Case Study GP to BC Upgrade

Business Challenges

BUDGETARY CONTROL

Maintaining financial transparency and accountability by ensuring adherence to budgetary limits across diverse projects and locations.

COST MANAGEMENT

Managing costs, especially licensing expenses, posed a significant challenge due to the organization's vast network of operations.

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

Conducting financial transactions across multiple countries while navigating diverse currencies and regulatory frameworks demanded a simplified approach.

PROCESS EFFICIENCY

Essential for operational efficiency was the task of simplifying and integrating financial processes such as purchase requisitions and employee expenses across geographically dispersed teams.

Technical Challenges - Codebase and Customization

TRANSITION TO AL-BASED EXTENSIONS

Moving from Dynamics GP’s customizations in different programming languages to AL-based extensions in Business Central presents a significant challenge. Developers must refactor existing code, sometimes needing to re-understand original requirements from scratch, demanding substantial effort and expertise.

INTEGRATION COMPLEXITY

Dynamics GP and Business Central have disparate APIs and integration capabilities. Ensuring continuity of existing integrations with third-party systems and custom applications post-migration is crucial. De velopers must update integration endpoints, adjust data formats, or reconfigure authentication mechanisms to maintain functionality.

DATA MIGRATION AND SCHEMA CHANGES

The unique data structures of Dynamics GP and Business Central require meticulous mapping and data integrity assurance during migration. Planning and executing data transformation are essential to ensure a smooth transfer to Business Central’s tables, mitigating potential disruptions.

Solution Implemented

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SHAREPOINT-BASED REQUISITION SYSTEM

To streamline operations, a SharePoint-based platform was developed, optimizing licensing costs, managing employee advances, and enhancing process efficiency.

BUDGETARY CONTROL AND COMMITMENT ACCOUNTING

Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busine ss Central, We established robust mechanisms for budgetary control and simplified commitment accounting processes.

MULTICURRENCY AND INTERCOMPANY TRANSACTIONS

Business Central seamlessly handled multicurrency transactions and intercompany transfers, ensuring accurate financial reporting across different entities.

POWER BI REPORTING

Customized Power BI reports were developed to provide real-time insights into budget versus actual spending and track donation flows, facilitating informed decision-making.

IMPORTING DATA

Facilitating further processing, Salesforce data—primary CRM platform for customer registration and donation collection—is imported into the customer master and sales order forms via The Bridge, Business Central.

Realized Benefits

COST SAVINGS

Significant cost savings were achieved through leveraging SharePoint for purchase requisitions and harnessing Business Cen t ral’s capabilities.

IMPROVED FINANCIAL CONTROL

Enhanced budgetary control and commitment accounting mechanisms ensured better financial oversight, adherence to budgetary limits, and regulatory compliance.

STREAMLINED WORKFLOWS

Approval workflows were implemented to ensure that requisitions exceeding available project budgets undergo appropriate approval processes.

ENHANCED OPERATIONS

Simplified financial processes and integrated systems reduced manual efforts, allowing teams to focus on mission-critical activities.

GLOBAL VISIBILITY

The centralized system provided real-time visibility into financial transactions across countries and entities, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation.

ADVANCED REPORTING CAPABILITIES

Enhanced reporting capabilities offered comprehensive insights into donors, projects, themes, and budget lines, enriching visibility into Human Appeal’s operations.