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9 October 2017

Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations: ERP in the Cloud

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The ultimate ERP system that supports all operational processes – finance as well as logistics – on premise or in the Cloud, just the way you like it. Full speed ahead!

We like to speed up things, but we do that well-conceived and in line with our customers’ needs. Since the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Enterprise edition, in the fourth quarter of 2016, several customers of Dynamic People have chosen to work with this flagship of Microsoft.

ERP solutions usually focus primarily on financials and have difficulty with logistics and sales processes. “This sophisticated Microsoft solution clusters financials, sales and all other company processes. This way the different divisions can cooperate with each other like never before,” states Stéphan Kamerbeek.

“That is a big efficiency-win for many of our customers, like for instance commodity traders but also for production plants and service and project-based organisations. The optimised integration with Microsoft Office results in a very user-friendly solution which is easily accepted throughout the company and across different countries.”

 

So many advantages, why wait any longer to make the next step?

“There is no direct need to buy a new Ferrari, as long as the old one brings you wherever you like. A lot of our customers work to their great satisfaction with Dynamics AX2012 or Dynamics AX2009. Every upgrade costs money, time and energy so I fully understand that they don’t switch straight away when the current version is rock solid and sufficient to them. However, companies that make use of Dynamics AX2009 run a risk. For functional support we can be of help for as long as you want us to, but there comes a point in time that certain conflicts with new Windows-versions can no longer be solved. Microsoft did extend the period to support this version until October 2018, but the product is obsolete and end of life.”

 

Customise menu’s, forms and reports

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Enterprise edition out-classes the traditional ERP systems. It supports all company processes and gives clear insights to make smart-informed decisions.

“The integration with Power BI helps you to quickly create reports. It provides advanced sorter and filter options and that gives you important control information to run your business. As an example, you get a clear insight view in the volume of all your sales orders per region including sales margins and this shows you at a glance the current pain points and areas for improvement. This way you are able to manage and target on KPI’s.”

 

Ready for the future

“A product switch or an upgrade to a new version is a good moment to look at the company processes with a fresh mind. It is not only a good moment, it is a necessity otherwise it is impossible to implement the system exactly fitting to your current and future wishes. You don’t buy a new Ferrari to drive 40 on the highway. If you just step in and start, the competition will overtake you on all sides.”

So what is the right moment to switch or upgrade? “When you are ready for it and want to profit from all the benefits of this unique product. Don’t start thinking when the worst comes to the worst, because then it might be too late. So don’t wait too long!”

 

Powerful

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Enterprise edition offers out of the box a lot of functionality. “It is a challenge to make use of everything that is useful for you and that is where an experienced implementation partner can be of great help. The consultants of Dynamic People have a fresh pragmatic look at all your processes and lead you forward.”

AX2012 (and certainly AX2012R3) has been enriched with a lot of extra functionality – especially in terms of warehouse management and transportation management – compared to release AX2009.

Stéphan: “The step from AX2012R3 to Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Enterprise edition is, from a functional perspective, mainly holding on and building on the good things that had already been developed. But in many other fields a lot of improvements have been introduced. That includes Excel and data integration that makes it easy to import new supplier data. Furthermore there is a supplier portal for all communications regarding purchase orders and invoices and this results in a better efficiency and fewer errors. With so called roll-based work-environments all users of the system get their own dashboards and shortcuts. Masterplanning, warehouse control, intercompany, sales and project management are all fully integrated in this Cloud based solution. The look and feel has been changed, while from now on people work in a browser. That is quite common nowadays, but for some people it takes some time to get there and that traditional thinking must not be underestimated.”

 

Cloud or on premise?

Microsoft has chosen for the Cloud. “They are right, but I am glad that they also introduced an on premise version. There are still a lot of companies that want to store their critical data in house. From now on customers are free to choose and that will make it more attractive to upgrade.”

Microsoft provides clients with a time saving upgrade tool that make it easy to converge data from Dynamics AX2012 and even from Dynamics AX2009. “That can be of great help, but of course you need more than that because the new product has a lot of new features. As your migration and implementation partner we make sure that you can use everything that is beneficial to you.”

 

A turnkey solution

Stéphan Kamerbeek used to work for a stair lift company where he was responsible for logistics and planning. In his role as planning coordinator he was actively involved in the implementation of Dynamics AX2009. “It was my first acquaintance with Dynamic People. As application manager I have collaborated with them for years. At a certain moment I wanted to make a career switch. I was looking for a new challenge and starting at Dynamic People was the most logical step for me to take.”

In his role as Business Consultant – with specific logistic understanding – Stéphan advises how company processes can be streamlined. “The best thing is that I do not only give the advice, but I am also part of the team that is doing the implementation. So I am the architect and the builder and that is what makes this job so challenging. Do you want a better insight in your financial processes, or are you looking for a professional implementation partner? Do you have questions about stock control, operations in general or do you want a demo? Call us for an appointment.”