When you run a project-based business-like in construction, IT, consulting, or engineering-how you charge your customers matters just as much as what you deliver. If you’re using Dynamics 365 Project Operations, you’ll need to decide how to bill your projects. Microsoft gives you three main contract types: Let’s break down what each of these means, when to use them, and how Dynamics 365 helps manage them. 1. Fixed Price – One Total Amount What is it? The customer pays a fixed amount for the full project or part of it, no matter how many hours or resources you actually use. When to use: What Dynamics 365 helps you do: Be careful:  Think of this like constructing a house for a fixed price. You get paid in stages, not by the number of hours worked. 2. Time & Material – Pay as You Go What is it? The customer pays based on the hours your team works and the cost of materials used. When to use: What Dynamics 365 helps you do: Be careful: This is like a taxi ride-you pay based on how far you go and how long it takes. 3. Milestone Billing – Pay for Key Deliverables What is it? You agree on certain key points (milestones) in the project. When those are completed, the customer is billed. When to use: What Dynamics 365 helps you do: Be careful:  It’s like paying an architect after each part of a building design is done—not for every hour they work. To conclude, choosing the right contract type helps you: When your billing matches your work style, profits become more predictable—and projects run smoother. Need Help Deciding? If you’re not sure which billing model is best for your business-or how to set it up in Dynamics 365 Project Operations-we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out. You can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.  Let’s find the right setup for your success.

Project Operations and Business Central are designed to work together, one managing project execution, the other ensuring financial accuracy. When integrated thoughtfully, they create a clean and reliable flow from project activity to financial reporting. Clear Ownership of Responsibilities In a PO–BC integration: This separation allows project teams to focus on delivery while finance maintains full control over accounting outcomes. Smooth Cost Flow from Projects to Finance Costs captured in Project Operations- time, expenses, and materials – are transferred to Business Central as project journals. Business Central then: This ensures project activity is reflected accurately in financial statements. Consistent Project, Task, and Dimension Mapping A well-designed mapping between: ensures costs and revenue are visible: This makes both project reviews and financial reporting easier and more reliable. Period Control and Financial Accuracy Project Operations captures real-world project activity. Business Central applies: Together, they ensure project data flows into the correct accounting periods without compromising financial governance. Strong Visibility into Commitments and Actuals With the right setup: This combination provides management with a clear view of: To conclude, Project Operations tells the story of the project. Business Central tells the story of the business. When aligned, both stories match, and decision-making becomes easier. Final Thought Project Operations and Business Central integration works best when designed as a financial process, not just a system connection. With the right structure, it delivers clarity for project teams and confidence for finance. We have packaged our Project Operations-Business Central integration to help organizations achieve this alignment with minimal complexity You can explore our PO–BC integration on Microsoft AppSource here: PO-BC Integration I Hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

Many growing companies work with multiple legal entities. Each month, they exchange bills, services, or goods between companies. Doing this manually often leads to delays and mistakes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central helps fix that through Intercompany Automation. This feature lets you post one entry in a company, and the system automatically creates the same transaction in the other company. Let’s see how you can set it up and how it works with a real example. Why Intercompany Automation Matters If two companies within the same group trade with each other, both sides must record the same transaction, one as a sale and one as a purchase. When done manually, the process is slow and can cause mismatched balances. Automating it in Business Central saves time, reduces errors, and keeps both companies’ financials in sync automatically. Step 1: Setup Process 1. Turn on Intercompany Feature Open Business Central and go to the Intercompany Setup page. Turn on the setting that allows the company to act as an Intercompany Partner. 2. Add Intercompany Partners Add all related companies as partners. For example, if you have Company A and Company B, set up each as a partner inside the other. 3. Map the Chart of Accounts Make sure both companies use accounts that match in purpose. Example: 4. Create Intercompany Customer and Vendor 5. Create Intercompany Journal Templates Use IC General Journals to record shared expenses or income regularly. You can automate them using job queues or recurring batches. Step 2: Automation in Action Once the setup is complete, every time a user posts a sales invoice or general journal related to an Intercompany Customer or Vendor, Business Central creates a matching entry in the partner company. Both companies can see these transactions in their IC Inbox and Outbox. You can even add automation rules to post them automatically without approval if desired. Step 3: Use Case – Monthly IT Service Charges Scenario: The Head Office provides IT services to a Subsidiary every month for ₹1,00,000. Steps: Both companies now have matching entries, one as income and one as expense, without any manual adjustments. Result: Transactions are accurate, time is saved, and your accountants can focus on analysis rather than repetitive posting. To conclude, automating intercompany postings in Business Central makes financial management simple and reliable. Once configured, it ensures transparency, reduces errors, and speeds up reporting. I Hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

