Dynamics AX 2012 R2 to R3 Features

AX 2012 R2 to R3 New Features

 

Some of the features that have been introduced by Microsoft in AX 2012 upgraded versions after the release of AX 2012 Feature Pack

This document is divided in 4 Parts as follows

a)     New Features in AX 2012 R2

b)     New Features in AX 2012 R2 CU 6

c)     New Features in AX 2012 R2 CU 7

d)     New Features in AX 2012 R3

Reference document by Microsoft has been referred to for drafting of this document which can be accessed at Customer Source portal

Document Name : New, Changed, and Deprecated Features for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 

a)     New Features in AX 2012 R2

Accounts payable	You can adjust the taxes that are calculated on an invoice line before you post the invoice.·  You can use a payment calendar to control due dates for payments. You can also use the date control to make sure that the calculations of grace periods for interest and fees for payments start on the nearest business day.·
Accounts receivable	You can add freight and other charges to each line in a free text invoice, and distribute charges to dimensions and ledger lines.
Budgeting	You can use budget planning in AX 2012 R2 to establish a base budget, prepare and evaluate budget plans, and approve or revise budget plans.
General ledger	Inter unit accounting can be used to identify a financial dimension as balancing, so that a balanced balance sheet can be generated for the selected financial dimension.·  Legal entities can have more than one consolidation account.·  Tax registration numbers can be defined at the level of the party address record.·  For each main account in a specific chart of accounts, you can designate a default financial dimension value as a fixed value for each company that uses the chart of accounts.·  You can set up default descriptions for automatic posting.·  There is a new framework for importing exchange rates· The General ledger reports have been updated to display amounts in both debit and credit columns.  You can configure a recurring schedule batch job to clear purchase accrual for product receipt source documents.·  General ledger balances are updated when a process requires balances.·  You can enter a language translation for the main account name and the custom description of the financial dimension value·
Inventory management	The performance of the Inventory close and Recalculation batch jobs has been significantly improved.
Procurement and sourcing	There are enhancements to the change management process for purchase orders.·  An option has been added that lets you define data partitions during the upgrade of Order management data.·  The amount of information that employees must provide before they can submit a new vendor request has been reduced.·  Order management features have been updated in AX 2012 R2.·  In AX 2012 R2, the sales return order line can be associated with the sales agreement line that is related to the order.·  Requisition demand can be fulfilled by means other than a purchase order, such as a transfer order or a production order.·  Product search on the Employee Services site has been improved.·
Product information management	The Configure line form in Product configurator is easier to extend.·  You can now view the relationships between actions on planned orders. You can also view relationships to orders that are already approved.·  Fields and controls have been added to the Edit job list form to provide shop floor supervisors with a better overview of the production information that is involved in production orders.·  There are additional modeling capabilities in Product configurator.·
Combine XPO	The Combine XPO Tool is a command line program that combines a set of interdependent XPO files into a single XPO. It was moved from Information Source into the product in AX 2012 R2.
Database split	AX 2012 R2 has two databases. The business database contains transaction data and master data. The model database contains application objects, which are managed as model files. The model database replaces the application file store (AOD) that previous versions had. You can name the business database. The model database has the same name as the business database, but _model is appended. Both databases must be stored on the same instance of Microsoft SQL Server.
Data partitioning	AX 2012 R2 enables data isolation by using data partitions.
Upgrade enhancements	There are several enhancement to the upgrade process in AX 2012 R2:  Support for data partitioning·  Enhancement code upgrade toolset·  Division of a database into data and metadata·  Enhanced international support·  Multi-version support for Retail POS deployment·

22)     New Features in AX 2012 R2 CU6

Accounts payable		Generate positive pay files to help banks prevent check fraud.·  Prepay 100 percent of a purchase order amount.·  Recover pending invoices that have unsaved changes.·
General ledger		Multiple reporting currencies can be displayed on financial statements when you use Management Reporter for Microsoft Dynamics ERP.·  Updates to list pages for trial balances·  Financial reporting options·  Suspended or inactive financial dimension values are not displayed in lookup forms.·
Product information management	The expression editor has been updated to comply with the industry standard that a product designer expects for building expressions in Microsoft Dynamics AX.·  When you work with product configuration models, you can now use calculations to test the impact of different decimal numbers when you configure a product.·
Update installer	Automatic selection of applicable application updates only.·  Support for filtering hot +fixes to install by module, country/region or configuration key.·  Conflict summary for each hotfix displays the number of potential conflicts for a hotfix.·  Conflict details provide further information about potential conflicts.·

