Micrsft Dynamics AX Statement f Directin Prduct strategy and radmap fr Micrsft Dynamics AX Date: December 2011 www.micrsft.cm/dynamics/ax Page 1
Cntents Welcme... 3 Overview f Micrsft Dynamics AX... 4 Industry relevance...4 Deplyment flexibility...4 Simplifying the Applicatin Lifecycle...6 The Mdel Driven Layered Architecture...6 Embracing the Clud...7 Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012...8 Radmap...11 Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Radmap... 12 Future Releases 2013 and beynd... 16 Cmmitment t Yu...18 Disclaimer...19 2
Welcme Welcme t the Micrsft Dynamics AX Statement f Directin. This dcument will prvide insight int ur Micrsft Dynamics AX develpment plans thrugh the year 2015. Whether yu are a new r existing custmer r partner, this infrmatin will help yu plan and get the mst frm yur investments. Over the past few years Micrsft Dynamics AX has accelerated t be the default ERP chice fr many rganizatins. Our fcus n innvatin and custmer value has resulted in many acclades frm the analyst cmmunity, including the Gartner Grup wh recgnized Micrsft Dynamics AX as a leader in the Magic Quadrant fr ERP. Tday, the Micrsft Dynamics AX prduct cmmunity has grwn t ver 15,000 custmers with an extensive partner ecsystem acrss mre than 40 cuntries. New custmers and partners are jining every day. We believe this success is due, in large part, t three main factrs: 1. The dedicatin, industry expertise and slutins f ur valued partner ecsystem. 2. The nging cmmitment by Micrsft t prtecting the investment f custmers by cntinuing t ptimize Micrsft Dynamics AX fr the market we are selling in. 3. An industry strategy that enables the ecsystem t create slutins custmer need, and cntinued investment in industry-specific capabilities. Lking ahead, we will cntinue t fcus n these three factrs by innvating, imprving, and extending the prduct in the markets we serve tday while expanding t enable new scenaris that allw custmers t imprve time-t-value as well as adpt wrklads targeted t address specific pain pints. In additin, ur wrk n ur mdel-driven architecture, service-enabling Micrsft Dynamics AX, and the massive amunt f wrk ging int next releases sets a fundatin fr embracing the next wave f Clud cmputing. On behalf f the entire Micrsft Dynamics AX team, thank yu fr cnsidering Micrsft Dynamics AX. 3
Overview f Micrsft Dynamics AX Micrsft Dynamics AX is the ERP slutin fr enterprises that prvides a purpse-built fundatin acrss five industries, alng with cmprehensive, cre ERP functinality fr financial, human resurces and peratins management. It empwers yur peple t anticipate and embrace change s yur business can thrive. All f this is packaged in a single glbal slutin giving yu rapid time t value. INDUSTRY RELEVANCE With Micrsft Dynamics AX, ur bjective is t prvide an integrated ERP slutin that fits the unique needs f a large cmmunity f rganizatins. Hwever, ften the requirements f each rganizatin are different, based n bth specific needs f their vertical and unique cmpany needs. This industry fundatin enables the Micrsft partner ecsystem t mre efficiently prvide repeatable slutins that meet the specific needs f custmers acrss different verticals. Micrsft Dynamics AX includes industry capabilities fr rganizatins in five fcus industries: Manufacturing Distributin Retail Services Public Sectr With these industry capabilities included in a single ERP platfrm, custmers can evlve their business mdel and ptimize the rle they want t play in their supply chain. Fr example, a retail apparel custmer that fully utsurces manufacturing culd explre ways t take mre cntrl f the manufacturing and prcurement prcess withut wning the manufacturing functin. DEPLOYMENT FLEXIBILITY Custmers are lking fr a strnger ROI f their IT investment t autmate their business prcess, bringing IT investments mre in line with the requirements arund business investments in the current ecnmic climate. Micrsft Dynamics AX and the Micrsft applicatin platfrm cntain a rich set f business prcesses t accelerate deplyment f yur ERP slutin: 4
