In today’s data-driven business landscape, fast, reliable, and automated data integration isn’t just a luxury it’s a necessity. Organizations often deal with data scattered across various platforms like CRMs, ERPs, or third-party APIs. Manually managing this data is inefficient, error-prone, and unsustainable at scale. That’s where Azure Logic Apps comes into play. Why Azure Logic Apps? Azure Logic Apps is a powerful workflow automation platform that enables you to design scalable, no-code solutions to fetch, transform, and store data with minimal overhead. With over 200 connectors (including Dynamics 365, Salesforce, SAP, and custom APIs), Logic Apps simplifies your integration headaches. Use Case: Fetch Business Data and Dump to Azure Data Lake Imagine this:You want to fetch real-time or scheduled data from Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations or a similar ERP system.You want to store that data securely in Azure Data Lake for analytics or downstream processing in Power BI, Databricks, or Machine Learning models. What About Other Tools Like ADF or Synapse Link? Yes, there are other tools available in the Microsoft ecosystem such as: Why Logic Apps Is Better What You Get with Logic Apps Integration Business Value To conclude, automating your data integration using Logic Apps and Azure Data Lake means spending less time managing data and more time using it to drive business decisions. Whether you’re building a customer insights dashboard, forecasting sales, or optimizing supply chains—this setup gives you the foundation to scale confidently. 📧 Ready to modernize your data pipeline? Drop us a note at transform@cloudfronts.com — our experts are ready to help you implement the best-fit solution for your business needs. 👉 In our next blog, we’ll walk you through the actual implementation of this Logic Apps integration, step-by-step — from connecting to Dynamics 365 to storing structured outputs in Azure Data Lake. Stay tuned!

AI-powered agents are quickly becoming the round the clock assistants of modern enterprises. They automate workflows, respond to queries, and integrate with data sources to deliver intelligent outcomes. But what happens when your agent needs to extend its abilities beyond what’s built-in? That’s where Logic Apps come in. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can add functionality to an AI Foundry Agent by connecting it with Azure Logic Apps-turning your agent into a truly extensible automation powerhouse. Why Extend an AI Foundry Agent? AI Foundry provides a framework to build, manage, and deploy AI agents in enterprise environments. By default, these agents can handle natural language queries and interact with pre-integrated data sources. However, business use cases often demand more: To achieve this, you need a bridge between your agent and external systems. Azure Logic Apps is that bridge. Enter Logic Apps Azure Logic Apps is a cloud-based integration service that enables you to: When integrated with AI Foundry Agents, Logic Apps can serve as external tools the agent can call dynamically. Steps to achieve external integrations / extending functionality in AI Foundry Agents with Logic Apps :- 1] Assuming your Agent Instructions and Knowledge Sources are ready, go to your Actions under Knowledge – 2] In the pop-up window, select Azure Logic Apps, you can also use other actions based on your requirement – 3] Here you would see a list of Microsoft Authored as well as our custom-built Logic App based Tools. To be displayed here, for suitable use by the AI Foundry Agent, it should meet a certain criterion as follows – a] Should be preferably on Consumption Plan, b] Should have an HTTP Request Trigger, atleast one Action, and a Response, c] In the Methods, select “Default (Allow all Methods)”, d] And a suitable description in the trigger, e] A Request Body (Auto Generated if created directly from AI Foundry). The developer can either create a Trigger from AI Foundry or, manually create a Logic App in the same Azure Subscription as the AI Foundry Project, observing the criteria. 4] As you can see below, For the scope of the blog I am covering a simple requirement of getting the list of clients for the SmartPitch Project, to fetch the case studies based on it; As you can see, the Logic App Tool meets the requirements for compatibility with Azure AI Foundry, with the required logic between the request and response. 5] As you can see below, For the scope of the blog I am covering a simple requirement of getting the list of clients for the SmartPitch Project, to fetch the case studies based on those;Once the Logic App is successfully created it would be visible in the Logic App Actions; select that Logic App to enable it as Tool. 6] Verify the details of the Logic App Tool and proceed. 7] Next you need to provide / verify the following information –a) Tool Name – The Name by which the Logic App would be accessible as a tool in the Agent, b) Connection to the Agent (Automatically assigned), c) Description to invoke the Tool (Logic App) – This is a crucial part for providing intent to the agent to when and how to use this logic app, and also what to expect from it. “Provide as much details as possible about the circumstances in which the tool should be called by the agent” 8] Once the Tool is created, it would be visible in the Actions list, and be ready for use. Here to check if the Intent is being understood and the tool being called, I have specifically instructed it to mention the name of the tool as well, along with it’s result. As you can see in the screenshot, the tool is triggered successfully, and the expected output is displayed. Example Use Case: Smart Pitch Agent Imagine your sales team uses an AI Foundry Agent (like “Smart Pitch Agent”) to create tailored pitches. By connecting Logic Apps, you can enable the agent to: Which we already have achieved in the in the above AI Agent using the other Logic App Tools The aim is to expose each capability as a Logic App, and the agent calls them as tools in conversation flow. Benefits of This Approach To conclude, by combining AI Foundry Agents with Azure Logic Apps, you unlock a powerful pattern: Together, they create a flexible, extensible solution that evolves with your enterprise 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.

