Introduction In this blog, we’ll be looking into creating a new environment for D365 Finance and Operations or D365 Commerce. Pre-requisites References Configuration Go to Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services and log in with your account. If you select D365 Commerce, you get the following screen. If you select D365 Finance and Operations, you get another screen where you have to specify whether the project is an actual implementation or just for evaluation after which you get the same screen as below. Once the Project is created, we get the following screen. From here, we click on the hamburger menu at the top and then click on Cloud Hosted Environments. Click on Add to create a new environment. If you get the below pop-up asking to configure an Azure Connector, please refer to my blog – “Configure an Azure Connector in LCS”. Once, you have an Azure Connector configured, you can click on Add again and get the following pop-up. After selecting the Application and Platform version, you’ll get the option to select the environment topology. DEMO – A demo environment includes only Microsoft demo data. You can use a demo environment to explore default features and functionality. DEVTEST – A DevTest environment is for development or build. You can use this environment for development or build. Then we get another pop-up to select the environment topology. After that is selected, we decide the environment name and the size of the VM that is to be used for this environment. You can read more about VM sizes here – VM sizes – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn Once we click on Next we get the last pop-up after which the environment gets deployed. Once we click on deploy, it takes about 6-8 hours to deploy the environment after which it’ll be available in the cloud-hosted environments section. If, for some reason, you try to create an environment with the latest platform and application version and that deployment fails, you can try to create an environment one platform/application version below that. Conclusion Thus we saw how to create an environment in LCS for either D365 Finance and Operations. Happy Coding!

In Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O), the use of batch numbers is a common practice to manage and trace items with specific characteristics. Batch numbers are typically assigned to groups of items produced or received together, allowing for better control, tracking, and compliance with industry regulations. In this blog I will explain how to solve the expiration date issue while registering a Batch and Serial number tracked product. In the above screenshot you can see that the Batch Number 23010-CM-000088 has been assigned for my Item P-000014. Here, the Expiration Date is 08-04-2023. Now if I try to register this Item with the same Batch Number, I will get the Batch Number Expiration Date being past the Required Date error. Now to solve this error go to Inventory Management>Enquiries and Reports>Tracking Dimensions>Batches. Now on the Batch Number page go to Reset Tab then under the Reset tab click on Reset Shelf-Life Dates. The next step is to select the New Expiration Date and then Click Ok. This will Update the Expiiration Date of that Batch Number. In the above screenshot you can see that the Expiration Date has been changed. Now we will be able to register the Item. Here, you can see that now I am able to register the Item successfully. That’s it for this blog. Hope this helps you! Thank You!

Hello Everyone!!! In this blog I will explain the Quarantine Management process in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management.  Here the Product was first received in the Main warehouse and then it was moved to Quarantine Warehouse for further inspection as the Product failed to clear the Quality Test. In this blog I will explain a scenario where the Products should be directly received in the Quarantine Warehouse for inspection and after final inspection it turns out that all the products fail the inspection so, a few products will be scrapped and the rest will be returned back to vendor. What is Quarantine Management? The quarantine management process in D365 aims to effectively manage and control quality issues, ensuring that only items meeting the required standards are released for use or distribution. The quarantine management process in Dynamics 365 is a systematic approach to handling items that are suspected of having quality issues or non-conformities. When an item is flagged for quarantine, it is physically segregated from the regular inventory and moved to a designated quarantine location. The quarantined item undergoes thorough inspection and testing to assess the extent of the quality issue. Based on the evaluation, decisions are made regarding the item’s disposition, which may include repair, return to the vendor, or scrapping. If the item is repairable, necessary actions are taken to rectify the identified issues. In cases where the vendor is responsible, the item can be returned for resolution. Once the necessary actions are completed, and the item meets the