About the client
The client is a leading market research company with over 20 testing facilities across the U.S. and a panel of 400,000 online members. They offer end-to-end research services—from test design and data collection to analysis and actionable recommendations—and serve diverse industries, including fragrance, health and beauty, food and beverages, and household products.
Client challenges
- Outdated system: The client was using Microsoft Solomon (SL) for accounting and project management, but with Microsoft’s support being phased out, they wanted a modern, cloud-based ERP to simplify operations.
- Disconnected systems: Their outdated system lacked integration with project management software, which blocked smooth collaboration between teams.
- Growth issues: The old system could not accommodate new business growth.
- Manual work: Many processes were done manually, leading to mistakes and wasted time.
- Reporting struggles: Generating accurate and timely reports was a significant challenge.
Solution
- Smooth Dynamics 365 Business Central deployment: LevelShift implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to replace legacy systems with a modern, cloud-based ERP that integrates seamlessly with existing Microsoft tools and scales with business growth.
- Custom integrations for real-time data flow: We synchronized Business Central with the client’s project management system, enabling real-time, accurate data exchange and reducing manual data entry across teams.
- Deck Commerce OMS Integration: Integrated Deck Commerce Order Management System (OMS) to automate sales order creation, purchasing processes, and transaction posting to simplify the order-to-cash and procure-to-pay cycles.
- Intelligent pricing via Azure: Connected the client’s homegrown pricing management application to Business Central using Azure, ensuring seamless data sharing and automated pricing updates.
- AP optimization with Continia Document Capture: Implemented Continia Document Capture with intelligent OCR to automate and optimize accounts payable workflows, cutting down on processing time and errors.
- Unified Multi-Entity Management: Enabled Multi-Entity Management (MeM) within Business Central to simplify and centralize operations across multiple companies. This provided unified reporting, faster decision-making, and better control.
- Automated workflows: Business Central’s built-in automation reduces manual touchpoints, minimizes errors, and significantly accelerates financial reporting and operational workflows.
- Training and ongoing support: Our team delivered comprehensive training to ensure smooth user adoption and continued success, empowering the client to fully leverage Business Central’s capabilities for long-term impact.
Benefits
- Faster, more accurate reports: The integrated, streamlined reporting makes the system quicker and more reliable. Decision-makers could now access real-time data to drive smarter decisions.
- Time savings: By automating manual tasks, the client’s teams experienced a 50% reduction in data entry time, thanks to consolidated entity management.
- More manageable growth: As the business expanded, the new system could scale smoothly to meet its growing needs.
- Improved collaboration: Integration between systems improved teamwork and offered up-to-date, synchronized information to all departments.
- Smarter decisions: With quicker access to accurate data and improved workflows, the client’s leadership team could make more informed, strategic decisions faster.
- Accelerated business performance: The aligned teams—finance, project management, and operations—allowed the client to make faster, data-driven decisions.