There are a lot of solutions in the D365 apps ecosystem for inventory management, but Advanced Inventory Count is special because it’s really automated and it’s super accurate when it comes to recalculations. In this review of the advanced inventory count app, we’ll look at how the app closes important gaps in standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 inventory management. We’ll also discuss why it has become a benchmark among Microsoft Dynamics inventory management app solutions and what additional value it brings to the Microsoft Dynamics app portfolio.
Advanced Inventory Count is an extension for Microsoft Dynamics apps — specifically Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — developed by Insight Works. It’s designed to automate and simplify the inventory process, allowing organizations to speed up data entry, improve accuracy, and minimize inventory count errors. The app lets do one-off physical inventory counts and regular cyclical counts. Can do lot and serial number-based inventory counts and work in progress. Advanced Inventory Count works with BC’s Inventory Management and Warehouse subsystems, automatically fixes differences, and creates entries for inventory adjustments. The developers say that using the app makes inventory counts more accurate and faster.
- Key features of Advanced Inventory Count
- Installation steps of Advanced Inventory Count
- Pros and Cons of Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works
- Common use cases of Advanced Inventory Count
- Licensing and Price of Advanced Inventory Count
- Alternatives to Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works
- Conclusion: Should You Use Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works?
Key features of Advanced Inventory Count
Advanced Inventory Count takes Business Central’s standard inventory capabilities to the next level:
- Entering results manually and with a scanner: Can enter product and lot/serial number data manually or with a barcode scanner. This works with mobile devices (like WMS Express or Warehouse Insight) and lets enter data in real time.
- Multi-user input: A few employees or teams can count at the same time, using different devices. This makes processing a lot of goods way faster.
- Create count sheets: Make inventory account templates ahead of time or do a quick count when needed. The utility supports filters for warehouse, zone, and property, so can group goods into count sheets however like.
- Recalculations and auditing: If there are major differences, the system automatically makes recalculation sheets for the items that are a problem. This makes it easy to go back and check, and it helps save time by only looking at the things that have big changes.
- Reconciliation and Reporting: The app has some pretty powerful reports and analytics. There’s a Physical Inventory Differences report that shows all the discrepancies for locations, lots, amounts, and differences. This helps find and fix errors in a jiffy.
- WIP accounting: Advanced Inventory Count automatically figures out the parts of work-in-progress inventory and creates write-off or inventory adjustment entries as needed. This makes sure that all inventory is accounted for.
- Support for different warehouse configurations: This module works with all types of BC warehouse settings. It works with simple warehouses without optional lockers as well as systems with directional storage and barcoding.
Installation steps of Advanced Inventory Count
- Subscription and Installation: Just go to Microsoft AppSource and sign up for a trial or full subscription to Advanced Inventory Count. In Business Central (online or on-premises), go to Extension Management and install the AIC extension.
- Initial Setup: After install it, run the application’s Setup Wizard. Usually, need to specify the NWP accounting rule in the settings, select the write-off options for discrepancies, and so on. Just make sure the required modules (Inventory, Warehouse) are activated and that user access rights are assigned.
- Accounting configuration: Set up the count sheets, like defining filters for group accounts (by warehouse, properties) and thresholds for recalculations. Take a look at the directories (cells, locations, barcode prices) to make sure everything’s in order.
- Prepare the equipment: If you’re planning on using mobile scanners, make sure you’ve got the right apps (WMS Express or Warehouse Insight) installed and the BC connectivity configured.
Once install the app, Business Central has new navigation, like the Count Lookup List page, where the manager starts the counts. Then there are worksheet pages for entering results, a recount worksheet for recalculation, and related directories and reports. All these objects are set up as AL extensions to BC (tables, pages, reports), so they work seamlessly with other modules (Inventory, Warehouse, Posting, etc.). The app doesn’t need any extra web services or APIs. Everything is done in BC and uses the built-in accounting tools.
Pros and Cons of Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works
Benefits of the App
Advanced Inventory Count offers significant advantages for businesses running Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central:
- Save time and resources: Automating data entry and reconciliation can really speed up the inventory process and reduce costs.
- More accurate results: With barcode scanning and multiple users, there’s less room for human error. The app makes sure that everything’s accounted for, even work that’s still in progress. It automatically fixes any math problems, so never have “lost” balances.
- Transparency and control: Reports and audit logs are easy to use, so can quickly analyze results, identify incorrectly calculated items, track the history of recalculations, and see who made changes and when.
- Flexibility: The system can handle pretty much any counting situation it can throw at it. Make bulk or sample count sheets and tweak them to fit to company’s specific processes.
