Broken finance processes are costing your clients. Fix them with Business Central.

When finance workflows break down, businesses feel it.

Manual processes, spreadsheet sprawl, inconsistent approvals, and disconnected systems do more than drain productivity—they open the door to financial risk, client frustration and stalled growth. And for partners supporting clients in this space, the conversation goes beyond software.

Partners need to show clients how modern tools like Dynamics 365 Business Central and Power Platform can automate core finance operations, reduce human error, and unlock better decision-making. From invoice headaches to reporting challenges, here’s how Microsoft’s business apps help finance teams move faster, with fewer errors and better visibility.

8 common finance processes where clients lose time and money

Here are the core finance functions where inefficiencies cost businesses time, money, and peace of mind:

1. Accounts Payable (AP)
   Process: Managing vendor invoices, approvals, and payments.
   Common pain points:

• • Manual data entry from paper or email invoices
  • Approval delays and lack of accountability
  • Duplicate or missed payments
  • Limited visibility into outstanding liabilities
  • Fraud risks due to poor controls

2. Accounts Receivable (AR)
   Process: Invoicing customers, tracking payments, managing collections.
   Common pain points:

• • Delayed or inaccurate invoicing
  • Poor customer communication
  • High Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
  • Inefficient collections processes
  • Payment disputes slow down cash flow

3. Budgeting & Forecasting
   Process: Planning and projecting financial performance.
   Common pain points:

• • Reliance on spreadsheets and email
  • Manual data gathering slows down forecasting
  • Inaccurate or outdated assumptions
  • No easy way to model different scenarios
  • Siloed collaboration across departments

4. Financial Reporting & Compliance
   Process: Preparing internal reports and meeting external requirements.
   Common pain points:

• • Disconnected or non-standardized data sources
  • Time-consuming reconciliations
  • Risk of reporting errors or omissions
  • Difficulty complying with GAAP, IFRS, or SOX
  • Weak audit trails

5. General Ledger (GL) Management
   Process: Recording and maintaining all financial transactions.
   Common pain points:

• • Manual journal entries and account coding errors
  • Delayed month-end or year-end close
  • Poor integration with operations systems
  • Lack of real-time financial data

6. Expense Management
   Process: Handling employee expense submissions and reimbursements.
   Common pain points:

• • Manual claim submissions and approvals
  • Non-compliant or fraudulent claims
  • Slow reimbursement timelines
  • No link to credit card or bank data

7. Procure-to-Pay (P2P)
   Process: Purchasing goods and services and managing vendor payments.
   Common pain points:

• • Fragmented approval workflows
  • Maverick or unauthorized spending
  • Inconsistent PO processes
  • Poor vendor collaboration
  • Invoice mismatches between PO, receipt, and invoice

8. Order-to-Cash (O2C)
   Process: Managing customer orders, invoicing, and collections.
   Common pain points:

• • Manual order entry errors
  • Credit approval bottlenecks
  • Invoicing delays
  • Inefficient cash application
  • Poor client experience due to dispute resolution delays

Solving operational inefficiencies with Business Central and Power Platform

Once these challenges are mapped, the solution becomes clear. Dynamics 365 Business Central helps standardize and streamline these processes with automation, reporting, and tight system integration. And when paired with the Power Platform, it unlocks even more value with low-code customization, intelligent automation, and actionable insights.

Below is a breakdown of how each pain point is addressed:

What efficient finance teams need to succeed

Business Central delivers structured, dependable processes—but Power Platform enables agility and customization without needing dev resources. Here’s how each component adds value:

• Power Automate: Automates repetitive approvals, emails, alerts, and system updates.
• Power BI: Transforms raw data into live dashboards that highlight financial KPIs.
• Power Apps: Enables mobile or role-based custom apps for purchasing, journal entries, or expenses.
• AI Builder: Scans receipts or invoices and extracts key details to reduce data entry.

For partners, helping clients harness this stack means offering solutions that flex with evolving business needs.

What success looks like: KPIs to watch

Once processes are streamlined, the real win is in the metrics. Here are a few finance KPIs you can track and improve with the Microsoft stack:

• Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
• Invoice cycle time
• PO approval time
• Budget variance accuracy
• Expense reimbursement cycle time
• Month-end close duration
• Audit readiness score

With Power BI, these KPIs become real-time dashboards—not buried Excel tabs.

A smarter path to finance modernization

Finance transformation doesn’t require a massive overhaul, just the right solutions and the right partner to guide clients toward a smarter technology stack.

Partners who understand both the finance pain points and the Microsoft solution stack are better positioned to lead strategic conversations with clients. With Business Central and Power Platform, you’re not just offering software—you’re delivering a modern financial foundation designed to drive efficiency, improve business productivity, and support streamlined processes, real-time insights, and automation.

Ready to bring modern finance to your clients? Discover how Sherweb helps partners deploy, support and grow with Business Central.