Crutchfield Amplifies Its Resource Planning With Microsoft Dynamics AX

REDMOND, Wash. — April 6, 2007 — Consumer electronics seller Crutchfield Corp. has chosen JunctionMCR built on Microsoft Dynamics™ AX to improve its merchandising resource planning.

An authority in direct-to-consumer sales for more than 33 years, the Charlottesville, Va., company will replace its custom merchandising management system with Microsoft Corp.’s premier enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. With JunctionMCR and Microsoft Dynamics AX, Crutchfield will be able to unify vendor and item management in one environment, simplify the individual user’s experience, make product procurement more efficient, and improve its overall forecasting capability.

“With JunctionMCR, we will streamline the product procurement process,” said Steve Weiskircher, vice president of Information Technology at Crutchfield. “By coupling better forecasting with automated purchasing workflow tools, we expect to dramatically improve the procurement process and provide deeper insight into item and vendor management processes.”

Specific benefits that convinced Crutchfield to choose Dynamics AX include these:

  • Flexibility. Through the flexibility of the Morph X development environment and numerous integration options, including Microsoft® .NET Web services, Crutchfield’s present IT staff can customize the system so that its business systems mirror its business processes. The flexibility of JunctionMCR and the Microsoft Dynamics AX development model will enable Crutchfield to reduce overhead expenses associated with traditional custom application development.

  • Quick payback. The new merchandising model made possible by JunctionMCR will help Crutchfield better understand and predict demand through improved forecasting and streamline purchasing with automated workflow — as well as potentially recoup its investment in the ERP software within two years.

  • Shared insight. Advanced features will better align sales, inventory and distribution. For example, automated notifications, or Alerts, will ensure that specific employees throughout Crutchfield’s operations are simultaneously aware of price changes, low stock on particular items, or impending changes in product lines. Trade Manage features will provide greater insight into sales trends so that Crutchfield can better meet ebbs and flows in consumer demand.

“The value of business software is measured not only by the power of its features, but also by the cost and complexity of management,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president of the U.S. Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners Group at Microsoft. “Microsoft Dynamics AX combines powerful ERP tools with familiar Microsoft Office operations and flexible IT environments that don’t require an army of IT staff to manage.”

Junction Solutions, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, developed and is implementing JunctionMCR, built on Microsoft Dynamics AX. The company’s deep knowledge of Microsoft’s technology platform was essential in identifying the right technology for Crutchfield’s business needs.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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