A single glbal ERP deplyment Organizatins with multiple peratins can replace numerus legacy applicatins with a single, centralized implementatin f Micrsft Dynamics AX. Ratinalizing n a standard ERP technlgy can help lwer IT maintenance csts and reduce training time. With a cmpany-wide integrated ERP slutin, rganizatins can prvide flexible access t a wide range f users within the rganizatin. Capabilities t supprt multiple industries are included in the industry fundatin, s that rganizatins can evlve their business mdel by extending their rle in the supply chain (fr example, distributin cmpanies can add a retail functin). Tw-tier ERP and deplyment f Business Wrklads Glbal rganizatins are increasingly cnsidering a tw-tier ERP strategy t serve diverse ERP needs acrss different divisins and subsidiaries. With a tw-tier ERP strategy, glbal enterprises can cmbine the benefits f a single enterprise ERP slutin as a central financial resurce that prvides financial insights as the backbne fr the enterprise, while using a mre cst-efficient, flexible ERP applicatin t serve the unique needs f different divisins and subsidiaries. In additin, rganizatins can chse a mre phased adptin, targeting their deplyment f Micrsft Dynamics AX and the Micrsft applicatin platfrm capabilities t address specific business prcess and pain pints, which will enable rganizatins t reap benefits mre quickly. We refer t this targeted deplyment as Business Wrklads. Business Wrklads functinal examples include Expense Management and eprcurement. Examples f industry specific wrklads are Stre Management and Merchandising (Retail) and Plant Operatins (Manufacturing). Micrsft Dynamics AX is ideally suited t supprt these different deplyment strategies due t its extensible Micrsft service-riented architecture, its glbal capabilities and its ability t service different industry requirements n ne cmmn ERP platfrm. 5
SIMPLIFYING THE APPLICATION LIFECYCLE Our bjective is t imprve the time-t-value acrss the applicatin life cycle. We re making investments in technlgy services t simplify the entire applicatin life cycle, including installatin, cnfiguratin, integratin, deplyment, use, and upgrade. This includes the fllwing services: The RapidStart service fr Micrsft Dynamics ERP: a clud based service that allws rganizatins t easily cnfigure business prcesses and mdules thru an intuitive interview style questinnaire. Time t cnfigure Micrsft Dynamics AX can be greatly reduced with this clud service. The InfrmatinSurce service fr Micrsft Dynamics ERP: this clud service is fcused n imprving the predictability f implementatin. It cntains a set f services and a wrkbench that are fcused n helping partner and IT rganizatins manage different phases acrss the applicatin lifecycle. Fr example the Intelligence Data Management Service enables administratrs t ptimize the database e.g. purging and archiving transactins recrds. Service plans frm Micrsft that maximize the value f yur slutin, prtect the investments and imprve prductivity f yur rganizatin. One f the benefits f ur Service plans is the available f sftware updates and upgrades, like htfixes, servicepacks, tax and regulatry updates and majr release. This includes a 10-year supprt lifecycle cmmitment fr majr releases t help ur custmers cntrl the timing f when they mve t the next release f their prduct and better align with their business plans. THE MODEL DRIVEN LAYERED ARCHITECTURE Micrsft Dynamics AX is based n a mdel-driven layered architecture (MDLA) which makes cmpany-differentiating changes easy t execute. The individual applicatin bjects (e.g. tables, frms, cde units, reprts) that make up the applicatin are defined in meta-data and grupedin mdels, which are accessible central mdel-stres. In this architecture, unique requirements can be addressed declaratively, withut writing cde. Key benefits t Mdel Driven Layer Architecture include: It can help accelerate the applicatin develpment prcess fr ur partners and custmers t write less cde and enable them t deliver the slutin mre quickly. 6