For any Indian business running on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, tax compliance isn’t optional, it’s foundational. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework is complex and manually managing it is a high-risk gamble. This guide isn’t just a list of steps; it’s your definitive blueprint for configuring Business Central’s powerful Indian localization features to handle GST seamlessly. We will transform your ERP from a standard ledger into a fully automated, compliance-ready machine. Ready to banish tax-related data entry errors and audit anxiety? Let’s dive in and set up the system correctly, from defining your GSTINs to mastering the G/L posting matrix. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers robust localization features for India, including comprehensive support for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Properly configuring GST is essential for calculating, recording, and settling taxes on all your inward and outward supplies, ensuring compliance with Indian tax laws. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step process for setting up GST in Business Central, based on Microsoft’s best practices. Phase 1: Laying the Foundation (Tax Periods & Registration) The initial phase involves setting up the legal and temporal frameworks for your GST configuration. Step 1: Define Tax Accounting Periods (GST Calendar) The GST regime operates on a specific timeline, and you need to define this within Business Central. Step 2: Establish Your GST Registration Numbers (GSTINs) Your Goods and Service Tax Payer Identification Number (GSTIN) is critical for identifying your tax entity and the state you operate in. Phase 2: Core Configuration (G/L Accounts and Masters) This phase links the statutory requirements with your company’s general ledger structure. Step 3: Configure GST Groups and HSN/SAC Codes These setups classify your goods and services for accurate rate calculation. Step 4: Define the GST Posting Setup (The Accounting Link) This is perhaps the most crucial step, as it determines which General Ledger (G/L) accounts are used to post GST amounts. Step 5: Set Up GST Rates With your Groups and HSN/SAC codes defined, you now specify the actual tax percentages. Phase 3: Master Data Integration (Connecting the Dots) The final phase ensures that your business entities and locations are linked to the defined GST rules. Step 6: Update Company and Location Information Your company’s primary details must be GST-compliant. Step 7: Configure Customer and Vendor Master Data For every trading partner, you must define their GST status and registration details. To conclude, by following these seven steps, your Indian company’s Business Central environment will be fully configured to handle GST calculations automatically. This setup allows the system to determine the correct tax component (CGST, SGST, or IGST), apply the right rate, and post the amounts to the designated G/L accounts, simplifying your day-to-day transactions and preparing you for GST settlements and reporting. I Hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