required quality standards, it is released from quarantine and reintegrated into the regular inventory for use or distribution. This process ensures that only items meeting quality criteria are allowed for further processing, while mitigating the risk of non-conforming products entering the supply chain Let’s start with the setups first: Step 1: Map the Quarantine Warehouse to the Main Warehouse. For that the Pathway is: Go to Inventory Management>Set Up>Inventory Breakdown>Warehouses. Step 2: The next step is to Enable the “Quarantine Management” parameter in the Item Model Group Quarantine Management Process: The below Purchase Order CM-PO-0000137 has been received in the Quarantine Warehouse as per the setup, hence a Quarantine Order CM-0000142 with 9 quantities has been created. Now if I go to the Quarantine Orders page, I can see that a new Quarantine Order has been created. The below screenshot shows the Transactions that took place after the Product Receipt was posted. After Inspection it was found out that 5 quantities were damaged, 4 quantities were to be returned back to the Vendor which means that all the 9 quantities failed to pass the Quality Inspection. So, what I will do is Scrap the 5 quantities and return back the 4 quantities to the Vendor by creating a Purchase Return Order.  Now I will split the Quarantine Order CM-0000142 into 2 separate Quarantine Orders. For that I will use the Split function which is available at the Top of the screen under the Functions Tab. In the above image you can see that I have split the Quarantine Order CM-0000142 into 2 different Quarantine Orders that is CM-0000143 and CM-0000144 for further processing. Now let’s begin the further processing. To scrap this order, I will use the Scrap functionality. To Scrap this order, click on Function and then select Scrap. Here, you can see that the Quarantine Order CM-000143 has been ended as it has been scrapped. 2.  Return the Items back to vendor: Now in order to return the Items back to vendor I will first the Invoice the existing Purchase Order which is CM-PO-0000137. Then I will receive the Items from the Quarantine warehouse to the W3 warehouse. Below you can see that I have invoiced the purchase order CM-PO-0000137. Now let’s receive the items from the Quarantine Warehouse to the Central Warehouse, for that I will use the Arrival Journal. As you can see that a New Arrival Journal has been created. Validate and Post the Journal. Vendor Return Process: After posting the Journal create a New Purchase Order with the type as Return Order.  For that go to Procurement and Sourcing>Purchase Orders>All Purchase Orders. Then select the Vendor to whom the Items will be returned and select the Purchase Type as Return Order. Enter the Site and Warehouse from which the Items will be returned back to the Vendor. Then enter the RMA number provided by the Vendor and then Click OK. Click on the Purchase Order line, select Credit Note, choose the specific invoice, input the quantity as a negative value, and then click OK. In my case the Invoice Number was 311711, so I will select that and then click OK. Then proceed with the normal purchase order processing which will be Product Receipt and Invoicing. After Invoicing the Return Order aa credit note will be  created which will be  deducted from the Vendor Balance. The below screenshot represents the On hand List before and after posting the Return Order Invoice. In the above screenshot you can see that the On hand Quantity changed from 26 to 22 since 4 quantities have been returned back to vendor. That’s it for this blog. Hope this helps you! Thank You!

HECO-Pacific Manufacturing has partnered with CloudFronts to implement Dynamics 365 Business Central. With this collaboration, HECO-Pacific Manufacturing continues its goal to use innovative technology to improve productivity and streamline business procedures.  HECO Pacific has been in business since 1961 providing all types of material handling equipment. They have built some of the most complicated cranes in the industry for some of the toughest customers. This experience has also allowed them to provide a wide range of standard cranes for light duty applications. Learn more about them at http://www.hecopacific.com/  HECO Pacific is looking to migrate from QuickBooks to Dynamics 365 Business Central to improve existing processes and bring efficiency to the organization. Some of the key objectives of this project are to automate reconciliation, manage the entire life cycle of the procure to pay and order to cash cycles in the platform, improve reporting for actions (like PO with due dates), approval processes and finally leverage this new platform for further automation in the future like time entry using project line barcoding.  On this occasion, Jimil Bhatt, Dynamics 365 ERP Team Lead at CloudFronts, said, “We are excited to partner with HECO-Pacific Manufacturing on their journey towards digital transformation. Dynamics 365 Business Central is an ideal solution for Heco Pacific, and we look forward to ensuring they achieve their goals efficiently.”  About CloudFronts   CloudFronts is a Dynamics 365 focused Microsoft Solutions Partner helping Teams & Organizations worldwide solve their Complex Business Challenges with Microsoft Cloud. Our head office and robust delivery centre are based out of Mumbai, India, along with branch offices in Singapore & the U.S.  Since its inception in 2012, CloudFronts has successfully served over 500+ 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 