- Integration with warehouse processes: AIC has support for all types of warehouse accounting, like assembly/disassembly direction, bin recalculations, and any BC warehouse accounting setup. This means that the application doesn’t mess up the way warehouse accounting works, but instead adds some pretty useful features.
Downsides of the App
Although Advanced Inventory Count delivers powerful functionality, it also has certain limitations that organizations should take into account before committing to the solution.
- Lack of external API: The app is part of BC’s standard extensions, so it doesn’t have its own open API or web services. So, integration with external systems is only possible through BC’s built-in mechanisms or additional development.
- Setup and Training: If you want it to do a lot, you’ve got to set it up right. At first, it might take some time to learn the interface and set up rules. If you don’t properly configure it, you might not get all the benefits.
- Interface languages: The app supported 12 languages. If you need support for other languages, you might need to use localisation extensions.
- Paid: Unlike free solutions, AIC is a paid application on a subscription model. The price is pretty reasonable, though, starting at just $1 USD per user per month.
Common use cases of Advanced Inventory Count
Advanced Inventory Count is great for companies that need to keep track of their inventory in BC. Here are some examples of typical use cases:
- Large warehouses and logistics: When needed to count inventory in different areas of the warehouse, you need to bring in extra help. This module lets you do parallel counts and quickly combine results.
- Cyclical Inventory: In the retail and distribution industries, they often do scheduled recounts of a portion of the stock using the ABC criteria cycle-checking method. AIC lets you collect data on the products you want to monitor and instantly see the results.
- Managing inventory the smart way: Companies that track serial or batch numbers, like those in the electronics or pharmaceutical industries, use this app to avoid problems with counting batches and keeping track of inventory in mixed warehouses.
- Work-in-progress accounting: Manufacturing companies can count component and work-in-progress balances after a shift or in batches. AIC automatically calculates material write-offs and inventory adjustments, making final output accounting easier.
- Auditing and Reporting: For regular inventory counts or ones that aren’t part of the usual routine, inventory managers use AIC to get accurate data quickly and then do a variance analysis.
Licensing and Price of Advanced Inventory Count
Advanced Inventory Count is sold on a subscription model. It starts at $1 per month per user. You’re allowed a free trial period to check out the features. So, even small companies can use the application and quickly get their money back. According to Insight Works, many customers get their money back after two full inventories.
Alternatives to Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works
Several applications that can help with similar solutions are available within Microsoft Dynamics 365. Some of them are:
Advanced Stocktake by Fenwick
Advanced Stocktake: It’s meant to make the standard BC inventory document easier to use. It lets export and import data using Excel and makes the stock-taking user interface better.
WMS Express by Insight Works
WMS Express is another free app from the same developer. It’ll hook up your scanner with BC Cloud, so you can take care of receiving, shipping, and counting inventory. It’s not really set up for super detailed reconciliation and recounts.
Advanced Cycle Counts by ERP Connect Consulting
Advanced Cycle Counts it’s an extension that automates the scheduling of cyclic inventory. It calculates the prioritized groups of items (by value or sales), generates a calendar of recalculations for the year, and keeps a record of the cycles performed. It’s not as focused on the input and reconciliation itself as AIC, but more on task and notification management.
Conclusion: Should You Use Advanced Inventory Count by Insight Works?
Advanced Inventory Count is a great tool for keeping track of inventory in Dynamics 365 Business Central. It covers everything from data collection (including multi-user and scanner data) to automatic reconciliation and corrective entry accounting. When organizations use AIC, they can cut down on inventory time and errors and get accurate reports about their inventory.
The advanced inventory count review shows that the Insight Works extension is key to closing the gap between ERP accounting and actual stock balances. If your company needs a reliable app dynamics stock tool that works out-of-the-box in Business Central and pays for itself quickly, Advanced Inventory Count is the right choice. And for those who compare solutions and are looking for an objective advanced inventory count dynamics app review, the results of customer implementations prove that the application not only reduces labor costs, but also improves inventory accuracy to a level that’s hard to achieve with standard tools.
Oleksandr is a passionate technical professional with extensive expertise in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (D365 CE) customization, Canvas App development, and Power Automate solutions. His skill set includes Azure Function and Azure Durable Function development, Logic Apps, and seamless integration of PCF components into Canvas Apps. With a deep understanding of Azure technologies and a strong background in developing tailored solutions for D365, Oleksandr brings a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to enterprise application development. He enjoys exploring new Microsoft solutions and shares his insights with the readers.