For years, Microsoft Dynamics GP has been a reliable ERP system, helping businesses streamline financial operations, maintain compliance, and drive efficiency. It became a backbone for thousands of organizations, particularly mid-sized businesses that valued its stability and robustness. But the business landscape has changed dramatically. Markets move faster. Customer expectations are higher. And technology is no longer just a support function, it is the engine of growth, agility, and innovation. This is why the transition from Dynamics GP to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is not just another software upgrade. It is a strategic leap forward that determines how ready your business is for the next decade. The Real Question: Maintain or Evolve? Every business leader faces this decision at some point: continue maintaining what’s familiar or evolve into what’s next. GP offers stability, but that stability now comes with limitations, manual upgrades, server costs, and restricted scalability. For many companies, these challenges are becoming a bottleneck to innovation. On the other hand, Business Central offers agility. It’s a modern, cloud-first ERP that grows with your business, continuously innovates, and seamlessly integrates with the entire Microsoft ecosystem. In today’s world, standing still is the same as moving backward. The choice is simple: maintain what works or evolve toward what drives growth. What Businesses Gain with Business Central Always Up to Date No more manual upgrades or disruptive transitions. Business Central runs on the cloud with continuous updates and innovations at no additional cost. This means your team is always using the latest technology, features, and security enhancements without the burden of maintenance. Faster Decisions, Smarter Moves In an age where data drives competitive advantage, Business Central integrates seamlessly with Power BI and embedded analytics to deliver real-time insights. Leaders can act on facts, not assumptions, and empower their teams to make faster, data-driven decisions that move the business forward. Scalability Without Limits Growth brings complexity, new markets, entities, currencies, and compliance requirements. Business Central scales effortlessly to handle it all. Whether you are expanding into new geographies or diversifying your business model, the system grows with you, not against you. An Integrated Digital Workplace Business Central works hand in hand with Microsoft 365, Teams, Power Automate, and AI. The result is a truly connected workplace where data flows freely, collaboration improves, and manual processes give way to automation. This integration not only boosts productivity but also builds a culture of transparency and shared accountability. Cost Efficiency and Risk Reduction By eliminating on-premise IT infrastructure, you reduce overheads, lower downtime, and free up valuable resources to focus on innovation. With built-in security, compliance, and automated backups, your business becomes more resilient and future-proof. A Transformation Story At CloudFronts, we recently began working with a mid-sized client who had been running Dynamics GP for nearly three decades. GP had been the financial backbone of their operations and had served them well. However, the leadership team recognized an emerging reality: GP will soon reach its end of life, and continuing to rely on it would increase both operational risk and cost. They made a strategic decision, to migrate to Business Central and secure a platform built for the next decade of growth. Their goals were clear: This migration is now underway, and the client views it not as an IT project, but as a business transformation initiative. For them, Business Central represents the foundation of a connected, intelligent enterprise, one where decisions are faster, processes are leaner, and growth is continuous. Why Now Is the Right Time Many businesses delay ERP migrations because “things are working fine.” But the reality is that postponing the move comes with hidden risks, rising IT maintenance costs, outdated security models, dependency on legacy infrastructure, and the gradual loss of talent familiar with older systems. At the same time, competitors who embrace modern ERP platforms are moving faster, integrating AI, automating workflows, and leveraging real-time insights. The cost of waiting is not just financial, it is strategic. Business Central is more than an ERP. It is a platform for growth, intelligence, and resilience. It enables organizations to future-proof their operations while staying agile in an unpredictable world. The Takeaway Migrating from GP to Business Central is not a technical move-it is a business transformation decision. It means: With Dynamics GP approaching its end of life, the question is not if you should move, but when and how strategically you make that move. The time to act is now. If you are evaluating your options or planning your next steps, let’s talk. At CloudFronts, we’ve helped businesses across industries transition from legacy ERP systems to modern, scalable platforms like Business Central with minimal disruption and maximum value. Reach out at transform@cloudfronts.com. Let’s explore how you can evolve confidently into the future of business.