US-based leading global provider of technical talent solutions organization has partnered up with CloudFronts to conduct the Business Requirement Study (BRS) D365 Finance & Operations solution with the goal of improving financial operations for a European-based solution provider company.  The company is focused on providing solutions that deliver services in three key areas: sourcing, skilling, and scaling tech talent; investing in places for people to live, work, unwind and thrive, and supporting people through access to finance. Learn more   The client has already implemented D365 Finance & SCM for a few legal entities and plans to do so for the rest of the other group companies. CloudFronts will focus on conducting a Business Requirement Study for them to document the current process and customisation and to provide recommendations for improvements, concerns, and deviations from best practices.  On this occasion, Eusebius Rodrigues, Dynamics 365 Project Manager at CloudFronts, said, “We are excited about the opportunities this partnership presents. The deployment of BRS D365 Finance & Operations is a step towards streamlining financial procedures, and it also guarantees an edge over their competitors.”    About CloudFronts   CloudFronts is a Dynamics 365 focused Microsoft Solutions Partner helping Teams & Organizations worldwide solve their Complex Business Challenges with Microsoft Cloud. Our head office and robust delivery centre are based out of Mumbai, India, along with branch offices in Singapore & the U.S.  Since its inception in 2012, CloudFronts has successfully served over 500+ 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  

In every organization, all kinds of expenses and revenues are tracked under dimensions like cost centers, departments, employees, etc. It is often a business requirement to split expenses or incomes in fixed proportions between two or more dimensions for accurate reporting.  On the other hand, it may be required to assign a dimension only on one GL account, restricting it from others. D365 Finance offers a smooth, flexible and a very easy process to fulfill both kinds of requirements to achieve accurate reporting of the organization’s P&L from a dimension standpoint. The blog assumes the reader is already aware about setting up financial dimensions and using them for regular transactions so the point of focus will be on the advanced features only. The procedures for both requirements are as follows: – Let’s assume that an organization tracks all kinds of office expenses in two dimensions – department and cost center. The organization wants to split the cost in a 70:30 proportion between both. In order to do that, we will use Ledger Allocation Journals. Path – General Ledger -> Allocations -> Ledger Allocation Rules The source defines the main account that will be used to split the amount. The Destination defines the dimensions and the proportion in which the amount will be split between them. In the General tab, we define the validity date for which the rule will be active. The allocation method defines the various methods in which the GL amount can be distributed. Most often, the splitting is in fixed percentages. Turn the Active checkbox to activate the rule. In the source, define the main account. In Destination, define the percentages of distribution. From the above image, we are using a 70:30 distribution ratio between Cost Center and Department.  Here, we have defined a default dimension so that the system will know how to distribute the amount between the cost center and the department only. It will ignore any other dimension. If the default field is left blank, then the user will have to manually select the dimensions at the time of the transaction. In the first distribution, a fixed percentage of 30% is applied to the Cost Center. Create a new distribution again and allocate the remaining 70% to a department dimension. In this example, we are using only 2 dimensions, but the user may define as many distributions between multiple dimensions as required as long as the percentages add up to 100%. Save the rule and close it. Now, create any regular transaction with the GL account, like a general journal. Select the dimensions for the cost center and the department as shown above and post the document. Once posted, go to General ledger -> Ledger Allocations -> Process Allocation Request. Select the allocation rule. In the field Proposal Options, there are two options: – The first option will directly post the entry and allocate it to the dimensions. The second option will keep the entry unposted so that the user may verify the dimensions or make changes to them manually if required. It is always