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Microsoft Dynamics 365

Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Biotech Industry 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Biotech companies, like other highly regulated industries, must stay focused on their business to stay competitive and profitable, leading many to wonder if a solution like Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help. Microsoft’s latest offerings include several different cloud-based software applications that can help your business succeed, no matter what industry you operate in. From CRM software that helps keep your customers satisfied to accounting and invoicing software that can streamline your operations, Dynamics 365 can improve every aspect of your business.

Overview of Microsoft Dynamics 365

We talk about Microsoft often, and with good reason. The latest version of Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive, integrated application suite that helps midsize and large enterprises of all industries and sizes operate more efficiently. Organizations that have leapt legacy software happily report increased efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction, especially over time.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses complex algorithms, data analytics, cloud storage, and processing power to provide users with real-time data across their entire operation. Built on Microsoft’s Cloud technologies, it is an extremely capable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that includes modules for finance, HR, sales, and marketing, integrating seamlessly with different Office365 applications like SharePoint Online.

Key capabilities include time management for HR teams and a BI (Business Intelligence) feature for analyzing important insights about sales performance or key metrics like customer loyalty. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, leaders can see where they stand with goals and forecast future results. With this information, they can make informed decisions based on reality instead of fear.

As organizations in the life sciences move into uncharted territory with technology innovations happening at an accelerated pace, they need solutions to help them stay competitive. A more thorough list of features includes inventory management (for example, purchase orders), financial forecasting (budgeting), contract management (including contracts with suppliers) and payment terms, which make the system highly flexible for any size organization or environment, reducing the need to customize solutions based on old ideology.

Benefits & Advantages of Switching to Dynamics 365

After switching from legacy software to Microsoft Dynamics 365, organizations can expect increased agility and enhanced efficiency in operations. Biotech companies will be able to find success by speeding up innovation and giving themselves a competitive edge over their competitors.

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, they’ll have more insight into what customers want, which products are working well and why they’re not doing as well as they should. Organizations will also have access to data that would have been difficult or impossible to retrieve, like customer feedback about past product launches.

Armed with more information, companies can go back and improve those products to give them better chances of success. They’ll also be able to make more informed decisions based on accurate data, meaning everything will run smoother when it comes time to restock inventory.

Employees will get more personalized insights allowing them to develop creative solutions to problems on the fly without having to wait for IT staff. Plus, all employees have an easier time finding needed resources because of how closely tailored Microsoft Dynamics 365 is to their needs as employees of that organization.

Microsoft Dynamics in Biotech

Biotech companies are constantly challenged to maintain compliance standards, but there are features within Microsoft Dynamics that help with regulatory requirements and inventory control.

And with eForms, document management, and archiving solutions, you’ll have all your data captured in a central repository where you can use intelligent or custom search to find what you need when needed.

Figure 1:Microsoft Dynamics 365 for the Biotech Industry

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for the Biotech Industry

Here are some more specific reasons for Microsoft Dynamics 365 in the Biotech industry.

  1. 1.Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables automation for several Biotech processes out of the box, which ensures you’ll spend as little time as possible getting up and running.
    1. a.AP automation
    2. b.Business Process Library (BPL) management for ISO certification
    3. c.Lot, batch and quality tracking
  2. 2.Dynamics 365 provides powerful insights through machine learning tools like Power BI that help measure customer engagement metrics, letting you plan and forecast more accurately.
    1. a.Expenses
    2. b.Budgets and forecasts
    3. c.Increased visibility for investors
  3. 3.Seamless integrations to the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem and other third-party solutions give you greater visibility of everything under one roof for maximum long-term value.
    1. a.Banks
    2. b.Label and Lab software
    3. c.Payroll systems
    4. d.ACH
  4. 4.Powerful scalability means you can add additional functionality or users as your business grows.
    1. a.Subscription-based pricing helps you manage your technology budget
    2. b.Secure team collaboration from different devices around the world
    3. c.One solution is to invest in the long-term

Microsoft Dynamics offers more than just sales, finance, and operations functionality. So, suppose any part of your operation needs a software solution. In that case, it’s worth exploring how Microsoft Dynamics 365 could be leveraged to give you a competitive edge over others in your industry.

The Biotech industry is a perfect example with numerous variables such as complex research, high failure rates for drugs going into clinical trials, and fluctuating levels of competition. The technology tools businesses use in this sector include precision engineering and computer modeling, proprietary manufacturing methods and other specialized equipment.

One thing to consider with Microsoft Dynamics is that the company updates their products at least once a year, ensuring they’re always keeping up with the latest trends in technology. For example, annual releases include updates across the entire product portfolio. Each solution can provide better support for real-time decisions based on emerging technologies such as Ai (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), and analytics.

Technology that Supports Your Workflows

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a complete suite of technologies designed to streamline workflows and get more done in less time. The complete suite is designed with the people and processes that power your business in mind. Microsoft Dynamics 365 incorporates three main categories – customer engagement, employee engagement, and intelligence capabilities – to help all your employees work better together by offering a cloud-based app that functions on any device so that you always have access to information.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 also includes all necessary functionalities such as finance and accounting, manufacturing, retail management, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and marketing tools to be flexible enough to adapt to any size or type of business.

These tools are designed to save you time while improving your decision-making abilities. Additional benefits include easy deployment and customization options tailored specifically to meet your company’s needs and greater security due to its compliance with data protection regulations like HIPAA, GDPR and PCI DSS standards.

Factors That Can Affect Your Migration

Key factors that can affect your migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 usually include financial considerations, customer-facing tools, and Industry-specific modules. Considering these factors is essential when looking at the different migration paths and key decisions, such as starting from scratch or migrating everything from your existing system.

These decisions should be made with a strong understanding of Microsoft Dynamics 365 functionality and features. As mentioned previously, it’s important to research the best path for your organization before beginning any work on migrating data into Dynamics 365.

One major consideration is working with a Microsoft Partner specializing in either Data Migration Services or Application Integration Services, who’s worked with both systems. The right Partner will work with you through the process and help ensure it goes smoothly and efficiently.

It may take longer initially if you want all your data transferred. Still, this way, you won’t have any gaps in information once everything has been moved over, which could lead to a smoother transition overall while also avoiding potential errors due to duplicate records or inaccurate information.

Critical Aspects when Migrating to a New Platform

Below are five critical aspects to remember when migrating your business to any new platform.

  1. 1.Think about how long it will take you to make the migration before you start. Migrations that take weeks or months can consume your budget and cost you valuable time.
  2. 2.Ensure all stakeholders agree on what they want to achieve through a migration before your project starts.
  3. 3.Evaluate whether it’s feasible to do an incremental migration rather than a full one-time conversion from the legacy system to Dynamics 365 (keep in mind incremental migrations have their own set of issues and problems).
  4. 4.Consider migrating other aspects of your business, along with data – Integrating Dynamics 365 with your partners and vendors, for example, can help streamline day-to-day business functions.
  5. 5.Focus on understanding who uses which features and how they use them.

Understanding your needs ahead of time will help optimize your experience in the future. You’ll also want to set up a post-migration process where feedback channels are open at every step of the way, so that any challenges experienced by staff during the migration can be resolved quickly without disrupting business operations.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re an aspiring startup or an established Biotech company with a growing number of employees, Dynamics 365 continues to offer many powerful features that let you offer a better customer experience and help you keep things running smoothly.

Here are the next steps if you’re ready to get started updating your Biotech business solution to Microsoft Dynamics 365:

  • Find a Partner that understands the software, your industry, and the work you do.
  • Consider your company’s specific needs and goals to ensure the proposed solution meets these criteria.
  • Assess the current state of any legacy software in use, including the time it takes to manage payroll with old systems.
  • Identify what functionality is already included in the system and set clear priorities for needs and wants.

Schedule a call right away for additional details or to learn how we can support the expansion of your Biotech company.