In any growing business, finance isn’t just about ticking compliance boxes anymore. It’s about staying in control, spotting trends early, and making confident decisions fast. That’s exactly where financial dimensions in Dynamics 365 Finance come into play. Over the last few months, we’ve seen multiple requirements from businesses asking for smarter use of dimensions. And it makes sense, dimensions are no longer just an optional “nice-to-have.” They’re becoming the backbone of modern financial management, enabling organizations to track performance in ways that directly support decision-making. Think of them as a smarter way to organize your numbers. They give finance teams the flexibility they need to adapt on the fly, and they give leadership the kind of clear, real-time visibility that helps drive better business calls  What Are Financial Dimensions? At the core, financial dimensions are labels you attach to transactions. These labels tell you: So instead of tracking expenses only by account (e.g., Travel Expenses), you can track: All this without creating hundreds of extra GL accounts. Why Should Management Care? Here’s how financial dimensions support strategic and operational goals: 1. Multi-Dimensional Reporting Want to review profitability by region, department, or project? Dimensions let you filter and analyze financial data from multiple angles—without waiting on custom reports. This supports faster decision-making, better forecasts, and more agile operations.  “How much did we spend on marketing in South India last quarter?” You’ll have the answer in seconds. 2. Budgetary Control and Cost Monitoring Dimensions allow finance teams to set up budget controls per department or project. This ensures: Spot overruns before they become problems not after. 3. Cleaner Chart of Accounts Without dimensions, you’d need separate accounts like: This becomes unmanageable. With dimensions, you keep one account (611000 – Travel) and layer in detail using dimensions, keeping your chart lean and reporting rich. 4. Easier Scaling and Restructuring Adding a new business unit, product line, or region? No need to overhaul your chart of accounts. Just add new dimension values. Dimensions give you the structure you need today and the flexibility you’ll need tomorrow. A Practical Example Let’s say you want to understand the true cost of a customer support center in Pune. You can filter all expense accounts with: Immediately, you’ll see: All grouped by those two dimensions without modifying your account structure. Final Word Financial dimensions are not just about slicing data they’re about driving alignment between finance and operations. They: If you’re already using Dynamics 365 or considering it, investing time in defining the right dimensions upfront will pay dividends for years. Planning a D365 Finance rollout or re-implementation? Let’s talk about how to design a dimension strategy that fits your business model. You can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com. 

As a Business Central functional consultant, I often come across clients who want to stretch the system just a little further than what the standard product offers. And honestly? That’s the fun part of my job, taking a real business problem and making Business Central work for it. Recently, one of our clients came to us with an interesting ask. They were using Projects in Business Central (note: not full-blown Project Operations, since BC’s project functionality is more limited) just to track their internal projects. For them, it wasn’t about billing customers or external reporting, it was about managing their own internal tasks in a structured way. But soon, they hit a snag: “We want task dependencies. Unless Task A is done, Task B should not be editable. And while we’re at it, can we also forecast task timelines automatically?” The Customization: Task Dependency + Forecasted Dates We built a customization with two powerful features: This combination turned their static task list into a dynamic project plan inside Business Central. Why This Feature Made a Big Difference Here are a few ways it improved their day-to-day working: A Small Customization, A Big Win Sometimes, it’s not about adding a huge new module, it’s about adding the right control and visibility at the right place. This customization gave our client confidence that their internal projects would stay on track, with dependencies and timelines automatically adjusting in Business Central. And that’s the beauty of Business Central: it gives you a strong foundation, and with a little tailoring, it can adapt perfectly to your unique business needs. I Hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

For years, Microsoft Dynamics GP has been a reliable ERP system, helping businesses streamline financial operations. But the world has changed. Markets move faster, customer expectations are higher, and technology is no longer just a support function – it’s the backbone of growth. This is why the transition from Dynamics GP to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central isn’t just another upgrade. It’s a strategic leap forward. The Real Question: Maintain or Evolve? In today’s world, standing still is the same as moving backward. The choice is simple: maintain what works or evolve to what’s next. What Businesses Gain with Business Central A Transformation Story We’re currently working with a mid-sized client who has been running Dynamics GP for nearly 3 decades. While GP had served them well, the leadership team realized that GP will be obsolete in just a few years. Continuing with GP would only add more risk and cost. That’s why they made a strategic decision: migrate to Business Central, ensuring they move to a platform built for the future. Their goals for the migration are clear: This migration is underway, and the client sees it as the foundation for their next decade of growth. Why Now Is the Right Time Postponing migration might feel safe, but it carries hidden risks: increasing IT costs, reliance on outdated processes, and missing out on innovations competitors are already leveraging. Business Central is more than an ERP—it’s a platform for growth, intelligence, and resilience. The Takeaway Migrating from GP to Business Central is not a technical move – it’s a business transformation. It means: With GP reaching its end of life in the coming years, now is the time to make the transition confidently and strategically. Feel free to reach out. You can contact us at transform@cloudfronts.com. Let’s work together to find the right step for your success.

