The third blog in a series on integrating Dynamics 365 (CRM) with your ERP solution. Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

With technology changing so rapidly, Microsoft has adapted to this change in how we work each day by creating an entire ecosystem of products that work together seamlessly. At many organizations, working in silos between departments and systems is the norm. This way of working is ineffective and time-consuming. Why not have your systems accommodate the way you work, instead of the other way around? Dynamics 365 and Office 365 allow businesses to be scalable: start with the applications your organization needs now, and phase in new applications in the future.

Many small to medium businesses are running with a CRM and ERP solution, in Microsoft’s case that would be the suite of business products known as Dynamics. The cloud-based ERP solutions are Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations whereas the CRM solutions reside as applications in Dynamics 365 called Sales, Customer Service, Field Service and more. Many customers are also using Dynamics GP, or Dynamics AX or NAV as their ERP. But your business doesn’t just exist in your CRM or ERP system. Your business information is also living in emails, files, add-on solutions, reporting solutions and in your employee’s communications.

The idea of the Microsoft ecosystem is that all these disparate systems are made to work and integrate under one platform. We’ll show you how you can do things like access your ERP from your CRM system or mobile phone, complete financial tasks right in your email, and view business intelligence reports while on the go.

The Microsoft Ecosystem at Work in Dynamics 365

Below is a view in Dynamics 365 Business Central on a mobile device. The user experience of Business Central on mobile is practically identical to the desktop experience. It is easy to navigate in the same way as on the desktop, complete the same tasks and see the entire view of your financials. This way ensures users are inputting information into the system live, as it’s happening, and not waiting to get back to the office where they have to remember to input or update the information.

In this screenshot below, see how you can be working in Microsoft Outlook, and not even have to leave the system to access information from Dynamics 356 Business Central. A Business Central window opens within Outlook and populates with live, editable content directly from your ERP. Make changes quickly and efficiently to Business Central without having to leave your email. For a closer look at Dynamics 365 and Office 365 solutions like Teams working together, please read our blog that looks at a day in the life of a salesperson using Dynamics 365.

Microsoft’s Power Platform consists of Power BI, Power Automate (formerly Flow) and Power Apps. Power BI is a business intelligence tool that helps organizations make better, more informed decisions by viewing their data from many sources in interactive dashboards. Power BI can be connected right across the Microsoft platform; from Dynamics 365 to Office 365 and Azure. The image below shows data visualization appearing on a mobile device. Having this information in hand enables all employees to have rich access to the data that they need to do their job better.

It’s been said that “No one is more integrated with Microsoft than Microsoft” and that saying holds true. Microsoft technology enables a short learning curve, as most people in the business world are very familiar with Microsoft products already. The vision of the Microsoft ecosystem is for many applications to come together in a cohesive way under one platform. Organizations can optimize the workday of all employees when everyone is able to work seamlessly, and remotely, among different applications.

Please contact us for more information about how Dynamics 365 and Office 365 can optimize your business.