Business Challenges
1. BUDGETARY CONTROL:
Maintaining financial transparency and accountability by ensuring adherence to budgetary limits across diverse projects and locations.
2. COST MANAGEMENT:
Managing costs, especially licensing expenses, posed a significant challenge due to the organization’s vast network of operations.
3. INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS:
Conducting financial transactions across multiple countries while navigating diverse currencies and regulatory frameworks demanded a simplified approach.
4. 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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
With senior consultants having experience in dealing with such technical disparities, we exec uted the project flawlessly by proactively anticipating these roadblocks.
Solution Implemented
1. SHAREPOINT-BASED REQUISITION SYSTEM:
To streamline operations, a SharePoint-based platform was developed, optimizing licensing costs, managing employee advances, and enhancing process efficiency.
2. BUDGETARY CONTROL AND COMMITMENT ACCOUNTING:
Leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busine ss Central, We established robust mechanisms for budgetary control and simplified commitment accounting processes.
3. MULTICURRENCY AND INTERCOMPANY TRANSACTIONS:
Business Central seamlessly handled multicurrency transactions and intercompany transfers, ensuring accurate financial reporting across different entities.
4. 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.
5. 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
1. COST SAVINGS:
Significant cost savings were achieved through leveraging SharePoint for purchase requisitions and harnessing Business Cen t ral’s capabilities.
2. IMPROVED FINANCIAL CONTROL:
Enhanced budgetary control and commitment accounting mechanisms ensured better financial oversight, adherence to budgetary limits, and regulatory compliance.
3. STREAMLINED WORKFLOWS:
Approval workflows were implemented to ensure that requisitions exceeding available project budgets undergo appropriate approval processes.
4. ENHANCED OPERATIONS:
Simplified financial processes and integrated systems reduced manual efforts, allowing teams to focus on mission-critical activities.
5. GLOBAL VISIBILITY:
The centralized system provided real-time visibility into financial transactions across countries and entities, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation.
6. ADVANCED REPORTING CAPABILITIES:
Enhanced reporting capabilities offered comprehensive insights into donors, projects, themes, and budget lines, enriching visibility into Human Appeal’s operations.
Future Outlook
1. EXPANSION PLANS:
With the successful deployment of the integrated financial solution, They aim to expand implementation to additional countries, leveraging the scalability and flexibility of the centralised system.