Accurate and transparent costing and pricing is fundamental to the profitability of any project-based business. Dynamics 365 Project Operations (D365 PO) provides a flexible framework to manage internal cost rates, define sales pricing, and configure billing rules that align with different engagement models such as Time & Material or Fixed Price. In this article, I walk through the key configuration steps and concepts behind setting up costing and pricing models in D365 PO. 1. Understanding Cost & Sales Rates 🔹a. Cost Rate: The cost rate represents the internal cost to the company for using a resource. This can include: Cost rate setup helps track project profitability and perform margin analysis. 🔹b. Sales Price: The sales price is what the customer will be billed for the resource’s effort or service. It can be: This helps manage client expectations and enables accurate invoicing. 2. Setting Up Cost and Sales Price Lists In D365 PO, cost and sales prices are configured through Price Lists.  Steps:  Note: 3. Sales Pricing Models D365 PO supports different pricing models to suit diverse customer contracts: Pricing Model Description Time & Material (T&M) Billing based on actual time and expenses incurred Fixed Price Customer is billed agreed-upon amount regardless of actual effort Milestone-based Invoice generated upon reaching predefined milestones Progress-based Invoicing occurs based on percentage completion Sales pricing rules are linked to contract line details to control how billing is triggered and calculated.  4. Billing Rules Configuration Billing rules define how and when the system should generate invoices. Configuration: Billing rules link directly to project tasks or milestones and automate invoice generation. Example Scenario A customer agrees to a Fixed Price project of $50,000, to be billed across 3 milestones: In D365 PO: When the task is marked complete, an invoice proposal is automatically generated.  Reporting & Impact Proper costing and pricing setup enables: Cost and sales rates feed into Project Actuals, enabling real-time financial tracking. To conclude, costing and pricing configuration in Dynamics 365 Project Operations is a cornerstone of financial control and project success. Whether your business operates on T&M, Fixed Price, or milestone-based models, D365 PO offers the flexibility and automation to manage it efficiently. Through hands-on learning, I now understand how to set up cost rates, sales pricing, and billing rules to support a wide range of project billing scenarios in D365 PO. 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.

We are pleased to announce that the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America has partnered with CloudFronts for Phase 1 of a Dynamics 365 ERP implementation. The company is the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading producer of heavy- and medium-duty trucks as well as specialized commercial vehicles. Its Gastonia Components and Logistics facility plays a pivotal role in the supply chain, providing stamping, metal fabrication, and sub-assembly of cab and chassis components used across manufacturing operations and aftermarket support. Additionally, the facility oversees line sequencing of parts for manufacturing plants and aftermarket packaging, ensuring efficiency and consistency throughout the production process. The customer is facing several operational challenges due to disconnected systems and limited data visibility. The lack of real-time inventory insights is causing production delays, slowing down planning, scheduling, and work order releases. Teams are burdened with redundant work and manual effort, as legacy systems force them to navigate multiple platforms, leading to inefficiencies and errors. Procurement processes are also impacted, with limited visibility into raw material availability and purchase history resulting in material waste, overstocking, shortages, and purchasing delays.  Phase 1 focuses on implementing Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management (SCM) to establish the client’s defined end-state capabilities. This phase includes configuring and setting up core business processes such as User & Security Management, Product Information Management, Warehouse Management, Procurement, and other operational setups, which will be further expanded in Phase 2.  On this occasion, Priyesh Wagh, Practice Manager at CloudFronts, stated:   “This engagement marks the beginning of an ERP implementation journey, laying the groundwork for long-term business transformation. At CloudFronts, we are committed to helping our client overcome their complex challenges through technology. By implementing Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, we aim to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, empower their team with data-driven insights, and build scalable capabilities for future growth.”  About CloudFronts  CloudFronts is a global AI First Microsoft & databricks Solutions Partner for Business Applications, Data & AI, helping teams and organizations worldwide solve their complex business challenges with Microsoft Cloud, AI, and Azure Integration Services. We have a global presence with offices in U.S, Singapore & India. Since 2012, CloudFronts has empowered 200+ global clients small and medium-sized clients all over the world, such as North America, Europe, Australia, MENA, Maldives & India, with diverse experiences in sectors ranging from Professional Services, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, Logistics/SCM, and Non-profits.   Please feel free to connect with 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.