33)     New Features in AX 2012 R2 CU7

Accounts payable	New options for configuring workflows for vendor invoices.
Accounts receivable	External documents can now be sent as email to a customer or vendor by using the email address that is specified by the address purposes. Any report can be sent as email to an internal employee by using the worker title.
Budgeting	You can create a budget plan worksheet template for Excel by using a wizard in Microsoft Dynamics AX.·  The budget allocation process is easier, because you can use ledger allocation rules for budgets.·  Budget planning workflows can be set up so that they can’t be accidentally deleted or reset.·  Budget planning workflows can be set up so that they require a parent budget plan.·  You can specify whether budget planning user groups (XDS policies) are used for budget planning. You can also specify the number of associated budget plan lines to include when budget plans are exported to Excel.·  You can view worksheet and justification documents from the Budget plan page in Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX.·  The process of creating a budget plan from an existing budget plan is enhanced.·
Fixed assets	You can now transfer more than one fixed asset at the same time.·  The acquisition cost of fixed assets can include a miscellaneous charge amount.·  The process for acquisition proposals or depreciation proposals for fixed assets can now be run in a batch process.·
General ledger	An Excel template for journal entries is included on the virtual machine for demo data.·  More understandable posting messages for journal lines that have errors in the account combination.·  Delete an un posted journal that contains lines.·  View advanced rules for a main account.·  Easier dimension setup for Excel integration.·  Display dimensions in a specified order in Management Reporter·
Inventory management	New On-hand entries cleanup batch job can be used to delete unused entries for serialized on-hand inventory, helping to improve the performance of queries for on-hand inventory.·  You can combine two or more inventory batches into a new or existing batch.·  Added new Role Center for costing and inventory valuation·
Procurement and sourcing	Financial dimensions can be specified on sales agreements or purchase agreements.·  A Totals Fact Box is added to the Purchase orders list page.·
Product information management	You can determine prices using a product configuration model.
AxBuild.exe	AxBuild.exe accomplishes a full X++ compile to p-code on the AOS, and is much faster than compiling on the client.
Backup and recovery	We have added functionality for backup and recovery for cumulative update 7 for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2.
Data import, export, and migration	As of cumulative update 7 for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, the Data Import/Export Framework is shipped as part of Microsoft Dynamics AX instead of as an add-on.
Reporting	Power Shell command for integrating multiple Reporting Services instances with Microsoft Dynamics AX·  New class to improve performance of the report server·  Ability to email reports to specific people using tokens·  New methods for setting advanced printer properties·  Management Reporter now installed with Microsoft· Dynamics AX
Update installer	Support for express or advanced installation of application hotfixes.·  Advanced installation of hotfixes allows filtering by module, country/region, configuration key or business process from Lifecycle Services (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=306503) (if set up).·  The ability to export a list of updates to a file, so that you can later use the file to speed up applying application updates to another computer.·  The Impact analysis wizard now enables you to select specific layers to analyze.·  In the software update checklist, the Merge code automatically checklist item was added.·
4)     New Features in AX 2012 R3 General ledger	You can transfer the opening balances for balance sheet accounts to a new fiscal year in multiple companies at the same time.  The results of the accounting entries for stocked items on product receipts and vendor invoices are combined into one subledger journal entry and voucher.·
Inventory and warehouse management	The Compare item prices report lets you compare the prices in a costing version to the pending prices in another costing version, or to the active prices on an effective date.·  The posting routine in the BOM journal is redesigned and enhanced.·  The Inventory aging report displays the on-hand quantity, the inventory value, and the related aging periods for a selected item or an item group. You can use the report parameters to filter the data that is displayed on the report.·
Procurement and sourcing	You can create your own solicitation types for requests for quotation (RFQs). This feature lets you match the procurement requirements for your organization. You can filter on those categories to find documents more easily.·  You can define sets of scoring criteria and scoring methods that can be used to evaluate bids (RFQ replies).·  You can allow vendors to provide alternate items or services, so that you can be notified of better alternatives or changes to a requested item or service.·  Each line in an RFQ is assigned a number. You can add items and renumber the list as you require. The numbers appear in all the RFQ-related documents.·  You can quickly add vendors for your RFQ who are approved for selling at least one· of the categories on the RFQ lines.  You can create and administer a questionnaire by collecting questions from other users, by attaching one or more questionnaires to an RFQ at the header level, or by requiring vendors to complete the questionnaire as part of the reply.·  After you issue an RFQ, you can make changes or updates. You can also add attachments, provided that no replies have been registered. You can communicate these changes through the Vendor portal to keep prospective bidders aware of updates.·  You can hold a requisition from further processing and indicate the reason for the hold, so that you can better manage requisitions and communicate status.·  You can specify that bids are sealed until the solicitation closing date. These bids are hidden until bid tabulation starts.·  You can publish your RFQ to the public Vendor portal, so that unregistered vendors can see it. All lines on the RFQ are also sent to the vendors that are selected in the RFQ.· The following features are new for Enterprise Portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX.  If the requester allows this, all vendors can submit an alternate item on an RFQ and provide a reason for the alternate.·  All vendors can enter a charge on the RFQ reply line, in addition to the quantity and unit price.·  Customers can now include a questionnaire with the RFQ and require that you fill out the questionnaire as part of your bid.·  Customers can change the content of an RFQ after they send it. You can view the changes, and any attachments, on the Amendments FastTab in the RFQ.·
Update installer	Updates for AX 2012 R3: The Updates page on Lifecycle Services hosts the update installer for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 that is used for cumulative updates or the group of most recent updates. It also provides access to groups of updates that can be used for slipstream installations.