Adding Radio Frequency Data Capture to Microsoft's Navision Software

What is Navision ?

With its focus on increasing productivity, the latest version of Navision, formerly known as Attain®, enables businesses to improve internal procedures, particularly in the supply-chain area. Navision 3.60 includes features such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) for organizing warehouse layout and an automated data capture system (ADCS) that uses radio-frequency technology to keep track of all inventory in stock.

WMS is the natural extension to the warehouse management functionality found in the previous release, which covers basic warehouse activities such as receiving and stocking, picking, and shipping. Designed to reduce costs by introducing efficient warehouse processes, WMS is aimed at companies that need to send and receive goods while effectively utilizing warehouse space. The system expedites the order-handling process and streamlines warehouse operations by improving layout and space utilization.

For example, WMS helps divide a warehouse into zones. Within each zone, bins are allocated rankings according to picking priority, and items in certain bins are picked before others. Items can be pinpointed easily according to the zone and bin in which they are located. Warehouse staff members will spend less time moving between bins because the most regularly picked items are located in proximity.

ADCS is a data collection system that uses radio-frequency technology to collect and validate real-time inventory information. Warehouse staff members can scan items using a handheld device. This information is relayed back to the Navision system via wireless transfer where it can be validated against the data stored in the system. For example, a user might scan five items that have been picked to fulfill a sales order and then be informed immediately by Navision that six items are required. Using ADCS, the quantity, location, bin and zone number are recorded so that the system is able to tell exactly where a specific item is at any given time. Data collection becomes faster, and the accuracy of inventory data increases, enabling better businesswide decision-making.

Navision 3.60 also integrates with the latest version of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), the financial report language. Other new features of Navision 3.60 include extended pricing functionality and new levels of integration with Microsoft products. Smart tags can be used to access sales information stored in Navision directly from Microsoft Office XP applications such as Word, Excel and the Outlook® messaging and collaboration client. Navision also can create and log e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook in Navision customer relationship management (CRM). The dimensions functionality has been extended so that information stored in Navision’s analysis view can be exported to and analyzed in Microsoft Excel.

How is RF connectivity achieved ?

Belgravium partner Optygate (http://www.optygate.net/uk/index.php) have recently launched a new version of their application generator ( version 3.4 ) which is compatible with Belgravium terminals. This software allows the development of real-time data collection applications for Belgravium terminals running in client-server mode.