When it comes to time and resource planning, Gantt charts provide valuable assistance as to visualizing complex contexts and bringing transparency. Whether you're coding for vertical solutions focused on production scheduling, project planning, service technician dispatch, rental scheduling, fleet scheduling, logistics scheduling, or any other vertical, our "toolbox" can be used to build your bespoke visual scheduler.
This same toolbox is the visual core of all our extensions. You may remember them already as the and the for the manufacturing module of Dynamics 365 Business Central and the for the jobs and resource planning modules.
Keep reading to learn how four of our partners, and ISV on their own developed and market a vertical solution with an integrated planning board.
Let's start with the basics.
What is the "toolbox" to build interactive Gantt charts?
Our base technology called Visual Scheduling Add-in Development Toolbox (or VSADT, or just Toolbox for shorter) is a native control add-in for Business Central developers to rapidly build powerful custom visual schedulers (Gantt charts).
With the toolbox, you get a JavaScript control add-in which you can configure and with which you interact via an AL API to create your custom visual scheduler.
We created this short clip to bring clarity into the definition:
What you get
- Visual scheduling control add-in (VS-CAI)
- Sample app
- Integrated into BC
- Handling of triggered events
- Sample code for loading data
- Setting options
- Scrolling to date or objects, and
- Much more
- Data model documentation
- Functional design document
- Interface design document
How it works
The toolbox includes features that allow you to design almost any type of interactive Gantt charts. All you have to do is write the AL procedure calls that you use to populate and modify the graphical overview with data. Using the API, you can control the objects yourself and change the settings as you see fit, without having to be an HTML5 specialist. This way, you get an integrated planning board, but stay master of the business logic.
Live vertical solutions in the market
1. Pestsoft - Dispatch board for pest controllers.
The Austrian software developer offers an optimum supplement for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV. With you can present the data stored in Dynamics in a comfortable interface with a comprehensive documentation system for managing the documents for contracts, audits, training certificates for service technicians, and above all a clear reporting system. Pestsoft also enables trend analyses and evaluations of selected periods.
2. Dynaway EAM Scheduling Board add-on - maintenance work order dispatcher
The Danish ISV offers an impressive Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software built for the Microsoft Dynamics line. Due to the nature of time and resource management, a planning board was a must. Here's what Ulrich Kærgaard, the Managing Director had to say:
"It has allowed us to focus on what we do best: providing the functionality that customers need instead of focusing on building the platform itself. Using the toolbox significantly shortened our time-to-market. Thus, we could achieve more scheduling functionality with less effort."
3. PrintVis - Efficient print production scheduling
is a Danish Microsoft-certified Print MIS, a software solution specifically developed for the print industry. Similar in concept and function to a traditional Gantt chart, the PrintVis Planning Board provides a graphical interface for plotting and adjusting a print company’s production schedule. Per the words of Kasper Tomshøj, CEO of PrintVis:
"Thanks to the powerful features of the NETRONIC toolbox, we are able to make our PrintVis Planning Board even more flexible and user-friendly with every new version we ship. [...] It works directly within PrintVis, fully utilizing the robust scheduling features of the system, with a graphical view that is easily adjusted to account for the fluctuations of the printer’s workweek."
4. Dysel - Dispatch board for service technicians
is a Dutch Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ISV. The company is specialized in helping equipment management organizations by optimizing their business processes in terms of softwares.
With the use of the toolbox, the Graphical Dispatch Board in DYSEL is now a visual representation of the service schedule by service technicians. It facilitates service planning as the dispatchers can easily and efficiently assign work orders to technicians and optimize the service schedule.
Want to add Gantt charts to your ISV solution?
Here are some resources that help you to dig deeper into the Visual Scheduling Add-in Developer toolbox:
- Watch a
- Learn more about the Visual Scheduling Add-in Development Toolbox (VSADT) and how to build
- Read our comprehensive guide on how to
- Or ... take the step and test the VSADT for yourself.
