JDA MMS Retail Systems & Software for IBM System i

Merchandise Management System (MMS) is offered by JDA Software Group to address the basic and core retail functions within the context of merchandise management or inventory.

This application suite is similar to JDA PMM, but runs on IBM's System i (previously known as the iSeries or AS/400) hardware platform using a DB2/400 database.

MMS Description. It was originally developed on the System/38 in the late 1980s and is unique to the System i platform. It is written in RPG ILE, but it has an optional and supplement web-based thin client that is based on Seagull's JWalk.

MMS provided the basis from which JDA's Unix/Oracle offering, Portfolio Merchandise Management (formerly known as Open Database Merchandising System or ODBMS) was created.

Data warehouses are must-have technology for JDA MMS. Retail IDEAS is an out-of-the-box data warehouse that comes pre-configured and interfaced with JDA MMS.

The application suite includes the following:

• Inventory Control and Procurement
• Buyer's Workbench
• Vendor Management
• Merchandise Receiving, Allocation and Replenishment
• Distribution Center Management
• Price Management
• Promotional Management
• Financial Control

JDA MMS

Inventory Control and Procurement
This includes purchasing and inventory and the module is used to create purchase orders, perform basic allocation and (store) physical inventory.

MMS makes extensive use of inventory transactions and each and every activity can be closely monitored or audited. Also, MMS support physical inventory counts on a store basis with the warehouse having its own inventory function for cycle counts.

Purchase Orders can be single or multiple locations, pre-distributed (pre-allocated) or post-distributed (scheduled allocation from back stock after put-away).

Stock balances are fed to, and can be monitored from within IDEAS. The Action Support and certain transactions such as stock balancing, purchase order creation, promotional pricing and many more can be created and sent back to MMS. There are more than 30 of these transaction types. Sales and inventory analysis is also highly integrated with IDEAS. In addition to flash sales reporting, there are more than 20 categories (datamarts) that are fed from MMS.

Buyer's Workbench
The Buyer's Workbench is a series of functions with MMS that address purchasing and receiving. It includes color and size grids, allocations, pre-packs, PO reservations, release and maintenance of items, styles, and SKUs.

Store and distribution center/warehouse transfers support the movement of merchandise between locations.

IDEAS tracks sales and inventory by color, size and dimension to the UPC and SKU levels. These may be analyzed in aggregate or individually. The On Order category will display open purchase orders and transfer orders, as well as in transit inventory.

Vendor Management
Vendors are maintained within MMS as part of the Accounts Payable module. Also, the Purchasing module supports a sophisticated level of allowances, rebates, or cost allowances to assist in costing landed costs such as freight.

Receipts and basic vendor compliance are tracked and credits for shorts, damages and so on are tracked and automatically included in invoice matching. Invoice matching is also available at the invoice or even line item level.

IDEAS associates sales and inventory by primary vendor so that vendor profitability may be assessed.

Merchandise Receiving, Allocation and Replenishment
Receiving is used when the store POS is not used for this purpose or when automatic (assumed) receiving is implemented. Allocation is basic, and many retailer choose the Arthur Suite, which includes advanced allocations, if more than the most basic of functionality is required. Arthur is another product and is sold separately but can be integrated with MMS.

Automated Replenishment allows a vast number of choices beyond simple minimum/maximum. Item velocity and sales profiles can also be used. The Advanced Store or Warehouse Replenishment by E3 is chosen if more functionality is required. E3 is another suite of products and is sold separately but can be integrated with MMS.

Distribution Center Management
DC Management is the logistics module. It includes in-bound shipment scheduling (from ASN), receiving, put-away, picking and shipping. There is also a cycle count function to assist with inventory counts.

The module supports advanced functions such as cross-docking and has various types of picking and put-away, including carton or pallet manifesting, as well as holding or allocating merchandise without the need to move it to a holding zone. The warehouse fully supports RF on most functions.

Price Management
This module includes Cost Management, and they function somewhat identically. Events are created and released to update permanent prices at POS, and markdowns/markups are tracked throughout the system. Prices can be managed at the store or price zone level, chain-wide or any combination as overrides.

Promotional Management
This functions with Price Management and allows several different advanced pricing schemes to support deal pricing such as buy 1 get 1, quantity ends, multiple dates, quantity breaks, mix/match, color/size/dimension overrides, price multiples and many more. Promotions are events that have ending dates, and once an event has ended, the price at POS returns to its regular, permanent price.

Financial Control
General Ledger, Accounts Payable (with invoice matching) and Accounts Receivable functions are all available. There are numerous advantages to using this highly-integrated yet basic financial accounting application.

Return to Top of Page