There’s no doubt that D365 F&O is powerful – we’d be the first to tell you this. But, for many businesses, its native document management capabilities don’t go far enough. Complex document creation and distribution processes that require developers, dealing with large volumes of data, endless formatting issues and data silos – all of these problems hinder productivity, lead to delivery issues and generally act as a thorn in your business’s side.
Dene Palmer, ERP Mechanics’ UK Business Director, sees organizations making similar mistakes in document management. Explaining what he sees the most, he said, “Underestimating their output and distribution requirements, and thinking they will get by with an ‘out of the box’ solution.”
These mistakes have serious consequences for ERP rollouts. “This inevitably leads to projects being paused and reviewed mid-flight, causing delays, frustration and an increase in costs. It’s important to fully understand your total scope of requirements upfront, to ensure you only have to undertake a single, smooth-running project,” he said.
One of the best things you can do to limit the roadblocks you meet in your D365 F&O implementation is to put a solid document management strategy in place – from day one.
Why Integrate Document Management Software into D365 F&O?
Relying on out-of-the-box functionality creates the exact bottlenecks Dene warned about. Integrating document management software with robust features ensures your project runs smoothly and that your busy team avoids the common pitfalls of manual document handling. D365 document management software:
Reduces reliance on developers
SSRS reporting is a major bottleneck for many D365 users because it’s inherently developer-centric – even small changes require developer input. Integrating document management software hands back control to non-technical users, particularly if the tool you choose offers low or no-code document designers and templates that let them create and manage documents easily.
This shifts your developer’s focus away from adding logos and editing data fields to the many other tasks on their to-do lists. Alternatively, if you rely on external developers, embracing document management software designed for non-technical users frees up more of your IT budget.
Eliminates data silos
Data silos are a problem in almost every organization, costing businesses an average of $3.1 trillion annually in lost revenue and productivity. Duplication, inefficiencies and lots of missed business opportunities eat into your revenue. For example, when documents are isolated, eight in 10 workers admit to recreating existing files simply because they can’t locate the originals – if this happens to employees even a few times a week, you’ve got a major productivity drain on your hands.
Integrating document management software (like Lasernet) from day one solves this problem by creating a centralized hub where metadata makes files easily retrievable, effectively establishing a much-needed single source of truth for your organization.
Enables omnichannel delivery
With a centralized hub in place, you reap the benefits of ‘one-to-many’ distribution – a single process can create a PDF, email a customer, update a portal and send a print job in just a couple of clicks. Document management software handles various formats, including XML and CSV, without forcing teams to juggle multiple systems. Automating document delivery saves teams many hours of work each week and removes the manual handling that inevitably leads to errors.
Increases ROI
Moving beyond D365 F&O’s standard document capabilities directly improves your bottom line by removing the need for costly, sometimes external, developers. Businesses achieve faster time-to-value with pre-built templates and can handle higher document volumes without increasing the number of employees needed to process them.
One of the biggest pros of integrating document management software into D365 F&O is the substantial reduction in human error, which prevents compliance mistakes and shipping errors that harm profitability.
Lasernet: D365 F&O Document Software You Can Rely On
Lasernet is the ideal choice for D365 F&O because, from day one, it solves the output and distribution gap, and this prevents the mid-project pauses and cost increases Dene warned against.
Why Lasernet specifically?
Unlike some document management software that can feel like disjointed bolt-ons, Lasernet offers its users a smooth experience that enhances D365 F&O’s capabilities.
Embedded inside F&O
One of the biggest hurdles with introducing new software is getting your team to use it. The good news is that, with Lasernet, users work entirely within the familiar D365 F&O environment. There’s no need to learn a completely new interface or switch between applications, and this drives higher adoption rates.
Richer, consolidated documents (without extra work)
SSRS reports can look basic because they’re limited to the data on hand. Lasernet, on the other hand, allows you to access real-time data directly from the ERP and easily merge it with data from other systems, such as CRMs or legacy systems. The result is richer, more professional-looking documents that contain everything your customers and clients expect.
Updates without the developers or downtime
In SSRS (and in some document management software tools), making a small change to a document can require a productivity-killing, doubly-whammy: developer input and downtime. Lasernet solves this problem with drag-and-drop tools that allow you to update documents without downtime.
Track emails with read receipts
Most ERPs leave you in the dark once you hit send, making it impossible to know whether documents like involves and delivery queries reach their destinations. Lasernet closes this gap by adding built-in tracking and read receipts, giving you an auditable trail to follow. You get the peace of mind that comes with proof of delivery and the confidence that your documents are reaching the right people.
Reduce risk with document previews
There is always a twinge of anxiety when sending automated documents. What if there’s a spelling mistake? Or what if it contains the wrong information? Lasernet removes that risk by letting you preview documents before they are sent, giving you the confidence that everything is in order.
Flexible output and distribution
Lasernet lets you send documents to multiple channels simultaneously. You could generate a PDF for an email, an XML file for a supplier and a physical print copy for the warehouse – all in just a few clicks. As Roger Cruz, Practice Lead at ERP Mechanics, put it, “It works with any ERP system that can generate text, CSV/XLSX, PDF, JSON, or XML as the output stream and can deliver results to modern streams, such as printer, fax, email, EDI, FTP/SFTP, HTTP Post and SharePoint.”
ERP Mechanics: D365 F&O and Lasernet Expertise in One Place
We’re ERP Mechanics – a managed IT services company delivering better results for our customers than a traditional consultancy. We support both Microsoft partners and end users in cutting costs and reducing risks on D365 F&O and Lasernet projects.
But what makes us different? We’re driven by deep expertise, reliability and partnerships that deliver tangible value to our clients and partners. Essentially, we’re the ultimate team player for whatever Dynamics 365 F&O or Lasernet project you may have.
Keen to put a solid document management strategy in place from day one of your D365 F&O implementation? Contact us today to make sure your project goes off without a hitch.