For small and medium-sized companies, having a business management tool that can adapt to their needs and provide customized solutions is vital, so it is important to know what Business Central is.

A familiar product with a totally new approach

To understand what Business Central (Dynamics Business Central in its official nomenclature) is, it is important to know that it does not come to the market as a new product. It is the evolution of another that has more than thirty years of experience and the guarantee of being a reference in the business sector: Navision, from Microsoft.

This ensures the speed and performance you would expect from a world-class business management tool. One that provides the operational know-how needed to turn any business project into reality.

The keys to Business Central

Now that we know the starting point, it is time to discover the advantages and strengths of this integrated management system.

For starters, Business Central offers operational flexibility that allows for both on-premise and cloud deployments. In the latter case, it also offers data protection with automatic encryption through the use of Microsoft data centers. It is also easily customizable and scalable and can be used anywhere and on any device.

With full integration with Microsoft 365, Business Central accelerates reporting, cycle times and financial closings. In addition, it offers work areas and role-based workflow guidance.

Finally, it makes it possible to predict sales from historical data and visualize data in real time thanks to integrated business intelligence resources.

Warehouse management is covered

One of the most relevant utilities of Business Central is the possibility of configuring storage locations and zones (including shelves) in the same application. In this way, the organization of the facilities is improved. The warehouses also come under the umbrella of the application, allowing the use of templates to determine the best location for the items.

All these functionalities optimize space and collection processes, and also speed up shipments and reduce conflicts in transit. In addition to this, it is also possible to maintain effective stock control, track orders, make estimates for replenishment of goods or calculate manufacturing resources.

Finally, by integrating CRM and ERP functions, Business Central offers greater efficiency between the sales department and the warehouse. It is now possible to transform the initiatives originated in the CRM into real orders in an ERP.

A place for each function, and each function in its place

Thanks to the powerful tool that is Business Central, each area has its own specific sections and functions. In this way, the financial department can visualize the company’s accounting data, connect purchasing, sales, inventory or transaction data. It is also capable of producing graphs and statistics in real time.

Sales specialists can manage service requests and maintain full control from quotation to final payment. The system allows you to prioritize customers and track interactions with them.

Finally, project managers can manage a variety of tasks, including planning, monitoring and deadlines.

Business Central is, in short, a tool that brings together the key functionalities that any SME needs in a single software that is also intuitive and user-friendly.

Better with some help

As we have seen, Business Central is a powerful business management software dedicated especially to small and medium-sized companies that includes endless possibilities. For that reason, due to its potential and its high capacity for customization, it is strongly recommended to count on the help of an IT consultancy. This will help to avoid risks when transferring the database and will make it possible to exploit the full potential of the tool.

The possibility of adding functionalities with PowerApps or its full integration with the Microsoft suite (which allows you to work with documents or invoices in Word or process orders without leaving Outlook) opens up a range of possibilities that a specialist will help you make the most of.