Introduction
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a powerful ERP system designed to streamline business operations. While it offers extensive out-of-the-box functionality, many businesses require customisations to align the system with their unique workflows.
Tailoring Business Central to your specific needs can significantly improve efficiency, accuracy, and overall productivity.
We will explore the top Business Central customisations that can help you optimise your processes and enhance productivity.
1. Custom Dashboards and Role Centres
Why It Matters:
Standard Business Central dashboards provide useful insights, but they may not always display the most relevant data for your business.
Different roles within an organisation require different sets of data to make informed decisions.
Without custom dashboards, employees may waste time navigating through multiple screens or generating reports manually.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Reduces time spent searching for information by displaying relevant data upfront
- Provides real-time data visibility to improve decision-making
- Helps decision-makers act quickly based on key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Enhances user experience by providing a streamlined interface tailored to specific roles
Example:
A finance manager can have a custom role centre displaying outstanding invoices, cash flow projections, and financial KPIs at a glance, reducing the need to navigate multiple screens. Similarly, a warehouse manager can see stock levels, pending purchase orders, and expected deliveries in one view.
2. Workflow Automation
Why It Matters:
Many business processes involve repetitive manual tasks that slow down operations and introduce the potential for human error.
Without automation, employees may spend hours on tasks that could be streamlined, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Eliminates manual approvals and data entry, reducing workload
- Reduces processing times for tasks such as purchase order approvals, invoice approvals, and customer onboarding
- Ensures compliance with business rules and reduces human error
- Frees up employees to focus on higher-value activities
Example:
An automated approval workflow can route purchase requests to the appropriate manager based on predefined rules, eliminating delays caused by manual approvals. A retail business can set up automated workflows to notify staff when stock levels reach a critical point, triggering reorders automatically.
3. Custom Fields and Page Extensions
Why It Matters:
Not all businesses use Business Central in the same way. Some require additional fields to track information critical to their operations.
Standard fields may not be sufficient to meet industry-specific or company-specific needs, leading businesses to rely on external spreadsheets, which can create data silos and inconsistencies.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Enables businesses to capture industry-specific data in Business Central
- Improves reporting by including custom fields in key reports
- Reduces reliance on external spreadsheets, ensuring all data is centralised
- Enhances data accuracy and reduces duplication
Example:
A construction company may need custom fields in the sales order page to track project codes and job site locations. A healthcare provider might require custom fields for patient records and billing cycles.
4. Integration with Third-Party Applications
Why It Matters:
Many businesses rely on third-party applications such as CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, payroll software, and industry-specific tools.
Without integration, employees must manually enter data into multiple systems, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and wasted time.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Reduces the need for manual data entry between systems
- Ensures real-time data synchronisation, preventing discrepancies
- Enhances accuracy by eliminating duplicate data entry errors
- Saves time by allowing seamless data flow between different business applications
Example:
An e-commerce business integrating Business Central with Shopify ensures that orders, inventory, and customer details sync automatically, reducing administrative workload. A company using HubSpot for CRM can integrate it with Business Central to maintain up-to-date customer records without manual updates.
5. Custom Reports and Business Intelligence (BI) Tools
Why It Matters:
The standard reporting capabilities in Business Central may not cover all business needs. Businesses often require deeper insights tailored to their operations.
Custom reports and Power BI dashboards help transform raw data into actionable insights, supporting strategic decision-making.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Helps stakeholders make data-driven decisions quickly
- Reduces the time spent compiling reports manually
- Enables real-time performance monitoring to identify trends and opportunities
- Supports compliance by generating accurate financial and operational reports
Example:
A sales director can use a Power BI dashboard integrated with Business Central to track sales performance, trends, and forecasts in real time. A manufacturing company can generate real-time production reports to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
6. Personalised User Permissions and Access Controls
Why It Matters:
Not all employees need access to every part of Business Central. Customising user permissions ensures that team members can only access the information relevant to their role, improving security and usability.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Reduces clutter by limiting users to necessary functionalities
- Enhances security and compliance by restricting access to sensitive data
- Prevents accidental data modifications or deletions
Example:
A warehouse team member should only have access to inventory management features, while finance staff should have access to financial reports. A business can set up permissions to ensure that only authorised users can approve payments or modify contracts.
7. Customised Mobile Access for Field Teams
Why It Matters:
Many businesses have field workers who need real-time access to Business Central while on the go. Without mobile-friendly solutions, remote employees may face delays in updating or retrieving critical business information.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Enables remote employees to update records instantly
- Reduces delays caused by paperwork and manual data entry
- Improves communication between teams
Example:
A field service engineer can update job completion statuses and customer signatures directly from a mobile device, eliminating the need to return to the office for paperwork.
8. CoPilot-Powered AI Insights and Automation
Why It Matters:
Microsoft CoPilot is transforming how businesses use AI within Business Central. CoPilot enhances decision-making, automates repetitive tasks, and provides intelligent recommendations to streamline operations.
How It Improves Productivity:
- Automates demand forecasting and inventory management with predictive analytics
- Identifies patterns in financial transactions to detect fraud and anomalies
- Suggests optimal pricing strategies based on market trends
- Reduces time spent on repetitive manual data entry and reporting
Example:
A finance team can use CoPilot to automate expense categorisation and flag unusual transactions. A sales team can leverage AI-powered insights to identify the best cross-selling opportunities based on customer purchasing patterns.
Conclusion
Business Central is a versatile ERP system, but customising it to suit your specific needs can significantly enhance productivity.
Whether through custom dashboards, automated workflows, integrations, or AI-driven insights, tailoring Business Central ensures that your business operates efficiently and effectively.
Next Steps:
Are you considering Business Central? Or perhaps you have Business Central installed but haven’t customised it to improve it further.
Contact us today to discuss how you can improve productivity with Business Central. Drop us you contact details below and we’ll be in touch.