The Importance of Supply Chain Visibility for Pharmaceutical Companies
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The Importance of Supply Chain Visibility for Pharmaceutical Companies
The Importance of Supply Chain Visibility for Pharmaceutical Companies 1449 1036 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Today, many businesses rely on the supply chain to fill their shelves with products ready to sell, and pharmaceutical companies are no exception. To provide the fastest response time possible, pharmaceutical companies must have full visibility of the products in their supply chain, from when they are manufactured until they reach the store shelf. This can be a challenge, especially as many products come from outside sources and other countries. How can supply chain visibility help your business? Read on to find out!

The Modern Supply Chain

The supply chain has become more complicated and sophisticated with pharmaceuticals being regulated. Using an efficient, reliable supply chain directly impacts customer satisfaction, cost containment, and competitive differentiation. This is because customers want consistent quality drugs that work every time they are administered to patients. Pharmacists want to give their customers the cheapest possible medication while meeting their needs.

Pharmaceutical supply chains have changed in recent times to make this happen. For example, products go through various manufacturing phases, including research and development, before becoming end products. There are also numerous checkpoints along the way that include inspections by regulators.

Manufacturers need an accurate grasp of current production costs to accurately predict new drug pricing and minimize any additional expenses associated with these phases. The supply chain needs to be flexible enough to accommodate sudden changes in demand, raw material prices, and regulatory requirements. They also need to monitor operational metrics such as fill and inventory turnover rates so that all stakeholders know what is going on.

3 of the key features that define the modern supply chain are proximity, visibility, and sustainability.

  1. 1.Proximity – Proximity means cutting out middlemen who add cost and complexity to transactions.
  2. 2.Visibility – Visibility means being able to know where every product is at any given time.
  3. 3.Sustainability – Sustainability means paying attention not only to the natural environment but also how our supply chains interact with other industries (e.g., manufacturing) as well as social issues (e.g., food security).

One of the most important aspects of a modern pharmaceutical supply chain is visibility. If it was difficult or impossible to see where products were and how fast they were moving, there would be too much room for error. That is why good tracking systems are necessary for companies in this industry. One common solution includes scanning barcodes to keep track of items, but there are other ways as well depending on each company’s needs. Some solutions allow for locating materials anywhere in a warehouse using a radio frequency identification system (RFID). An RFID reader sends out radio waves from its antennae which causes tags attached to objects within range to reflect certain frequencies, causing them to stand out against other objects not tagged with an RFID tag.

Benefits of Supply Chain Visibility

Pharmaceutical organizations have found that supply chain visibility provides several important benefits, including greater data accuracy, lower inventory costs, reduced compliance risk, and increased business agility. With the help of insights from better visibility, they can identify potential problems before they happen. With this information, pharmaceutical industries can proactively solve problems before they cause severe damage to their organization. It has even been shown that well-managed supply chains lead to higher customer satisfaction scores and product reliability.

Increasing supply chain visibility offers a wide range of benefits for organizations today, including:

  • Increased data accuracy.
  • Improved process efficiency.
  • Lower inventory costs.
  • Reduced risks associated with compliance.
  • Enhanced agility to meet the needs of changing markets quickly.

That last point may be especially critical for pharmaceutical companies given the fact they stand to incur substantial penalties if violations occur during the supply chain process. All these factors make visibility an essential component not only to reducing risks but also to success overall.

With so many benefits, improving supply chain visibility should be a top priority for any company, regardless of its size or industry. The initial investment in implementing these changes will pay off handsomely in terms of financial benefits, brand protection, and positive impacts on both customers and employees.

Improving Visibility

Companies that maintain a high level of visibility throughout their supply chain will benefit from increased safety, lower risk of errors, reduced cost, and improved customer satisfaction.

In today’s digital world, there are many ways to implement visibility measures into your business practices. This can be done through computerized systems that track inventory and orders, barcodes, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on products, or other innovative modern technologies. These systems can not only keep you informed on the location of your products but also allow you to detect theft, tampering, or defects in packaging before they get shipped out.

A proactive approach such as this is necessary to reduce the risk of having issues with faulty goods or health and safety hazards that could affect customers. It is crucial for businesses in the pharmaceutical industry where an error may result in death, injury, or permanent disability because it is important to ensure every step has been taken to provide quality assurance along the way.

Figure 1:Steps to be taken to ensure quality in the supply chain

Steps to be taken to ensure quality in the supply chain

  1. 1.Identify customer supply chain activities – Track customer shipments as soon as they are picked up and shipped in real time. Always have visibility on what has been delivered, where it is currently located, and any delays.
  2. 2.Utilize location-based technologies – Utilize the latest in GPS technology to monitor transportation so you can track deliveries from start to finish with ease. This will give you full control of your supply chain and alert you to any discrepancies immediately instead of having to search through multiple records manually later.
  3. 3.Use big data analytics tools – Leverage automated tools that provide a complete view of all activity across every part of your supply chain.
  4. 4.Share accountability with everyone involved – Make sure that everyone who handles or touches the product throughout its life cycle knows their responsibility at every step and is held accountable if there’s a problem somewhere along the way.
  5. 5.Understand global dynamics – Achieving visibility means understanding what is happening locally and globally and how international events may affect local ones (and vice versa).
  6. 6.Keep customers informed – Be transparent about what is happening throughout the entire process by keeping customers informed about shipping schedules and any issues that arise during shipment.

Finding the Right Solution

One of the biggest challenges in managing supply chain visibility is coordinating all parties involved. Creating and executing a plan can often be complicated with multiple stakeholders, especially when crossing borders or distributing products from different geographic locations.

Various software solutions and cloud-based platforms are available to help with these challenges, but companies must choose the right technology for their needs.

The following benefits should be considered before choosing a solution:

  1. 1.A single solution that integrates data across the entire supply chain.
  2. 2.An accurate view of each vendor’s location and inventory levels.
  3. 3.Work seamlessly with one another regardless of location or platform.

When considering which solution is best for you, it is important to evaluate your company’s goals and make sure that your decision will support them.

Your business may have specific needs related to planning and forecasting, inventory management, asset tracking or other capabilities. By determining what you want to achieve through supply chain visibility, you will be better equipped to decide about which product or service fits your company’s unique situation best. In some cases, implementing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system is ideal for connecting diverse systems, tracking assets on a global scale, and organizing all activities from sales orders to invoices.

Microsoft Dynamics 365, through its a combination of big data and analytics that are continuously updated, can provide valuable insights to help pharmaceutical companies achieve more supply chain visibility by assisting with inventory tracking, forecasting, customer insights and trade spend. By having these features readily available, a business can get the real-time visibility they need to gain insight into market fluctuations and improve their order fulfillment rate.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers benefits in automating complex processes such as invoicing, accounting, and sales analysis.

Some of the software’s inventory management capabilities make it an efficient way to manage many aspects of supply chain visibility. It is also good for tracking inventory distribution across multiple warehouses or stores in order to gain greater supply chain visibility. Plus, Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers deep insights into customer behavior which helps track competitive offerings and measure performance success by channel. Finally, Dynamic’s manufacturing features provide details critical to maintaining safe working conditions while reducing manufacturing costs.

In addition to providing information on order fulfillment rates and logistics processes, this type of system also improves control over manufacturing process timescales and provides alerts if any disruptions occur in any part of the system.

What’s Next?

The next step for most companies should be meeting with your partner to discuss supply chain visibility. At this point, an organized and ongoing audit process must be in place so you know what needs improving and where to go next. Once a plan has been created, it should be revisited at least once a year or when processes change, or the latest information becomes available.

A third party can play a role in this continuous improvement by bringing impartiality and objectivity. Continuous improvement will keep your company ahead of evolving regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which means maintaining compliance and staying ahead of potential requirements by gaining valuable insights through accurate supply chain visibility.

Better supply chain visibility will also help you identify trends that lead to additional revenue opportunities, such as inventory obsolescence or potential overproduction. For example, if your sales team told you about reduced demand for certain products and gave feedback on how to address the problem, these insights could come from supply chain visibility. Ultimately, working with the right partner to achieve greater supply chain visibility will enable your company to thrive despite external pressures or changes to industry standards. Contact us today for more information to see how we can help your business grow.

