Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and CRM Implementation
How a UK-Based Global Manufacturer Rebuilt Its Operational Core and Scaled with Confidence Using Microsoft Dynamics 365
A Crux of the Case Story
This story captures how a UK-based global manufacturer moved from an ageing and limiting ERP environment to a connected, cloud-based ecosystem. By replacing fragmented workflows with a unified system, the business gained better control over operations, improved visibility across its warehouse environment, and created a scalable foundation for future growth and automation. This 360-degree transformation carried out by Dynamics Square also strengthened alignment between its ERP platform and existing automated warehouse operations powered by HikRobots.
Business Overview
Founded in 1925, this century-old organisation operates as a diversified enterprise with a strong presence across hardware, manufacturing, retail, and specialist product segments. Its operations are anchored in a 140,000 sq. ft facility, structured into four key divisions: trade distribution, equestrian products, garden centre-focused offerings, and a specialised manufacturing unit.
Operationally, the business blends manufacturing capability with distribution scale. Its in-house factory handles key processes such as cutting, cropping, and chamfering, while specialised activities like plating, galvanising, and welding are managed through subcontractors. A dedicated pre-pack department converts bulk inventory into retail-ready packaging, ensuring alignment with merchant and consumer expectations.
To support its wide product range and high-volume operations, the business has built a strong operational backbone, including an automated warehouse powered by 15 HikRobots. This level of investment reflects both scale and ambition. However, while physical operations had evolved, the digital systems supporting them had not kept pace.
The company relied on OrderWise to manage sales, customer service, accounts, and warehouse operations. As the business expanded across channels, geographies, and product lines, the need for a more capable and future-ready system became clear. To resolve this, the organisation got associated with Dynamics Square.
What are The
Business Challenges
Growth brought complexity, and with it came operational friction. The existing system began to show limitations that affected both efficiency and decision-making.
What the Business Needed
At this stage, the business required more than an upgrade. It needed a central system that could unify operations while preserving the strengths it had already built.
- A modern, cloud-based ERP platform to replace OrderWise
- A single source of truth to manage workflows across finance, sales, warehouse, and customer service
- Seamless integration with existing systems, including HikRobots, couriers, EDI, and e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, and eBay
- Advanced inventory tracking with real-time visibility
- Warehouse barcoding capabilities to improve accuracy and efficiency
- Multi-company consolidation to manage multiple legal entities effectively
- A stronger and more intuitive CRM system to support customer engagement
Business Objectives
The leadership team defined a set of focused objectives to guide the transformation.
Implement a centralised system to streamline and connect all business operations
Automate financial reporting, budgeting, and approval processes
Reduce manual administrative effort across departments
Enable employees with access to real-time, self-service information for better decision-making
Create a flexible system that can adapt to future business changes
Leverage secure, cloud-based infrastructure to support scalability and resilience
Solutions Proposed by Dynamics Square
Dynamics Square designed a solution that aligned with both the scale and complexity of the business’ operations. The focus was on building a connected ecosystem rather than implementing isolated tools.
Core ERP Implementation: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central was selected as the central platform to unify finance, operations, and supply chain processes.
Finance and Operations
- Automated financial reporting and budgeting
- Approval workflows to streamline internal processes
- Multi-entity consolidation for UK and international operations
Inventory and Supply Chain
- Advanced inventory tracking with real-time visibility
- Improved stock accuracy and planning capabilities
- Custom container tracking to strengthen supply chain control
Customer Engagement: Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Insights - Journeys
To strengthen customer relationships and marketing capabilities, Dynamics Square introduced:
- Dynamics 365 Sales for structured customer and pipeline management
- Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys for campaign management and customer engagement
- A more intuitive CRM experience aligned with modern business needs
Warehouse and Mobility: Tasklet Mobile WMS Integration
To enhance warehouse efficiency and accuracy:
- Barcode-driven warehouse operations
- Real-time stock movement tracking
- Seamless integration with existing HikRobotics automation
E-commerce and Integration Ecosystem
A critical part of the solution was maintaining and strengthening integrations across platforms:
- Shopify Plus B2B integration for e-commerce operations
- Connectivity with Amazon and eBay marketplaces
- EDI and courier integrations for smooth order processing and fulfilment
- Synchronisation with Hik Robotics for warehouse automation
Customisations and Enhancements
To address specific operational needs:
- Custom container tracking functionality developed by Dynamics Square
- Defined sales order picking rules to improve fulfilment efficiency
Implementation and Delivery Approach
Dynamics Square followed a structured delivery model to ensure smooth transition and adoption:
- Detailed requirement analysis aligned with business workflows
- Phased implementation to minimise disruption
- Data migration and validation from legacy systems
- User training to ensure confidence and adoption
- Post go-live support to stabilise operations
Results and Impact: What This Transformation Means
With the new system in place, the business began to experience measurable improvements across operations.
Elimination of over £32,000 in costs associated with legacy systems
Projected 162% ROI over three years
System payback expected within the first year
Operational flow improved by an average of 8%
Avoidance of hiring 1.5 full-time resources in finance and operations
Enhanced visibility into stock levels, improving planning and fulfilment accuracy
Improved warehouse control and reduced manual dependency
Improved access to reporting and operational data
Enabled stronger customer engagement capabilities through integrated CRM and marketing tools
Why This Case Matters and Future Prospects
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