Higher quality slutins that meet custmer s unique needs. Layering in the mdel stre allws fr supprt f a base mdel, extended with mdels fr lcalizatin, industry specializatin, and n tp f that can incrprate ISV specializatin and custmer specific custmizatin. Althugh these mdels are separated thrugh the layer structure, they are cntained within ne mdel stre and are executed as ne slutin at runtime. MDLA als reduces applicatin wnership cst by imprving and simplifying the applicatin lifecycle f the slutin, frm system design, installatin, cnfiguratin, peratin and upgrade. A clear separatin system f different 'parts' f the slutin (e.g. cre functinality, 3rd party ISV slutins and custmizatins) thrugh layers f the mdel stre prvide the ability t hst multiple mdels int ne layer, allwing fr easier deplyment and upgrade fr the cmplete slutin. EMBRACING THE CLOUD Our investments in clud cmputing are driven by cnversatins with custmers abut their needs tday, future grwth aspiratins, and hw cnsumer experiences are shaping expectatins fr the rle technlgy can play in their business. Frm these custmer cnversatins it s clear that ur custmers are lking fr ways t take advantage f clud services. As previusly annunced, the next majr versin f Micrsft Dynamics AX will be available n the Windws Azure platfrm. We intend t supprt custmers in migrating t the clud at the right time fr their business. But this is nly ne aspect fr hw ur custmers will benefit frm ur clud innvatin. Clud mre than just a way t deply The emphasis n clud cmputing in the market tday has been n deplyment t the clud t reduce csts. At Micrsft we view the clud as an pprtunity t re-imagine business applicatins that deliver rich experiences with services, infrmatin, and capabilities frm clud and n-premises slutins in ways that tday are t cstly r impractical. T deliver the innvatin that enables new business scenaris we intend t extend the integratin available tday with Micrsft s leading business and prductivity applicatins, including Micrsft Dynamics CRM Online, Micrsft Office 365, and services frm Micrsft SQL Azure, and Micrsft Windws Azure Data Market. 7
Get started tday with Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Our custmers can experience many f the benefits f clud cmputing tday with ur Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 release, including: 1. Clud deplyment: Partner hsted fferings give custmers a way t realize many f the benefits that cme with utsurcing their applicatin infrastructure and management. 2. Time t value: Micrsft Dynamics ERP RapidStart Service reduces implementatin time and cst with built-in best practices and cnfiguratin guidance. 3. New business scenaris: Thrugh the Micrsft Windws Azure-based Sites Service, end users can easily setup pre-integrated micrsites t cnnect with custmers, business partners, and future emplyees. Thrugh the Multi-Channel Retail Services, such as Payments and Cmmerce, ur custmers can drive grwth thrugh a hst f new nline channels. 4. Cnnect with peers: Thrugh the Cnnect Service ur custmers are able t engage with the Micrsft Dynamics AX cmmunity t tap int the deep experience acrss ur ecsystem. 5. Act when it s best fr yur business: Migratin paths and tls frm Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 will be available t facilitate a mve t clud. The best way t take advantage f what the clud can ffer yur business tday and in the future is t get started with Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012. MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX 2012 Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 is a single, pwerful enterprise resurce planning (ERP) slutin that is simple t learn and use and delivers value faster by supprting industry-specific and peratinal business prcesses acrss yur glbal enterprise. Highly adaptable and easy t scale, yu can take advantage f business pprtunities and reduce risk by quickly mdifying prcesses and differentiating yur business t meet new requirements. With Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012, yu can drive user invlvement and innvatin. Yur ERP slutin can unlck greater prductivity, enable cllabratin thrughut the supply chain, and prvide immediate insight with Micrsft Dynamics RleTailred access t self-service business intelligence, cntextual infrmatin, and prcesses. With Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012, yur emplyees have the insight and flexibility t drive innvatin that imprves business peratins and the way they serve custmers s that yur business can thrive. 8
