Considering Moving to Cloud ERP? Save costs by migrating. Forrester reports 40% admin savings, 30-50% lower deployment costs, and 10.25% TCO reduction. Additional savings on hardware, storage, and disaster recovery. Plus, a 40% discount on Dynamics 365 Business Central cloud licenses. Contact our experts to know more about the benefits.
Continue reading
In the dynamic landscape of B2B transactions, where every interaction counts, having a robust and innovative customer web portal is a necessity. It’s not just about creating a digital space; it’s about an immersive and seamless experience that transforms the way businesses connect, collaborate, and thrive. In this blog, we explore the key elements that can revolutionise your B2B interactions through the right customer web portal.
The first step in this digital transformation journey is selecting the right platform. It’s not just about features; it’s about a relationship that fuels your growth. Scalability, customisation, and integration capabilities are the cornerstones. Your portal should be a chameleon, adapting effortlessly to your unique business needs while seamlessly integrating with your existing systems.
In the era of cyber threats, security is not negotiable. Your customer web portal should be impenetrable, safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring secure transactions. Look for encryption standards, robust authentication mechanisms, and compliance certifications that instil confidence in your customers.
Downtime is the nemesis of productivity. Your platform should be synonymous with availability, offering features like load balancing and failover mechanisms. Business doesn’t sleep, and neither should your portal. Constant availability ensures your stakeholders can access critical information whenever they need it.
A user-friendly interface is the gateway to adoption. Your portal should be an intuitive playground, minimising the learning curve for users. Mobile responsiveness is not just a checkbox; it’s a mandate. In a world where business happens on the go, your portal should seamlessly transition from desktops to tablets to smartphones.
B2B interactions are not just about transactions; they are about relationships. Your portal should be a hub of collaboration, offering built-in communication tools, document sharing, and task management features. Transform transactions into partnerships through seamless communication.
Data is the currency of the future. Your portal should not just facilitate transactions but also offer a treasure trove of insights. Robust analytics and reporting features empower you with the knowledge to make informed decisions, track trends, and stay ahead of the curve.
A comprehensive support system and training resources are the unsung heroes of digital transformation. Your chosen platform should not just provide a tool; it should be a partner in your success journey. From onboarding to troubleshooting, your team should feel supported every step of the way.
In the world of B2B interactions, your customer web portal is the digital handshake that sets the tone for your business relationships. Choose wisely, invest thoughtfully, and embark on a journey where innovation meets intuition, and digital experiences redefine B2B success.
In the world of B2B customer web portals, having an easy-to-use design is super important. Picture a digital space where everything feels natural, where every task is simple, and everyone, from clients to team members, can find what they need without any hassle. An easy-to-use design is not just a nice feature; it’s the foundation for smooth navigation. It means users can quickly get the information they need anytime, whether they’re on a computer during work hours or using a phone on the move. In a busy world, an easy-to-use portal saves time, makes things simpler for everyone, and makes the whole experience better. So, when choosing a B2B portal, go for one that’s user-friendly – it’ll turn a regular tool into a helpful friend, making B2B interactions easy and enjoyable.
1.Mobile Responsiveness: Bridging Gaps Across Devices
The significance of mobile responsiveness in the world of B2B interactions cannot be overstated. With users accessing portals from various devices, a mobile-friendly design becomes the linchpin for constant availability. Whether on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, a responsive portal adapts seamlessly, ensuring users have uninterrupted access to critical information. This not only enhances convenience but also empowers users to stay productive on the go, transcending the limitations of traditional office setups.
2.Automated Processes: Unleashing Uninterrupted Efficiency
Automation emerges as the unsung hero in the quest for 24/7 availability. By incorporating automated processes within the portal, businesses can ensure continuous service without the need for constant manual intervention. From order processing to data updates, automation streamlines workflows, reduces the risk of errors, and guarantees that essential tasks are executed promptly. The result? A portal that operates smoothly around the clock, boosting efficiency and allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine tasks.
