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To-Increase is a global ISV and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Our industry solutions can meet up to 85% of a customer’s requirements, with no customization.
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Your Growth. Our Goal.

e-Con Stand Alone

  • Portable computing devices e-Con also offers a Smart Client application that can be run offline on portable computing devices.

Product Center

  • Important features Product Center introduces important features to Microsoft Dynamics AX, including extended product descriptions, specifications, classifications. read more »
  • Important features Product Center introduces important features to Microsoft Dynamics AX, including extended product descriptions, specifications, classifications. read more »

e-Con for Microsoft Dynamics NAV

  • Full integration Con offers full integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and works directly with your ERP system database.
  • Replicate data Replicate any data from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to the offline client, then synchronize quotes, projects, or any other information that you've configured offline back into the ERP system.

Advanced Manufacturing

  • Manage data User-friendly tool to manage data for manufacturing parts.
  • Manage data User-friendly tool to manage data for manufacturing parts.

Streamline category management,\n and supply chain processes

  • Catalog feature Use the catalog feature, external product databases (including suppliers databases) to search or research tasks, without the need to create item entries in a standard Microsoft Dynamics AX item table. read more »
  • Characterizations Item Specification makes it easy for you to use templates for characterizations and includes a powerful search engine. read more »

To-Increase Blog
Integrating ERP, CRM & Supply Chain Management For Your Business

Retail Entries

The Technology Behind Retail Warehouse Management

retail warehouse technologiesStaying competitive in the retail warehouse management business is the business equivalent of “keeping up with the Jones’s.” Why? The technology to get warehouse operations in top form is always changing and that means keeping up with those competitors who understand what technology means to success.

I do believe if you’re the one that competitors have to keep up with, then you set the standard – which is ultimately what you want. To start setting that bar, let’s look at some technologies any retail warehouse management professional should keep in their toolbox for optimal efficiency and staying ahead of the pack.

Retail Supply Chain Management: A Trip To Its Future & Past With Guido Van Osch

Guido van Osch, Global Industry Director, To-Increase

As populations expand, and goods continue to travel, what advancements are guiding the growth and evolution of the retail supply chain?  Even more compellingly, how will retail supply chain management principles continue to evolve – and as professionals working in or supporting the retail industry – how are we directly responsible for nurturing this evolution?

For answers, I turned to Guido van Osch, To-Increase’s new Global Industry Director specializing in retail supply chain management software solutions. Below, Guido shares his insight on everything from how retail supply chain management best practices sync with mobile and Enterprise Resource Planning solutions, and offers tactical recommendations regarding what improvements retailers can look at making to their supply chain processes before this holiday season?

How Many Steps Should It Take To Achieve Retail Supply Chain Visibility?

A recent sidebar to Stores.org by Len Lewis provided 12 Steps to Supply Chain Visibility.  Which begs the question – how many steps should it take to achieve complete visibility into your retail supply chain?

By no means am I coming down hard on Lewis’ article with this question.  Rather – the twelve steps that he provides contain the same type of advice that I commonly share – or consult with my team to share – with our retail clients.  The steps that Lewis provides include:

  • Establish proactive departments
  • Focus on increasing data quality throughout your supply chain

Learning To Love Mobile Warehouse & Retail Supply Chain Management

The mobile device has emerged as your most important retail store associate.

This is suggested by a recent article published by M.V. Greene of Stores.org titled, The Changing Face of Retail.

Greene rightly notes within his article that by using mobile technology, whether it be a Smartphone or an Android, the customer can absorb as much product information as can be shared by the traditional retail associate.  Likely – even more so.  As such, the traditional role of the retail store associate – from all-knowing product expert – could be seen as quickly devolving into a relic.

Easing The Nightmares Of Global Retail Supply Chain Security

Dreams during periods of heavy travel always tend to veer on the side of unusual at best – and terrifying at worst.  At each stop on your journey, you must contend with new environments – and of course – new people, that can enter into and upend your unconsciousness.

Now, if someone who travels a reasonable amount is subject to these conditions – imagine the nightmarish conditions that could affect a process that is in a state of perpetual travel – namely the retail supply chain.

Retail Supply Chain Management Case Study: Microsoft Dynamics Eliminates Software Over-Visibility

Retail stakeholders rely on software for supply chain visibility – whether it’s the warehouse manager searching for the right product to pick or the customer searching for the right product to purchase.

Ironically, when retailers and retail customers must rely on several different software systems – simply to find one piece of information – data visibility quickly yields to troubling software over-visibility.

This was the issue facing SparKjøp, Norway’s largest mail order firm, and the subject of the latest Microsoft Dynamics AX case study.

How Can Social Media Help Manage Your Retail Supply Chain?

Last week, I was happy to contribute the post, What Does Social Media Mean To Your Supply Chain?, to my colleagues at Software Advice.

You can read this post by visiting either Software Advice, or the new Warehouse Management Systems Guide.

Within this article, I ask (and answer) – if social media is powerful enough to tighten the bonds between brands and consumers, is it powerful enough to tighten the links in your retail supply chain?

Like so many other responses to profound questions, the answer to this can be both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’

The Secret Formula For Stretching Your Distribution Supply Chain Into The Hottest Growth Markets

Last year, CNBC listed Retail’s Hottest Emerging Markets for 2010, a list that included such potential goldmines as the United Arab Emirates and China.

Not listed in this slideshow, however, are any tips for how distributors can more efficiently move into these markets. For this, I turned to my colleague Michael Shoemaker, Distribution Industry Market Development Manager – Microsoft Dynamics.

For over 29 years, Michael has been a key player focusing on product evaluation and GoTo Market solutions for Microsoft Dynamics. He has also been instrumental in guiding the distribution strategy for Microsoft Dynamics brands. Recently, Michael presented at the 8th Annual Supply Chain & Logistics Summit, where he contributed to the panel, “Unlock Your Growth Markets with End-to-End Sales and Distribution Solutions from Microsoft and Avanade.”

What Are Your Top Retail Supply Chain Priorities For 2011?

Late last year, the consultants at Tompkins Associates released their list of the Top 11 Priorities for Retail Companies in 2011.

This list appears below:

1.    Retail Best Practices

2.    Speed to Market

3.    Reduced Inventory Levels

4.    E-Commerce

5.    Uncertainty, Agility and Visibility

6.    China as a Market

7.    Transportation Spend Optimization

8.     Workforce Management

9.     Regulatory Issues

10.   Reducing Retail Shrinkage

11.   Increased Consumer Intelligence

Keys To Driving Speed & Quality Control Across Your Retail Supply Chain

How Can You Drive Speed & Quality Control Across The Entire Retail Supply Chain? See My Answer By Completing The Form To The Right

When it comes to driving speed and quality control across your retail supply chain, visibility is just not enough.

I should clarify this – as much of what I will be commenting on below, and in a recent video I shot for Ask The Retail Experts (available via the form to the right), centers on benefits only available with real-time supply chain visibility.

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