Figure 1: Overview f capabilities in Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 (*) Retail specific capabilities are planned t be available in Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack in Q1 CY2012 Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 is: Pwerful Helps achieve value faster with a single, pwerful slutin that supprts industryspecific and peratinal demands acrss yur glbal enterprise. Multiple, purpse-built industry and peratinal capabilities in ne slutin. Glbal slutin that includes business management supprt fr peratins in 36 cuntries (cuntry-specific functinality available in a staged rllut). Ad hc reprts and streamlined wrkflws with a Micrsft Dynamics RleTailred user interface. Agile - Expand business pprtunities, mdify prcesses, and differentiate yur business with ERP sftware that prvides unprecedented agility. Unified Natural Mdels that allw t cntinuusly plan, visualize, and change yur prcesses Flexible deplyment ptins (such as tw-tier ERP) that can change as yu grw. Agile technlgy that makes it easy t change and differentiate yur business. Simple - Drive user invlvement and innvatin with a business management slutin that is simple t use, deply, and manage and deliver easy access t data and prcesses. 9
Empwer emplyees t innvate with quick access t infrmatin and business prcesses. Integrated, self-service cllabratin capabilities fr emplyees, custmers, suppliers, and partners. Applicatin life-cycle management t streamline IT prcesses frm initial deplyment thrugh cntinuing change. Pervasive Interperability - Drive innvatin tday and tmrrw by wrking with a standard Micrsft technlgy platfrm that simplifies deplyment and lwers csts, giving yu the pwer t drive yur business frward. Yu can deply in the way that wrks best fr yu n-premises, in the clud (thrugh partners), r using a hybrid mdel and make incremental changes as needed. With Micrsft Dynamics AX, yu get a business slutin frm Micrsft that is backed by an nging cmmitment t research, develpment, and innvatin: Maximize yur investments, lwer TCO, and make additinal prductivity gains thrugh Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 interperability with Micrsft business prductivity slutins and the applicatin platfrm, including: Micrsft Dynamics CRM, Management Reprter, Micrsft Office, Micrsft SharePint Micrsft SQL Server, Micrsft Visual Studi, Micrsft BizTalk Server, and Micrsft Lync. Innvate rapidly and take yur rganizatin int the future by taking advantage f: Onging investments by Micrsft and its partners in the platfrm, infrastructure technlgies, and applicatins that enable yur ERP slutin t evlve as yur rganizatin grws. Easy access t a brad and talented pl f Visual Studi develpers and slutins that can help IT implement and maintain yur ERP slutin t meet yur rganizatin s changing needs. Additinal infrmatin n Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 is available n Micrsft.cm/dynamics/ax, including full system requirements, prduct lcalizatin and language availability and what s new. T fllw regular prduct news and updates visit ur Micrsft Dynamics AX prduct blg. 10
Radmap Micrsft is cmmitted t a predictable release schedule that helps custmers adpt and take advantage f the latest innvatins at a reasnable pace. Ging frward, Micrsft may als ffer a minr release between majr releases fr ne r mre functinal enhancements. This will help custmers benefit frm prduct enhancements between releases withut the need t install multiple slutins. The Micrsft Dynamics AX Radmap shws current prduct plans thrugh the year 2014. The fllwing sectins include detailed infrmatin abut the current release, functinality fr Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012, and the Micrsft Dynamics visin fr future releases. 1 Figure 2: Micrsft Dynamics AX prduct release timeline 1 Nte: This represents Micrsft s current view f its prduct directin and shuld nt be interpreted as a cmmitment n the part f Micrsft. Until Micrsft releases any versin f this sftware in a particular cuntry, prduct availability, features and dates are subject t change withut ntice. 11
MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX 2012 ROADMAP Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack The Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack is planned t add Retail-specific capabilities t Micrsft Dynamics AX including: Integrated Stre Management A purpsely built, integrated and extendable Pint-f-Sales (POS) capability t capture transactins and serve custmers even when stre cnnectivity t headquarters is dwn with fault-tlerant, resilient POS technlgy. Rle-specific UI custmizatin ptins, with graphical drag and drp designed fr imprved prductivity and custmer service. Pwerful POS capabilities, including n accunt, glbal vucher, returns management, inf cdes, returns/vids/markdwns, and inventry receipt/lkup/cunts. 12
