Managed service providers (MSPs) need to offer solutions that not only meet the needs of their clients but also provide significant value. For manufacturing clients, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a powerful tool that can streamline operations, improve efficiency and drive growth.
Manufacturing businesses in particular need centralized and harmonized visibility over their entire organization. If there’s a sudden spike in demand for a product, for example, they’ll need to know their current inventory while being able to adjust production on other products. Clear, easy visibility of key data matters in this kind of business.
MSPs have an opportunity to leverage Business Central as a starting point and get more clients in the manufacturing sector. Here are some actionable strategies for MSPs to attract more manufacturing clients using Business Central.
How to highlight the benefits of Business Central for manufacturing clients
Manufacturing clients are always looking for ways to optimize their operations and reduce costs. Business Central offers a range of features that can help them achieve these goals. When speaking to potential manufacturing clients, conduct a thorough needs assessment to understand their pain points.
Then emphasize how Business Central can streamline operations, control inventory and improve cash flow specifically in manufacturing businesses. For example, Business Central’s built-in intelligence helps predict stock levels and suggest substitutes, preventing costly slip-ups.
MSPs may run into some pushback from small clients who say, “I run a small warehouse. I don’t need fancy software to get my work done.” But no business is too small for a solution that will help it be more efficient. To succeed in today’s competitive market, MSPs have to be faster and sharper than the guy down the street.
Whether a client is a small 10-person warehouse or a larger operation of 50 employees, Business Central can help manufacturing clients streamline their workflow and allow get more work done. According to Founder Jar, 95% of manufacturers said an ERP helped improve business operations. Here are some of the ways this solution will make a manufacturing company more efficient.
The benefits of business central for manufacturing clients
Better inventory control
Consider this scenario. A company manufactures office furniture. They’ve got a big order coming up for a new series of corporate offices, when suddenly they realize there are three desks missing from the production order. The person who did the last inventory check forgot to adjust the numbers. The company has to ship this order tomorrow, and they don’t have time to do a quick turnaround. This is a nightmare that could sacrifice a large contract or dampen the company’s stellar reputation.
The best way to deal with this problem is to prevent it in the first place. Business Central has built-in intelligence that will helps predict when stock is running low and which items a company will need to replenish. It’ll even suggest substitutes if the components needed are out of stock. By having a real-time view of inventory, clients will be in a better position to plan for future orders and avoid slip-ups that could cost them a lot of money and jeopardize future business. Business Central is an excellent solution to offer clients as an MSP partner to avoid these kinds of costly mistakes.
Streamlined operations
Having all production data in one place means everyone in a company—such as accountants, production managers, and sales people—can view it in real time. And they can take appropriate action that could save the company a lot of money.
For example, a client’s production managers can monitor progress on the production floor and let the purchasing and finance departments know if they need more raw materials. Sales forecasts prepared by the sales team can be generated into production plans and used later to create orders.
When clients centralize data this way, it gives every department a bird’s-eye view of the design, production status, quality control and inventory of their operations. The result? All procedures are coordinated to make the entire manufacturing process a lot smoother.
Synchronized data
One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is trying to predict market demand and analyze the reams of data they have about their customers. Business Central collects important data about your clients’ supply chain, production, inventory, customer behavior, and in-market product performance. This makes it easier for a company’s employees to meet their customers’ needs.
Having more information about customer behavior and product usage allows companies to deliver better products and services. When clients can close the gaps between back-end departments, they can improve existing business processes and develop new ones that are more efficient and effective.
Stay connected with mobile devices
A report by the Gist Blog shows that 32% of employees around the world rely on more than one mobile device during their typical workday. Some functions may need to have team members travel for work. While they’re on the road, they need access to their tools so they can close deals and build relationships in real time. Because Business Central is based in the cloud, it makes working from anywhere at any time using mobile, tablet, or laptop. This means clients can work on customer quotes while they’re on the way to a client’s office, check their inventory while having lunch at a favorite restaurant, or even follow the progress of a big production order while sitting on the subway—all with just a few clicks.
Improve cash flow
The way a company processes its invoices can really affect their cash flow. If a business relies on manual processes, it’s leaving itself open to human error. It also lengthens the order-to-cash cycle, the time it takes from processing the order to finally getting paid. Business Central lets MSP clients automate their cash flow procedures so they can reduce the time spent on account receivables. They’ll need fewer people to process invoices, which means these workers can focus their attention on more important tasks. In the end, a client’s company will be more productive and efficient.
AI-guided insights
Staying ahead of the competition not only requires efficient operations but also intelligent insights and proactive decision-making. With Copilot for Microsoft 365 in Business Central, clients can get answers quickly and gain better insights from their data. Copilot leverages the power of AI to provide real-time insights and recommendations, helping clients make informed decisions faster. Whether it’s predicting stock levels, suggesting substitutes, or providing a comprehensive view of their operations, Copilot ensures that clients have the information they need at their fingertips. By integrating Copilot AI into Business Central 365, manufacturing SMBs can empower their workers with intuitive AI tools that boost creativity and save time.
Ready to offer Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to your MSP clients? An experienced partner can help
Business Central is an excellent choice for manufacturing SMBs looking for a comprehensive, cost-effective solution to solve operational challenges and streamline their workflow.
As an award-winning Microsoft cloud solution provider partner, Sherweb has years of experience helping MSPs make the best choice for their clients. Reach out to us to start a conversation, or check out our partner guide for more information about how we can help your business grow.
