Cloud ERP for Distributors: A Guide to the Dynamics 365 Platform
We talk a lot about digital transformation as a competitive advantage in the distribution world, especially right now. But what does that mean? Of course, transitioning to cloud technologies is the first decision that begins your transformation journey. Now which cloud technologies should you choose to power your business? That’s the bigger decision and it typically starts with your ERP solution.
Do You Need ERP or a Unified Business Platform?
To build a sustainable foundation for the future, you must think in terms of building a unified cloud platform that enables you to connect and optimize your entire organization. That’s the advantage of Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management for distributors.
The flexible, modular design of Microsoft Dynamics 365 empowers growing distributors to meet today’s demands with the ability to quickly scale and adapt your technology as you evolve. You can bring everything you need under one roof. With all your functionality and data seamlessly connected, you can:
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Automate and optimize business processes and workflows across your business
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Gain full visibility and traceability across your supply chain
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Eliminate the costs and bottlenecks of disconnected legacy systems
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Unify and centralize all your data for extended insights
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Improve customer service and satisfaction
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Increase performance and profitability
In addition to advanced financial and supply chain management, embedded inventory management and WMS, project management, and more—there is so much more we can do to extend your capabilities in Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, including:
Optimize Field Service Operations
Optimize your field service operations with Dynamics 365 Field Service and shift from reactive to proactive with real-time insights, remote monitoring, predictive technology and preventative maintenance. You can match the best resources to each service request based on skillset, availability, priority, location, etc. and automate everything from scheduling to work order generation.
Win and Close More Deals
Dynamics 365 Sales gives you embedded analytics, business intelligence, and predictive insights at your fingertips. If you wish you knew what your customers needed and wanted often before they do, this is how you do it. Identify trends to increase conversions and access contextual information that helps sales teams and managers collaborate to boost your bottom line.
Deliver a Seamless Customer Experience
Your customer experience can make or break your business and Dynamics 365 Customer Service helps you optimize, centralize, and personalize every aspect of it. Manage multiple service channels—online, email, phone, SMS, in person—in one place to accelerate resolution and customer satisfaction. Agents can easily collaborate in real time on any device to ensure every customer enjoys a superior experience.
Consolidate and Visualize Insights in Real Time
Power BI is part of the Microsoft Power Platform and allows you to connect your data from internal and external data sources and then create personalized, interactive dashboards and reports. This single tool is revolutionary for distributors. See the full story of your business before your eyes, drill down into important details in seconds, and give leaders the ability to make confident, data-driven decisions.
Automate Processes Across Departments
Also part of the Power Platform, we can leverage Power Automate to connect and streamline everything from common daily tasks to complex, multi-step processes. Work faster and smarter with a tool that gives you virtually unlimited opportunities to make your business more efficient.
Read a Real-World Success Story
Sometimes it’s best to see how everything you’ve just read about translates into the real world. You might enjoy a quick story of how we helped Western Precooling Systems build a unified Dynamics 365 platform in the cloud and gain new efficiencies and real-time insights in the office and in the field.
“We process roughly 10,000 service calls a year and the optimizations created by Western Computer allow us to finish processing them at least a week faster on average than before.”
Josh Miller
Director of Operations
Western Precooling Systems
Explore the Full Potential of a Unified Dynamics 365 Solution for Distributors
Whether you are just beginning to evaluate the best path for your digital transformation or are ready to make some decisions and get started—Western Computer is here to help. With more than 30 years of distribution expertise, 1,100+ implementations and 200+ successful cloud implementations, you can depend on us for honest and objective guidance. Contact us with any questions and to discuss your goals and options.