Summary This article explores how Emirates Consortium LLC expanded its use of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central beyond finance to establish a more structured procurement process. Previously, budgets were managed manually through Excel and some procurement activities were performed outside the ERP. The implemented solution introduced a customized Purchase Request-to-Purchase Order process covering the initial requirement, approval, vendor and item selection, Purchase Quotes, Purchase Orders, and budget validation. The process also carries important procurement information such as Department, Category, Subcategory, Location, and Dimensions throughout the purchasing cycle, creating greater visibility, control, and traceability. Table of Contents Introduction From Finance-Only Usage to Broader Business Central Adoption Starting Procurement with a Purchase Request Keeping Supporting Documents with the Request Approval Before Procurement Moves Forward Turning an Approved Request into Purchase Quotes One Purchase Request Can Become Multiple Purchase Quotes Carrying Information Forward From Purchase Quote to Purchase Order Bringing Budget Visibility into the Purchase Order The Bigger Picture Conclusion 1. Introduction For many organizations, procurement doesn’t begin with a Purchase Order. It begins much earlier—with a business user identifying a requirement, requesting approval, obtaining quotations, selecting suppliers, and ensuring that the purchase is properly categorized and authorized. When these steps happen outside the ERP, organizations can end up relying on spreadsheets, emails, manual approvals, and disconnected procurement activities. This makes it difficult to maintain a consistent process and creates additional effort for both procurement and finance teams. This was the challenge addressed for Emirates Consortium LLC. Emirates Consortium had been a long-standing client and had primarily been using the Finance capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. As part of its next stage of ERP adoption, the organization wanted to expand its use of Business Central and bring more of its procurement activities into the system. One of the key areas was procurement and budget control. Previously, budgets were being managed manually through Excel, while some procurement activities were being performed outside the ERP. The objective was therefore not simply to introduce Purchase Orders into Business Central, but to establish a more structured procurement process—from the initial purchase requirement through approval, supplier selection, quotation, and Purchase Order creation. The Implemented Solution The resulting solution introduced a customized Purchase Request-to-Purchase Order process within Business Central, with approval controls and budget information carried throughout the purchasing cycle. 2. From Finance-Only Usage to Broader Business Central Adoption Emirates Consortium’s journey is an example of how an organization can progressively expand its use of Business Central. Rather than limiting Business Central to financial transactions, the implementation extends the platform into operational procurement. The process starts with a Purchase Request, which becomes the starting point for the procurement lifecycle. Procurement Process Flow Purchase Request → Approval → Vendor & Item Selection → Purchase Quote → Purchase Order → Budget Validation → PO Approval This approach brings the procurement process into the same ERP environment that already supports the organization’s financial operations. The implementation specifically carries important procurement classification information—such as Department, Category, Subcategory, Location, and Dimensions—through the process so that it can subsequently participate in budget validation. 3. Starting Procurement with a Purchase Request The first step in the process is the creation of a Purchase Request. Instead of starting directly with a Purchase Order, the requester first communicates what the business needs. The Purchase Request captures information such as: Department Category Subcategory Location Item or service required Quantity Unit of Measure Remarks Supporting documents For item-based requests, users can also check Item Availability before determining the quantity that needs to be purchased. A Clear Separation of Responsibilities The process creates an important separation between: “What does the business need?” and “Which supplier should we purchase it from?” That distinction is particularly useful in organizations where a requester may not be responsible for supplier selection. 4. Keeping Supporting Documents with the Request Procurement requests often require supporting information. For example, a requester may need to provide specifications, internal documentation, requirement details, or other reference material. The implemented process provides an Attachments option on the Purchase Request. Importantly, these attachments remain associated with the individual Purchase Request. They are not automatically transferred to the subsequent Purchase Quote or Purchase Order. Two Types of Supporting Information Documents supporting the original request. Documents supporting later purchasing or budget decisions. This distinction becomes particularly important in the over-budget scenario discussed in Part 2. 5. Approval Before Procurement Moves Forward Once the Purchase Request has been created, it cannot simply move directly into purchasing. The requester submits it using Send Approval Request. A dedicated Purchase Request approval workflow was configured for the process. The workflow supports: Approval Rejection Cancellation Delegation Approval notifications The Purchase Request progresses through statuses such as: Approval Status Flow Open → Pending Approval → Approved / Rejected Only after the required approval is completed can the request proceed to the quotation stage. This provides a controlled starting point for procurement. The organization doesn’t simply record what was purchased; it also records who requested it and who approved the requirement. 6. Turning an Approved Request into Purchase Quotes Once the Purchase Request has been approved, the next step is supplier sourcing. The implementation allows users to create a Purchase Quote directly from the approved Purchase Request. When the user selects Create Purchase Quote, Business Central opens a Vendor and Item Selection page based on the Purchase Request lines. This is particularly useful when a single request contains multiple items that may be sourced from different vendors. 7. One Purchase Request Can Become Multiple Purchase Quotes Consider a simple example. Purchase Request Line Selected Vendor Result Item A Vendor 1 Purchase Quote – Vendor 1 Item B Vendor 1 Purchase Quote – Vendor 1 Item C Vendor 2 Purchase Quote – Vendor 2 Item D Vendor 3 Purchase Quote – Vendor 3 Instead of forcing all four items into one quotation, the system groups the lines based on the selected vendors. The Result Purchase Quote 1 → Vendor 1 Purchase Quote 2 → Vendor 2 Purchase Quote 3 → … Continue reading How an Abu Dhabi-Based Diversified Holding Company Built a Budget-Controlled Procurement Process in Business Central →