The challenge
A prominent UK-based media organisation faced mounting challenges with its legacy financial system. The platform was outdated, unsupported, and demanded excessive staff time to manage. Manual processes, poor integration, and unreliable data led to frequent errors and inaccuracies, undermining the finance team’s confidence in their reporting.
The system’s lack of extensibility meant it couldn’t adapt to the evolving needs of the business. Integration with other business-critical systems and Office 365 apps was limited, making collaboration and security a constant concern. As the organisation grew, these issues became more pronounced, exposing the business to financial risk and inefficiency.
The finance team needed a solution that would:
- Reduce the time and cost spent on system maintenance.
- Improve data integrity and reporting accuracy.
- Integrate seamlessly with other business systems and Microsoft 365 apps.
- Provide better visibility into cash flow and liabilities.
- Enable automation and process optimisation to support growth.
The solution
Partnering with a specialist Microsoft implementation partner, the organisation migrated from its on-premises finance system to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. This move unlocked the full benefits of the Microsoft cloud, including reduced costs, regular upgrades, enhanced security, and lower risk.
They benefitted from a solution that had
Tailored integration
Business Central was tightly integrated with the organisation’s media buying system, ensuring that finance processes aligned with the unique needs of the team.
Customisation for media finance
The partner extended Business Central to include media-related fields and data, supporting campaign management and client billing.
Sequential liability process
A new process was designed to streamline the timing of cash receipts and vendor payments, bridging the gap between client receivables and vendor invoicing. This reduced financial exposure and improved cash flow management.
Power BI cash flow reporting
A custom Power BI report provided timely, accurate insights into liabilities and cash flow, enabling the finance team to manage expectations between clients and vendors.
Fully migrated and up to date
Five years of historical financial data were mapped and migrated from the old system, ensuring continuity and completeness.
The new platform delivered better controls, improved processes, and higher data quality. Automation replaced manual spreadsheet and email-based workflows, freeing up the finance team to focus on strategic tasks.
The results
The migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central delivered immediate and lasting benefits:
- Lower TCO: The organisation cut the time and money spent maintaining legacy systems, redirecting resources towards process improvement and business growth.
- Better financial controls: The Sequential Liability process and related dashboards provided clear visibility into the relationship between client payments and vendor obligations, greatly mitigating financial risk.
- Enhanced reporting: Power BI cash flow reports offered granular insights at the client and project level, helping the team manage expectations and make informed decisions.
- Increased efficiency: Automation and integration eliminated manual processes, allowing the finance team to operate more efficiently and accurately.
- Greater employee satisfaction: The finance team reported a significant improvement in their day-to-day experience, with streamlined workflows and reduced frustration.
Plus there was ongoing optimisation: The organisation continues to enhance the platform, automating more processes and unlocking new efficiencies.
As the SVP of Technology explained:
“The strength, usability, and potential of Dynamics Business Central initially surprised us. The real key has been expanding the solution to address things that were previously managed via spreadsheets and email. The processes we’ve moved on platform are unlocking new automations and greatly help us meet our needs and mitigate financial exposure. An unexpected and happy outcome has been a big increase in employee satisfaction within the Finance team as their day-to-day experience has improved.”
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What's next?
Is your business ready to modernise its financial operations, reduce risk, and empower your finance team? Discover how Dynamics 365 Business Central can transform your organisation with seamless integration, automation, and powerful reporting.
Enquire today to learn more about Dynamics 365 Business Central and how it can help your business achieve its goals.