Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

Hello HS-19030835-0,

You're aiming to create a dynamic production planning timeline in Dynamics 365, visualizing contract volumes and production output over time. This is a common challenge in manufacturing and distribution scenarios.

Here's a breakdown of how you can approach this, along with potential tools and strategies:
1. Data Model and Foundation:

Contracts Entity:
- Ensure your Contracts entity has fields for:
  - Contract Start Date
  - Contract End Date
  - Product(s) (Lookup to Product entity)
  - Product Volume(s)
  - Contract Status
Production Output Entity (or Custom Entity):
- Create (or use an existing) entity to record production output.
- Fields:
  - Date
  - Product (Lookup to Product entity)
  - Quantity Produced
  - Related Contract (Lookup to Contract Entity)
Calendar Entity (Optional):
- A calendar entity can be helpful for visualizing time periods.
- Fields:
  - Date
  - Month
  - Year

2. Visualization and Timeline:

Power Apps Canvas App:
- A Canvas App provides the most flexibility for creating a custom timeline visualization.
- Timeline Component:
  - Use a third-party timeline component (available in the Power Apps component library or custom developed) to display contracts over time.
  - Configure the timeline to:
    - Display contracts based on start and end dates.
    - Allow users to adjust contract durations.
- Data Visualization:
  - Use charts and graphs to visualize production output over time.
  - Filter the charts based on the selected time period in the timeline.
  - Use gallery controls to display the data in a table format.
Power BI Integration:
- If you need more advanced analytics and visualization, integrate with Power BI.
- Create a Power BI report that:
  - Displays contracts on a timeline (using custom visuals).
  - Visualizes production output over time.
  - Allows users to filter data by contract, product, and time period.
Custom Web Resources:
- If you have development expertise, you can create a custom web resource with JavaScript and HTML to build a timeline visualization.
- This provides maximum control over the UI and functionality.

3. Production Output Calculation:

Calculated Fields (Dynamics 365):
- If your production output is relatively simple, you might be able to use calculated fields to derive values.
Power Automate Flows:
- Use Power Automate to automate the calculation of production output based on contract volumes and time periods.
- Trigger the flow when a contract is created or updated.
- Calculate the expected production output for each time period.
- Update the production output entity.
Plugins (Dynamics 365):
- For more complex calculations, use plugins to implement custom logic.
Azure Functions:
- If you need to perform calculations on large volumes of data, Azure Functions can be used.

4. Production Planning Tools (Third-Party):

Microsoft Project:
- If your production planning is project-based, Microsoft Project can be used to create timelines and track progress.
Dedicated Production Planning Software:
- Consider dedicated production planning software if your needs are complex.
- Look for software that integrates with Dynamics 365.
Third party applications from the App source.
- There are many applications on the app source that can help with production planning.

Tips and Considerations:

Data Accuracy:
- Ensure that your contract and production data is accurate and up-to-date.
User Experience:
- Design a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to visualize and interact with the timeline and production data.
Performance:
- Optimize your visualizations and calculations for performance, especially with large volumes of data.
Security:
- Implement appropriate security measures to protect sensitive contract and production data.
Business Requirements:
- Make sure that the solution that you choose, meets all of your business requirements.

By combining these approaches, you can create a powerful production planning timeline in Dynamics 365 that meets your specific needs.

If my answer was helpful, please click Like, and if it solved your problem, please mark it as verified to help other community members find more.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

My response was crafted with AI assistance and tailored to provide detailed and actionable guidance for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 query.

Best Regards,
Daivat Vartak

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