When is the right time to upgrade or migrate to a new financial accountancy or enterprise resource planning software?

A growing business of any size, from a small number of employees to a few hundred and beyond; often gets to a stage in its growth where it has outgrown the capabilities of basic financial accountancy packages and legacy ERP software either because they’re unable to process increased transaction volumes or expanding inventory requirements, lacking fundamental integration with other business systems and of course, inadequate reporting and analytics.

Scalability is another huge limitation of older packages; performance issues, limited extensibility, pains around mobility and cloud adoption because they don’t offer the features needed to allow your employees to carry out tasks remotely.

Troubleshooting your current operations

• Siloed Systems?
  • Disconnected, disparate databases of information that don’t talk to one another.
• Duplicate Data?
  • This can become a daily, time consuming routine that creates data errors, and lengthy periods before, for example, invoicing a customer.
• Manual Processes?
  • Employees relying on spreadsheets in Excel and not collating that information in your core financial or ERP system.
• Reporting?
  • Complex reporting based on Excel algorithms that only shows a single slice of the business and doesn’t provide an overarching view.
• Security?
  • Potential security flaws because you don’t have correct audit trails or approvals in place.

If you can put a tick beside any of these, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can help. Business Central is a business platform supports digital transformation and a migration away from tired, legacy platforms.

Why use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly NAV)

• It connects your business.
  • Connect employees to processes using the tools and applications they use on a day to day basis. Tools like Excel and Microsoft Outlook.
• It enables smarter decision making.
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is infused with Microsoft Office 365 and presents data within those applications – you’ll gain insights into sales forecasting, inventory planning, payables management to customer service – while you work.
• It encourages flexibility in how you work.
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is designed in a way that you choose what features you use and how you use them. Sysco’s expert team of consultants work with you to understand the business processes you need to start quickly and extend as your business evolves and grows.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly NAV) – The Core Offering

Now that we understand what Business Central is all about, let’s look at what is contained within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central’s core offering:

• Business Financials and Accounting
• Sales Tools
• Customer Service and Case Management
• Supply Chain, Projects and Operations Management
• All of these underpinned with powerful Reporting and Analytics features.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides a single source of data and truth across a company.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly NAV) – A Business Case Example

Let’s take for instance a Service Technician who’s onsite to service a piece of equipment. The Technician carries a tablet that links to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

The Technician is assigned new jobs on a daily basis by the Service Desk and this allows the Technician access to important information about the Customer and the location of the machinery when on-site – including SLA timeframes, Serial Numbers, Previous Maintenance Notes and so on.

Any required inventory the Technician requires can be scanned and checked out of the warehouse. Inventory is automatically recorded with the use of Business Central’s Inventory Management features. Items which are low in stock can trigger automated processes for Purchase Order approvals.

Once the servicing has been completed, the Technician can record any notes required against the piece of machinery and collect a digital signature from an authorised member of staff. Since the Technician’s tablet is connected to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, invoices can be raised, approved and sent to the customer’s accounts team for payment.

A process that might have taken anywhere up to 4 weeks now takes just minutes.

Don’t believe us? Watch the Case Study below:

If your business is struggling with growth or you would like to discuss any other business pains relating to how your financial accounting and enterprise resource planning software isn’t meeting the needs of your business. Contact Sysco Software to discuss how we can help.