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Cross-Functional Workflow: Non-D365 Applications Need to Keep Up with D365

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Cross-Functional Workflow: Non-D365 Applications Need to Keep Up with D365

Implementing D365 Finance & Supply Chain is a major step in modernizing business operations, but it’s not the finish line—it’s just one leg of the race. If your legacy applications aren’t keeping up, you’re dropping the baton every time data moves between systems, undoing the speed and efficiency gains D365 was meant to provide.

 

A well-run ERP is like a relay race—each team (or system) needs to execute their part smoothly and seamlessly pass the baton to the next. If one runner is faster but the baton keeps getting fumbled, the race isn’t won—it’s lost in the handoffs.

 

The reality is that many companies implement D365 but fail to modernize the applications that interact with it. The result? Manual workarounds, data silos, integration issues, and inefficiencies that slow everything down.

 

If you’re sensing that processes aren’t flowing the way they should, it’s time to look at what’s happening in the handoffs.

How Legacy Applications Disrupt the Flow

Process Gaps and Data Blindspots Create Bottlenecks

Aging applications weren’t designed to integrate with cloud-based ERP systems like D365. That means data handoffs are slow, error-prone, or reliant on manual exports and workarounds.

  • Orders get processed in D365 but don’t sync properly to fulfillment systems.
  • Financial reports require manual data pulls instead of real-time updates.
  • Inventory updates lag behind, creating discrepancies between sales, purchasing, and warehouse teams.

Every dropped handoff forces teams to run faster to make up for lost time, leading to more stress, inefficiency, and operational risk.

Technical Debt Slows Down Progress

Legacy applications often contain years of patches, custom scripts, and outdated code. They work—until they don’t.

  • Performance issues and system crashes slow down operations.
  • Security vulnerabilities create compliance risks.
  • Custom fixes make upgrades expensive and time-consuming.

If your IT team spends more time maintaining old systems than improving business processes, it’s a sign the baton isn’t just being dropped—it’s getting tangled in technical debt.

User Experience: The Hidden Obstacle to Productivity

A slow, outdated interface isn’t just frustrating—it creates real productivity losses. And as your teams adopt D365, the antiquated nature of your legacy systems becomes painfully clear.

  • D365 enables real-time visibility, but outdated systems don’t – Users are forced to manually extract and re-enter data, creating delays and errors.
  • D365 is designed for modern workflows, but legacy apps aren’t – What once seemed like a small inefficiency now becomes a major bottleneck.
  • D365 empowers mobile and remote teams, but legacy systems don’t – If users can’t access critical tools from anywhere, they revert to manual workarounds.

If teams are avoiding the system or working outside of it, the technology isn’t supporting them—it’s slowing them down. As companies modernize with D365, the gaps between what’s possible and what’s holding them back become impossible to ignore.

Ensuring a Strong Handoff: Application Integration

A successful D365 implementation requires more than just ERP—it requires modern, well-integrated applications that keep the baton moving without friction. Disconnected applications create data silos, leading to inconsistent, outdated, or incomplete information across departments. If finance, sales, and operations aren’t seeing the same numbers in real time, decision-making slows down, errors increase, and inefficiencies multiply.

 

With proper integration, data flows seamlessly across all business functions:

 

  • Orders from your CRM automatically update inventory and fulfillment in D365.
  • Financial transactions sync instantly, eliminating reconciliation delays.
  • Supplier updates reflect in procurement planning, preventing stockouts.

Without integration, each of these steps becomes a manual, error-prone process, forcing teams to waste time chasing down the right information instead of acting on it.

If Your ERP is Fast, Your Other Systems Need to Keep Up

D365 isn’t an island—it’s part of a larger digital ecosystem. If your legacy applications can’t keep up, the business won’t move at the speed it should.

 

Application modernization isn’t about changing everything overnight—it’s about ensuring that the baton is passed smoothly, so your business wins the race instead of making up for lost time.

 

If your D365 implementation isn’t delivering the efficiency you expected, let’s talk. We’ll help you identify what’s slowing things down and modernize the systems holding you back.

About the Author

Abdul Hafiz is a technology leader with 25+ years of experience in optimizing and implementing ERPs to modernize finance and operations. As a Partner at Ascent Innovations, he has led growth and delivery for 14 years. He holds a master’s degree in computer and information sciences from the University of Illinois and advises executive teams on how to modernize the enterprise to drive profitable growth.

Author: Abdul Hafiz

Enterprise Solution Architect

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