Microsoft Dynamics and Digital Commerce in the Wake of COVID-19
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Microsoft Dynamics and Digital Commerce in the Wake of COVID-19
Microsoft Dynamics and Digital Commerce in the Wake of COVID-19 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

The business world has changed dramatically with the rise of digital commerce, and companies have had to rethink their strategies and business models to accommodate it. What was once just an idea in science fiction has become reality, and the phenomenon’s significance cannot be overstated. Data-driven technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are at the heart of this change, quickly redefining how people buy goods and services—and companies operate. Microsoft Dynamics 365 has been at the forefront of supporting these shifts, but what does that mean for businesses?

Digital commerce reaches all industries

Before we get into how digital commerce has grown after COVID-19, it is important to recognize that it is not only retail and service industries where ecommerce channels are on the rise. For example, consider chemical and pharmaceutical firms. Many are using ecommerce channels to market and sell branded products, operate online stores, or promote product recall information. These companies benefit by limiting overhead costs like warehouse storage space, labor for packing and shipping goods, etc. And consumers benefit from convenience: shopping is available at any time on one website instead of having to navigate different websites for a particular product.

In addition to their brands’ products, manufacturing firms have taken advantage of grey marketing opportunities by selling private labels via sites like Amazon’s marketplace or Walmart’s marketplace seller platform. They can use these channels to capitalize on popular products before they’re out of stock or completely sold out and use them as a bridge to launch new brands.

While ecommerce channels were primarily used to sell direct competitors’ products, now many manufacturers can also sell their own branded products through these platforms. The manufacturer then takes care of logistics and fulfillment while taking advantage of the branding expertise required for success on these media types.

Regarding compliance and regulation, manufacturers must keep up with complex regulatory requirements like FDA 21 CFR Part 11 rules when designing an electronic record-keeping system. Part 11 mandates among other things rigorous change control procedures and audit trails to track data modification which may be difficult in dynamic environments.

These are all important reasons why you need a powerful solution for managing your supply chain management (SCM) processes – including business process automation tools such as Requisition Approval Management (RAM), Order Approval Management (OAM), and Warehouse Execution System (WES).

eCommerce after Covid

$571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion in 2020. An increase of $244.2 billion, or 43%.

Figure 1:Growth of eCommerce after Covid-19

Growth of eCommerce after Covid-19

Source: census.gov

It’s hard to believe that it has been just over a year since COVID-19 rocked companies and their business strategies the world over. With another year quickly coming to an end, it’s a relief to see more companies have been able to move on from recovery and start rebuilding and reinventing their digital commerce strategy. But there are key considerations for regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

COVID-19 came at a pivotal time for regulated industries with compliance obligations for data protection laws and supply chain requirements. Before the pandemic, executives were just starting to wake up to these regulatory trends with increasingly complex compliance mandates; but after Covid, many took note that this wasn’t a problem that would go away by itself. Industry players realized they needed to be ready for change.

This global event drove a significant change in eCommerce strategy for many industries, including B2C sales and B2B business-to-business interactions where some organizations’ data security practices may have been less diligent.

As businesses struggle with ongoing supply chain and staffing issues, many have been forced to look more closely at new ways to deliver their goods to customers faster, more reliably, and with increased safety from outside threats. The evolution of courier services has helped lead to changes in logistics processes – assisting regulators in maintaining visibility into product movement while enabling enterprises to protect themselves against potential attacks.

Another major shift has been focusing more on customer experience rather than simply looking at what can be done internally. Companies should now recognize that it’s not only about providing an effective process or product, but now more than ever, it’s also about delighting the customer – a point that’s become incredibly important.

These factors are just a few driving the need for an up-to-date solution that helps achieve both goals by ensuring transparency and traceability across every communication channel through integration with platforms like Microsoft Office 365 so your enterprise can reduce complexity without sacrificing efficacy or control.

For companies in highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and chemicals, it’s easy to recommend Microsoft Dynamics 365, designed specifically for global, large multinational enterprises operating in highly regulated environments who need real-time access to consolidated company data across multiple divisions around the world.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and eCommerce

It’s no secret that eCommerce has been growing steadily for years. From big players like Amazon to newer start-ups, digital commerce is poised to make even more inroads into all corners of our economy. The last few years have also seen a dramatic change as retailers realize that online and mobile channels are needed to stay competitive. Of course, all this begs the question: what role does Microsoft Dynamics 365 play here? What can it do to support these new needs?

Microsoft is committed to helping organizations overcome today’s business challenges through the continued development of innovative solutions and services. The award-winning Dynamics 365 platform provides customers with powerful tools to drive success across their entire organization – empowering employees to do more daily with mobile access anytime and anywhere.

Overall, Dynamics 365 enables businesses agility, flexibility, and speed when developing new capabilities or meeting evolving customer demands. In addition, Dynamics 365 Ecommerce features can offer an out-of-the-box solution for any business—regardless of size or industry—to sell their products online with robust features and functionality.

With Dynamics 365, customers get access to powerful web store templates so they can create unique shopping experiences that resonate with their customers. These include customizable pages and easy-to-manage checkout options for buyers. And of course, Dynamics 365 includes advanced payment processing integration, so retailers have seamless access to existing payment providers without having to spend time building and maintaining these integrations themselves. So, while global economic developments will undoubtedly impact how digital commerce continues to evolve in different industries over time, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is well positioned today as a flexible platform that meets the needs of companies across regulated sectors who want to leverage this burgeoning channel without sacrificing security or compliance.

Beyond support for customer service operations, Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities – including finance, accounting, inventory management, and production – which can make it easier for leaders within regulated industries to maintain compliance within the evolving landscape of privacy regulations without making compromises on productivity or efficiency.

As regulations continue to evolve, many institutions will find themselves reviewing their vendor ecosystems and assessing whether there are adequate controls in place should they be subject to regulatory scrutiny. Companies should take care to review how specific vendors’ offerings align with their current compliance requirements including data governance, confidentiality and protection of personal information (COPPI), anti-money laundering (AML) or know your customer (KYC) requirements.

Next steps

So, what are the next steps for businesses looking to utilize e-commerce channels?

It’s important to do some research – companies should research the types of technology that can be implemented to drive digital commerce. With any new change comes many opportunities and risks that must be carefully considered.

Talk to your partner business software providers You should consider the type of retailing experience you want customers to have by speaking with the IT vendors that serve those areas. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a powerful business solution and partners with many leading companies in areas such as forecasting, supply chain management, order fulfillment, human resources, financials and more.

The continued success of this solution stems from its robust integration capabilities. As a Microsoft Partner, our clients don’t want to go through the process of switching between multiple systems; they wish to have one system to handle it all.

Schedule a call now to see how we can support your company’s growth.

Optimize Manufacturing Processes with Microsoft Dynamics
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Optimize Manufacturing Processes with Microsoft Dynamics
Optimize Manufacturing Processes with Microsoft Dynamics 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

Pressing on after the height of the pandemic, the manufacturing industry continues to struggle with workforce and supply chain challenges at every level, including increased costs for both physical goods and employee wages.

While we continue to be hopeful for significant growth in U.S. manufacturing, for many, optimizing their manufacturing processes has been vital to improving their bottom line and productivity and getting more out of their operations, helping them remain more profitable overall.

Working with the right partner can make manufacturing easier in many ways, whether it’s lower costs or increased productivity. A partner that understands manufacturing software and understands your business is most likely going to be able to deliver solutions that fit both your present needs and your future goals.

Technology and Modern Manufacturing

Technological advances have always been a boon to manufacturing businesses, helping them to increase efficiency and optimize even the most minor processes.

With rapid changes in consumer demand and the rise of globalization, companies need an integrated enterprise system that helps them manage their data more efficiently and productively. With a robust ERP solution and reliable hosting infrastructure, we’ve helped companies in industries like automotive, paper processing, consumer goods, textiles, distribution centers, and oil & gas manage global growth.

Today, most manufacturers choose Microsoft Dynamics to streamline their operations further.

Microsoft Dynamics is built on cloud architecture, which means you can access the same tools and resources on any device, no matter where you are or your company. And because Microsoft Dynamics is built on Azure – one of the world’s most significant clouds – customers get access to Azure’s security features, including comprehensive firewall protection, DDOS protection, and secure data transfers so critical information stays safe from cyber-attacks.

