a man standing in front of a store

Democratising Business Management Software for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Niall Fitzmaurice

Niall Fitzmaurice

Former Business Applications Manager

Read Time, 4 min.

Democratising Business ProcessinSoftware for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses 

Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS, a cloud-based business management solution, will be available in Ireland for the first time from 01 October 2020. 

In recent times, the phrase the new normal has become commonplace to describe a new way of living and going about our lives, our work and our interactions with other people.  

When it comes to businesses, to me the new normal’ means digital transformation and the increased use of technology to help them achieve more. Despite the difficult operating environment faced by many companies currently, the potential for technology to help has never been greater. 

In the months ahead, how an organisation manages its business processes and the decisions it makes will be crucial in determining if that organisation will be successful in the future.    

Microsoft Dynamics 365 can help businesses meet today’s challenges by bringing their customers and business together with the next generation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications. 

a boy sitting at a desk with a laptop computer

From the 1st of October 2020 onwards, Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS (Software as a Service) – a cloud-based all-in-one business management solution that automates and streamlines business processes  will for the first time be available to companies in Ireland.  

Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS connects people and processes like never beforeCustomers use Dynamics 365 Business Central to improve predictability, manage cost, optimise business processes, enhance customer interaction and ultimately make better business decisions.  

Based on the Microsoft Azure platform, Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS is highly adaptable and rich with features, transforming how companies manage their business processes, including finance, manufacturing, sales, logistics, project management, services, and more.  

 

A management support system that can be adapted to fit the scale of your businesses  

For customers using legacy on-premise ERP, a move to a modern cloud-based ERP typically means a lower total cost of ownership over time.

Since its launch in April 2018, Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS has seen increasing adoption by organisations looking to digitally transform their businesses. The solution now has over 6,000 customers globally and is experiencing 250+% user growth yearonyear.    

It is a cost-effective solution that enables small businesses to benefit from the use of advanced analytical solutions, AI, or the Internet of Things within one management support system. Thanks to the flexibility provided by the cloud, the solution can be adapted to fit the scale of a business as it continues to develop and grow.    

Historically, this type of comprehensive ERP solution was only really an option for larger SME companies mainly due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining the on-premise hardware required to run the system, alongside periodic system upgrade cost.   

As Dynamics 365 Business Central is cloud-based, the barrier to entry is now much lower for small and medium businesses. For customers using legacy on-premise ERP, a move to a modern cloud-based ERP typically means a lower total cost of ownership over time.

Irish SMEs will now be able to avail of one ‘off the shelf’ cloud solution that has the capability to run their entire business and the flexibility to scale to meet the needs of the business as it grows. 

a man standing in front of a store 

Some of the Benefits of Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS  

Increase financial visibility 

  • Make informed decisions with connected data across accounting, sales, purchasing, inventory, and customer transactions. Chart financial performance in realtime with built-in Power BI dashboards.  
  • Improve forecast accuracy with comprehensive data modelling and analysis. Customise and share reports with seamless Excel integration. 

Optimise the supply chain 

  • Predict the optimal time to replenish stock with built-in intelligence. Use sales forecasts and expected stock-outs to automatically create purchase orders.  
  • Calculate and optimise manufacturing capacity and resources to improve production schedules and meet customer demands. Maintain the right amount of inventory by automatically calculating stock levels, lead times, and reorder points.  

Boost sales and improve service 

  • Prioritise sales leads based on revenue potential. Keep track of all customer interactions and get guidance on best upsell, cross-sell, and renewal opportunities throughout your sales cycle. Accelerate the sales process from quote to cash. Act quickly on sales-related inquiries, manage service requests, and process payments—all from within Outlook.

Deliver projects on time and under budget 

  • Create, manage, and track customer projects using timesheets along with advanced job costing and reporting capabilities. Develop, modify, and control budgets to ensure project profitability. Make effective decisions with real-time insights on project status, profitability, and resource-usage metrics.

Protect data and support GDPR compliance 

  • Respect your customers’ right to privacy and set up your business to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Grant and restrict access to personal data on multiple levels and implement audit trails to ensure security and accountability. 
  • Handle, store, and transmit data securely across your systems while protecting it from unauthorised access with automatic Microsoft data centre encryption.

