small businesses erp planning system

The ERP for the SMEs

September 20, 2019Georgy Chan
To many businesses, the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning system, ERP in short, is often strike as being costly, effortful and even wearisome due to the lengthy roll out duration. Such perceptions are apprehensible but with the emergence of game changers like subscription-based Software-as-a-Service solutions, A.I., cloud computing and the anticipated 5G cellular network technology, the adoption of ERP solutions is expected to rise across the different business sectors, particularly in retail, wholesale distribution, services, financial and manufacturing.  Small Medium Enterprises (SME) are the primary target audiences when Microsoft launched its Dynamics 365 Business Central in early 2018. This Microsoft solution, available in 2 plans, Essential and Premium, enables SMEs to build and customize their ERP systems based on their individual business requirements and functional needs ( piecemeal approach ). Example, if a business does not require the service management or manufacturing modules, the Essential Plan will suffice. As their businesses grow and expand, they can upgrade to the Premium Plan as and when they are required.  On the licensing front, Dynamics 365 Business Central licenses are based on users’ roles and the tasks they perform, and users are classified into 2 types, namely Full Users and Additional Users. Additional Users, also known as Team Members, refer to those who only need to complete light tasks and/or consume data/reports but do not require full user capabilities. The subscription-based pricing flattens out the upfront capital costs and bundles in the subscription of Business Central and ongoing Support Desk and Proactive Support Services.  erp system microsoft dynamics 365 business Today, Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers integrated functionality to provide support for the following application modules which are currently available in the cloud, on-premise and in hybrid deployment: 
  1. Financial Management
  2. Supply Chain Management
  3. Customer Relationship Management
  4. Human Resource Management
  5. Project Management
  6. Warehouse Management
  7. Service Management ( for Premium subscribers ) 
  8. Manufacturing ( for Premium subscribers ) 
Developed by Microsoft, it is almost a given that Dynamics 365 Business Central will integrate seamlessly with existing Microsoft’s suite of business and personal productivity applications without the need of 3rd party plug-ins. Unlike in the past where data was siloed in monolithic suites of applications, this harmonious integration provides business a connected view of data intelligence on customer records, transactions, behaviors and preferences, alongside with information on orders, inventory and shipping. This connected view enables businesses to: 
  1. Make timely informed decisions based on new insights of patterns and trends identified through real time in-depth data analysis
  2. Improve forecast accuracy with comprehensive data modeling and analysis.
  3. Accelerate financial close & chart real-time financial performance without compromising on compliance and security.
  4. Optimize supply chain operations with more accurate outputs’ projection and stocks-out prediction leading to better control of manufacturing capacity and resources, production schedules, order fulfillment and stock replenishment.
  5. Prioritize sales leads based on revenue potential.
  6. Accelerate the sales process from quote to cash through swifter response on sales-related enquiries, service requests and payments processing.
  7. Manage projects effectively using real-time insights on project status, profitability and resource-usage metrics. 
In line with Microsoft’s Cloud-First and Mobile-First strategy, Dynamics 365 Business Central is easily accessible through a web browser on any Internet-enabled device, thus delivering a consistent and intuitive experience across the various platforms. The web-based design also enables automatic, centralized and hassle-free deployment of updates and fixes, thus significantly reduce administrative overheads.  Dynamics 365 Business Central is fast to implement, easy to configure, and simplicity guides innovations in product design, development, implementation, and usability. But selecting the right ERP solution for the business is only half the game plan, the other half of the winning formula is the selection of the right Microsoft Partner to deliver the solution.    While knowledge, competencies, experiences and clientele are important selection criteria, but what differentiates the winning team from others is the ability to think out of the box and innovate creative and ground breaking ideas to address the business’ pain points, satisfy the business’ requirements and functional needs and deliver the project in a timely, effective and efficient manner.   

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