Client Success Story

Magpul Drives Innovation and Growth with Solutions and Support for Modern Manufacturing

Industry: Manufacturing

Solution: Dynamics 365, Connected Blueprint

Introduction

Magpul Industries designs and manufactures high-tech polymer and composite accessories and gear. With an emphasis on quality and customer engagement, Magpul has grown significantly over the past 20 years. But like many companies, they needed help with their journey to modernization.

Challenge

Magpul was one of the first Microsoft customers to move from Dynamics AX 2012 to Dynamics 365 Finance. They went live in just seven months but didn’t realize their existing data warehouse wouldn’t work with the new ERP system. As a result, users struggled with a series of unexpected issues and Magpul had little visibility into the business.

Magpul worked with another partner to build a new data warehouse, but the project quickly fell apart due to an overly complex data model. Creating reports without using expensive outside consultants became impossible, and Magpul struggled to access real-time data and reporting.

Beyond these one-time fixes, Magpul needed a long-term partner to help continuously improve and update their solutions. In crisis mode, they turned to MCA Connect for help.

Solution

Phase 1: Laying a foundation for success

Streamlining systems and empowering users

Working with Magpul, our Modern Platform Management (MPM) team stabilized the business systems. Recognizing a need for user empowerment, MPM also provided on-site support, including user training and refining configurations between Dynamics AX and Dynamics 365. As a result, issues significantly declined, and Magpul now enjoys a smooth-running and effective ERP platform.

Building a modern analytics platform

Our team also began rebuilding Magpul’s data warehouse, optimizing the data for Dynamics 365. They needed a solution that was robust, but easy to use, and capable of pulling historical data. To give Magpul the information they required, we implemented our proprietary data warehouse. Today, they are exploring the benefits of M CA Connect Inspire Platform™.

Boosting sales efficiency

With MCA Connect’s help, Magpul deployed Dynamics 365 Customer Experience to improve sales outreach through its B2B online portal. We then smoothed inventory flow between the new ecommerce platform and ERP system, fixing any shipping or production issues along the way.

Phase 2: Creating a blueprint for innovation

After helping Magpul build a solid foundation for success, MCA Connect began assisting with more widespread innovation. To map out a clear plan for success, Magpul completed a series of our proprietary Connected Blueprints.

Designed to help manufacturers quickly achieve strategic goals, MCA Connect’s Connected Blueprint™ includes:

Regular dialogue between business stakeholders and IT department to align and prioritize goals
Engagement with subject matter experts who understand the benefit of change
Tips for applying industry best practices to manufacturing processes
Guidance that empowers manufactuers to make critical decisions in weeks

We first launched a Connected Blueprint™ to assess Magpul’s product development processes. This helped them identify areas where Dynamics 365’s existing functionalities could streamline project management and change controls.

Magpul then completed a Connected Blueprint™ for Supply Chain Management to optimize inventory processes and production floor planning and scheduling. The impact from the first engagement was swift. Magpul completed 50% of the process and technology improvements in a week and applied some process improvements on the spot for immediate benefit.

Magpul also implemented Material Requirements Planning and Planning Optimization to better manage inventory costs and production schedules.

MCA Connect’s Connected Blueprint™ allowed our company to move quickly to align our business and IT goals and to gain the appropriate buy-in across all levels and departments within the organization. As a result, we were able to drive change within weeks instead of months.
January Clarke
IT Director, Magpul

Phase 3: Leveraging continuous optimization and support

Magpul continues to partner with MCA Connect’s Modern Platform Management (MPM) team, empowering the company to:

Continuously optimize processes and performance for peak efficiency
Proactively address system issues before they disrupt operations
Enhance capabilities by seamlessly implementing new functionalities

Over the years, Magpul has leveraged MPM for system optimization, adding new functionalities, custom code development, project management, and Microsoft Premier Support escalation. Magpul’s leadership team also participates in annual business reviews with the MPM team to discuss new opportunities and outline priorities for the upcoming year.

MCA Connect is part of the Magpul team. Their recommendations prove to be right and have built trust across our organization. We always get a quick response when we need help figuring out how to solve a problem. That’s why we continue to rely on the Modern Platform Management team year after year, with the same trusted team members providing outstanding support. We highly value this partnership.
January Clarke
IT Director, Magpul

Results

Partners with us since 2014, Magpul has:

Reduced on-hand inventory 20% by creating efficient product schedules

Gained full visibility into the supply chain, open orders, and inventory levels

Improved delivery times and relationships with suppliers

Unlocked full visibility and timely decision-making with real-time analytics

Continuously uncovered opportunities for improvement and change

— Case study

See what Microsoft says about the success of Magpul’s partnership with MCA Connect.

Read Microsoft’s Case Study

About MCA Connect

Through passion and deep industry expertise, MCA Connect® helps manufacturers succeed by unlocking innovation with actionable business insights. Our strategic solution and industry intelligence help manufacturers gain visibility, improve profitability, and achieve a competitive edge. Contact us today to learn how we can help solve your biggest manufacturing challenges.