Not that we are happy with Corona, but it can no longer be denied that this pandemic brutally exposed the pain points of the archaic workplace - as opposed to the modern workplace. Who doesn't know that? Frustrations about cumbersome processes in various ERP, CRM and other applications that are not or only half-heartedly connected?
How many companies work with separate applications in their daily business? An invoicing package (whether or not via Excel), a stock management system, sometimes a CRM application, Outlook for the mails, etc., often without these systems communicating with each other. Often these systems do not communicate with each other. Moreover, there is also a lot of outdated software in use. This 'legacy software' is not only inefficient, but usually not secure either. The annual (!) updates are also very expensive.
Renewal or update of business software is often postponed due to fear of the complexity of this process and reluctance to renew something that 'works' - even if it is inefficient, insecure and expensive.
The more mobile way of working that Corona has brought with it, has made us realise that a modern workplace and ditto software are important. And not only that: security is increasingly an issue and most entrepreneurs have now understood that those who are not up to speed with a modern, efficient workplace can very quickly be outcompeted by a young, dynamic and agile player.
Microsoft's digital ecosystem
Many companies recognize the challenges related to their enterprise software and are looking for an integrated platform. They want a modern workplace where people can work from home as well as from the office, a workplace that is efficient and safe. Information about customers, sales, stocks, invoicing, ... All data must be integrated and up to date and at the right time quickly, easily and securely accessible to the right people. This high level of integration and security are exactly the major assets of the Microsoft technology.
Microsoft Power Platform
Both Office 365 as the business applications Dynamics 365 are built on the MS Power Platform, which operates entirely in the cloud. Dynamics 365 consists of several components:
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralAn ERP with all financial and operational parts such as accounting, purchase, sales, stock, project management, production, service, etc.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales: A CRM for all your commercial activities.
Those are the two most known, but don't forget Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Dynamics 365 Marketing, Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 Project Operations and Dynamics 365 HR! All these components offer process optimizations that can make a world of difference for different types of companies. Take for example D365 Field service. This application takes care of the follow-up of the service activities by automatically scheduling your service engineers and offering them the work order on their smartphone or tablet. They enter the working hours and the materials used on the work order. They can even use a Hololens, with which they can not only call up the work order, but also the plans or diagrams of the equipment they have to work on.
All of this is naturally integrated with the Office applications such as Sharepoint, Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Office 365, your documents and data are always up-to-date, accessible to the right people, and you can optimise and digitise your business processes.
Pleasure for customers, colleagues & yourself
Investing in modern business software is therefore no longer a matter of having a tool with which your employees can manage their work. It is a matter of making your company more competitive, optimising your business processes, letting your people enjoy their work, and keeping your IT environment secure and technologically up to date. And last but not least: give you as a manager or business owner important insights! In short, investing in modern business software is an essential step towards a modern workplace.
Get your digitisation up to speed. In an interactive tour, we show the contemporary possibilities of the modern workplace. So you can experience for yourself how well it works!