Service Management in Dynamics 365 Business Central supports companies that provide after-sales services such as repairs, maintenance, installation, and support. It allows users to manage service agreements, quotes, orders, invoicing, and even loaner equipment, ensuring full control of service delivery and customer satisfaction. This article outlines the entire flow of managing service operations in D365 Business Central—from quote to invoicing and everything in between.  Create Service Quotes A Service Quote is the initial estimate given to a customer before approving or scheduling the actual service. Steps: Once accepted, convert it directly into a Service Order. Create Service Orders A Service Order is used to record and execute the actual service work. Types of Services: Key Components: Once created, the order acts as the central document for planning, execution, and billing. Create Service Invoices or Credit Memos After the service is completed, a Service Invoice or Credit Memo is generated. Invoice: Credit Memo:  Allocate Resources Assign technicians or engineers to perform the work: This ensures the right person is assigned to the right task with visibility for planning teams.  Work on Service Tasks Each Service Order can include multiple Service Tasks: Technicians can: These tasks provide visibility for both field and back-office teams. Service Posting Service Posting involves updating financial and inventory records after service execution. Items/Resources Posted: System ensures all services are financially accounted for and supports audit trails. Post Service Orders and Credit Memos Once the work is completed and verified: Posted documents are archived and accessible under: Lend and Receive Loaners D365 BC allows you to lend temporary replacement items (Loaners) while the customer’s equipment is being serviced. Loaner Process: This boosts customer satisfaction during long repairs and keeps service transparent.  Service Management Features Here are some of the advanced features D365 BC provides in the Service Management Module: Feature Purpose Service Contracts Recurring maintenance or warranty-based agreements Service Items Registers customer equipment and service history Fault/Repair Codes Standardize service documentation Service Pricing Price groups, discounts, and warranty handling Response Time Setup SLAs based on service priority or zone Service Dispatching Schedule and manage field technicians  To Conclude, service Management in Dynamics 365 Business Central enables complete control over the entire lifecycle of customer service, from the initial quote to the final invoice. With integrated features for resource allocation, task execution, inventory tracking, and loaner control, the system enhances service efficiency and customer satisfaction. We hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

Budget Control in D365 Finance allows organizations to enforce spending discipline by validating transactions against defined budgets. Here are the steps to set it up. 1. Navigate to Setup Go to: Budgeting > Setup > Budget control configuration. 2. General Settings 3. Define Dimensions Select the financial dimensions to apply budget control against, such as: If Department + Cost Center are selected, every transaction is validated against that combined budget. 4. Approval Rules Determine the actions when a budget is exceeded: 5. Documents & Journals Specify which transactions should be included in budget checks, such as: It is best practice to include unposted documents (e.g., open POs) to ensure commitments are accurately reflected. 6. Activate Once the configuration is complete, activate Budget Control. From this point, all relevant transactions will be validated against the assigned budgets. Example To conclude, budget Control in Dynamics 365 Finance is straightforward to configure but highly effective in preventing overspending. With the right setup, organizations can gain real-time visibility and strengthen financial governance. For Finance consultants, system admins requiring guidance with setup or optimization, CloudFronts can help you design the right Budget Control configuration for your business. Get in touch with CloudFronts Technologies at transform@cloudfronts.com for assistance.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: The Future of Mid-Market ERP Growth The ERP market is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) is at the center of this evolution. Once perceived as a mid-market ERP solution, BC has rapidly matured into a powerful, cloud-first platform capable of supporting not just small businesses but also larger enterprises looking for agility, scalability, and deep integration. The Growth Story Business Central has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. Today, it powers more than 45,000 organizations worldwide, doubling its customer base in less than three years. Equally impressive is the growth in active users, which has risen by more than 75% year-on-year, with a particularly strong uptake among organizations with over 100 users—showing BC is no longer just an SMB tool. Microsoft’s investment in global expansion has also paid dividends. With localization support across 160+ countries, BC has become a truly international solution, making it the go-to ERP for businesses seeking consistency across geographies. Drivers Behind the Momentum Several factors are fueling this surge in adoption: A Strategic Shift in Customer Profile What’s particularly notable is the rapid growth of larger customers adopting BC. The number of customers with 100+ paid users has grown by more than 100% year-on-year. This shift highlights BC’s ability to scale and compete directly with larger ERP players traditionally serving the enterprise segment. The Challenges Ahead Despite its growth trajectory, Business Central faces challenges: The Road Ahead Looking ahead, Business Central is poised to