3.Real-time Support: The Lifeline for Instant Assistance
In the fast-paced world of B2B transactions, real-time support stands as a beacon of assistance, providing immediate help when it’s needed most. Integrating features like live chat, instant messaging, or AI-powered support bots ensures that users have access to assistance 24/7. Whether it’s resolving queries, troubleshooting issues, or guiding users through complex processes, real-time support transforms the portal into a dynamic, responsive hub. This not only enhances user satisfaction but also minimises downtime, keeping the wheels of business turning seamlessly.
In the realm of 24/7 availability, these key features – mobile responsiveness, automated processes, and real-time support – work in harmony to create a digital environment that transcends time zones and empowers users with the tools they need, whenever they need them. Together, they redefine the concept of constant availability, turning your B2B portal into a reliable partner in the relentless pursuit of business success.
Choosing the right B2B portal means more than just features—it’s about shaping how businesses thrive. In the world of 24/7 availability, three key features stand out.
Imagine a portal that adapts seamlessly to any device, automates tasks for uninterrupted efficiency, and offers instant support when needed. This is the promise of a future-ready B2B portal—where time zones don’t matter, and business happens effortlessly.
As you pick or upgrade your portal, focus on the details that truly matter. Your portal is more than a tool; it’s a partner in your success, connecting, streamlining, and ensuring constant availability becomes a reality. Embrace these features, and step into a future where your B2B interactions are not just smooth but exceptional.
The right customer web portal is not just a tool; it’s a revolution waiting to happen. Are you ready to transform your B2B interactions and unleash the true potential of your business? The journey begins with the right platform. Contact us now to understand more about it.
B2B customer web portals help the organisation to be available to its customers 24/7 through digital transformation, implementing real-time systems, prioritising personalization, diversifying communication channels, ensuring efficient order fulfilment, promoting transparency, and offering self-service options.
Continue reading
An organisational change is always a strategic decision. Before we begin with the change there are so many considerations and questions that an organisation considers to make the right decision.
Moving from the legacy ERP to Dynamics 365 is one of those important decisions which change the working of the organisation at a very large scale. Why ‘Now’ could be the best time to transition from your legacy ERP to Dynamics 365 has several reasons.
The possibility of adopting a new ERP arises first when the organisation is facing challenges with their legacy ERP and a few of those common challenges we have mentioned further:
According to a report by IDC(International Data Corporation), the cloud ERP market is growing at a rate of 8.3% annually, indicating that more organisations are recognizing the benefits of cloud-based ERP solutions like Dynamics 365.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a wide range of cloud-based application services which are suitable to streamline and integrate various aspects of an organisation. These could be sales, marketing, HR, operations, finance etc.
82% of SMEs with less than US$50 million of annual revenue use ERP systems
The Commerce Department defines Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as the companies with employee size ranging from 3 to 250. There were estimated to be approximately 332.99 million SMEs worldwide in 2021.
In the Asia-Pacific region SMEs comprise more than 98% of the number of enterprises. These contribute from about 17% to the national GDP in low-income countries including India to about 40 to 50% in higher-income countries like Malaysia and Singapore.
In Asia, in general, SMEs end up playing an important role in the overall social and economic well-being of their countries. However, when companies reach roughly 100 employees or $10 million in annual revenue, it is found that they outgrow many of the processes and systems that used to work just fine. Sometimes it hits earlier, at $5 million, and sometimes it’s closer to $15 million, but sooner or later, it’s time for scalable systems.
Inventory management by clipboard and spreadsheet becomes unwieldy. Letting sales teams track customers and prospects ad hoc becomes unproductive. To maintain continued growth requires a data-driven approach to marketing. And so it goes, department by department.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are comprehensive software solutions designed to streamline and integrate various business processes, including finance, human resources, supply chain management, and customer relationship management.
Historically, ERP systems were mainly associated with large corporations due to their complexity and cost. However, recent years have seen a notable shift in the adoption of ERP systems among SMEs. The few reasons for such a widespread adoption are:
1. Improved Efficiency and Productivity: One of the primary reasons for the increased adoption of ERP systems among SMEs is the promise of improved efficiency and productivity. By centralising data and automating repetitive tasks, SMEs reduce manual errors, save time, and allocate resources more effectively.