This flexibility is essential for manufacturing industries because it allows them to work anywhere in the world without worrying about backups or even localized power disruptions. That said, businesses should also consider offline capabilities when selecting a cloud ERP vendor, as they will help mitigate downtime while ensuring uninterrupted production flow during natural disasters or other emergencies.

Reasons For a Technology Partner

If you’ve been a manufacturer in business for even a few years, it’s fair to say that you know having a partner to help you optimize your processes can be the difference between success and failure.

By working with the right partner who understands your business needs and software like Microsoft Dynamics 365, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of your technology.

Here are seven reasons why working with a partner who understands manufacturing and has experience with Dynamics 365 is so important.

  1. 1.Dynamic process optimization – It’s impossible for one person or team to optimize every process in their company. However, by collaborating with experts who understand how Dynamics 365 can integrate with other systems like transportation and compliance management, they can find ways to streamline business operations while cutting costs and increasing efficiency.
  2. 2.Better visibility – Some companies keep their inventory data in spreadsheets instead of a centralized system like Dynamics 365 which makes it difficult for managers to see where all the parts are coming from and going to. With the right kind of partners though, these manufacturers gain better visibility into their inventory levels which helps them avoid costly mistakes.
  3. 3.Outsourcing capabilities – Manufacturers often outsource work because there simply aren’t enough skilled workers available to do the job themselves. By outsourcing with a Microsoft certified partner, they can save money on labor expenses while ensuring quality control standards are met.
  4. 4.Streamlined processes – No matter what industry you work in, complex operations require expertise and knowledge outside of just one person or department. An expert will be able to map out an entire workflow more efficiently than someone without any experience at all.
  5. 5.Training & development opportunities – Manufacturers often have trouble finding time to invest in training because there always seems to be too much work on their plate already. A qualified partner will provide access to trainers who specialize in Dynamics 365, allowing employees to develop skills that benefit both the company and individual employees.
  6. 6.Saves time – Time is arguably one of the most valuable resources we have as humans. Working with a partner who knows what they’re doing saves everyone time and effort since it won’t take as long to figure out new software or new problems when they arise.
  7. 7.Builds relationships – The nature of manufacturing requires tight partnerships between manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, contractors, etc. One example is cross-training employees across multiple departments to create fewer bottlenecks and increase efficiency throughout the production process.

The Case for Microsoft Dynamics 365

If your main goal is optimizing your manufacturing processes, it’s important to utilize software that works for your business.

Figure 1:Technology of Industry 4.0

Technology of Industry 4.0

The world is changing and so is manufacturing. Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. It’s characterized by several new technologies and trends, including big data and analytics, cloud computing, IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and 3D printing. Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help prepare your company for Industry 4.0 by providing features that support these new technologies and trends.

For example, Dynamics 365 can help you collect and analyze data from your manufacturing processes using IoT sensors, use AI to automate tasks and make predictions, and take advantage of cloud computing to improve scalability and flexibility.

In our experience, the best way to Optimize manufacturing processes has always been with Microsoft Dynamics 365. The reasons why more manufacturers are turning to Microsoft ERP solutions are simple: They’re designed from the ground up to streamline production and minimize errors – saving time and money in the long run.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 helps streamline several manufacturing processes:

  1. 1.Workflows – These automated tasks make day-to-day operations more efficient. You don’t have to remember everything since our system takes care of it.
  2. 2.CRM – Customer relationship management helps sales reps stay on top of their customer data, contacts, leads and follow-ups. All customer info is stored securely in one place instead of scattered across emails or office documents, which makes customer interactions more manageable than ever before. And if they’re not contacted within 24 hours after submitting a lead form, an email reminder is automatically sent to them.
  3. 3.Inventory – Keeping track of inventory items has never been easier. Just upload your item list and watch as they move through each stage of the production process until they are ready for shipping to customers. And if an item runs low on stock, an automatic notification lets you know when its reorder point has been reached.
  4. 4.Automation – Microsoft Dynamics 365 allows you to take advantage of pre-built integrations that save you time and effort. You can export sales orders directly into your ERP, automatically triggering production or assembly lines or scheduling work on manufacturing machines. When products are finished, send them to the appropriate warehouse and receive notifications when they arrive. You can also set up alerts to notify key personnel whenever an order arrives at any point during production.

No matter what type of manufacturer you are, there’s a Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution available for you. At Xcelpros, we consider the types of manufacturing processes you use and the size of your company before recommending the best solution. We’ll work closely with you so that we can be sure to understand all your needs before implementing a solution.

Additional Considerations

When working with partners to optimize your manufacturing processes, there are a few things to keep in mind. In addition to software considerations, like licensing and security, you’ll also want to consider things like reporting, data governance, and compliance.

Here are a few tips to help you get started

  1. 1.Determine if you need more than just business process automation – this is where Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be used for other use cases such as supply chain optimization or digitizing field services.
  2. 2.Understand that any IT project takes time, so start planning early by partnering with a company that has experience working with manufacturers and knows how to consider your specific needs.
  3. 3.Consider if what is being offered will integrate well into the business processes you currently have in place or if it will require additional resources for training or customizations to make it work seamlessly within your existing systems.

Next Steps

There may seem like a lot of things to consider when you start optimizing your manufacturing processes but taking the time to understand the challenges can make all the difference to the future of your business. While Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a powerful tool that can help you streamline your operations – it’s often more about working with a partner who understands your industry and unique requirements.

Do research, ask peers for referrals, and know what you want. With the right partner, you can optimize your manufacturing processes and take your business to the next level.

Contact us today to learn more!

References: What are Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and 4IR?

Get the Most Out of Your Business with Microsoft Power BI
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Get the Most Out of Your Business with Microsoft Power BI
Get the Most Out of Your Business with Microsoft Power BI 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

In highly regulated industries like Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Life Sciences – being able to analyze your data quickly has become critical for everything from ensuring a good customer experience to understanding changes in the market.

Microsoft Power BI connects your data to all the tools you use daily, from Excel and Outlook to Microsoft Dynamics 365 and dozens of applications in between, aiding collaboration and the generation of actionable insights. Compared to older manual processes, Power BI doesn’t just save you time—it helps you get the most out of your business, so you can focus on moving your company forward. Learn how Power BI Connectors can help you today by giving your business access to the data it needs to grow faster and reach new heights.

The future of analytics

Data and analytics have become increasingly important for a wide range of businesses, especially in recent years where adoption is growing.

Figure 1:Worldwide BI & Analytics Growth

Worldwide BI & Analytics Growth

Source: Apps Run the World; Statista 2022

While regulations have traditionally been enforced by a group of people inside a company, these regulators expect to see evidence-based decision-making from businesses at all levels. Maintaining visibility into data from various sources is essential to comply with certain regulations. Because of the number of data sources and systems that companies can use today – often including disparate technologies or providers – it can be not easy to extract data across platforms for analysis purposes.

In the Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Life Sciences industries, where regulatory oversight has always been a top priority, the need for reliable analytical tools has significantly increased over time.

Immediately, you may not know what would make a difference in terms of driving customer behavior or improving customer experience without proper analytical tools, without data showing trends like customer purchases about prices and features offered by competitors, or where customers spend most of their time within your site, or which pages result in the highest bounce rates?

Data collected from marketing campaigns are used to help answer questions about customer engagement, usage habits, and preferences to improve engagement throughout the user journey. Understanding the general pattern of what makes your customers tick is necessary to gain insight into their behaviors and needs – even if they don’t give you direct feedback! Regular monitoring through powerful analytic solutions like Power BI makes this type of feedback easier than ever.

Where does Power BI fit in?

Power BI is a Microsoft cloud-based business intelligence and analytics platform that helps businesses run on multiple systems to get the most out of their data. Power BI has a growing library of connectors that helps businesses connect different sources to analyze data and create unique reports and role-based dashboards. Power BI can track key performance indicators (KPIs), monitor sales and marketing campaigns, and understand customer behavior.