play a leading role in shaping the ERP landscape. Its cloud-native architecture, combined with Microsoft’s innovation in AI and global reach, positions it as the ERP of choice for mid-market businesses scaling rapidly—and even for enterprises seeking agility. In many ways, BC represents more than just an ERP system; it’s a strategic growth enabler. By embedding intelligence, integrating seamlessly with the Microsoft stack, and offering flexibility through partners, Business Central is proving that the future of ERP is not just in the cloud—it’s intelligent, scalable, and accessible. To conclude, the story of Business Central is a story of transformation—of ERP systems, of business models, and of organizations embracing agility. For leaders looking ahead, BC is not just a software choice; it’s a growth strategy. We hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, users frequently need to generate and review Purchase Order (PO) documents. Traditionally, this process involved downloading PDF files locally and then opening them with an external PDF viewer. While functional, this workflow can be inefficient, especially when reviewing multiple purchase orders. With recent enhancements in the AL language and web client capabilities, it is now possible to preview PDF documents directly within the browser, eliminating unnecessary steps and improving user experience. Additionally, Business Central continues to support direct file downloads for scenarios where saving a copy locally is required. This article presents a customization to the Purchase Order List page, allowing users to select multiple purchase orders and either preview or download their PDF documents using AL code. Functional Overview The proposed solution introduces a new action on the Purchase Order List page titled “Preview Selected Purchase Orders”. This action performs the following tasks: Role of Report Selections Report Selections play a vital role in ensuring flexibility and modularity. Instead of hardcoding specific report IDs, the system determines the report to be used for each Purchase Order based on vendor configuration. Example AL Snippet: This method respects configurations made in the Report Selection – Purchase page, allowing different vendors to use different report formats or layouts for the same document type. AL Implementation Below is the complete AL code for the pageextension object: File Handling Options: Preview vs Download Depending on business needs, developers can choose between two methods: 1. File.ViewFromStream 2. File.DownloadFromStream Output This customization provides two ways to handle PDF outputs for Purchase Orders: 1. For a Single Selected Document When a single purchase order is selected and the action is triggered: 2. For Multiple Selected Documents (Merged into One PDF) Business Benefits To Conclude, by leveraging AL capabilities such as Report Selections, Temp Blob, and the File data type methods, developers can significantly enhance document handling processes in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Offering both in-browser preview and direct download options provides users with flexibility and improves overall productivity. This customization is a practical example of how small enhancements can deliver substantial value in day-to-day business operations. We hope you found this blog useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com.

Everyone wants AI. Few are ready for it.  The question isn’t “When do we start?” but “Are we prepared to get it right?”  Because switching on Copilots without fixing your foundations doesn’t accelerate you. it amplifies chaos.  This article will cover how to fix your foundations for AI so that the AI tools you deploy are accurate and reliable.  Challenges of deploying AI Directly  Some of the common challenges of directly deploying AI on top of your business applications are –   And these issues just render the AI implementation as a failure immediately dismissing trust in using AI at all.  But these challenges can be overcome once the foundations of AI are in place which we’ll discuss in the next section.  Foundation of AI  At CloudFronts, we call this the 3 Pillars of AI Readiness:  Here’s how I sum up the foundation of the systems for AI –  For example, when CloudFronts helped Tinius Olsen modernize their systems, the focus wasn’t just technical uplift. It was about ensuring every business process was cloud-ready so AI models could actually trust the data.   Upgrading from legacy systems And this is the foundation that needs to be had before AI can be implemented at your organization.  Data & AI Maturity Curve by Databricks  Given the above foundations in place for your AI Adoption strategy and choosing the right framework for your implementation, the Data & AI Maturity Curve shown below can be referenced to see where your organization is on the curve and where do you want to get to –   On a high level, the foundation will get you to look back at the data and see what has happened in the past and AI tools can help you get this information accurately.  Further, once trust is established, actions like making the AI predict the future state of operations, prescribe steps and even take decisions on our behalf can be achieved – provided you really want that to happen. It might be too soon just yet.  To conclude, AI success = Foundations × Trust.  Without modern systems, connected data, and governed access, AI is just noise.  But with these in place, every AI tool you deploy whether predictive analytics or Copilots becomes an accelerator for decision-making, not a distraction.  Before you deploy AI, fix your foundations. If you’re serious about making AI a trusted accelerator not a costly experiment start with modernization, connection, and governance. At CloudFronts, we help enterprises build these foundations with confidence. Let’s connect over our email: Transfrom@cloudfronts.com