleofprocurementfromplannedpurchaseorderto
confirmingandchangingapurchaseorder.Thiscyclealsoincludesreturnedorders.
Thismodulealsosupportsdirectdeliveries,pro-formapurchaseorders,andlanded-
costchargestopurchaseorderssuchasfreight,insurance,andunrecoverabletaxes.
Tradeagreements(vendor) Managepriceandmultifaceteddiscountpoliciesinallcurrencies.Thepricerevision
processcanbegovernedbyworkflowstoensurecompliancewithinternalpolicies.
Thegenericcurrencyagreementallowspricestobesetupinasinglecurrencyand
automaticallyconvertedtothevendorscurrency.
Agreements Manageagreementsbasedonmonetaryorvolumecommitments.Organizationsare
abletosetupagreementswithspecifictermsandconditionsandmonitorthestatus.
Requestforquotations
(RFQ)
ManagetheRFQprocessincludingvendorreply,comparison,andselection.
Repliescanbeenteredbythevendorinthevendorportal.TakeadvantageofSites
Services*toextendtheprocurementprocesswithacloud-basedservicefacilitating
theRFQprocess.
Vendormanagement Vendormanagementincludesvendorsearch,vendormaintenance,andsupportfor
requestingandapprovinganewvendorviatheEnterprisePortalsupportedby
workflow.TakeadvantageofSitesServices*toextendthevendoronboarding
processwithacloud-basedservicefacilitatingthedialogwithnewvendors.
Vendorself-serviceportal Enablevendorstoupdateprofiledata,uploadcatalogcontent,andreviewinvoices
andpayments.Vendorscanreceivenotificationsfromtheorganization,respondto
RFQs,andviewvendorperformance.


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Indirectprocurement
(catalogandnon-catalog)
Managepurchaserequisitionsofindirectgoodsandservicesusingacatalog-based
ornon-catalog-basedprocurementprocess.Theprocurementprocessissupported
byanapprovalworkflowusingtheorganizationalhierarchy.
AMicrosoftSharePointbasedcatalogcaneasilybecreatedfromproductsdefined
inproductinformationmanagement.Thecatalogalsosupportspunch-out
capabilitiestoexternalvendorsites.Sophisticatedbudgetcheckisincluded.
Categorymanagement Providescategorymanagerstheabilitytodefinedifferentcategoryhierarchiesthat
areindependentof,butstillrelatedto,commoditycodesorcatalog/itemhierarchies
inordertoeasilymanagetheoverallspendingbasedoncategories.
Purchasingpoliciesand
signinglimits
Enforcepurchasingpolicieswithacollectionofpurchasingpolicyrulesthatcontrol
theprocurementprocess.Acentralizedprocurementdeskdefinespolicyrulesto
supportglobalpoliciesandprocesses,andappliesthemtopurchaserequisitionsand
purchaseordersbasedonthelegalbuyingentityandoperatingunit.For
procurementandsourcingtherearesixpolicyrules:catalog,catalogaccess,
category,purchaserequisitionRFQ,purchaserequisitioncontrol,andpurchaseorder
creationanddemandconsolidation.Inadditiontopolicyrules,MicrosoftDynamics
AX2012providesexpenditurereviewersandsigninglimits.
Procurementreporting Gaininsightintotheorganizationsprocurementperformanceusingtransactional
reports,analyticalreports(suchasvendorandprocurementspendanalysis,top100
vendors,vendorperformance),andKPIs.Apredefineddatacubeforpurchasingis
included.
Procurementworkflows Procurementoperationscanbedrivenandgovernedbyworkflows.Withtheflexible
andvisualworkflowengine,procurementmanagersareabletosetupworkflowsthat
maketheprocurementcyclemoreefficientandenforcepurchasingpolicy
compliance.
*CheckavailabilitywithyourMicrosoftDynamicspartnerorlocalMicrosoftoffice.