Pwerful Merchandising Ability t ptimize fr prfitability with pricing flexibility, including flexible discunts, grup/item/custmer discunts, mix and match, and buy-ne-get-ne scenaris. Ability t ptimize purchasing quantities and replenishment prcesses based n size, clr, and style, including crss-dcking, t suggest item distributin between stres with immediate updates t transfer jurnals. Flexible fur-level item hierarchy that drives valuable reprting insight t imprve assrtment planning and prduct mix, including special item grups, lcatinspecific pricing, custmer-specific pricing, and prmtins. Figure 3: Integrated Pint-f-Sales Multi-channel enablement and payments services 2 ffered as clud service with the ability t create and publish catalgs and manage ffers acrss multiple channels as well as ut-fthe-bx supprt fr critical payment integratin, including debit and credit thrugh payment services. 2 Payment services available in the US and Canada nly. 13
The Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack is planned t be available in existing markets in Q1 CY 2012. Management Reprter 2012 fr Micrsft Dynamics ERP Management Reprter 2012 fr Micrsft Dynamics ERP is planned t be available in H1 CY 2012 3. Management Reprter 2012 will deliver enhanced analytic and financial reprting capabilities t Micrsft Dynamics AX, fcused n flexible reprt design and enhanced cllabratin fr reprt cnsumers. Micrsft Dynamics AX custmers will benefit frm ur investment in Management Reprter 2012 which enables business users t create and custmize high-impact reprts with drill thrugh t the surce infrmatin in Micrsft Dynamics AX. Management Reprter 2012 als aligns dynamically t Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 rganizatin hierarchies. User access and security t reprts and data can all be managed frm within Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012. Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Fr Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Micrsft will cntinue t invest in the fllwing new capabilities. Simplicity: Deliver pervasive Business Intelligence (BI) that will prvide cntextual and rle-tailred insights t help users quickly take the right actin. Enable all lcalizatins t run frm ne glbal instance t simplify internatinal deplyments. Utilize Micrsft s applicatin platfrm technlgy (Micrsft SQL and the Micrsft Azure platfrm) with investments in new Master-Data-Management (MDM) capabilities fr custmers that require sharing master data acrss different ERP instances. 3 Language supprt fr Management Reprter 2012 available fr the United States, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Russia, Austria, China, Mexic, Spain, Switzerland. 14
Figure 4: Pervasive Business Intelligence in Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 Industry excellence: New multi- and crss-channel capabilities fr retail rganizatins, including catalg management, crss-channel wrkflws, integrated sales channel management, and supprt fr additinal POS scenaris. Additinally, this release is planned t prvide merchandising enhancement arund pricing and prmtins. 15
Fr Public Sectr rganizatins, supprt fr new capabilities in budget frmulatin with wrkflw apprvals, flexible tracking, and reprting. Cmplex budgetary requirements using the familiar Micrsft Excel. Integratin with financial budget transactins, psitin and payrll data t enable budgetary cntrl. Wrld class financials: Expected cmpletin f all lcal cmpliancy features and adding regulatry cmpliance supprt fr 11 additinal cuntries (Brazil, Czech Republic, China, Estnia, Hungary, India, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Pland, and Russia). Excellence in business practices: Supprt fr US payrll, including streamlined emplyee payment prcessing with flexible scheduling fr benefit deductins, earnings and entitlements while ensuring cmpliance with US taxatin and payrll reprting regulatins as well as deeper integratin