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Dynamics 365 AP automation with Zahara 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a solid piece of software for an SME that requires something comprehensive. The software offers many of the tools you’d want from business software: accounting and ledger, resource allocation, strong supply chain optimisation. 40,000 users worldwide agree.  

However, if you want to get the most out of the software, you’re going to need to think about Dynamics 365 automation. This can be done through the smart use of ERP integration. In this article we’ll show you just how that works.  

What makes Dynamics 365 strong?   

Financial Management:

Dynamics 365 excels in financial management, providing tools to maintain accuracy, ensure compliance, and support the kind of strategic decision-making that’ll make your business strong. Here are some key features: 

• Cash flow forecasting 

• Accounting and ledger management 

• Budgeting and financial reporting 

• Compliance support 

• Multi-currency support 

Operations Management:

365 supports efficient production and project management so deliveries happen on time and you get the most out of your resources. Features include:  

• Production planning  

• Resource allocation 

• Project management 

• Service order management 

Supply Chain Optimisation:

Robust supply chain software helps businesses optimise inventory and maintain smooth operations. 

• Inventory optimization 

• Procurement management 

• Warehouse management  

• Demand forecasting 

Dynamics 365 also boasts some solid CRM and HR software. Throw in the fact that 365 scales and integrates well and you’re beginning to see why it’s so popular with SMEs: with the correct integrations, you can easily make 365 work the way you need it to, growing alongside your business.  

What’s so important about Dynamics 365 automation? 

While the basic software has plenty to celebrate, a basic version of Dynamics 365 won’t bring the key benefit of modern business software: automation.  

Automation – wherever you deploy it – will reduce manual effort and boost efficiency. If you’re not harnessing tech to automate operations, you’re basically clipping your own wings.    

With Dynamics 365 automation you can get the most out of ERP integrations like Zahara to smooth out snags that are consistent pain points for your business. With our software for example, you can add advanced, multi-step workflows to give you stronger control over who gets to authorize decisions in your business.    

You can integrate other elements to define how your workflows are executed. Stock falls below a certain threshold? You’ll get a notification. A manager is off sick? Approvals can transfer to the second in command.   

The capabilities of good Dynamics 365 integration will reshape your business into a streamlined operation that offers full visibility and control of spends. The lion’s share of these benefits will come from using ERP automation tools to tackle invoice management challenges.  

Invoice management as a pain point   

A major area for accounts payable automation is invoice processing. Traditional methods for handling invoices can be time consuming and rote – that rote, repetitive nature of the game causes errors and delays, snarling up your operations and giving your finance team hell.  

The Pain Point	How automation helps
Errors	As we’ve said above errors come from minds numbed by repetitive work. Automation hands this work over to a machine. That machine handles the task error free. It also frees up your human employee for more valuable, rewarding work.
Delays	We’ve all experienced the month’s end – that time where the paperwork stacks up along with the pressure. Delays caused here disrupt operations.  Because automation will speed up your invoice processing, you can get your suppliers paid on, or ahead of, time. That translates as improved relations. It also means your accounting teams will be less stressed.
Compliance risk	When handling invoices manually, with paper, you open yourself up to risks of losing invoices. This can give you trouble when the tax man comes knocking.   What’s more, because of HMRC’s Making Tax Digital initiative UK businesses must now keep digital records.  Automation will keep you on the right side of the law here.
Inability to scale	Traditional methods of invoice processing are labour intensive, so as your business grows your finance department must grow too. Added costs come hand in hand.  With automated accounts payable you won’t need to hire new hands as your company grows. That growth can be absorbed by the machine’s ability to handle invoices for you.
Limited reporting capabilities	Information helps you make better decisions. With legacy practices you don’t have the full picture. Automated invoice processing will give you a bird’s eye view of the money coming and going from your accounts, all in one place and easy to read.

How Zahara Enhances Dynamics 365  

Zahara is built for seamless integration with all major business software – Dynamics 365 being one of them. Integrating with Zahara boosts the capabilities of your business software to deliver no small amount of savings in both time and money.  

Look back through the table above. Do these pain points look familiar? Zahara is the pain killer.  

How do we do this? With full invoice automation that brings you:  

Multi-step approvals 

Zahara will add further elements to the approval process. With Zahara integrated you’ll be able to assign controls to departments and a wider range of managerial positions. We also add the ability to run approval up the line in situations where, for example, a purchase request might need initial approval from a line manager followed by final approval from a department head. 

Automated notification means your approvers won’t miss a beat. And the visibility Zahara gives you means you can see the process of approvals from the start right to the end, tracking where a request is in the approval process. This transparency creates accountability and helps in speedy resolution of issues. 

Improved invoice processing  

Zahara will polish up your invoice processing. With Zahara you’ll no longer be handling invoices the old way. You will be fully automated. That automation is in place to save you time and money.  

Much of that will come from reducing the risk of human error, but Zahara’s invoice processing software also takes advantage of artificial intelligence and machine reading to make sure every invoice you’re making a payment on isn’t a duplicate or a fraud. It does this by matching invoices to goods received notes and purchase orders with an eye for detail no human could manage. This is known as Three Way Matching, and is the cutting edge of automated invoice processing.  

Compliance benefits  

These days keeping a digital paper trail is part of UK law. Zahara will keep you on track here too. Your automated invoice processing software will keep digital records of invoices and purchase orders as well as detailed audit trails you can roll out when the tax man comes around.  

Turbo-charged payments 

Your suppliers want to be paid on time or early. It’s tough to make that happen using legacy methods. With Zahara boosting Dynamics 365 your payments will be turbo charged. Invoices can be handled on autopilot as soon as they arrive. All you need to do is approve the payment, sit back and watch your supplier relations go from strength to strength.  

Benefits of Combining Zahara with Dynamics 365  

In short, you’ll be tightening the ship – no more leaks. Automated invoice processing will give you improved accuracy when handling invoices, cutting back on duplicate and fraudulent invoices.  

You’ll have more control over who spends money in your business and greater visibility of where that money is being spent. Not to mention the fact you’ll be in a better position to comply with financial regulation and law.  

It will also save your staff time: Your approvers can handle their job with the click of a button and your finance department won’t have to spend their days digging through stacks of paper. They can now use their time to figure new ways of making or saving the business money.  

A word from Zahara 

Ok, so we know we’re not impartial on this, but with decades of experience in the AP automation game, we like to think our opinion counts for something either way.  

Automation is where the future of accounts payable is headed. We’ve talked to death about the time and cost savings, the compliance benefits and all the other reasons why you should be thinking about automation, so we’ll spare you any more of that. But if you’re a Dynamics 365 user, or thinking of adopting the software for your business, one of the strongest reasons to do so is that you’ll have the option to automate accounts payable when the time is right.  

When that time comes, we hope you’ll consider us. We’ve got a proven track record of excellence with our customers (you can read about that here) and we pride ourselves on the fact our software is simple and effective at delivering you all the benefits of automation.  

You can also schedule a demo to see the software in action. Or, if you’d like to hear from one of our experts about what Zahara can do for you, give us a call. We’d love to hear from you.