Primarily a hardware supply company, Dalosy‘s business evolved into an organisation that delivers complete solutions in automation and mobile business supplies.  Dalosy were early adopters of   Dynamics AX but realised their existing AX implementation was not well-suited to their current activities. 

Using the AX Sales module the original implementation focused on the efficiency of processing sales orders.  However, a large part of their turnover is now derived from projects and, in particular, the supply of software and services.    In an effort to provide greater insight into the status of these projects, ensure consistency and manage their progress, Dalosy decided to implement the Projects module of Dynamics AX and process all orders and activities through this module.

Company Profile
Dalosy were founded over 30 years ago and was one of the first companies in Benelux to specialise in providing barcode products.  The company is now a leading supplier of solutions that automate and optimise mobile business processes.  With offices based in Ridderkerk and Kleve, Dalosy sells to customers throughout Benelux, Germany and Northern Europe.

Dalosy differs to other companies in that it has the ability to implement complete mobile software solutions for its customers enabling mobile users to work efficiently.  These solutions integrate with the back office systems of each customer.  The required hardware such as PDAs, truck terminals and label printers are adapted according to the circumstances in which they are deployed.  Not only does Dalosy look after the hardware equipment – ensuring it is kept in optimal condition with regular maintenance checks and servicing – but they also supply and fit the wireless infrastructure at the customer site, as required.

Overview
Since 2002, Dalosy has been happily using Dynamics AX.  By 2008 the company had grown significantly and the profile of the business had changed.   Jan Penning, director of Dalosy, explains, "In 2002, a large proportion of our revenue came from selling the hardware. We just used the Dynamics AX Sales module to implement and deliver our orders. Over the last few years a larger share of our revenue has been generated from projects.  This trend is still growing and we are now supplying the hardware and also the software, consultancy and other services.  We found that with the existing installation of Dynamics AX (Sales Order module) it became increasingly difficult to have a good overview of current projects or manage their progress".

Solution
In collaboration with HSO, Dalosy’s Dynamics AX Partner, possible solutions were discussed.   Jan Penning commented, “HSO were extremely knowledgeable, totally understood our needs and instantly took on board the shortfalls of our existing system.  They recommended we implemented the Projects module of Dynamics AX to handle all our orders and projects.  They also recommended we use the Dynamics Service Management add-on to tool to manage our service contracts".

The Implementation
HSO started the Projects Module implementation in the form of a workshop and demonstrated how Dalosy could work with Projects by showing how the system would improve the management of each customer project. “By using our own data, HSO presented a clear picture of what benefits we could achieve by using the Projects module of Dynamics AX”, Jan Penning explained.  “This helped us greatly and we were able to quickly decide to proceed with the implementation.” 

In November 2007 Dalosy followed HSO’s roadmap and began preparing the Projects module.  Everything went according to plan with a go live date of April 1, 2008.

Penning further explained, “Using this systematic approach it was clear what information we had to gather and the processes required so we could use the Project module to its full capability.  HSO are extremely knowledgeable in this area and their consultants were vastly experienced having worked with several other companies in a similar situation.  The implementation went very smoothly and the co-operation with the HSO staff was excellent. They understood what we wanted, knew Dynamics AX and the key requisites required for a stress-free implementation.

Key Benefits
Since implementing the Project module, the biggest benefit for us is being able to follow the status of customer projects both from an operational and financial standpoint. We can see exactly how a project is performing and what measures we need to take to stay on track. Best of all projects are now easier to manage and there is less effort involved.” 

Another advantage of the Dynamics AX system is that it is now possible for the Dalosy employees to provide a mobile solution when working on a customer site.  Penning clarifies “It really helps that we can demonstrate to our customers that Dalosy also uses mobile solutions.  Before, we had to import a completed work sheet from a paper source which was not ideal for a company like ours which lives on mobile solutions.  All our employees now have a PDA complete with a suite of mobile applications. 

This is built with Dynamics Mobile Development Tools, and keeps records of what work should be conducted for any project. In the background, this information will be automatically processed in Dynamics AX.  Not only does this create the right image with our customers but also allows us to enjoy other less tangible benefits by providing  improved  administrative operations, faster invoicing and better quality information".

Check for more information: www.dalosy.com