Thursday, June 29, 2017

Don't Change my BOMs!

One thing that AX is not inherently great at is BOM management. Upon initial setup, if you use "out of the box" security roles, any AX user who can create Released products will be able to modify BOMs as well. There isn't a really good method of tracking BOM changes either, and a user who doesn't understand the complexities of your BOM structures can accidentally mess things up pretty quickly with just a few clicks of the mouse.

In certain industries, BOM change tracking is highly important. Changing a BOM component within a BOM may need to be approved, signed off on, and meticulously tracked down to the minute it was changed.

Since AX doesn't have BOM management, there are a few ways that AX users can accomplish this themselves. I am going to discuss a few different ways I have discovered that users can utilize to track BOM changes within AX and limit their risk with BOMs.

Remove User Access to BOMs


Ultimately, removing user access from BOMs is what a lot of people end up doing. This restricts visibility into the BOM process and can create a headache for any organization. Many people need to have the ability to see and use BOMs from sales to production, then also into the QA process. You have to be able to share this information, but you don't want people to accidentally delete a BOM or change a quantity on a BOM while they are clicking around. Ultimately, it seems that more users accidentally delete a BOM when attempting to remove a line from a BOM because they hit Delete instead of Remove, or they hit the wrong button because the buttons are so close together.


At the end of the day, we really just want users to see BOMs, but we don't want them to be able to change them. What options do we have to limit risk with BOMs in AX?

Monday, June 26, 2017

Summit 2017

When the announcement was made that Summit 2017 would be in Nashville, I was ecstatic! Nashville is an easy drive for me, so I won't be spending a lot of time in airports this year. Also, Nashville has a great vibe and really cool music scene. It's going to be a lot of fun!

The week of Summit just happens to be one of my favorite weeks of the year because I get the opportunity to meet up with my peers, exchange information, and learn more about AX and the upcoming Dynamics 365 landscape. I am also personally invested in Summit Nashville as I serve on the Summit Planning Committee, acting as a liaison to help provide great content for all end users.

What is Summit?


Summit is an annual conference for all Dynamics users. It is held in the fall, typically in mid-October. This conference is jam-packed full of informational sessions and learning. It can feel overwhelming, but it is by far one of the most beneficial facets of an AXUG membership outside of the face-to-face interaction and networking of local chapter meetings. There will be sessions led by users, partners, and Microsoft employees over a broad range of topics such as Finance, Project Management, Security, Technical, AX for Beginners, Warehouse and Inventory... the list goes on and on!

Early Bird Pricing