2. Data-Driven Decision Making: The access to real-time data and analytics enabling informed decision-making through ERP systems provides SMEs with a data-driven approach. This helps in identifying growth opportunities, optimising processes, and responding quickly to market changes.
3. Enhanced Customer Experience: In times where customer experience is paramount for all kinds of organisations because of their contribution towards success, reputation and sustainability. With ERP systems, SMEs can better manage customer relationships, track interactions, and provide personalised experiences leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. This leads to a competitive advantage, employee satisfaction, regulatory compliance, revenue growth and cost savings all in the long term.
4. Scalability: As the years pass, a successful business grows and expands in various areas and ERP systems are designed to grow with your business. This scalability is particularly beneficial for SMEs, as they can start with essential modules and add more functionalities as their needs evolve with time.
5. Cost Savings: As an organisation willing to grow, it is important to understand that long-term goals and investments are of greater importance. Contrary to the perception that ERP systems are expensive, they often result in long-term cost savings. Reduced operational inefficiencies, better inventory management, and optimised procurement lead to significant financial benefits.
While the adoption of ERP systems among SMEs offers numerous advantages, it is essential to consider potential challenges to be able to curb them in time.
1. Implementation Costs: While we understand that adoption of ERP systems results in long-term cost savings, its initial implementation is a significant investment and careful budgeting and planning can play a crucial role while choosing and considering various options before the implementation.
2. Change Management: Changes are not always welcome because they bring a certain disruption. Every new change initially is uncomfortable and adapting a new ERP system brings changes in the workflow and processes. It is vital to understand the flow of change and invest in strategies to ensure a smooth transition for their employees.
3. Training and Support: Once the ERP system is adopted in an organisation it is important to maximise its benefits as soon as possible which can be done with adequate training and ongoing support. A major step in this direction could be partnering with experienced ERP providers who make the onboarding process smooth and reduce the scale of disruption caused due to the change. Allocating resources for appropriate training is also vital during the adoption.
ERP systems empower SMEs and level the playing field for them to compete with larger enterprises. While there are challenges, the long-term benefits of an ERP are clear and a strategic plan to invest in them will enable data-driven decision-making and enhance the customer experience.
The statistic that 82% of SMEs with less than $50 million in annual revenue are using ERP systems is a strong indicator of the fact that there is an increased awareness in the industry about the transformative potential of an ERP system and the positive change it brings. As a result, they have adopted these systems to harness these advantages, and this trend is growing.
Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest updates on Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP.
Although Power Apps Portals have been available for some time, we often get asked about what it is and how Portals can be used within an organisation. At Microsoft Build in May 2022, Power Pages also joined the Microsoft Power Platform family as a new standalone product. In the following blog post we will learn about them individually and how they are different from each other. There is more description about the implications and use case scenarios for each of them and how they can make work in and outside an organisation efficient.
What Is Power Apps Portals (Platforms)
Power Apps Portals is a tool that will help you create external-facing websites, like a customer portal or a self-service site for people outside your organisation. It’s used by businesses or organisations that want to give their customers, partners, or anyone outside their company access to specific information or services.
Example: You can use it to build a portal where customers can check their account information, submit support requests, or access resources.
Power Apps offer a good amount of flexibility to design and customise how the portal looks and what it does. You can also control who gets access, making sure only authorised users can use the portal.
Power Pages are a bit like webpages, but they’re created using Microsoft Power Apps. These are typically used internally for your organisation. It’s for people within your organisation who want to build web-style pages to display information or create apps.
Example: You might use Power Pages to create an internal knowledge base, show department-specific data, or build a tool for employees such as ‘Employee Self Service Portal’.