preferable to select the second option. Upon clicking Okay, the system will create an allocation journal as shown below: – Upon clicking open the allocation journal, the accounting impact is shown as below: – The accounting impact can be summarized below as follows: – GL Account/Dimension Description Dr Cr 5103-007 Office Expense – Cost Center 700   5103-257 Office Expense – Department 300   5103 Office Expenses   1000 From the above ledger impact, the GL balance stays the same, but the amount gets distributed between the 2 dimensions in the exact proportion. II. Using advanced rules to assign an additional dimension to a particular GL account only. To understand this requirement, let’s take the example of an organization that has a mandatory Department dimension assigned on all expense accounts. But there may be an exceptional case where one expense GL account requires one more dimension apart from Department.   In this case, if we add a dimension in the account structure, then that dimension will be needlessly assigned to all GL accounts. We must ensure that it should be applicable to the one account only. For this, we use the concept of Advanced Rules. With the help of Advanced Rules, we can configure the Account Structures to accommodate any additional dimension for one particular GL account only. The steps to configure it are as follows: – Go to: General ledger -> Chart of Accounts -> Structures -> Advanced Rule Structures The screen displays all the Advanced Rule Structures present. Create a new one. Select the dimension that is required. In this example, we have selected the dimension of ‘Worker’ and kept it as mandatory. Activate the Advanced Rule Structure and close it. Open Account Structures. From the above image, all the GL accounts here will have a mandatory Department dimension. But let’s assume that one GL account – 4101 will require the dimension for Worker along with Department. For that, open Advanced Rules on top. Create a new rule. Select the Main Account where you want to apply the dimension as shown above. Then in the below section, add the Advanced Rule Structure that was created earlier. The rule works like this: – If Main Account = 4101, then apply Advanced Rule Structure where dimension = Employee. Therefore, in any transaction with the account 4101, it will assign the Worker dimension on it. Let’s take an example where a GL account other than 4101 is used here. In this transaction, for the account 4102, the system is prompting us to select the Department dimension only, as required. Now let’s select the account 4101. As observed from the above image, the system is now prompting us to select the Worker dimension also. Thus, this ensures that only some GL accounts may be configured to enter an additional dimension. We can also configure the rules such that there are combinations of Main Accounts and Dimensions to add any additional dimension. … Continue reading Distributing GL amounts between financial dimensions and using advanced rules to link a dimension to only one particular account →

While electronic methods of payment are becoming increasingly popular everywhere for quick payments, check payments are still popular across the world, especially post dated checks, which can be cashed out only after a specified date, giving them an edge over electronic payment methods. D365 Finance has a very simple process to create post dated checks and account their entries.  Since post dated checks are cleared after a certain date, known as the maturity date, the amount is not directly accounted in the bank account, but to a bridging account instead. A bridging account serves as a ‘bridge’, for the transaction amount between the bank account and the vendor/customer account till the maturity date of the PDC. When a payment entry with a PDC is made, the system will store the amount temporarily in the bridging account till the maturity date. On the maturity date, the system will transfer the amount from the bridging account in the bank account. The accounting process of the PDC is summarized below: – For Vendor:- PDC (Before Maturity) Dr Cr Vendor XX   Bridging Account   XX PDC (After maturity) Dr Cr Bridging Account XX   Bank   XX For Customer: PDC (Before Maturity) Dr Cr Customer   XX Bridging Account XX   PDC (After maturity) Dr Cr Bridging Account   XX Bank XX   The steps to set up and use PDC are as follows: – 7. Select the Account type as Bank. 8. Enable the parameters for Bridging posting and Post Dated check clearing posting. 9. The bridge account gets selected automatically by default based on the one defined in the Cash & Bank management parameters defined earlier. 10. Do the exactly same setup in AR module -> Methods of payment as well. This concludes the setup part. Now we can proceed with the transactions. Process: – Go to Postdated Checks tab and enter the maturity date for the PDC. Until the maturity date is reached, we cannot settle the PDC. So either we can wait till that date or for the sake of testing purposes, we can set the system clock to a future date. This concludes the configuration and process for PDC in D365 Finance.