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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Retail
ExtendERPwithmultichannelmanagement,storeoperations,
andmerchandising.MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012offers
integratedcapabilitiestorunyourretailoperationswithasingle
platform.


Figure8:AflexibleRoleTailoredinterface,suchasthispoint-of-sale(POS)screen,
canhelpemployeesworkproductivelyandprovidefastercustomerservice.
Module Description
Pointofsale(POS) POScomponentsarenativelyintegratedintoMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012withfault
tolerancetocapturetransactionswhenstoreconnectivityislost.ThePOSuser
interface(UI)iseasilycustomizablebyrolewithadrag-and-dropdesigner.POS
capabilitiesincludeon-account,globalvoucher,returnsmanagement,infocodes,
returns/voids/markdowns,inventoryreceipt/lookup/counts,real-timecustomerrecord
andloyaltyprogramupdates,blindclose,andfloatingtill.
Centralizedstore
management
CentralizedPOSterminalmanagementincludesvisualandfunctionalprofiles,user
interfacelayouts,andemployeepermissions.Consistentstore/ERPdatamodeland
businessrulesfacilitateaccurate,timelydata.Datareplicationhelpsensurecritical
updatesacrosstheorganizationincludinginventoryandfinancialupdates,salesorder
payments,giftcardusage,andupdatestoloyaltyprograms.Maintainstaffinformation
atstore,regional,andgloballevels.
Multichannel
management
Retailchannelintegrationwithonlinemarketplacesandstorescreatesnew
opportunitiesforsales,customerinteraction,andfeedback.Integrateassortmentand
categorymanagementacrossthechannels.Improvecustomerconveniencewithcross-
channelscenariossuchasbuyonline/pickupinstore.
Merchandising Usecategorymanagementtocentrallymanageyourassortmentincludingcreation,
scheduling,tracking,andusingn-leveldeepitemhierarchiesandcategory
management.Optimizeforprofitabilitywithmultifaceteddiscounts,coupons,mix-
and-match,andbuy-one-get-onescenarios.
Ordermanagement CreateordersandquotationswithoutleavingthecustomerssideusingPOS-basedorder
supportcapabilities.Accept,fulfill,andtrackstandardandspecialorderswitha360-
degreebusinessview.Manageandapplyrequiredtaxschemas.Performpriceand
inventorychecksandmanageinventoryreservations.
Hardwareandpayment
compliance
Supportretailindustrystandards,includingobjectlinkingandembedding(OLE)pointof
sale(OPOS),tomaximizePOShardwareandperipheralchoice.Manageperipheral
componentinterconnect(PCI)datasecuritystandardscomplianceandongoingsupport.
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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

ProjectManagementandAccounting

Helpprojectmanagersgainincreasedschedule,resource,and
financialcontrolovershort-termandlong-terminternaland
externalprojects.Thesecapabilitiesareintegratedwithother
MicrosoftDynamicsAXdomainsincludinggeneralledger,
sales,procurement,andproduction.


Figure9:ProjectManagerRoleCenter.