Power BI can help businesses in the Pharmaceutical, Chemical, and Life sciences industries use their data more efficiently to make better decisions. For example, a company that manufactures chemicals for use in other products could run simulations based on different product characteristics and use Power BI to analyze the output from these simulations. If one type of product were found to be more profitable than another under certain conditions, they would know which products to produce more or discontinue producing altogether.

Additionally, a company that produces vaccines needs to know exactly how much demand there will be for their vaccine before it’s released into production; with Power BI, they can plot a forecast for where demand might be higher or lower than expected, letting them adjust their production accordingly. As Microsoft grows its library of Power BI connectors, companies will have easier access to all sorts of valuable data and insights.

What Are Power BI Connectors?

Power BI connectors are a part of the software that allows you to connect different data streams in one location – perfect for any business that runs on multiple systems. For example, suppose you’re a chemical manufacturer offering consulting or testing services. Power BI connectors could link the two systems together to generate automatic reports and analyses.

This lets you import data from one system into another system or export data into another. This makes it possible to see all your information at once without going back and forth between systems. Power BI connectors link data sources based on predefined rules and patterns. They also come pre-built with smart visualizations and customizable dashboards, allowing you to view all your information at once without switching between each company’s app or website.

Once you implement Power BI, you can use available connectors for free! The library of power bi-connector options continues to grow as more businesses find the value in using them for their purposes. These days, you can use Power BI connectors to do anything from importing bank statements into payroll management software to analyzing customer sentiment over time. There are many benefits to using power bi connectors.

One major benefit is the ability to analyze your company’s data in-depth without ever having to step outside of Microsoft Office 365. This makes it easier for employees who don’t normally share responsibilities related to finance or sales reporting, for example, because they know they can stay within their comfort zone while still getting the job done efficiently.

In addition, those employees will always know what needs to be done because they’ll always have access to relevant information and charts and graphs that provide additional context around certain trends.

What about security, privacy, and compliance

Regarding business data, security, and privacy are always top concerns. Microsoft is aware of this and has taken steps to ensure that the data it collects with Power BI is secure and in full compliance. For starters, all data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.

Power BI complies with major industry standards like HIPAA, SOC 2, and GDPR. It’s easy to see why so many companies trust their data to Power BI for their analytics needs. Data is processed on an isolated instance, ensuring there’s no possibility of a breach from a compromised network server.

To stay on top of any potential breaches that could arise from malware infections or unauthorized access attempts, administrators can monitor the system for any suspicious activity. They can also set up alerts and audit logs to track who accessed what data, when and where they did it from. If something happens, the company will have information about how it happened and what was lost, as well as how they could mitigate the damage.

Power BI works hard to keep your data safe by having dedicated security features designed specifically for businesses including:

  • A dedicated infrastructure architecture separates workloads into individual virtual machines and prevents cross-contamination.
  • Several built-in protections against SQL injection attacks.
  • Protection against cross-site scripting (XSS) via double validation tokens.

These protections help make sure you’re safe while you work on your dashboards!

Next Steps

While it’s true Microsoft’s Power BI is a powerful tool that can help businesses gain insights into their data, even across different systems, to get the most out of it you need an experienced partner who can implement Power BI seamlessly and connect it to your other systems. Working with a partner that understands your industry means less time is spent trying to figure it out on your own.

An experienced partner will help you maximize the value of Power BI and ensure that you are getting the most out of your investment. With an experienced partner, you’ll also have a strategic advisor who can advise on addressing your needs through customizations and integrations. Plus, they’ll help you keep your system up to date so that you’re always maximizing the value of your investment in power bi.

Maintaining an enterprise-wide analytics platform requires expertise from partners who understand not only what software does but how to use it as well. For instance, if a company has never used SQL before or has no knowledge about R scripting, you’ll want to investigate more experienced support.

Xcelpros offers hands-on industry experience implementing Microsoft Power BI analytics with custom extensions and connectors that provide customers with deep insight into their data and seamless integration between disparate business systems.

Schedule a call today to see how we can help you meet your business goals.

The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing
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The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing
The Changing Landscape of BI tools and Microsoft D365 F&O in Manufacturing 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

We’ve seen quite a few changes in manufacturing over the past two decades, with the next two promising to bring even more exciting things to come. As manufacturing continues to evolve, there are several trends that manufacturers need to be aware of that can either help or hinder the success of their business in the future. Business Intelligence software and tools will play an important role in the future of manufacturing. Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O plays an important role in how this type of business intelligence information can be analyzed and used to guide business decisions for years to come.

Change in Operations

In today’s business climate, the ability to make data-driven decisions is more important than ever before. This means having access to the right business intelligence (BI) tools for manufacturers. With the right BI tools, manufacturers can gain insights into their operations that would otherwise be hidden. For example, they might discover an increasing trend of machine failures due to a manufacturing defect or determine which materials are most profitable at which price points. With so many BI options available on the market, it can be difficult for companies to figure out which ones will provide them with the best ROI.

Fortunately, Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O provides a comprehensive solution for any size company looking for a comprehensive BI toolset. Specifically, Microsoft Dynamics 365 has four modules designed to meet the needs of manufacturers across all industries: Operations (also known as Production), Sales, Financials/Accounting, and Customer Service. These modules provide everything from real-time data visualization tools to automated dashboards – all designed with specific manufacturing needs in mind.

A Change in Dynamics

As the world of business intelligence (BI) changes, so does Dynamics 365. This is especially apparent in the manufacturing industry. Microsoft Dynamics F&O provides users with access to data that can help them understand what is happening in their business and take corrective action when necessary.

The software has become an increasingly important tool for manufacturers as they seek to understand their operations and make decisions to improve their bottom line. But, as new technological developments bring a shift from relational databases to machine learning algorithms, it becomes essential for these companies to find a BI platform that can evolve with them. With Dynamics 365’s cloud-based solution being constantly updated; it offers just that functionality needed by these businesses.

How people use BI tools also shifts over time, and with Dynamics 365’s modular design, there are no limitations on how you interact with your data. For example, you can use graphs or tables to show certain information at different times depending on the needs of your business. Suppose a user wants more advanced analytics like neural networks or deep learning capabilities. They are available through add-ons such as Azure Machine Learning Studio or R Server Developer Edition. There is no need to switch systems when you need more advanced analytics; all the options are right within Dynamics.

Business Analytics Tools

Today, data is more important than ever before. This is why more manufacturers are turning to Business Intelligence (BI) tools to help them make sense of the information they’re collecting. BI tools can help you track key performance indicators (KPIs), understand trends, and make better decisions for your business. And this will only become more important as regulations change, competition intensifies, and customer needs evolve.

As things continue to change, it’ll be essential for manufacturers to remain agile enough to adapt quickly – and that means looking at what Business Intelligence tools they’re using now and how their needs might shift over the next few years. For example, there’s been a significant shift from big Data Analytics over recent years as IoT (Internet of Things) solutions become more ubiquitous. As a result, analytics solutions designed for analyzing small datasets have fallen out of favor with larger manufacturing companies.

Industry Challenges

Tools aren’t the only important factor, either. The manufacturing industry is under constant pressure to improve productivity while reducing costs. To stay competitive, manufacturers must adopt new technologies where they can. With so many options on the market, it cannot be easy to know which BI tool is right for your business. Luckily, this question has been answered by a study from International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC’s 2018 Worldwide Semiannual Manufacturing Smart Machines Spending Guide revealed that artificial intelligence-powered analytics would become increasingly important over the next five years.

Figure 1:The Growth of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analytics

The Growth of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analytics

According to a report from marketsandmarketsblog.com, The global AI-powered analytics market is projected to grow from $10.5 billion in 2021 to $28.1 billion by 2026 – at a CAGR of up to 21.7% over the forecasted period.

What does this mean for manufacturing? Manufacturers need data about their performance – not just about their products or services but also about their employees and processes. Using intelligent systems like augmented reality or virtual reality combined with artificial intelligence-powered analytics will allow manufacturers to better predict outcomes and make data-driven decisions that drive profitability while improving employee engagement levels.

