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This year, digitalization is not only a focus of the IT world. We have also dedicated several articles to this topic in the past. However, this development has particularly slowed down in one industry \u2013 the manufacturing and production sector. We will show you the basics of a digital factory or smart factory and give you the tools to make your processes more intelligent with Dynamics NAV.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Digitalization can support and optimize processes within the company with regard to a smooth and transparent flow. The importance of IT-optimized and -controlled processes will increase and have a strong impact in industry and in manufacturing companies as well. Especially the manufacturing industry is feeling the growing demands from digitalization. Digitalization in trade<\/a> This sector faces challenges due to its processes, especially the ever-growing range of information available and the ever-more flexible purchasing options for consumers.<\/p>\n Seamless data technology connectivity between development, production, and suppliers is the essential element of a digital factory. The task of a complete value chain, from the processing of raw materials to assembly, is to create flexible and efficient manufacturing processes with a minimum error rate. Costs and time are saved, capacities are better utilized, resources are used more efficiently, and customer requests are more individually addressed.<\/p>\n Machines could autonomously detect the time for maintenance or, through new technologies, the product can be rented rather than just sold. Digital connectivity transforms the product into a service and can lead to higher customer loyalty.<\/p>\n The future could lie in self-learning and self-controlling processes, where the product is no longer determined by the machine but by a smart factory.<\/p>\n However, we do not want to preempt things today. We believe that a fundamental component lies in the awareness of digital and connected products and processes. Only then can knowledge, technologies, and application possibilities related to digitalization be continuously expanded within the company into a core competency.<\/p>\n First, it is important to ensure that the necessary prerequisites are in place for employees to drive awareness and consistent thinking in digital solutions and applications. This includes flexible access to corporate data such as CRM, ERP, and business intelligence. Efficient internal communication, real-time data insights, and public cloud solutions are other approaches.<\/p>\n In times of digitalization and the resulting customer demands, an integrated ERP system is already a must for companies. Digital orders through corresponding applications or the mobile retrieval of corresponding data enable quick processing. Fast access to current sales figures, prices, and inventory or vehicle stock are just a small selection of what an ERP system can achieve.<\/p>\n Read our article in the April issue<\/a> Our newsletter. In it we describe how digitalization can work in practice. Key terms here are \u201eInternet of Things\u201c (IoT), that is, the networking through integrated information and communication technologies, or the provision of services and support via mobile devices.<\/p>\n The main objective is to make information and data flows more comprehensible and transparent. Components are interconnected. For the company, it is advantageous to know about its products in real time and to control the development accordingly, so that the next necessary requirements and production steps are known.<\/p>\n This constant exchange between production and the departments takes place in real time and without data gaps through connections. Dynamics NAV, as a warehouse management system, already offers corresponding capabilities and functions as standard.<\/p>\n With additional connections and interfaces, such as the approval process with @NAV - eBANF<\/a>, This electronic process helps to control the internal flow of documents specifically according to the BANF classification (e.g., cost center, cost provider, approver).<\/p>\n The digital import and export of invoices by the @NAV-ZUGFeRD interface<\/a> is another way to make processes run more intelligently.<\/p>\n