Module Description
RoleCenters Projectmanager,projectteammember.
Projectmanagement Plan,create,manage,control,andcompleteprojectsforyourorganization
includingtimeandmaterials,fixedprice,andinternalprojectslikeinvestment,cost,
andtimeprojects.Createaprojecthierarchycomprisingmultiplesubprojects.Easily
planprojects,largeorsmall,bymatchingworkrequirementswithavailable
resources.Workbreakdownstructure(seebelow)templatesmakeiteasytoquickly
plancommontypesofprojects.Taskrequirements(skills,education,experience)
helpfindtherightresourceforthejob.
Workbreakdownstructures Createyourownhierarchicalworkbreakdownstructureformoredetailedcontrol.
Addspecificinformationtotheseactivitiesincludingschedule,requirements,
estimatedcostandrevenue,andworkerattributes.
Projectresourceand
schedulemanagement
Scheduletasksandallocateresources.Trackschedules,manpowerusage,and
cost-to-complete.
Projecttimeandexpense Captureprojecttimeandexpensequicklyandaccurately.Entertimesheetsthrough
projecttimemanagementorEnterprisePortal.Time-entryissupportedbyan
approvalprocess.Chargetravel-relatedexpensesagainstspecificprojectswith
expensemanagement.Fullintegrationwithexpensemanagementenablesexpenses
tobedistributedtoasingleprojectoracrossmultipleprojects.
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MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Module Description
Projectaccounting
andinvoicing
Enteranditemizeprojectcosts,employeehours,materialsused,andfeesincurred.
Streamlinebillingofprojectsbycreatingandeditinginvoiceproposalsforhours,
expenses,items,salesorders,fees,subscriptions,advanceanddeductionpayments,
ormilestones.Splitbillingenablessharedprojectcostsbetweenmultiplecustomers
orinternalorganizations.Retentiontermscanbespecifiedoncustomerinvoicesand
vendorpayments.Approvalworkflowensuresaccurateprojectinvoicesbeforethey
aresenttothecustomer.Schedulepaymentstoprojectvendorswhenyoureceive
paymentsfromcustomers(paywhenpaid).Retainpartofpaymenttoavendor.
Fundinglimitsenforcecontractualcapsonprojectcosts.
Projectquotations Workbreakdowntemplatesenableyoutoquicklybuildaccurateprojectquotations.
Andprojectquotationprofitabilityhelpsyouselecttherightopportunitiestopursue.
Gainprojectvisibilitywithquotationapprovalworkflows.
Grantmanagement Manageprojectandgrantfundingbyassociatingmultiplefundingsourceswitha
projectorgrant,optionallylinkinganytransactiontoaspecificfundingsource,
prioritizingfundingsources,andrestrictingfundingsourcestoexclusiveactivitiesor
classesofexpenditures.
Revenuerecognitionand
work-in-progress(WIP)
Recognizeactualcoststoavoidpotentialcostoverruns.Postandaccruerevenuefor
fixedpricebasedoncompletionpercentageorcompletedcontract.Accruerevenue
orcapitalizecostsfortime-and-materialprojectstorecognizegrossmargin.Handle
WIPforinvestmentprojectsduringtheprojectbeforefinaleliminationoftheWIP
valuetoafixedassetuponcompletion.
Projectbudgetingand
costcontrol
Manageprojectswithforecast(hour,expense,item,fee,on-account)andbudgets.
Projectbudgetsareworkflow-enabledforapprovaloforiginalbudgetsandrevisions.
Maintainprojectcostcontrolbysummarizingactualcost,committedcost,and
remainingbudgettodiscovertotalexpectedcost,andcomparewiththeoriginal
budget.Measureutilizationratesbycomparingactualhourstobudgetedhours.
Comparethestatusofinvoicedandchargeabletransactionsofaprojectorcontract
withtheprojectquotation.
Interoperabilitywith
MicrosoftProject
Projectscanbeintegratedwiththeschedulingandresourcemanagement
capabilitiesofMicrosoftProjectServer2010tostreamlineprojectmanagementfor
anysizeofproject.TakeadvantageofbidirectionalinteroperabilitywithMicrosoft
Projectforprojects,activities,tasks,andresourceallocation.
Reporting GaininsightinprojectmanagementperformancewithpredefinedKPIsintheproject
accountingcube.Accessstandardreportsincludingreportsforprofitandloss,
consumedcosts,payrollallocation,invoiceon-account,actualversusbudgetedcosts,
andcashflow.Projectcontrolgivesyouareal-timesnapshotofprojectperformance.
Utilizationcontrolgivesyouareal-timesnapshotofprojectperformance.

