Automation Opportunities
- Automating routine data entry tasks
- Developing approval workflows for transactions
- Implementing automated reconciliation checks
- Scheduling recurring report generation
- Automated alerts for threshold breaches
Microsoft Dynamics Business Central
Optimise your existing Business Central operations
Improve efficiency and reporting within your current Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environment, addressing common pain points that slow down finance and operations teams.
Operator-led guidance to enhance your ERP performance.
Retailers we've helped
Optimisation in Action
Keeping fulfilment and finance aligned
Our approach dissects existing Business Central workflows to identify and correct inefficiencies, ensuring your system supports, rather than hinders, operational excellence.
Assess & Diagnose
Understand current system behaviour, user bottlenecks, and data integrity gaps that impact reporting and operational speed.
- Document current state process flows
- Analyse transaction posting behaviour
- Review financial reporting integrity
- Identify manual workarounds and data errors
Optimise & Refine
Implement targeted improvements, from data dimension standardisation to user permission restructuring, for greater clarity and control.
- Standardise master data dimensions
- Streamline bank reconciliation processes
- Refine user roles and permissions
- Improve inventory costing and valuation
Govern & Automate
Establish clear governance structures and automate routine tasks to prevent regressions and foster continuous improvement.
- Develop data governance policies
- Automate recurring data validation
- Implement reporting drill-down capabilities
- Training for correct system usage
Why Cogent2
Why Business Central teams plateau
Many retailers find their Business Central implementation plateaus due to entrenched manual workarounds, governance gaps, and reporting drag. We help you move beyond coping to optimising your core ERP.
- Operator-led Business Central optimisation guidance
- Deep understanding of ERP financial workflows
- Focus on practical, impactful process improvements
- Unbiased, platform-agnostic perspective
- Multi-platform ecosystem intelligence
- Sustainable governance frameworks
20+ Years
ERP Operations
Global
Retail Footprint
Operator-led
Engagement Model
£100M-£1BN
T.O. Retailers
Operational Intelligence
CogentAI
Optimisation work on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is greatly enhanced by intelligence. CogentAI provides the operational visibility, anomaly detection, and forecasting capabilities necessary to identify and resolve systemic issues before they impact the business.
Anomaly detection in financial postings
Early warning for reconciliation issues
Forecasting inventory valuation variances
Identifying master data inconsistencies
Pattern recognition in report generation
"Pinpoint where your Business Central data deviates from expected norms and predict potential bottlenecks before they become critical. Proactive optimisation changes how your teams operate."
MonTueWedThuFri
CogentAI identifies patterns in Business Central transaction velocity and data consistency.
Capabilities
Better performance from what you already have
We help you extract maximum value from your existing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central investment through process refinement, automation and enhanced reporting.
Process Improvements
- Optimising order-to-cash cycles
- Streamlining procure-to-pay workflows
- Refining inventory adjustment processes
- Improving intercompany transaction handling
- Standardising month-end closing procedures
Reporting Enhancements
- Customising financial statements
- Building operational dashboards (Power BI)
- Improving dimensional analysis
- Enhancing audit trail visibility
- Creating tailored management reports
Governance & Control
- Refining user roles and permissions
- Establishing data entry standards
- Developing change management protocols
- Auditing system configurations
- Defining master data ownership
Connected Ecosystems
Business Central never operates alone
Effective Business Central optimisation often requires examining connected systems that impact data integrity and workflow efficiency. We analyse your entire ecosystem for improvement.
Ecommerce Platforms
ShopifyAdobe CommerceSalesforce Commerce CloudBigCommerce
Marketplaces
Amazon Seller CentraleBayZalandoGroupon
Warehousing & Fulfilment
PeoplevoxBrightpearlManhattan AssociatesBlue Yonder
Integration & Intelligence
PatchworksCogent AIPower BIMicrosoft Azure
CRM & CX
Dynamics 365 SalesZendeskGorgiasKlaviyo
Operational Intelligence
Common Business Central inefficiencies
Many operational issues in Business Central stem from incorrect setup, user behaviour, or a lack of understanding of its financial controls. We diagnose and rectify these systemic problems.
Perpetual inventory discrepancies
Symptoms
- Stock counts rarely match system figures
- Frequent write-offs due to unknown losses
Root Causes
- Incorrect item costing methods
- Manual inventory adjustments without audit trails
- Lack of purchase receipt reconciliation
Business CentralWarehouse Management
Impact: Inaccurate financial reporting and lost gross margin due to unrecorded shrinkage. The team papers over it until peak.