Personalization stands as a robust feature within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, significantly enhancing consultants’ and users’ experiences while interacting with the platform. Among these personalization options, the workspace stands out as a feature I routinely recommend to end-users. Its advantages span from streamlining daily business activities, time-saving capabilities, and improved visibility into work items that require attention, to the crucial benefit of reducing clicks and navigation across multiple screens. In this blog, I aim to demonstrate the process of creating a new workspace and sharing it with the necessary users. Creating a Workspace To initiate the personalization of your Dynamics 365 experience, follow these steps to craft a new workspace tailored to your specific requirements: Right-click on the right side blank screen and select “Personalize TitlepageContainer.” Your newly created workspace will now appear on the dashboard. After completing the initial steps, it’s time to fine-tune the configuration to suit your operational needs: Navigate to the required form or list page that you wish to include in the workspace. Select the presentation type: Tile, List, or Link. Additionally, you can create a saved view on the required form by applying filters and then add that saved view to the workspace. For instance, from the “All Sales Order” page, applying a filter for invoiced orders and saving that view to be added to the workspace. For this blog’s demonstration, I’ll illustrate adding the “Sales Order Invoice” to the new workspace. Navigate to the “Open Invoice” page. Click on the “Options” tab within the action tab. Select “Add to Workspace.” Choose the workspace created in the first part of the blog. This showcases the output when you click on the Custom workspace in Dashboard Configure Workspace Post workspace creation and configuration, the subsequent crucial step is sharing it with the relevant user groups: Identify User Groups: Determine the teams or individuals who would benefit from accessing this customized workspace. In conclusion, creating and sharing personalized workspaces in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations empowers users with tailored interfaces, offering enhanced efficiency, streamlined workflows, and a more intuitive user experience. I hope these steps will guide you in optimizing your Dynamics 365 experience, boosting productivity, and attaining better outcomes for your business operations.

In any ERP, any accounting user might want to set up periodic journals on a monthly/quarterly/year basis for recording the costs of any services, like AMC charges, rents, subscription fees, etc. It can get tedious to manually create such entries every single time indefinitely. This can lead to errors and unnecessary time consumption if the entries are very long and made to multiple business partners. Dynamic 365 Finance offers an easy way out through the use of periodic journals. Periodic journals help the user create entries periodically in the system. With periodic journals, users can: The process of configuring and using periodic entries is very simple. Setup 1. First, configure a journal name with the Journal type as ‘Periodic’ as shown below: 2. Then go to General Journal -> Journal Entries -> Periodic Journals Here, we define the template for the periodic journal entry to be created in future. Create a new entry. 3. Select the date on which you want the periodic journal entry to be created. 4. Select the GL accounts and their amounts. You can create a single line journal entry with an offset account or you can create a multi-line entry with as many GL accounts as required. 5. Select the Unit. Unit stands for the period of the journal entry – days, months or years. 6. Enter the number of units. This is the frequency of recurrence of the journal entry. For e.g., if you select Unit as months and enter the number of units as 3, then the periodic journal entry will be set to repeat every 3 months from the beginning date. Working 1. Open a General Journal entry. 2. Create a new entry. 3. On the top, click on Period Journal. 4. There are 2 options – Retrieve Journal and Save Journal. Retrieve journal is used for retrieving a periodic journal that we have just setup. Save journal is used if you want to save any existing journal entry as a template for a future periodic journal entry. 5. We use Retrieve Journal to retrieve the template we have created above. 6. In the ‘To Date’, enter the date of recurrence, i.e., the date for which the entry repeats for the period. In the Periodic Journal number, select the Periodic Journal which was created earlier. In the last field, there are 2 options – Copy or Move. Copy will fetch the periodic journal data into the journal entry and update it for use in the next period. Move will also fetch the journal data but will block the periodic journal from being used in future. Use the move option if you know that the periodic journal is not going to be used anymore. 7. The system will load the data as shown below:- 8. As you may notice, the date field is as per the date selected in the Retrieve Periodic Journal, while all the other details like the GL account and amounts are fetched exactly as per the template. 9. Once you post this journal entry, the journal date in the periodic journal template will be updated to the next period, in this case, to 1st of December. 10. In order to check if the date has been updated or not, simply go to the Periodic Journal once more and check the date. As you may have noticed, the date got updated to the next period of recurrence. So when you retrieve this journal for the next time, it will fetch the journal based on this date. This can go on as many times until you select the option to Move instead of Copy. After that, the periodic journal will stop updating and won’t be able to be used again. Through this process, the user can fetch the journal entries periodically instead of creating them manually every time. While the fetching of the data is automatic, the user will have to make sure to run the periodic journals as per their dates. There is an option to automatically generate the entries in the system through Power Automate but that is a separate Add-on to be setup and configured. The standard process is just as good enough to reduce the hassle for making entries manually every period.