Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is advanced software that supports the management of a company in all key areas of its operations. Its main task is to provide tools for the effective planning, recording and control of the company’s resources to maximize the efficiency of operations both in individual areas and as a whole. Full integration of business processes in a single system guarantees data consistency and enables mapping of process, information and document flows.

A well-designed and implemented ERP system allows you to monitor the condition of your company on an ongoing basis, quickly identify problems and make accurate decisions based on reliable and up-to-date data. As a result, companies gain greater stability, predictability of operations and the ability to build a stronger position in the market. The comprehensive support offered by the ERP system also contributes to increasing the competitiveness of the company.

Every enterprise needs an ERP system to ensure the stability of operations and predictability of the entire organization. For many years, however, ERP solutions were beyond the reach of small and medium-sized companies, mainly because of the high cost of licenses and implementations. As a result, many companies chose to implement systems that supported only selected areas of operations, such as sales, warehousing, manufacturing or accounting. This approach did not provide comprehensive support for the organization, limiting its growth and ability to operate dynamically.

Over the past two decades, digital transformation has significantly changed the ERP market. New, more affordable local solutions emerged as an alternative to expensive global systems. Although they often offered less advanced features, they enabled the integration of key business processes into a single system, which was a significant step forward for many companies.

However, the biggest changes have been brought about by the current wave of digital transformation. The introduction of the subscription licensing model, the development of cloud computing and the availability of software in the SaaS (Software as a Service) model have revolutionized the market. As a result, companies today can use ERP systems without investing in costly IT infrastructure. In addition, implementation companies have begun to offer so-called rapid implementations, based on the standard functionality of global systems, which has further reduced implementation costs and time.

These changes have virtually removed the barriers to accessing advanced ERP systems for small and medium-sized companies. Today, almost every enterprise, regardless of the scale of operations or revenues, has the opportunity to implement a comprehensive, world-class ERP system, which opens up new growth prospects and increases their competitiveness.

One such solution is undoubtedly the MS Dynamics 365 Business Central system offered by the leader in IT solutions, Microsoft. This system was built on the basis of the functionalities of MS Dynamics NAV software developed for more than 30 years using modern technologies and development tools. As a result, it is now one of the most modern ERP solutions available on the market. Offering a set of proven tools to support business management.

MS Dynamics 365 Business Central has been built from the ground up on the basis of a three-tier architecture, using webservices technology that guarantees efficient and fast operation, ease of integration with external systems and high reliability. Like its predecessor, it is a system designed for small and medium-sized enterprises offering rich, standard functionality, high flexibility and scalability crucial for companies in this sector (which often grows dynamically).

The system has a multilingual interface adapted to the user’s role in the organization offering a wide range of personalization (customization to individual preferences and needs). The design and appearance of the interface are in line with the current trends used by Microsoft in the MS Office 365 family of solutions, which greatly facilitates the process of operating the system also for people previously working on other ERP systems.

In addition, MS Dynamics 365 Business Central offers advanced integration with MS Dynamics 365 Sales (Microsoft’s CRM system) and MS Office 365 applications such as Word, Excel, Power BI, Outlook, etc. allowing these systems to intermingle within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and support selected functions directly from the external application (e.g. entering a purchase document into the ERP system from Outlook, sending an email from a linked Outlook inbox directly from the ERP system, etc.).

It is also very important that the MS Dynamics 365 Business Central system, delivered as a global solution, is subject to the process of so-called localization to individual markets (countries), the purpose of which is to adapt its functionality to the laws of a given country. In Poland, the system is certified as compliant with the Accounting Act and is continuously updated and adapted to changing regulations.

All the aforementioned features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central make it stand out from other ERP solutions dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses. However, this is not its only advantage. One of its key strengths is its rich, standard functionality covering key areas of the company’s operations, such as:

• Sales and marketing
• Purchasing
• Warehouse
• Production
• Projects
• Resources
• Accounting and finance
• Service
• Administration

Each of these areas offers a wide range of functionality to manage and support various business processes.

An additional advantage of the system is the possibility of parameterization of many functions, which allows the processes to be precisely adjusted to the specifics of a given company’s operations. Thanks to this, the flow of processes in the system can be optimized for the individual needs of the company.

In a situation where the standard version of the system does not cover all the necessary processes, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers the possibility to implement so-called extensions. Thanks to them it is possible to:

• Adding new functionalities,
• Extension of existing functions,
• Create mechanisms for exchanging data with external systems
  (e.g. PDM, APS, MES).
• Thanks to this flexibility, the system can comprehensively support all business processes of the company in a single environment.

Also noteworthy is the functionality to support multiple business entities within capital groups. The system supports the automation of inter-company transactions and data consolidation, which facilitates the preparation of consolidated reports and improves capital group management.

Considering these capabilities, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an extremely versatile ERP system that is able to meet even the most demanding business scenarios, providing comprehensive support to companies in various industries.