Cogent Approach: We analyse item setup and transaction history to identify the root cause of discrepancies. This involves reviewing costing methods, inventory journals, and integration points with WMS to ensure consistent data flow and proper valuation logic.
Unreliable reporting and budgeting
Symptoms
- Reports do not tie back to the general ledger
- Dimensions are inconsistently applied across transactions
Root Causes
- Poorly defined dimensional data usage
- Users bypassing financial controls during entry
- Lack of validation rules on data entry
Business CentralPower BI
Impact: Management makes decisions on flawed data, leading to misallocated resources and missed opportunities. Trust in the core ERP erodes.
Cogent Approach: Our consultants review dimension setup and usage, creating clear governance policies and implementing validation rules. We improve report generation processes to use Business Central's native capabilities for accurate, drill-down reporting.
Slow month-end close procedures
Symptoms
- Finance team consistently works late for closure
- Bank reconciliations are a manual, lengthy process
Root Causes
- Excessive manual journal entries
- Cumbersome bank reconciliation process due to format issues
- Lack of automated intercompany matching
Business CentralBanking Portals
Impact: Increased operational overhead in finance, delayed financial statements, and higher risk of errors introduced during rushed manual processes.
Cogent Approach: We assess the month-end process for bottlenecks. This involves optimising bank reconciliation setups, exploring automated matching rules, and refining intercompany transaction flows to reduce manual effort and accelerate closure without compromising accuracy.
Deep Optimisation Expertise
Your Business Central, fully optimised
Optimising Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central requires a blend of deep platform knowledge and pragmatic operational insight. We focus on enhancing existing workflows and controls to deliver quick wins and a longer-term optimisation roadmap.
- Microsoft Dynamics Certified Accountants
- Financial Reporting Specialists
- Master Data Governance Experts
- Supply Chain Optimisation
- Integration Architecture Review (ERP focus)
Operator
Daily system usage & data entry
Controller
Process ownership & data integrity
Architect
System configuration & strategic roadmap
Clean Data Foundations
Automated Workflows
Enhanced Operational Visibility
Predictive Capabilities
Future-Ready Operations
Preparing Business Central for tomorrow's scale
Optimising your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central setup is the first step towards building an AI-ready commerce ecosystem. Clean data, efficient workflows, and robust governance create the foundation for advanced analytics and automation within Business Central.
We help you identify data gaps, standardise inputs, and streamline processes, ensuring your ERP can feed high-quality data into AI models for demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, and personalised customer experiences without operational drag.
Knowledge Base
Frequently Asked Questions
Optimisation Approach
How do you identify what needs optimising in our Business Central?
We start with an operational audit, observing core processes, interviewing key stakeholders, and reviewing system configurations and data integrity. This diagnostic phase helps us pinpoint bottlenecks and inefficiencies specific to your implementation.
What kind of improvements can we expect from Business Central optimisation?
Expect refined financial reporting accuracy, accelerated month-end closures, improved inventory valuation, reduced manual data entry, and enhanced user adoption through better process clarity and training.
Will this involve significant system downtime or disruption?
Our optimisation approach prioritises minimal disruption. Many improvements focus on process redesign, user training, and configuration adjustments rather than large-scale re-implementations, often with changes deployed incrementally.
Working with Cogent2
How long does a typical Business Central optimisation engagement last?
Engagement duration varies based on the scope and complexity of the optimisation required. A focused assessment might take weeks, while a comprehensive process redesign and implementation could span several months. We tailor the timeline to your needs.
Do you only advise, or do you also implement the changes?
We provide both strategic advisory and hands-on guidance for implementation. Our team works alongside yours to ensure recommended changes are effectively deployed and adopted, bridging the gap between strategy and execution.
What is the typical team size for a Business Central optimisation project?
Teams are lean, typically comprising a lead consultant with deep Business Central and retail operational expertise, supported by specialist consultants for areas like finance, supply chain, or data analytics as required. Projects are always operator-led.
Working Together
Engagement Models
Project-based Optimisation
Targeted engagements to solve specific Business Central challenges, such as improving financial reconciliation, optimising inventory costing, or streamlining reporting.
Retained Advisory
Ongoing strategic guidance and operational support for your Business Central team, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptability to changing business needs.
Ecosystem Intelligence
Leveraging CogentAI to provide continuous monitoring, anomaly detection, and predictive insights across your Business Central and connected systems for proactive optimisation.
Ready to get more from Business Central?
Don't let inefficiencies hold your operations back. Talk to our Business Central optimisation experts about enhancing your current setup for greater control and performance.
