Digital transformation is in full force or on the horizon for many distribution companies.
Cloud-based solutions empower distributors to drive productivity by improving customer service, purchasing and inventory efficiencies, sales and more. They allow access to business ecosystems and data anytime from anywhere – securely. And the insights distributors gain from real-time data fuel critical business decisions for the present and future.
Top distributors are already benefiting from upgrading and leveraging their technology in the pursuit of digital transformation – and they’re getting noticed.
Which Microsoft solutions should you consider to transform and elevate your distribution business? That depends on your top priorities.
If You Want Access Anywhere, Anytime – Even Through a Power Outage
Connect your infrastructure in the Cloud for a unified, collaborative and accessible ecosystem with Microsoft Azure. The Cloud platform grants users access from anywhere whenever they need it, provides world-class security benefits and allows better business continuity.
If the power goes out, for instance, your infrastructure doesn’t go down with it. And your Azure environment will always have the latest updates for security and performance.
Want Real-Time Visibility to Flex with Change?
Move your supply chain processes and management into a distribution ERP like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, which gives distributors real-time visibility to make the right decisions for the moment.
D365 Supply Chain Management provides insights that help distributors improve and optimize operations across their business, from planning to inventory, warehousing and logistics. Data can be applied to preventative planning and more accurate forecasting. Improving the service distributors provide leads to better customer experiences and ultimately increased revenue
If You Want to Leverage Your Data and Analytics for Smart Decision-Making
Look to Microsoft Power Platform. You can enhance operations and forecasting with actionable insights and capabilities. Advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can help distributors respond to current customer demands and identify opportunities to improve operational efficiencies by leveraging their data.
Power Platform includes tools like Power BI, Power Apps and Power Automate.
- Power BI provides insights in easy-to-consume dashboards that are accessible at any time to make strategic decisions.
- Use Power Apps to develop applications to improve operations and better serve customers.
- Deploy Power Automate to reduce busywork.
Best of all, these tools are incredibly user-friendly, and anyone on your team can get comfortable using them in no time.
How Can You Empower Your Sales Teams and Enhance Customer Experiences?
Implement a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales. A CRM that genuinely performs and is actionable for sales professionals is essential to effective sales.
With Dynamics 365 Sales, distributors gain actionable, centralized information they can use to target the best leads with the right approach, change tack where needed and find new business opportunities. Thanks to a CRM powered by AI and machine learning, salespeople can respond to changing customer needs and implement cross-selling and upselling techniques based on purchase behaviors and journeys.
Want Better Control and Visibility of Your Finances?
Let go of outdated tools and processes by launching a solution that can help increase profitability and reduce unnecessary spending, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance.
Financial visibility is critical for distributors to make the best decisions for their businesses. D365 Finance gives distributors the ability to make strategic improvements to enhance performance and reduce busy work. They can close financials faster, more accurately and more efficiently by identifying processes that waste time and money and reducing bottlenecks.
Distributors can also make more accurate predictions about their finances and make better inventory and warehouse management decisions. Other features such as automation, project management, budgeting, planning and analysis enable distributors to optimize their resources, profitability, cash flow and more.
Are You Ready to Remove System Silos?
Stop fixing departmental issues one by one and instead create harmony for improved everything with a Cloud-based ERP. Distributors can integrate their current solutions, processes and operations into one easy-to-access, secure and collaborative location – and be prepared to scale as their business grows.
A suitable ERP can depend on several factors, including the number of users and the complexity of your operations. While Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management is the enterprise-level option offering all the bells and whistles at a higher price point, D365 Business Central may be a better option for small to midsized businesses, with right-sized functionality for smaller budgets.
Whichever option a distributor chooses, an ERP gives them the tools to grow their revenue by improving operations, untangling kinks in their processes, identifying risks and opportunities, providing anytime-access to real-time data and insights, and more.
Implement the Right Solution and Customizations with an Experienced Microsoft Partner
ERP implementation partners like Enavate help distributors meet – and exceed – their expectations for technology. They help identify the ideal options for your business needs and budget. And they can customize and optimize those solutions so you can leverage every benefit, leaving zero gaps and surpassing your objectives.
When you’re vetting a Microsoft partner, or any software partner for that matter, prioritize traits like industry expertise, years of experience, proven success and a business-minded strategic (even out-of-the-box) approach.
Distributors enjoy working with us because we fit these qualifications and because of our expertise in the wholesale distribution industry. Connect with one of our distribution industry experts to discuss whether Microsoft solutions will build the path to digital transformation for your business.
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