Product Overview: Industry and Core ERP Capabilities


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 17
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

SalesandMarketing(CRM)
SalesandmarketinginMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012deliverspowerful,integratedcustomer,sales,andmarketing
managementcapabilitiesthatcanhelpyourpeoplebuildandstrengthencustomerrelationshipsandincreasesales.

Module Description
RoleCenters Marketingexecutive,salesmanager,supersalesrep,dedicatedsalesrep,account
manager,marketingmanager,andmarketingstaffer.
Salesforceautomation Forecastandplansales.
Tradeagreements
(customer)
Managepriceandmultifaceteddiscountpoliciesinallcurrencies.Thepricerevision
processcanbegovernedbyworkflowstoensurecompliancewithinternalpolicies.
Thegenericcurrencyagreementallowspricestobesetupinasinglecurrencyand
automaticallyconvertedtothecustomerscurrency.
Salesagreement Manageagreementsbasedonmonetaryorvolumecommitments.Organizationsare
abletosetupagreementswithspecifictermsandconditionsandmonitorthestatus.
Marketingautomation Develop,conduct,followupon,andanalyzemarketingcampaignsforanydefined
groupofcustomersandprospects.
Leadandopportunity
management
Manageleadsandopportunitiesincludingtheabilitytocreate,review,update,and
manageinformationaboutleads.Associateemployees,responsibilities,and
campaigndatawithstoredinformation.
Salesmanagement Set,monitor,andmanagesalesperformanceofsalespersonnel,salesunits,and
salescompanies.
Connectorfor
MicrosoftDynamicsCRM
SharesalesinformationbetweenMicrosoftDynamicsAXandMicrosoftDynamics
CRMbothonlineandon-premises.
Casemanagement
(includingSitesServices)
Efficientlyopen,assign,resolve,andfollowuponcustomerissuesfromasingleform.
SitesServices*extendthecasemanagementprocesswithacloud-basedservice,
facilitatingthedialogwithcustomers.
CommerceServices* Extendsalesreachtoincludemultipleonlinechannelssuchasyourownonlinestore
frontandonlinemarketplacessuchaseBay.
Salesandmarketing
reporting
GaininsightinsalesandmarketingperformancewithpredefinedKPIsinthesales
andcustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)cubes.
*CheckavailabilitywithyourMicrosoftDynamicspartnerorlocalMicrosoftoffice.

Product Overview: Industry and Core ERP Capabilities

MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 18
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

ServiceManagement
Plan,track,andanalyzeserviceoperationstomaximizeefficiency,
gainacompleteoverviewofcostsandrevenue,
andimproveserviceprofitability.

Figure10:RoleTailoreduserinterfaceprovides
peoplewithcontextualinformation.

Module Description
RoleCenters Customerservicemanager.
Serviceagreements Tailoragreementstoawiderangeofcustomerrequirements,serviceprices,and
paymentarrangements.Workwithflexibletemplatesandquickly
createdetailed,multilevelagreements,anddefinetasksandfrequencyfor
servicecalls.
Serviceordersandcontracts Aserviceorderrepresentsavisitofaservicetechniciantoacustomersite.
Setupordersmanuallyorautomaticallyatperiodicintervals.Recordservicetime,
expenses,anditems.RapidlycreateserviceordersovertheInternetwithEnterprise
PortalinMicrosoftDynamicsAX.
Servicecallsand
dispatching
CreateservicetasksandappointmentswithintheMicrosoftOutlookmessagingand
collaborationclient.
Repairmanagement Registerrepairtasks,trackdiagnosis,andrecordresolution.Identifyfaultyproducts.
Servicesubscriptions Createandprocessservicesubscriptionsforfixed-priceserviceoveraperiodoftime.
Accommodaterevenuebasedonfixedorirregularperiodsandmultipleprice
arrangements.
Performancereporting Analyzeexpensesandprofitandlossassociatedwiththeserviceengagement.
Customerfeedback
management
Usecasemanagementandquestionnairestoimproveyourcustomer
servicedelivery.