Power Pages are flexible and can be designed to look like a web page or app that fits your organisation’s needs. Since it’s for internal use, you can control who in your organisation can access the Power Pages.
| Parameter | Power Apps | Power Pages |
|---|---|---|
Audience | External users (customers, partners). | Internal users (organisation's employees). |
Purpose | Sharing information and services with the outside world. | For creating content and tools for your organisation's internal use. |
Access Control | Portals are for a broader external audience which has permission or licence to access Power Apps. | You have more control over who can access Power Pages since they're meant for internal use. |
Power Apps Portals:
Power Pages:
To summarise, use of Power Apps Portals and Power Pages depend on your organisation’s specific needs and use cases. Portals are ideal for engaging external stakeholders but require attention to scalability, security, and cost. Power Pages are suited for internal use, promoting knowledge transfer and workflow efficiency, but may require development resources. Both should align with the organisation’s strategic objectives and data security policies.
When should Power Apps be chosen?
When should Power Pages be chosen?
In some cases, an organisation may choose to use both Power Apps Portals and Power Pages to cater to different user groups and requirements. The choice ultimately depends on the organisation’s goals, the nature of its interactions whether internal or external, and the level of customisation and control needed for each scenario. It is advisable to conduct a thorough assessment of the specific use cases and consult with experts to make an informed decision. By leveraging the strengths of both Power Apps Portals and Power Pages, businesses can unlock a comprehensive suite of tools to meet diverse external and internal requirements efficiently.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Software of 2022 is an all encompassing solution. However, combining Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Microsoft Power Platform, and AI Builder with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a comprehensive solution for process automation, data integration, and advanced analytics. This integration can drive operational efficiency, cost savings, improved accuracy, and enhanced customer experiences, ultimately leading to a competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.
What is RPA and how does it help your business?
RPA is a technology involving the use of software bots to automate repetitive tasks in an organisation which usually require human intervention, they mimic the human interaction with digital systems, such as data entry, invoice processing, or interacting with various other applications and systems enabling end to end automation of processes. RPA has gained significant popularity due to its potential to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs and improve accuracy.
Let’s understand what is RPA and how it helps:
To understand better how RPA functions with other tools of Microsoft, let’s understand more about them.
Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools that enables you to build low-code or no-code solutions for your business needs. It allows users to create custom applications, automate workflows, analyse data and integrate various systems.
One of the main components of Power Platform is Power Automate, which is a workflow automation tool that allows you to create workflows that connect various applications and services, both on-premise and in the cloud.
Power Automate also supports RPA through its desktop flows feature, which allows recording and replay actions on your desktop applications. It allows users to create workflows that trigger actions based on specific events of conditions streamlining the business process.
AI Builder is a component of Power Platform that allows adding artificial intelligence capabilities to your workflows without the need of extensive coding or AI expertise. AI Builder provides pre-built models for common scenarios, such as form processing, object detection, prediction, and text classification. You can also create your own custom models using your data and business logic.
By combining RPA and AI Builder, you can create powerful solutions that automate complex processes involving unstructured data and legacy systems like Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. For example, you can use AI Builder to extract information from scanned invoices / receipts, and then use RPA to enter the data into your Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. Or you can use AI Builder to analyse customer feedback, and then use RPA to send personalised emails based on the sentiment.
Our in-house solution supports different modes in RPA Domain, Attended and Unattended. The Attended mode is set up to work alongside humans to automate tasks that require some level of human intervention. Unattended mode is set up where no human intervention is needed and can streamline a fully automated process till the end.
An example of unattended mode is mailing document attachments to a chosen email address and Power Platform processes them from the attachment and completes the process. In this blog, we will further show the solution workflow for the Attended mode.
Step 1: Add correct data source (for e.g., Microsoft Dataverse, Data Lake, SharePoint, etc.).
Step 2: Add attachment control with PDF Viewer on Power Apps to allow users to upload the files.
Step 3: Use Powerapps V2 trigger in Power Automate to process the file further with AI Builder.
After creating Power Apps, create a flow to process the document. This connector allows you to access your Business Central data and actions from Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents. To use this connector, follow these steps:
Step 1: In the whole flow solution, we consumed AI builder (invoice processing), Dataverse, Microsoft Business Central, (optional components like Adaptive Card and Microsoft Teams for approval).