One organization already doing this is Caterpillar Inc., who implemented digital transformation into its retail stores through an AR application called CatAdvisor. CatAdvisor uses computer vision and 3D point clouds to help retailers sell more products, identify inventory gaps, analyze customer preferences and monitor store traffic patterns. And now Caterpillar is piloting sensors in stores using machine learning and IoT technology to get even more granular insights into customers’ preferences. With these AI-powered solutions available today, there really isn’t any excuse for a manufacturer not to embrace advanced analytics!

The Changing Role of Operations Management

Even operations management in the manufacturing industry is going through significant changes. In the past, the focus was on production efficiency and cost reduction. Today, the focus is on customer needs and market demand. To meet these new challenges, manufacturers are turning to business intelligence (BI) tools and Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O. Together; these modern solutions enable better insight into product quality, reliability, compliance, and any other KPIs that impact the end customer experience.

Manufacturing companies can also use BI tools to gain insights into their operations with real-time data analysis that can be used for decision-making, such as material sourcing or capacity planning. These solutions allow manufacturers to increase throughput and reduce downtime. For example, a manufacturer may have a bottleneck at one part of the process because they can’t produce enough parts quickly due to the limited availability of materials. With BI, they could track down the problem by looking at lead times, inventory levels, and component dependencies. With this information, they could find alternative suppliers or renegotiate with existing suppliers to free up those materials so they can increase production volume.

The bottom line is this: Manufacturers need to know more about their supply chain than ever before – which means being able to access real-time data at any time in any location.

Power BI Connectors

Business intelligence tools are nothing new. They’ve been around for decades. But what is new is how manufacturers use them to gain a competitive edge. With the rise of Industry 4.0, manufacturers are turning to business intelligence tools to help them make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by their factories. And with the help of included Power BI connectors, integrating these tools into different systems has become incredibly easy.

Power BI Connectors are an innovative way to enhance manufacturing business intelligence data with minimal coding. Rather than manually inputting data into your business intelligence software, connectors automatically export data from other sources directly into Power BI without extensive development. This saves time and money by minimizing any manual processes and gets you up and running faster than ever before. You can choose from various pre-built connectors for industry-leading applications like Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Twitter, and many more. You can even build your own if needed.

These pre-built connectors make it easy to create dashboards and reports that analyze and display information from multiple data sources simultaneously. With the advancement of these connections, more and more enterprises have access to enterprise-grade business intelligence capabilities for whatever ERP solution they use.

Schedule a call today for more information to get the ball rolling in your favor.

Putting it All Together

At least for the rest of the decade, the manufacturing industry will undergo some big changes. One of the most significant will be the increased adoption of modern business intelligence solutions, giving manufacturers a view of their operations that was previously unavailable. We should also see Microsoft Dynamics F&O become a more integral part of manufacturing operations. This cloud-based solution will allow manufacturers to manage their business processes more efficiently and effectively.

As manufacturing evolves towards smart factories and advanced automation, keeping up with the latest trends will require a constant commitment to learning new skill sets. This includes expertise in coding and digital engineering design and mastery of traditional engineering disciplines like materials science and mechanical engineering. For the best support, companies should look for partnerships with consulting firms that specialize in training employees across all levels of skill sets needed for today’s manufacturing environment.

Conclusion

As the manufacturing landscape changes, so do the business intelligence (BI) tools that help manufacturers make data-driven decisions. To stay competitive for the rest of the decade, manufacturers should consider ramping up the adoption of modern BI tools that can take advantage of the available wealth of data. Microsoft Dynamics is one of the best tools available to help manufacturers streamline their operations and better use their data.

Partnering with an experienced provider who understands the manufacturing industry and can help you get the most out of your investment with full visibility is important. By working with the right company, manufacturers can better understand their customers’ needs and drive efficiency across all departments. A complete Business Intelligence solution should allow manufacturers to collect, store, analyze, and share information on every aspect of their business.

Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals
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Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals
Microsoft D365 F&O Improving the Customer Experience in Chemicals 700 500 Xcelpros Team

At a Glance

  • The manufacturing industry runs with the integration of people, tools, processes, and information. The data generated from these facets need to be quantified and analyzed.
  • In the manufacturing world, those who know their metrics tend to learn the game’s tricks.
  • The metrics that matter the most are the ones that help you and your manufacturing company gain essential insights regarding different functionalities and business areas to improve the manufacturing process continuously.
  • One of the most crucial aspects of knowing and managing manufacturing metrics is systematically optimizing the best results.

Introduction

The world’s best chemical companies focus on building expertise in their lines of business to enhance customer experience, and one way to do it is by streamlining their supply chain. That’s why many chemical companies choose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations since it gives them access to modern tools they need to excel at managing their business and serving their customers better. With Microsoft D365 F&O, chemical companies can create higher quality products faster than ever before possible and will offer enhanced customer service.

The importance of Customer Experience (CX)

The recent focus on improving customer experience to increase profitability has made CX more critical than ever in several industries, including chemical and pharmaceutical. Companies are moving to modern technology like Dynamics 365 to help improve communication with customers, streamline processes, and enable data-driven decisions.

The result is a better overall experience for their customers, increasing profits. It is easy to see how improving customer experience can influence short- and long-term goals. While there are sure to be challenging when implementing these changes, it’ll be worth it in the end because of the benefits that include increased profits and happy customers. More industries should note how chemical companies are improving their customer experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

Why is the Chemical Industry Focusing More on Their Customers?

The chemical industry has recently begun to see the value of customer experience. This is because today’s customers are much more knowledgeable, with higher expectations than ever. To meet these expectations, businesses must provide a better customer experience – mainly with on-time, total shipments and competitive pricing.

It’s important to understand common misconceptions people may have about customer experience. It’s not about social media, marketing tactics, or creating a new app. CX includes understanding precisely what your customers want and then being able to deliver on those wants effectively.

Dynamics 365 F&O helps businesses in the chemical industry transform their data into actionable insights to help them understand exactly what their most valuable customers want, letting them improve their customer experience accordingly.

Some key areas that impact CX

CX has become a significant focus for businesses in recent years – happy customers are more likely to return and be part of your growth. They’re also more likely to spend money with a company they’re satisfied with.

More innovative pricing methods with coupons or discounts and supplying specialized packaging of chemicals are a few ways for companies to stay competitive in the market. Technology like Microsoft Dynamics 365 that accommodates these business needs can enable your business to stay ahead of the curve.

Microsoft’s cloud-based solution includes several CRM tools like managing contacts, tracking conversations and following up on leads, and analytical tools that can be tailored to meet your needs.

With these kinds of tools, businesses of any size can provide better service without hiring an expensive team of experts.

A better customer experience can:

  • lead to increased customer loyalty and customer satisfaction.
  • lead to increased revenue and market share for your business.
  • help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.
  • improve employee satisfaction and morale.
  • help reduce operating costs.
  • improve your company’s overall reputation.

Figure 1:Benefits of a Better Customer Experience

Benefits of a Better Customer Experience

How Microsoft Dynamics Fits In

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, businesses in the chemical industry can provide their customers with an experience that’s more efficient and effective. A robust suite of digital tools means companies can manage inventory and track shipments, and create invoices and sales orders. In addition, the software helps businesses track customer complaints and allows them to address them quickly.

Customers are looking for solutions that empower end-to-end business process automation. But not all enterprises have the right solution in place – usually, it’s a much older system still being used today, often held together with bits of string and tape. As one chemical company’s Chief Information Officer explains, Businesses today need more than just transaction processing—operational excellence and collaboration across the enterprise, whether in manufacturing or financial management. For many small and medium-sized businesses, Microsoft Dynamics may be the answer they’re looking for.

Maintaining control over processes has never been easier with Dynamics 365, which allows users to manage every stage of production from R&D through customer service, seamlessly and efficiently. With such an extensive feature set, enterprises of all sizes find it easy to customize the application according to their needs.

No matter what your business needs may be or how complex your operations are, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Financial & Operations provides you with everything you need to succeed!

Next Steps

To order to create the best user experience for your customers, one of the first steps is finding the right partner to help implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. The right partner will deeply understand your industry and how to implement best and utilize this solution to improve your customer’s experience. They’ll also be able to help you customize the software to fit your specific needs.

