About customer

The cooperation between Awara IT and the wholesale exporter D42 has been ongoing for more than a year. During this time, the customer's challenges have evolved based on business needs, and we have provided appropriate solutions using various technologies from the Microsoft stack. This partnership has developed through two key stages:

1) The successful rapid implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations for over 50 employees established a strong foundation for cooperation and technological advancement.

2) Streamlining document management has resulted in cost savings by reducing manual processes and minimizing errors. We optimized internal and external document workflows using Power Platform and Power Pages, including document approval routes integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, and the supplier's personal account.

This post unfolds the second stage. You can find details about the first stage here.

Customer

D42 trading is a leading trader of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), primarily in Eastern Europe and the Middle East regions. The company organizes wholesale export and delivery of key food and consumer good staples from across the world.

With an established presence and offices in over 5 countries and a global network of partners and counterparties, the company provides services of the highest standard, with dedicated care and attention to our customers' needs.

The focused scope of FMCG the company works with includes fruit and vegetables, meat and meat products, eggs and dairy, vegetable and olive oils, fruit juices and fruit drinks, sugar, chocolate, coffee, tea, cocoa, spices, fish, and fish products. All those stock keeping units (SKU) are stored in DWH.

Current state

Following the successful implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations for over 50 employees, it's now time to automate routine processes, with approval routes being the first priority.

Key objectives

• Internal Task: Optimizing internal document flow and integrating the contract approval tool with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations. This focuses on enhancing internal processes for smoother operations and improved efficiency for 160+_ users.

• External Task: Creating a personal account for suppliers to facilitate communication with 1500+ contractors, enabling the approval of draft contracts and the signing of contracts. This aims to streamline external interactions and improve collaboration with suppliers.

Challenges and solutions

Approach & Technologies 

IT landscape: 

• Power Platform for document approval task 

• Power Pages for personal account of the supplier.

At Awara IT, we have effectively mastered various capabilities of the Power Platform (including Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power Pages). Low-code solutions are the optimal choice for businesses with constantly evolving processes, allowing us to quickly adjust approval stages and add new signatories as needed.

Implementation

The project implementation was completed in just two months.

Before:

• Lack of automated processes and channels for internal and external communication resulted in documents being sent via email and chats, leading to potential loss.

• Manual data entry for various details such as nomenclature, details, contacts, etc.

• Inability to track interaction history.

After:

• Automation of the document approval process within the company for various types of contracts, including sales, logistics, marketing, HR, etc., along with defined approval routes.

• Automatic downloading of nomenclature and other data from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, reducing manual data entry.

• Ability to track interaction history within the system, ensuring full information availability.

In figures: 

• 160+ users

• Total amount of documents is 680+ (500 contracts and 180+ additional agreements)

• Min 5 stages of approval

Results

Project results

The implementation caused following positive business impact:

• Workflow Streamlining: The client's workflow has been streamlined, indicating improved efficiency and productivity.

• Contract Approval Routes: Processing 30 contract approval routes highlights the system's capability to handle diverse workflows effectively.

• Flexibility: The system allows for the flexible creation of new alignment routes according to the customer's needs, demonstrating adaptability and customization.

• User Base: Over 160 users with specific functionality and rights are accommodated in the internal system, catering to diverse user requirements.

• Document Management: The document management system provides a comprehensive view of contract approval history, eliminating the need for other coordination sources like email.

• Centralized Storage: Documents are stored in a single storage center, facilitating easy access and retrieval, contributing to enhanced organization and efficiency.

• Cost Savings: Streamlining document management processes leads to cost savings by reducing manual processes and minimizing errors, enhancing overall operational efficiency.

• Agility: The system's low-code capability allows for quick changes to the approval process, enabling rapid adaptation to evolving requirements.

‘International wholesale trade involves a complex workflow with hundreds of contracts and many different approvers. Our goal is to optimize both internal and external document flow, reduce manual processes, minimize errors, and improve efficiency and productivity. The company's deep industry expertise, quick response to changing business demands, and excellence in low-code development and Power Platform implementation made it possible to complete the project in the best possible way, ‘ – Anna Perttunen Project program manager, D42 trading/

Next steps

Discussions about implementing DocuSign indicate our commitment to further enhancing the approval process and increasing efficiency. Another project under consideration is the implementation of a Corporate Data Warehouse and an analytical system based on Power BI. This initiative aims to enable more effective strategic and managerial decision-making. By reducing the number of errors related to human factors in report preparation and manual data collection from various sources by 50%, we can significantly optimize resources. The freed-up resources can then be directed towards the development of strategic initiatives and projects, fostering business expansion and success.

Our use of a wide range of Microsoft technologies exemplifies a comprehensive approach to addressing diverse business challenges.