Product Overview: Industry and Core ERP Capabilities


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 19
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

BusinessIntelligenceandReporting
Analyzethefactorsthataffectyourbottomlinewith
flexibleandcustomizableanalysistools.Sharethe
informationthroughouttheorganizationwhere
appropriatetomakeeffectivechangesandimprovements.
ThebusinessintelligencesolutioninMicrosoftDynamics
AX2012usestheMicrosoftBusinessIntelligencesolutions.

Figure11:EasilyexportdatafromMicrosoftDynamicsAXinto
MicrosoftExcel.



Module Description
MicrosoftSQLServer
ReportingServices
Giveemployeesinstantaccesstoinformationwithbuilt-inreportsusingMicrosoftSQL
ServerReportingServices.AutomaticallygeneratecustomreportswithMicrosoftSQL
ServerReportBuilder,anadhocquerytool.Accessawidevarietyofstandardreports
(morethan800)includinganalyticalreports.
MicrosoftSQLServer
AnalysisServer
Driveactionableinsightstopeopleacrosstheenterpriseusingeasy-to-useonline
analyticalprocessing(OLAP)anddata-miningcapabilities.MicrosoftDynamicsAX
2012providespreconfigureddatacubesforkeybusinessareas.Employeescaneasily
accessthedatafromKPIsintheirRoleCenterordirectlyfromMicrosoftExcel.
ManagementReporter* Createboardroom-qualityreportswithoutITassistance,consolidateacrossboth
MicrosoftDynamicsERPandothergeneralledgers,andtakeadvantageofsecure
reportdistributionandstoragethroughthecentralizedReportLibrary.
*RequiresManagementReporter.

Product Overview: Business Intelligence and Reporting


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 20
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

ApplicationFoundation
ReferenceData
Sharekeyreferencedataacrossmultiplelegalentities.

Module Description
Language PeopleandorganizationshavetheoptionofpresentingtheMicrosoftDynamicsAX
userinterface,onlinehelp,forms,reports,andmenusinanyoftheavailable
languages.Languagescanalsobeusedinprintedreports,invoices,purchaseand
salesorders,andotherbusinessdocuments,andbyremoteusersintheEnterprise
Portalinterface.
Findanoverviewoftheavailablelanguageshere.
Timezone Supportmultipletimezones,whichcanbesetatuserlevel.
Currency Efficientlyhandlefinancialtransactionsinmultiplecurrencies,includingsupportof
variouscurrencycalculations,andexchangerateretrieval.Inadditionyoucanusea
basecurrencyandasecondaryreportingcurrency.Shareexchangeratesacross
multiplelegalentities.
Other Takeadvantageofotherreferencedatasuchasunitofmeasure,category,and
(fiscal)calendar.
MasterData
Sharekeymasterdataacrossmultiplelegalentities.

Module Description
Organizationmodel Modelyourorganizationalstructurestoaccuratelyreflectyourorganization.Setup
multipleorganizationalhierarchiestoviewandreportonyourbusinessfrom
differentperspectives.Youcandefinethefollowingtypesofinternalorganizations:
legalentities,operatingunits,andteams.Viewandedittheorganizationalhierarchy
usingagraphicalrepresentation.
Globaladdressbook Shareinformationonallorganizationsandpeopleinternalandexternalthatthe
organizationisengagedwiththroughacommonrepository.Theinformationinthe
globaladdressbookisabstractedintheformofaparty.Rolesassociatedwitha
partyincludecustomers,prospects,vendors,employees,competitors,contacts,
andworkers.
Productinformation
management
Centralizemanagementofproductsandservices(non-stockitems)acrossthe
organization,includingbillsofmaterials(discretemanufacturing),formulas(process
manufacturing),andvariantandconfigurableproducts.Describeitemsusingupto
fouritemdimensions:configuration,size,style,andcolor.Managethereleaseof
productsandservicestoindividuallegalentities.
Product Overview: Application Foundation


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 21
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

GlobalEngines
UsecoreERPcapabilities,suchastaxcalculationorresourcescheduling,acrosstheorganizationspanningmultiple
legalentitiesand/oroperationalunits.