with HR. Advances in Human Capital Management (MCM) capabilities t imprve emplyee lifecycle management, including enhancements in psitin cntrl with tighter budget integratin. As additinal HCM capabilities include tracking psitin changes and ptinally adding wrkflw as part f the psitin cntrl prcess. Enhancements are als being made t cmpensatin and benefits arund ability t mass update cmpensatin, enhanced tracking f cmpensatin changes and defining benefit eligibility rules. Micrsft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 is planned t be available in existing markets in H1 CY 2013. FUTURE RELEASES 2013 AND BEYOND At Micrsft, we will cntinue ur lng-term investment in the Micrsft Dynamics AX radmap and ur fcus n enabling yur pursuit f the Dynamic Business. We understand peple are the center f yur business. Their energy, creativity, and cmmitment set yu apart. Yur peple are clse t yur custmers and see the pprtunities t increase the value they deliver. But they need the right tls that help them wrk in new, mre effective ways with cnnectins acrss yur rganizatins and instant access t the insight they need t make critical decisins with cnfidence. We will cntinue t demnstrate ur cmmitment t deliver the mst intuitive and simple slutins fr yur peple and yur business. With future releases we will cntinue t invest in the fllwing areas: Simplifying the entire applicatin life cycle frm installatin, cnfiguratin, integratin, deplyment, use, and upgrade. Utilizing Clud capabilities t further enhance the value prpsitin fr ur custmers and supprting the Micrsft Azure clud platfrm. We ll be mving twards building fr the clud first mdel, which will benefit bth custmers that are lking fr n premises as well as clud-based deplyments. 16
Building ut the functinality ftprint in business prcesses fr ur fcus industries like Manufacturing, Retail, Public Sectr, Distributin and Services industries. Cntinue t advance tward a suite f cmpsite services, imprving the flexibility and chice t utsurce specific prcesses, as well as lwering the cst f applicatin integratin. Cntinuing the mdel-driven develpment t separate design frm implementatin architecture t mve dwn a path f ffering simpler, nn-develper ways t tailr business prcesses. Extending ur UI leadership by expanding the RleTailred design, prviding a mre cntext-sensitive experience based n new HTML5 client technlgy with ptimizatin fr Natural User Interface (NUI) technlgies like Tuch-based cmputing. Prviding interperability with the latest Micrsft technlgy t enable custmers t utilize technlgy enhancements. 17
Cmmitment t Yu Our cmmitment t ur partners reflects the value that they add t yur business. We seek t cmplement that value by ffering infrmatin and cntent thrugh CustmerSurce, which is a web prtal that prvides a wealth f prduct infrmatin, nline training, and access t the wider cmmunity f Micrsft Dynamics AX custmers. Figure 5: Micrsft Dynamics AX CustmerSurce Fr mre infrmatin abut ur visin fr a Dynamic Business, dwnlad and read ur whitepaper: Making Business Dynamic. 18
Disclaimer 2011 Micrsft Crpratin. All rights reserved. Micrsft, Windws, Windws Vista, Micrsft Dynamics and ther prduct names are r may be registered trademarks and/r trademarks in the U.S. and/r ther cuntries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the prperty f thers. The infrmatin herein is fr infrmatinal purpses nly and represents the current view f Micrsft Crpratin as f the date f this presentatin. Because Micrsft must respnd t changing market cnditins, it shuld nt be interpreted t be a cmmitment n the part f Micrsft, and Micrsft cannt guarantee the accuracy f any infrmatin prvided after the date f this presentatin. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS PRESENTATION. Micrsft prducts are nt intended fr use in medical, lifesaving, r life sustaining applicatins. Micrsft Dynamics is a line f integrated, adaptable business management slutins that enables yu and yur peple t make business decisins with greater cnfidence. Micrsft Dynamics wrks like and with familiar Micrsft sftware, autmating and streamlining financial, custmer relatinship and supply chain prcesses in a way that helps yu drive business success. U.S. and Canada Tll Free 1-888-477-7989 Wrldwide +1-701-281-6500 www.micrsft.cm/dynamics 19