Modules and Features in Dynamics 365 Business Central
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central stands as a powerful all-in-one business management solution designed specifically for small to medium-sized enterprises. As the evolution of what was formerly known as Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Business Central represents Microsoft’s latest Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) offering that brings together your entire business operation in one unified platform.
At its core, Business Central enables you to connect and manage your financials, sales, service, and operations in a single, intuitive system. The platform integrates seamlessly with familiar Microsoft applications such as Word, Outlook, and Excel, allowing you to work within interfaces your team already knows and trusts.
What truly sets Business Central apart is its ability to break down operational silos within your organisation. By automating tasks and workflows across departments, the system creates a cohesive business environment where information flows freely between previously disconnected areas. Furthermore, the platform delivers actionable insights through connected data and business analytics, powered by Microsoft’s intelligent technologies.
Business Central operates entirely in the cloud, offering you the flexibility to access your business data from anywhere, using any device with an internet connection. This cloud-based approach ensures greater scalability, improved security, and enhanced data protection compared to traditional on-premises solutions.
The platform has demonstrated impressive results for businesses that implement it. Studies show organisations achieve an average 265% return on investment over three years, with the system typically paying for itself within just six months. Additionally, businesses report freeing their teams from approximately 15.6% of manual work through Business Central’s automation capabilities.
Business Central is designed to evolve alongside your company. Getting started is quick and straightforward, and the flexible platform makes it easy to adapt and extend beyond basic functionality as your business needs change over time. With real-time data access, you can make better-informed decisions, improve efficiency, and ultimately drive increased profitability across your organisation.
Modules
Business Central offers a comprehensive set of modules that work together to form a complete business management solution. Each module addresses specific operational areas, allowing you to implement only what your business needs.
Financial management
The financial management module serves as the backbone of Business Central, enabling you to manage accounting, sales invoices, and budgeting. You can apply incoming payments directly to related customer invoices and automatically reconcile accounts. Moreover, the system provides recommendations on when to pay vendors to maximise discounts and avoid penalties. With tagging capabilities for entries, you’ll enjoy quicker categorisation and analysis of financial data.
Supply chain management
This module handles your inventory across multiple locations such as distribution centres, warehouses, and retail outlets. It allows you to track inventory as it moves between locations and account for the value of goods in transit. Purchase order management features help you manage purchases, blanket orders, and streamline procurement processes.
Sales & Marketing
The sales and marketing capabilities enable you to maintain detailed contact information, organise campaigns, and track sales opportunities through different stages. Indeed, you can negotiate special pricing agreements with customers, prioritise leads based on revenue potential, and manage the entire sales process from opportunity to invoice.
Manufacturing
For businesses that produce goods, this module streamlines production with features like supply planning, demand forecasting, and capacity planning. You can manage work centres and machine centres at different levels, while finite loading ensures workloads remain manageable. The system supports both basic assembly and complex manufacturing requirements.
Reporting, Analytics, BI
Business Central provides real-time insights through built-in Power BI integration, allowing you to chart performance on customisable dashboards. Excel integration makes financial analysis straightforward, while built-in Cortana Intelligence helps predict cash flow accurately.
Warehouse management
The warehouse capabilities help manage items at bin level with optimised picking and putting away processes. This module connects workflows, automates tasks, and provides visibility into inventory performance and profitability.
Project Management
This module helps you manage projects from beginning to end, tracking resources, timelines and budgets for both internal and client initiatives.
Service Management
Service management features help you register after-sales issues, maintain service contracts, and manage service items. You can record service levels, response times, and track the history of each contract. The system also supports dispatching by managing service personnel information according to availability and skills.
Explanation of each modules and their features very shortly
Each Dynamics 365 Business Central module comes packed with powerful features designed to streamline your business operations. Let’s explore what makes these business central modules truly exceptional.
Financial Management in Business Central goes beyond basic accounting by offering automated payment reconciliation. You can automatically apply incoming payments to invoices and receive smart recommendations for vendor payments to maximise discounts. Particularly useful is the tagging system for quicker financial analysis and budget control capabilities.
Supply Chain Management excels at handling inventory across multiple locations. The system meticulously tracks items as they move between sites, accounting for in-transit inventory value. Warehouse features include bin-level management with optimised picking processes that connect workflows and eliminate manual tasks.
Within Sales & Marketing, you’ll find robust tools for campaign organisation based on contact segments. The system excels at opportunity tracking through customisable sales stages. Notably, you can post sales directly from Outlook and send invoices with PayPal links for expedited payments.
Manufacturing capabilities support both simple and complex production requirements. The module effectively handles supply planning, demand forecasting, and capacity management across different machine centres. Finite loading ensures work centres are never overassigned beyond their capacity.
The Reporting and Analytics tools provide instant visibility through seamless Microsoft Excel integration. Users can create custom KPI analyses on general ledger data and view real-time performance dashboards through Power BI integration.
Project Management features allow you to create detailed job costings while tracking resource usage and availability. Together with effective budget controls, these tools ensure profitable project delivery.
Service Management enables comprehensive tracking of after-sales issues, contract management, and service item histories. The dispatching system efficiently manages service personnel based on availability, skills, and stock items—ensuring optimal service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Essentially, d365 business central modules work harmoniously to provide a complete business management solution tailored to your specific needs.