Module Description
Taxcalculation Defineflexible,multidimensionaltaxsetuptocomplywiththevarioustax
regulationsinmultiplecountries.Usetaxcodes,taxgroups,anditemtaxgroupsto
configuretaxes.Theemphasisofthetaxmoduleisonsalestaxes,butitcouldalso
beusedtoconfigureotherdutiesandtaxes,includingcountry-specifictaxreporting,
packagingduties,EUreversechargetax,andUnitedStatesusetax.
Resourcescheduling Planresourcesbasedonproductionactivitiesandcapabilitiesofresources.Typesof
resourcescanbetool,machine,vendor,location,andhumanresource.
Questionnaires Design,schedule,andusequestionnairesthatcanbeusedacrossfunctionaldomains
andlegalentities.Thecapabilitiesalsoincludethecommunicationcapabilitieswith
targetaudienceswithinandoutsidetheorganization.Questionnairescanbe
publishedontheweb.
Documentmanagement Attachdocumentstorecordsthroughouttheapplicationusingthedocument
managementsystem.Ithandlesseveraltypesofdocuments,includingletters,
worksheets,andsimplenotes.
Businesspolicies Definepolicyrulesinfunctionalmodulestohelpguidetheflowofbusiness.
Thepolicyframeworkcanbeusedtodefinepoliciesincludingsigninglimits,expense
reports,purchaserequisitions,auditcontrolofdocuments,andpaymentof
vendorinvoices.
Inventorydimensions Inventoryandtrackingdimensions:Trackphysicalandfinancialtransactions
usinginventorydimensionsincludingsite,warehouse,location,pallet,batch,and
serialnumber.
Financialdimensions Getinsightintoyourbusinessbytaggingtransactionsusingunlimitedfinancial
dimensions.DimensionsareusedacrossthevariousmodulesinMicrosoftDynamics
AX,andcanbeusedfortrackingprofit,costcenters,departments,valuestreams,
productlines,oranyotherreportingunits.Theabilitytoupdatethegeneralledger
onlineprovidesfastandaccuratefinancialreporting.


Product Overview: Application Foundation

MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 22
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

TechnologyFramework
Clients
AclientprovidesaninterfacetoMicrosoftDynamicsAX
dataandfunctionality.Anexternalapplicationisintegrated
withMicrosoftDynamicsAXtoprogrammaticallyintegrate
functionalityorexchangedata.TheWindowsclientfor
MicrosoftDynamicsAXisanative32-bitprogramthat
providesarichuserinterface.Supportedwebbrowsers
provideaccesstoMicrosoftDynamicsAXfunctionalityand
datathroughtheEnterprisePortal.And,external
applicationsinteractwithMicrosoftDynamicsAXvia
servicesandApplicationIntegrationFramework(AIF).
Figure12:Employeeself-serviceportal.


Module Description
Windowsclient PowerusersaccessERPdatathroughtheRoleTailoredWindowsclient.Morethan30
RoleCentersprovidetheseuserswitharole-specifichomepagetomanagetheir
dailytasksmoreeffectively.TheRoleTailoreduserinterfacealsoincludespreviews,
fasttabs,andfactboxestoincreaseproductivity.
Internalandexternalportal PortalsuseSharePointtechnologyasafoundation.TheRoleTailoreduserinterface
extendstotheSharePointclient.Asubsetoffunctionalityisaccessiblethroughthis
client.Inaddition,MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012includespredefinedportalssuchas
employeeself-service,vendor,andcustomerportals.
MicrosoftOfficeadd-ins Officeadd-insofferinformationworkersaccesstoERPdatafromproductivitytools
theyuseeveryday.Officeadd-insprovideabidirectionalinteroperabilitywithExcel
spreadsheetsoftware,andaone-wayintegrationwithMicrosoftWord.
Helpsystem Providehelpdocumentationinvariousformatstoendusers.Easilyextendthehelp
systemwithcustomer-specificdocumentationusingtemplatesandthehelp
infrastructure.