For example, suppose you’re a manufacturer or distributor in the chemical industry. In that case, a partner can help you set up products to be compatible with your company’s inventory system and make changes to reporting that reflect your business practices. They can also help with customizing processes or reports that specifically cater to your customers’ needs.

When selecting an IT consultant or business partner to work with on implementing your new ERP, it’s essential to consider their depth of knowledge about this industry and their ability to work closely with you and modify the software to fit your specific needs better. With the right partner, the process becomes easy to follow:

  • Evaluate your business needs and understand how a new ERP can help you reach your goals.
  • Choose an experienced partner who understands Microsoft Dynamics 365 and can help you get the most out of your investment.
  • Train your employees in the new system, so they can hit the ground running and provide a better experience for your customers.
  • Go live with Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O and start reaping the benefits of a more efficient and user-friendly chemical business.
  • Monitor your progress and ensure you’re getting a return on your investment by seeing an improvement in customer satisfaction levels.

Are you ready to enhance your operations? Schedule a call today to get started.

Master Planning and Microsoft Dynamics 365
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Master Planning and Microsoft Dynamics 365
Master Planning and Microsoft Dynamics 365 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Introduction

You have your eyes set on an Enterprise Resource Planning solution and want to jump into the implementation phase without delay, but are you sure you know what will be necessary to make that happen? Dynamics 365 customizations can help make sure your ERP solution meets your needs exactly and helps you get the most value out of your investment in the software.

While each business’s plan will vary based on its products and services, it’s safe to say that all businesses have at least some level of plan in place. Microsoft Dynamics 365 takes this concept of planning and expands it into something called Master Planning where you can see your whole company – not just your current financial year, but your future goals as well!

What is master planning?

Master planning, or master scheduling, is the formal process of creating goals and strategies for an organization to achieve its vision. Master Planning is an essential business management practice many companies use to maintain control and strategic direction.

Master planning gives organizations a mechanism for achieving corporate goals and missions, through development of strategies that facilitate the use of available resources to accomplish those objectives.

It provides a framework for improving decision-making based on long-term priorities and helping make decisions about immediate actions that the enterprise should take. There are two basic ideas behind master planning: first, it enables you to organize your thoughts to create a plan or develop policies; second, it helps you identify problems before they occur.

When most people think of master planning, they may think of only one part: developing plans. While it’s true that most master plans include some strategy, there’s more to it than just making plans. The purpose of a master plan is to help you identify areas where change might need to occur and then help you devise ways to make those changes happen.

Benefits of master planning

Master planning helps businesses do a better job of meeting their customers’ needs, as well as helping to maximize profit along the way. Customers will always have to change conditions but having them captured as master data can make things easier for your business.

Master planning works by identifying and implementing core business processes. As such, they will help improve any customer-facing project by giving you a solid and reliable foundation. It also provides an efficient way to capture critical information that can be used throughout your company so that everyone has all the necessary details, no matter their division.

Because of these benefits, you may want to implement a master plan even if your business is already running smoothly, especially if there are new product lines or services you’re expanding into. Sometimes, customers who have been around for years may ask you to develop something new.

A good master plan can serve as a tool for helping you decide whether or not it makes sense to take on that kind of project. It allows you to examine how well each potential change aligns with your long-term goals and how much time and money each one would require.

Master planning and Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 is a customizable enterprise resource planning solution that can fit the needs of any organization. The product’s functionality can be divided into three components: sales, service, and field service.

Within each of these components are critical business processes that can be further broken down into sub-processes, which help facilitate operational and strategic management within your company.

Companies looking to streamline their planning process and reduce manual work order requests can utilise the master planning module in Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Its tool allows you to handle complex tasks such as managing long-term orders, commissions, operational plans, multilevel hierarchy plans, event planning, and multiple resources assigned to the same job.

Moreover, Microsoft Dynamics 365 master planning allows customers to utilize predefined sets of calculations for material requirements to calculate actual material requirements on any given date. Customers can also make purchase requisitions from scratch and from existing purchase requisitions and create review orders from scratch and from existing sales orders.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 master planning gives users complete control of their operations at every level. Whether you need manufacturing, financial management, retail or wholesale businesses; Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides customized business solutions.

Organizations with any number of employees can use Microsoft Dynamics 365 master planning module, as it allows multiple roles within the organization to manage planning processes. For example, planner, analyst, approver etc.

The Planner role can create work orders and tasks, update plan data for specified plans and add planning events such as vacation requests.

Analysts can analyze historical plans for different periods based on planned order quantities (POQ), actual quantity per work order or quantity variance from planned quantity on a specific date etc.

Common risks involved in master planning

There are various risks involved in master planning, especially for chemical and pharmaceutical companies, with the initial setup and implementation of the system being one of the primary risks. This is due to the large number of stakeholders involved in the initial phases, who are all likely to have differing opinions on how to implement a system.

It’s important that all parties are engaged early on, and provide realistic requirements for their particular areas. The other major risk involves using incomplete or inaccurate data for master planning. If you don’t have accurate costs for your raw materials, it can impact your budgeting process and budget variances (costs outside your budget) may not be caught in time by management.

Once identified risks, they should be analyzed and quantified to determine which ones need addressing first. Another common risk involved in master planning is an inability to predict demand accurately. This can happen if you are new to a market or product line and need more historical data on how sales change over time or between seasons.

Master Planning helps with forecasting and provides accurate data for better decision-making. If your organization doesn’t use Master Planning, the bottom line is that you’ll most likely spend more money in the long run.

Without master planning, companies place themselves at risk of under- or over-production, which can lead to additional lost revenue, higher costs and product returns due to lack of demand.

For example, if a company does not have adequate forecast information for its sales team, it may sell products outside of the season or to customers who don’t want them. This results in lost revenue and extra storage costs when stock is held over from one season to another.

When you use master planning correctly, you get better production rates, meaning less stock has to be kept on hand, so there are fewer overall storage costs.

Let’s discuss more about the Master Planning in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and how it can help your organization.

Schedule Call

Final Thoughts

Hopefully the concept of master planning is a little more clear.

With master planning you can save hours of work each week by streamlining your processes. Master planning is especially useful for Sales and Operations Planning, but even if you’re not using that functionality, master plans are still extremely helpful to ensure consistency and compliance with existing policies and procedures.

Master planning can be customized to fit any business and provide benefits that are relevant to your specific business. The best part is that you don’t need complicated software for master planning. Many of our partners use standard programs such as Word or Excel to create their master plans.

As long as everyone knows how it works, you can use any process management method you want! There’s no excuse not to make your company more efficient with master planning.

References: Get Started with Master Planning

Customizations and Configurations in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP
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Customizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP
Customizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP 700 500 Xcelpros Team

Intro to ERP Customizations

You have your eyes set on an Enterprise Resource Planning solution and want to jump into the implementation phase without delay, but do you know what will be necessary to make that happen? Dynamics 365 customizations can help ensure your ERP solution meets your needs precisely and enables you to get the most value out of your investment in the software.

Here are some standard customizations to consider when implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance or Supply Chain Management Enterprise Resource Planning solutions. What are common customizations? Why do companies customize their ERP implementation?

Should you customize your ERP?

While customization is technically possible with any enterprise software, it’s best to customize what you need. That’s because each customization is an additional layer of work that can cause things to go awry down the road. This doesn’t mean your new ERP will run without a hitch—but it should mean fewer and less problematic hiccups in implementation and usage over time.

If you are considering customizing, consider some important questions first: Will your customizations be well-supported by your vendor? What kinds of training do they offer? Are there customizable modules available for what you want to do? Should you customize you ERP?

You may have good reason to customize if one of your goals is streamlining business processes or integrating disparate data sources. It all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish and how far along you are in your overall project lifecycle.

In general, though, you don’t rush into customization just yet. Plan out how it’ll fit into your end goals before diving into development or taking on a project manager.

Start exploring ERP customization options

Microsoft recommends that the best approach to understanding what customizations exist for Microsoft Dynamics 365 is to begin by creating a customization request on the Dynamics Marketplace. The Dynamics Marketplace offers organizations pre-built or partially built business solutions, known as applications for Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. Microsoft applications on the marketplace allow organizations to quickly get started with an out-of-the-box solution that can be customized to meet their specific business needs. They also offer organizations a way to familiarize themselves with how other customers have customized and extended Microsoft’s standard applications.