Power Apps and Power Platform is created, now you can get approvals from Manager / authorised personnel over Microsoft Teams:
Step 1: You can use the approvals app in Teams to create, manage, and share approvals from your hub for teamwork. You can quickly start an approval flow from the same place you send a chat, a channel conversation, or from the approval app itself. Just select an approval type, add details, attach files, and choose approvers. Once given, approvers are notified and can review and act on the request. These approvals are triggered directly with the Power Automate infrastructure and do not require a flow with an approvals action.
Step 2: After the document is approved, Power Automate processes the document further and creates the relevant document in Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.
Below is the sample invoice which is uploaded on solution (in Attended mode) / comes as an attachment with the email (Unattended mode):
Uploading the file on Power Apps / Power Portal page:
After approval, the document gets scanned, processed to be made available in Business Central:
Use case 1– To ease data synchronisation and retrieval with Microsoft Business Central, front-line workers will capture an image of a product or an object that has an identifier or a price tag on it.
Use case 2– When a customer expresses their dissatisfaction with the service on ‘X’ (previously twitter), using the service provider’s hashtag, and complains about not being able to access their account or receive any notice of site maintenance, the AI Builder Sentiment analysis model automatically detects the negative sentiment of the tweet and triggers a flow to notify a customer service representative.
Use case 3– To gain insight into how the employees feel about the new HR medical policy, an HR manager conducts a sentiment analysis on the comments they provided in the survey. The analysis shows that the overall sentiment is neutral, but there are some negative comments as well. The manager reviews the negative comments and finds out that many employees are confused or unaware of the benefits of the policy. To address this issue, the manager organises informative sessions where the policy is explained in detail and questions are answered.
Use case 4– The audit staff in charge of the front-line operations capture images of the merchandise on display. A computer vision algorithm finds and counts each item in the image. This data can be integrated with the inventory management system to reflect the current stock.
Use case 5– Using a camera device, a field agent captures an image of a product. The system finds the product and retrieves all the relevant information that was previously entered manually.
Use case 6– One of the major operational costs for businesses is travel and expense (T&E). This cost is also challenging to manage because it involves a lot of manual work and can lead to mistakes. You can simplify this process by uploading a receipt, which will automatically extract the data from the receipt and populate the expense report fields. Moreover, you can streamline the entire extraction process, scanning receipts as they are stored in a central location, and reconcile them with credit card transactions.
In this blog, we understood how the union of Microsoft power platform, AI builder, and Dynamics 365 Business Central have paved the way for a transformative approach to RPA (Robotic Process Automation). These tools integrate and channel the capabilities of low-code development, artificial intelligence, and seamless application connectivity to revolutonise the operational activities for its users.
The automation of the routine-based task frees up human resources for more strategic tasks. The user interface of Power Automate helps in automating workflow without the extensive use of coding. The prebuilt and custom AI models offer intelligent decision-making improving accuracy.
When integrated with Dynamics 365 Business Central, the RPA capabilities become even more potent by improving the interactions between applications, data, and services and achieving automation across supply chains, fiscal management, customer service and beyond.
There must be emphasis on change management and strategic planning as and when the organisations embark on their journey of harnessing the potential of RPA using Microsoft tools. The acceptance of this technology integration businesses can empower their workforce and lay the groundwork for more optimised processes.
Learn more about our RPA solutions at Winspire Solutions. Contact our experts for a demo, licence requirements and further enquiries.
Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest updates on Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP.
ERP vendors are prioritising innovation, security, and user experience to cater to the needs of customers and innovation in businesses worldwide. As organisations continue to embrace digital transformation, the ERP market is well-positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of business management and optimisation
Continue reading
Embracing digital transformation through ERP is essential for modern businesses. This comprehensive guide covers digitisation, digitalisation, ERP selection, customisation, integration, change management, and emerging technologies. Leaders play a pivotal role in driving transformation. Unlock the potential of ERP to enhance operations, collaboration, and growth. Follow us on LinkedIn for updates on Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP.
Continue reading
Integrating Microsoft Power Platform with Business Central optimises operations, enhances decision-making, and boosts efficiency. This powerful combination supports automation, custom applications, and valuable data insights, transforming businesses across industries. For seamless integration and maximum benefits, professional expertise is crucial. Winspire Solutions offers the support you need for successful implementation.
Continue reading