Product Overview: Technology Framework

MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 23
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Servers

Module Description
Databaseserver MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012issupportedontheSQLServerdatabase.
Seesystemrequirementsforspecificversions.
Servicesandapplication
integration
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012includesanapplicationintegrationframework(AIF)for
application-to-applicationintegrations.TheAIFisthewebservicesframeworkand
usesacomponentintheMicrosoft.NETFrameworkcalledWindowsCommunication
Foundation(WCF).WCFprovidesafoundationfordealingwithadapters(suchasthe
MicrosoftBizTalkServeradapter)andnetworkprotocolsforcommunication.
MicrosoftDynamicsAXalsoprovidesarangeofpreconfiguredservices.
Cloud-basedservices Sites Services*: Buildmicrositesthatextendbusinessprocessestothecloudand
integrateeasilywiththeon-premisesERP.Seefunctionaldomaindescriptionsforthe
predefinedscenarios:caserequest,humanresourcesrecruitment,requestfor
quotation,andunsolicitedvendorregistration.
Payment Services*:Acceptcreditcardanddebitcardpaymentson-premisesand
onlinewithourPCILevel1CertifiedServicesupportingauthorization,voids,and
refunds.
Commerce Services*:Extendsalesreachtoincludemultipleonlinechannelssuchas
yourownonlinestorefrontandonlinemarketplacessuchaseBay.
Connect Services:Provideemployeeseasyaccesstotraining,support,peer
networking,andmuchmoredirectlyfromwithinMicrosoftDynamicsAX.
Role-basedsecurity Role-basedsecuritymanagesaccesstodataandfunctionality.Inrole-basedsecurity,
usersareassignedto(predefined)rolesbasedontheirresponsibilitiesinthe
organizationandtheirparticipationinbusinessprocesses.Rulesallowforautomatic
roleassignment.UserscanbeauthenticatedwithActiveDirectorydirectoryservice
orothermethods.Datasecuritypoliciesintheextensibledatasecurityframework
allowformanagingaccesstosubsetsofdata,suchasasubsetofsalesordersor
vendors.
Other Takeadvantageofotherservicessuchasbatch,language,anddataaccessservices.
*CheckavailabilitywithyourMicrosoftDynamicspartnerorlocalMicrosoftoffice.

Product Overview: Technology Framework


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 24
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