These samples can provide a good starting point, making it easier for new customers to identify opportunities to extend the capabilities of their implementations. For example, if you want to know how your customer could extend Microsoft’s standard application functionality, start with their existing sample apps. If you’re going to learn how they could leverage PowerApps or Flow to create more dynamic forms in real-time using the line of business data, check out sample apps developed by partners. When exploring these samples, remember that they may not fit your specific requirements but are valuable sources of information about additional functionality available from third parties that can augment your implementation project.

Microsoft D365 customization and configuration examples

An excellent example of ERP customization is the configuration of Microsoft D365 Finance or Supply Chain Management (SCM) so that only particular users can access everything in your system. In contrast, other users only see their specific parts. You can even create a separate security model for internal versus external use. This granular configuration means you’re not dealing with dozens of different user interfaces—you have one. Still, depending on your level of access, you see only specific tabs, pages, and menus. Since everyone sees what they need to know, it’s easier for everyone to work together.

Learn more about Customizing and Configuring Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP.

Let’s start

Some of the more common examples of D365 customization include:

Adding more functional modules

Dynamics 365 comprises numerous modules, each with its specific function. Organizations can easily offer users significantly increased functionality by allowing them access to different modules simultaneously.

Adding additional Fields

Often, based on the specific data your organization needs to collect, more than standard forms within D365 may be required. For this reason, Microsoft added the ability for Sysadmins and Power Users to include custom fields through the workspace personalization options. These supported field types are the easiest way to allow users to track additional data and can consist of, Text, Numbers, Decimals, Date/ Time, Date, Picklist, and Checkboxes.

Customizing workspaces

Users also can create their workspace with different functionality than out-of-the-box modules. Users can add Live tiles, Lists, Power BI tiles, and Links. This can result in a very focused workspace that lets users complete their job more efficiently.

Adding custom reports

Creating custom reports saves companies significant money during an implementation project. Microsoft’s D365 gives users several different ways to create custom reports. This includes simple Filtered views that can be exported to Microsoft Excel, the Report Wizard that asks the users simple questions before generating a statement, and SSRS for creating more complex reports.

Microsoft’s AppSource

Microsoft’s AppSource allows you to explore and try approved D365 extensions designed to add specific functionality or seamlessly tie in other third-party software solutions your business requires.

Custom solutions

Even in the same industry, business models can vary wildly from one company to another – For requirements that can’t be met by existing solutions available in Microsoft’s AppSource, customers can work directly with partners that have experience developing complex business solutions.

Self-service functionality

Companies can take advantage of increasingly valuable tools like Microsoft Flow, and the Microsoft Power Platform to help develop one-of-a-kind processes and integrations for whatever solution needs it most. These tools are some of the best ways to make your solution fit your specific requirements.

Final Thoughts on D365 Customization

Should you customize ERP? Yes. Of course, you should. Because the real question is, what customizations do you need to make your solution work best for your organization? Organizations that choose to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 often know they will need to customize the software, but don’t always have a clear idea of how to approach it—they want to maintain standard functionality and ensure their data remains accurate as possible. The best way to go about customization is to understand why organizations are customizing in the first place.

While ERP comes with a lot of built-in functionality, that’s not to say you shouldn’t consider customizing it to fit your organization. ERP implementations are rarely perfect and require various organisational modifications to function correctly and integrate seamlessly. You might customize for various reasons—for example, if you’re using multiple ERP solutions or have different business units with unique needs—but one thing is for sure: customizing your implementation can save you time and money.

Whether you’re dealing with manufacturing companies, retailers, wholesalers or logistics companies, there are sure to be some everyday things to consider when customizing your new software implementation.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365: Features and Benefits
Microsoft Dynamics 365: Features and Benefits 1400 1000 Xcelpros Team

Introduction to Dynamics 365

Cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software continues to shine as more companies focus on moving away from archaic legacy solutions. Modern replacements can do more now than ever thought possible, including processing much more complicated tasks to fill current needs and requirements.

With ERP solutions becoming increasingly important to properly running a modern business, choosing the right one is a big deal. Once things like budget, time-frame, and availability are addressed – the final decision is often a compromise based on the needs of different departments like; Sales and Marketing, Operations, Customer Support, Financial Management, and more.

One of the best comprehensive solutions available is Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 line of products – designed as all-in-one enterprise resource planning solutions that help businesses stay competitive.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is being used in more than 150 countries worldwide, with millions of customers, so it just might be worth understanding just how this popular solution benefits businesses.

Sales and marketing

While most departments stand to benefit from Microsoft Dynamics 365, sales and marketing departments will find many of its tools especially helpful. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement helps enterprises manage all kinds of professional activities – like marketing, sales, service delivery, and more – under one roof. For example, its native capabilities for data capture and customer relationship management help salespeople move more smoothly through every part of their day.

Regarding marketing campaigns, Dynamics 365 can automate much of a campaign’s launch so marketers can focus on other tasks that require more time and attention. It also enables cloud deployments by default which guarantees high levels of agility and flexibility without making existing investments obsolete.

Operations and customer support

Operations departments will benefit greatly from Microsoft Dynamics 365’s ability to integrate with CRM and other back-office applications. User management, reporting, and information sharing become much easier when all these different systems are operating on one platform.

Customer support teams can use online chat or emails to collect feedback from customers who contact them. Microsoft Dynamics 365 helps sales teams stay organized by setting up follow-up reminders, so they don’t forget about clients after an initial meeting.

Financial management and regulations

Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides financial departments with a single source of real-time data to manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, and more. Financial departments are often under immense pressure to deliver accurate numbers as fast as possible to management and stakeholders.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 will cut down on accounting errors by providing accurate data that is easy to access. This should make it easier for CFOs and auditors to find insights into improving business processes.

It’s also designed to meet compliance regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), etc. These regulations require companies across all industries to take steps to protect information held or transmitted on their systems against unauthorized access or disclosure.

This is an area where the functionality in Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 products is invaluable.

Business Intelligence

Monitoring critical KPIs along with real-time operational data can be the difference between succeeding and simply operating. Every company needs a way to track this information, allowing them to react to any scenario. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Intelligence (BI) solution is designed to help analyze and monitor data from multiple sources and deliver information that can be used to make strategic decisions.

Business Intelligence departments choose Microsoft Dynamics 365 because of its ability to integrate with other Microsoft products. Another reason departments choose one software or another is the cost, and D365 has proven cost-effective and able to increase revenue through increased operational efficiency. Microsoft’s solution offers real-time insight into how a company is performing while providing a single source of information that can be accessed quickly and easily at any time. This enables a company to adapt its sales, marketing, and procurement strategies more quicker, giving them an edge over the competition.

Project Management

Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers project management departments their own robust tools to help manage and streamline their projects. These tools include time reporting, Gantt charts, and more advanced features like project prioritization and resource management. As soon as they launch Microsoft Dynamics 365’s streamlined Project Management module, users see how easier it is to organize tasks, track time on certain charges, and manage overall progress.

Also, with full integration into other modules within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), it becomes possible to seamlessly pull data from all parts of an organization into one central location, giving managers better insight into data across divisions without having to search for information or sift through emails manually.

In addition, Microsoft’s D365 Project Management can help alleviate an often overlooked problem in small businesses: meeting basic compliance requirements.

Let’s discuss the best offerings from Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP for your business needs today-

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Final Thoughts on Dynamics 365

Regardless of the industry, implementing an ERP today is a big step. Pick the wrong ERP or fumble the implementation and risk significantly disrupting your operations. Microsoft’s devotion and investments into their Dynamics 365 products have topped millions in order to create systems that balance both functionality and affordability.

Because Microsoft Dynamics 365 is so affordable and user-friendly, it’s no wonder that businesses from all sectors choose Dynamics 365 as their system of record. Dynamics 365 has been adopted by over 1 million users worldwide since it was launched in 2016. To this point, Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 system is primed to continue as a leader going forward. It’s easy to get started with Microsoft Dynamics 365 today:

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