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Microsoft Dynamics AX Retail [AX 2012]
Updated: May 9, 2013
Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack
Retail provides mid-market and large retailers a complete head-office and point of sale (POS) solution with support for online and brick-and-mortar stores. It can help retailers increase financial returns, improve service, manage growth, reach customers, and streamline efficiencies.
Retail consists of several components that are typically distributed across multiple computers and locations. For illustrations of how these components can be deployed, see Deployment topologies for Retail.
The following table briefly describes each component.
| Component | Function | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail module | The Retail module for Microsoft Dynamics AX can be used to manage a chain of stores as one enterprise. It controls daily operations and tracks sales information for every store in the chain. Retail Scheduler coordinates communication between Microsoft Dynamics AX and the stores. The Retail module can be used with any POS or online store system that can receive and transmit the necessary data.
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| Commerce Data Exchange: Synch Service | Synch Service periodically shares data among Retail components that include the head office, stores, and individual POS registers. Instances of Synch Service run at each site. For more information about Synch Service, see Commerce Data Exchange: Synch Service overview. | ||
| Store database | A store database is a specially configured Microsoft SQL Server database that collects and stores data from POS registers, and shares it with Microsoft Dynamics AX. | ||
| Commerce Data Exchange: Real-time Service | Together with Synch Service and Retail Scheduler, Real-time Service represents the communications mechanism for Retail in Microsoft Dynamics AX. Real-time Service provides real-time, synchronous communication. It can be used to authenticate cashier logon credentials, send loyalty requests, and exchange up-to-the-minute physical inventory information between Microsoft Dynamics AX and stores. | ||
| Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail POS | Retail POS provides a dynamic interface that can be customized to suit business and store procedures. In addition, Retail POS can work offline. This enables stores to continue operating even during network interruptions. All data is automatically synchronized when the connection is restored. | ||
| Commerce runtime | Commerce runtime serves as the intermediary between Microsoft Dynamics AX and an online store. Commerce runtime contains a data access layer, a services layer, a workflow layer, and an API layer. | ||
| Online store | A starter online store that can be customized for specific business needs to reach online customers. The online store is configured at the head office. An online store can be used in isolation or in conjunction with a physical store. The online store leverages Microsoft SharePoint 2013 Products to provide rich customization capabilities. |
Important Retail also includes the following components:
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Store Database Utility – This utility is used at the point of sale to create and configure the offline database, create and identify the store database, and create the configuration file that is used to identify registers.
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Retail SDK – The Retail SDK contains sample source code and templates that can be used to customize the Retail system.
