Dynamics 365 F&SCM Rescue Story
Associated Steel Overcomes Flawed ERP Implementation and Expands Functionality
Industry: Manufacturing & Distribution
Solution: Rescue and stabilization of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, Power Platform
At-a-Glance
Associated Steel’s ERP Overhaul
Associated Steel, based in Oklahoma City, specializes in pre-engineered steel buildings. With a skilled team of engineers and project managers, the company designs, manufactures, and distributes everything from simple storage buildings to complex multi- building sites. However, they struggled with a failing Dynamics 365 implementation that undermined its day-to-day operations.
The Business Challenge
A Slow and Inaccurate ERP
Implemented by a partner unfamiliar with the complex needs and challenges of supply chain operations, Associated Steel’s system was slow, buggy, and prone to error. Specific challenges included:
Entering contract details was a frustrating ordeal, often taking two hours due to frequent timeouts and failed saves. Fearing lost work from system crashes, many salespeople resorted to entering information after hours.
Implemented incorrectly, Associated Steel’s tax compliance software calculated the wrong tax amounts. The system also miscategorized buyouts and freight, causing errors in sales commission payouts. These mistakes required tedious manual adjustments which further complicated calculation processes and increased the risk of additional errors.
Associated Steel’s projects often involve multiple buildings, and customers typically prefer to receive and pay for materials one phase at a time. However, their old billing system was designed for progress billing and required the company to bill a percentage of the total project cost. This system often resulted in rounding errors, leading to inaccurate billing amounts. As a result, Associated Steel was repeatedly adjusting customer invoices to match the agreed project cost and ensure accuracy and customer satisfaction.
Configuration errors also affected inventory management. Associated Steel’s system was set up to record inventory out to six decimals, while forms and reports rounded those values to two decimal places. This discrepancy caused reports to include inventory that had negligible amounts like .00012 feet (reflecting them as “0.00”). The error created extra work and re- checking for inventory managers as the system falsely indicated usable material on hand.
The Integrated Solution
A Tailored Dynamics 365 Transformation Roadmap
Seeking urgent support with its system issues, Associated Steel reached out to Microsoft for help. Familiar with our deep manufacturing and distribution expertise and strong track record of Dynamics 365 rescue experience, Microsoft recommended MCA Connect.
To identify root causes, our supply chain experts completed a three-day assessment of Associated Steel’s shop floor, processes, and systems. As part of this, our team discovered the company was only using a fraction of Dynamics 365’s capabilities and that their system was fragmented across their processes and portfolio. They were also struggling with customizations for processes and tasks that should be supported out of the box.
After the assessment, MCA Connect proposed a roadmap to stabilize, optimize, unify and expand Associated Steel’s system, applying supply chain best practices, methods, and tools. The team also identified and executed 25-30 quick wins and simple fixes that the company could implement immediately.
Results
Swift Issue Resolution & Efficiency Enhancement
Working with MCA Connect, Associated Steel resolved over 85% of their ERP issues in the first six months and user satisfaction grew dramatically. MCA Connect moved the company to a single consolidated platform with 90% process and solution alignment across operations. Associated Steel’s system stabilization and optimization allowed the company to:
Save time and streamline contract management
Associated Steel resolved contract entry issues by removing an unnecessary custom module that complicated the process. They also streamlined the user experience, optimizing the tab order, removing unnecessary fields, and renaming others for clarity. These changes significantly reduced the time required to enter contract details and minimized system timeouts and failed saves.
MCA Connect also pointed out more efficient ways to modify contracts, saving Associated Steel’s staff 30 minutes per change. Following this initial work, they re-gained over 50 hours of productivity per week.
Enhance operational efficiency
To reduce confusion, MCA Connect eliminated an implementation error within inventory management, preventing the display of insignificant amounts of leftover materials. The team collaborated with Associated Steel to re-factor the billing system to eliminate problematic percentage-based progress billing and time-consuming rounding errors.
MCA Connect also identified and corrected classification errors affecting commission calculations. D365 now automatically records and pays out commissions accurately, eliminating the need for manual adjustments.
“I don’t need a consulting group that just helps with specific tasks. I need a strategic partner that can look at future projects, one that thinks about things differently and uses their experience and expertise to provide guidance and support. We finally have that with MCA Connect. I’m so excited to have a partner we can trust.”
Jamie Adamson, CIO
Associated Steel
Extended platform capabilities with Microsoft Power Platform
Associated Steel relied on manual, pen-and-paper methods for cycle counts and inventory deductions. This approach was time-consuming, error-prone, and required extensive data entry. To address these challenges, our team worked with the steel building fabricator to create two Microsoft Power Apps.
The first app streamlines cycle counts and year-end inventory by allowing staff to scan barcodes on raw materials and input counts directly into the system. This automation reduced the inventory counting process from 2.5 days to just a few hours, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy.
The second app tackles inventory deductions by automating how production staff record material usage. Operators simply scan barcodes, input the amount used, and the app writes the data directly to the Dynamics Movement Journal. This not only ensures accurate material tracking but also generates daily reports for inventory monitoring, significantly reducing manual errors and boosting operational efficiency.
— What’s Next?
Associated Steel is evaluating Dynamics 365 Field Service and MCA Connect Inspire Platform®, a proprietary modern analytics platform optimized for Dynamics 365, for its future needs.
About MCA Connect
MCA Connect modernizes supply chains end-to-end through transformative consulting, unified data for business insights, process optimization and automation, AI and advanced decision making, and business application implementation.
As Microsoft’s top manufacturing and distribution partner, we combine global reach, seasoned experts, leading-edge tech, and a focus on business strategy.