In project-based businesses, reporting is the final word. It tells you what was planned, what happened, where you made money, and where you lost it. But ask any project manager or CEO what they really think about project reporting today, and you’ll hear this: “It’s late. It’s manual. It’s siloed. And by the time I see it, it’s too late to act.” This is exactly why AI is no longer optional; it’s essential. Whether you’re in construction, consulting, IT services, or professional engineering, AI can elevate your project reporting from a reactive chore to a strategic asset. Here’s how. The Problem with Traditional Reporting. Most reporting today involves: Enter AI: The Game-Changer for Project Reporting AI isn’t about replacing humans; it’s about augmenting your decision-making. When embedded in platforms like Dynamics 365 Project Operations and Power BI, AI becomes the project manager’s smartest analyst and the CEO’s most trusted advisor. Here’s what that looks like: Imagine your system telling you: “Project Alpha is likely to overrun budget by 12% based on current burn rate and resource allocation trends.” AI models analyse historical patterns, resource velocity, and task progress to predict issues weeks in advance. That’s no longer science fiction—it’s happening today with AI-enhanced Power BI and Copilot in Dynamics 365. Instead of navigating dashboards, just ask: “Show me projects likely to miss deadlines this month.” With Copilot in Dynamics 365, you get answers in seconds with charts and supporting data. No need to wait for your analyst or export 10 spreadsheets. AI can clean, match, and validate data coming from: No more mismatched formats or chasing someone to update a spreadsheet. AI ensures your reports are built on clean, real-time data, not assumptions. You don’t need to check 12 dashboards daily. With AI, set intelligent alerts: These alerts are not static rules but learned over time based on project patterns and exceptions. To conclude, for CEOs and PMs alike: We can show you how AI and Copilot in Dynamics 365 can simplify reporting, uncover risks, and help your team act with confidence. Start small, maybe with reporting or forecasting, but start now. I hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

If you’re just starting with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations) and confused about what Legal Entities, Companies, and Organizational Hierarchies mean, you’re not alone! Let’s break it down in simple terms. What is a Legal Entity? In Dynamics 365, a Legal Entity is an organization that can: Think of a Legal Entity as a registered company or business under the law. Microsoft Docs Reference: Legal entities overview What is a Company in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations? Each Legal Entity is also referred to as a Company in the system. In the interface, you switch between Companies (Legal Entities) using a 4-character company ID (like USMF or INMF). Tip: Even if you manage multiple companies (e.g., one in India, one in the US), D365 can consolidate and report across them — provided they are set up as separate legal entities. What are Organizational Hierarchies? This is where the real power lies! Organizational Hierarchies define how different parts of your business interact and report to one another. You can set up hierarchies for: Example: A retail chain may have a parent legal entity, and underneath, different divisions like wholesale, online store, and physical stores — all structured in a hierarchy. Microsoft Docs Reference: Organizational hierarchies Real-World Example Let’s say you’re working for a construction company that operates in three countries: You’d set up each country as a Legal Entity (Company). Now, you want: Organizational Hierarchies let you define that.  What Can Be Shared Across Legal Entities? Microsoft allows some data to be shared across companies:  Data sharing and integration To conclude, if you’re evaluating Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and wondering how to structure your organization within the system, we’d love to help you design it the right way. Whether you’re a startup expanding internationally or an enterprise optimizing operations, your legal entity and organizational structure are the foundation of your Dynamics365 system. Let’s build that foundation together. You can reach out to us at transform@cloudfonts.com.