Run a business from anywhere 

  • Get the same user experience no matter how you deploy—in the cloud, on-premises, or a combination of both. Take your business on the go with a consistent, intuitive experience across Windows, Android, or iOS devices for mobile access to Business Central. 

Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS will be available through Microsoft’s partner network from October 2020. For more information, please talk to your Microsoft technology solutions provider, or for more information about implementing Business Central, see Getting Started with Dynamics 365 Business Central. 

 

Niall Fitzmaurice

Dynamics Business Group Lead

Free eBook: Evolve Your ERP - Enable Corporate Agility with Dynamics 365

Learn how upgrading to a cloud-based ERP with Microsoft Dynamics 365 will help you make your company more agile

Discover more related articles per industry:

Education

  • Unlock the potential of your students with Microsoft’s new Learning Accelerators

    Unlock the potential of your students with Microsoft’s new Learning Accelerators

    Personalized learning is a goal that educators everywhere have been trying to achieve for years. But the pandemic shone a light on the complexity of that challenge for teachers, who face a more diverse set of student needs than ever before.  Because delivering a truly personalized learning experience for every student has traditionally required lots […]

  • a person sitting at a desk in front of a computer

    Reimagining Uninterrupted Learning at Sacred Heart School in Tullamore

    As students and teachers found themselves away from the classroom environment and learning from home, schools were again adapting to different ways of learning to ensure quality education continues. For the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore, Co Offaly, the staff and student body were well prepared to deal with this upheaval and continued to deliver […]

Finance & Insurance

Government

  • Two people inside using Surface Go in office

    How technology is transforming the work of governments

    Governments have the ultimate responsibility to their citizens. People depend on the services they provide like no other institution. Whether in healthcare, education, business, roads, railways, water – it’s essential that government institutions are always at the forefront of social and digital trends. Cloud-powered technologies are playing a critical role in helping government agencies to […]

Healthcare

Manufacturing

  • Guy standing next to plane looking at Smartwatch to check reporting.

    Air France and KLM subsidiary EPCOR predicts future failures with data and AI

    EPCOR provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services, including state-of-the-art test facilities for aircraft pneumatic components and Auxiliary Power Units (APU). The APU is responsible for starting the main engines and provide power to essential aircraft functions. By harnessing cloud-based APU data using innovative analysis and machine learning, EPCOR is helping airlines meet their cost, safety […]

  • 9 ways to turn your field service centre into a profit centre

    9 ways to turn your field service centre into a profit centre

    A service that generates more profit than cost: it’s the ultimate goal for any organisation. We’ve listed a few tips below to help you make this dream a reality. 1. Know what you’ve got to offer Knowing what you’ve got to offer and knowing how (potential) customers view your story are important elements in marketing […]

Retail

Discover more related articles per dossier:

Customer Stories

  • Two people inside using Surface Go in office

    How technology is transforming the work of governments

    Governments have the ultimate responsibility to their citizens. People depend on the services they provide like no other institution. Whether in healthcare, education, business, roads, railways, water – it’s essential that government institutions are always at the forefront of social and digital trends. Cloud-powered technologies are playing a critical role in helping government agencies to […]

Digital Transformation

Press

  • Image of a man and woman smiling

    Microsoft and Connect at Catalyst Inc

    Microsoft and Connect at Catalyst Inc It’s an exciting time to be working in the technology sector in Northern Ireland. More than ever before we’re seeing increased numbers of entrepreneurs, start-up businesses, and indeed multinationals setting up in the North. Working together and learning from each other encourages a strong technology ecosystem and ultimately yields […]

Security & Privacy

Tips

  • Group of two female and one male office workers brainstorming in informal office setting. Both women are using laptops while the man is writing. Large screen shown in background.

    2019 Modern Selling Trends in 5 webinars

    The relationship between buyers and sellers grows more complicated each day. Every potential partnership requires finding the right buyer, fully understanding their business, tracking progress through the buying cycle, and engaging them with the right content—when and how they want it. These shifting dynamics underscore the artistry of modern selling. When the time is right, […]