Tools

Module Description
Install,configure,
andupgrade
Acomprehensivesetoftoolsthroughouttheapplicationlifecyclesimplify
installation,configuration,andupgradeeffortsincludingthefollowingtools:
MicrosoftDynamicsRapidStartServices,*whichimprovestimetovaluethrough
easyconfigurationanddeploymentbasedonquestionnaires.
Tomaintainthedatabasesize,theDataManagementFrameworkprovidesthe
purgeandarchivefunctions.
Advancedchecklistforinstallationandupgrades.Codeanddataupgradetools.
MicrosoftDynamicsInformationSourceprovidesresourcestoanalyze,design,
configure,andcustomizetheERPsolution.
Softwarechange
management
TheMicrosoftDynamicsAXintegrateddevelopmentenvironment(IDE)can
integratewithvariousversioncontrolsystems(VCS)includingMorphXVCS
softwareorVisualStudioTeamFoundationServer.
Systemsanddata
management
AdministratorshavetoolstomanagetheapplicationwithWindowsPowerShell
commandlineinterfaceandtheAXutil.Monitoringtheapplicationserverand
underlyingWindows,database,andapplicationservercomponentsisprovided
throughMicrosoftSystemCenter.
Workflowandbusiness
processmanagement
Improveandautomatebusinessprocesseswithworkflowextending.NETWorkflow
Foundation.Workflowprovidessupportofthefourstepsofthebusiness
improvementcycle:design,implementation,run,andanalyze.Theworkflowsystem
includesagraphicalworkfloweditorandisdeliveredwithapproximately60
workflowtypesacrosstheapplication.Workflowscanbeanalyzedusingthe
predefinedworkflowanalyticalcubeandassociatedreports.
Integrateddevelopment
environment(IDE)
DeveloperscanaccessthedevelopertoolsthroughtheMorphXIDEintheMicrosoft
DynamicsAXclientorthroughVisualStudioToolsinVisualStudio.MorphXincludes
toolsfordesigning,editing,compiling,anddebuggingcode.
Programming
languageX++
X++istheobject-orientedprogramminglanguagethatisusedintheMorphX
developmentenvironment.X++hasMicrosoftVisualC#likesyntax,and
incorporatesSQLServerdatamanipulationstatements.
Enterprisesearch EnterprisesearchinMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012enablesuserstosearchthrough
data,metadata,anddocumentsthatareattachedtorecordsbyusingeitherthe
MicrosoftDynamicsAXclientorEnterprisePortal.InteroperabilitywithSharePoint
BusinessDataConnectivityServicesisprovidedtouseenterprisesearch.Seesystem
requirementsforspecificsoftwarecomponentsneeded.
Processdocumentation TheTaskRecorderhelpsrecordtasksintheapplication.Adocument,includingstep-
by-stepinstructionsandrelevantscreenshots,isautomaticallygenerated.Document
formatchoicesareMicrosoftPowerPointpresentation,Worddocument,or
MicrosoftVisiofile.
*CheckavailabilitywithyourMicrosoftDynamicspartnerorlocalMicrosoftoffice.
Product Overview: Technology Framework


MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012 ProductOverview 25
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012

MicrosoftProductivityandApplicationPlatformInteroperability
DriveinnovationtodayandtomorrowbyworkingwithastandardMicrosofttechnologyplatformthat
simplifiesdeploymentandlowerscosts,givingyouthepowertodriveyourbusinessforward.Youcandeployin
thewaythatworksbestforyouon-premises,inthecloud(throughpartners),orusingahybridmodeland
makeincrementalchangesasneeded.WithMicrosoftDynamicsAX,yougetabusinesssolutionfromMicrosoft
thatisbackedbyanongoingcommitmenttoresearch,development,andinnovation.CombineMicrosoft
DynamicsAXwithotherMicrosoftproductsandtechnologies.

ProductSuite Microsoftproduct
BusinessProductivitySolutions MicrosoftOutlook
MicrosoftExcel
MicrosoftWord
MicrosoftProjectServer
MicrosoftLync
MicrosoftSharePoint
ApplicationPlatform
MicrosoftSQLServer
MicrosoftBizTalkServer
MicrosoftSystemCenter
ITInfrastructure Windows
WindowsServer
DeveloperTools MicrosoftVisualStudio
Microsoft.NET
WindowsCommunicationFoundation
WindowsWorkflowFoundation
FullsystemrequirementsforMicrosoftDynamicsAX2012areavailableonMicrosoft.com.
Product Overview: Microsoft Productivity and Application Platform Interoperability


2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
TakethenextsteptowardbecomingadynamicbusinesstheMicrosoftDynamics
visionfororganizationsthatcancontinuouslyevolvetofaceeconomic,operational,and
organizationalchallenges.MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012canhelpyourorganizationbecome
moreagile,soyoucanadaptquicklytochange,expandintonewmarkets,anddevelop
innovativeproductsandservices.

Talktoyourpartneraboutthebusinessbenefits
MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012couldoffer.
FORMOREINFORMATIONABOUT

MicrosoftDynamicsAX2012,visit:
www.microsoft.com/dynamics/ax

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