Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management is designed for organisations with more complex financial, operational and supply chain requirements. It brings finance, procurement, manufacturing, inventory, logistics and related operational processes together on a cloud-based enterprise platform.
This makes it particularly relevant for larger and internationally operating organisations, as well as manufacturers, distributors and service businesses that need to coordinate finance and operations across multiple entities, locations and markets. Within the broader Microsoft ecosystem, Dynamics 365 F&SCM can also connect with technologies such as Power Platform, Power BI and Microsoft’s AI capabilities, creating a foundation that extends beyond ERP alone.
For finance teams, that broader architecture is increasingly important. ERP may sit at the centre of transaction processing, accounting and operational control, but organisations also need to connect that environment with banks, payment processes, liquidity information and the wider financial ecosystem.
One of the partners specialising in this space is 9altitudes, combining Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management expertise with industry knowledge, data, BI and AI capabilities.
We spoke with Willem Sanders, Business Unit Director F&SCM, BI & AI at 9altitudes, about the organisations that are best suited to Dynamics 365 F&SCM, what makes ERP transformation successful and why banking connectivity is becoming an important part of the overall finance architecture.
What type of organisations are the best fit for your ERP ecosystem, and what differentiates it from other cloud ERP solutions?
“For us, the strongest fit is typically with manufacturing, distribution and service organisations that have a certain level of operational and financial complexity.
These organisations often need to manage much more than accounting alone. They are dealing with supply chains, procurement, production, inventory, multiple entities and increasingly international operations. Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management brings those processes together within one enterprise platform.
What makes the ecosystem particularly powerful is the combination of ERP with the wider Microsoft technology stack, including data, analytics and AI. Together with industry-specific knowledge and accelerators, this allows organisations to standardise more of their processes and reduce unnecessary customisation and integration complexity.
The objective is to create one scalable platform across finance and operations that can continue to evolve as the organisation grows.”
Where does 9altitudes add the most value as an implementation partner, and what do successful ERP projects get right from the beginning?
“We add the most value where process transformation, industry knowledge and technology come together.
The strongest ERP programmes do not start with the question of how Dynamics 365 F&SCM should be configured. They start with how the organisation wants finance, supply chain and operations to work in the future.
That is important because an ERP transformation is an opportunity to standardise processes across the business rather than simply recreating an existing environment in a new technology.
Successful organisations therefore establish clear ownership and governance early, make conscious choices about where standardisation is possible and prioritise the processes that create the most value. They also recognise that transformation happens in phases. A clear roadmap and realistic adoption strategy generally deliver much stronger long-term results than trying to solve everything at once.”
How are customer expectations around finance and treasury changing, and what does that mean for the role of the ERP?
“We see finance moving from financial registration towards real-time financial control and decision-making.
CFOs want more than an accurate view of what happened last month. They increasingly need to understand what is happening now and what is likely to happen next with cash, working capital, margins and profitability.
That means Dynamics 365 Finance increasingly becomes the financial backbone of a much broader information flow. Transactions generated across procurement, inventory, supply chain and operations ultimately feed into the financial position of the organisation.
The more connected that environment becomes, the more valuable it is for finance. But that also means the ERP cannot stop at the edge of the organisation. Banking information, payments and cash positions need to connect into that financial landscape if companies want a truly current view of their financial position.”
Where does ERP-to-bank connectivity typically become complex, particularly for organisations operating across multiple banks and countries?
“The complexity usually does not come from Dynamics 365 Finance itself. It emerges when the organisation has to connect that ERP environment with a fragmented banking landscape.
A company may have multiple legal entities, bank accounts, banks and countries, each with different payment formats, communication protocols, authorisation requirements and local standards.
At that point, ERP-to-bank connectivity is no longer simply about sending payment files. You also need to consider bank statements, reconciliation, approvals, security, compliance and how all of those processes work consistently across the organisation.
Building separate connections from the ERP to every individual bank can quickly create significant complexity. A multi-bank platform such as Cobase can provide a standardised layer between Dynamics 365 Finance and the banks, while absorbing much of that bank-specific complexity.”
What does a strong ERP-to-bank setup look like to you, and what should organisations consider when designing it?
“For me, a strong setup creates one reliable financial flow between Dynamics 365 Finance and the banking landscape.
Payments should be able to move from the ERP through the appropriate approval and banking processes, while bank statement and transaction information flows back into the finance environment for reconciliation, reporting and cash visibility.
But the architecture also needs to reflect the wider organisation. Finance does not operate separately from procurement, supply chain or operations. The transactions taking place throughout Dynamics 365 F&SCM ultimately affect cash and working capital.
That is why organisations should consider connectivity as part of the overall finance architecture rather than as an isolated bank interface. Standardisation, security, controls and scalability should all be designed with the future organisation in mind.”
Why does 9altitudes like working with Cobase, and what does combining your ERP expertise with Cobase’s banking connectivity bring to customers?
“Our customers are not looking for an ERP project on one side and a separate banking project on the other. Ultimately, they want their financial and operational processes to work together.
Our expertise is in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management and in designing the processes around finance, supply chain and operations. Cobase complements that by providing the connectivity between that ERP environment and the customer’s banks.
That means Dynamics 365 can remain the core platform for the financial and operational process, while Cobase provides a standardised way to interact with multiple banks.
For organisations operating across several entities, countries and banking relationships, that combination helps reduce fragmentation and creates a more scalable connection between ERP, finance, treasury and banking.”