D365 Business Central and Salesforce...

For businesses that rely on both D365 Business Central and Salesforce, maintaining synchronized data is crucial for smooth operations. Our client, a mid-sized company, primarily used D365 Business Central for financial management but faced increasing demand from their sales team for real-time access to customer information within Salesforce. The client wanted to ensure that any customer information updates in D365 Business Central would reflect immediately in Salesforce, eliminating manual data entry, reducing errors, and enhancing productivity.
The Enkaytech team developed a tailored solution for the company, ensuring seamless integration between D365 Business Central and Salesforce using MuleSoft, a powerful API management platform. This automated data sync significantly improved data accuracy, accessibility, and process efficiency.

Challenges

Integrating two complex systems like D365 Business Central and Salesforce involves multiple technical challenges. We worked closely with the client to address the unique hurdles posed by this integration:

1. Exposing Secure Endpoints for the API:

• For secure communication between D365 Business Central and Salesforce, endpoints were required to be configured on both platforms.
• The team leveraged OAuth2 as the connection provider, ensuring that data remained secure during transfer.

2. Message Transformation:

• D365 Business Central and Salesforce handle data differently. For example, D365 Business Central follows an ERP-centric data structure, while Salesforce’s CRM data focuses on customer relationship details.
• To allow these platforms to “speak the same language,” messages had to be converted between the ERP’s format and Salesforce’s format.

3. Data Integrity:

• Ensuring that customer information is accurately captured across both systems was essential for reliable reporting and customer service.
• Enkaytech applied meticulous attention to unique foreign IDs and customer data fields to maintain synchronization integrity.

Solution

Enkaytech’s solution revolved around configuring MuleSoft to act as the bridge between D365 Business Central and Salesforce. Here’s a breakdown of the implementation steps:

1. Configuring Secure Endpoints:

• Enkaytech set up a secure endpoint within D365 Business Central by gathering necessary details like client credentials, tenant, and company IDs, along with callback paths.
• Similarly, to configure Salesforce, the team refreshed the security token and used it along with user credentials, setting the foundation for data flow.

2. MuleSoft Application Development:

• Using pre-existing connectors for D365 Business Central and Salesforce within MuleSoft streamlined the integration process. The team used these connectors to configure message routing between systems.
• Each message received from D365 Business Central was converted to a Java-based message format before being sent to Salesforce, ensuring compatibility and data accuracy.

3. Salesforce Customization:

• To meet specific business requirements, Enkaytech created custom fields in Salesforce.
• This customization allowed Salesforce to capture D365 Business Central data without requiring changes to existing Salesforce workflows, ensuring that the integration was user-friendly for Salesforce users.

Technical Specifications of the Integration

The integration achieved several key technical milestones:

• API Security: OAuth2 authentication ensured secure data exchange, protecting sensitive customer and financial information from unauthorized access.
• Custom Mapping and Transformation: D365 Business Central messages were converted to Java message formats compatible with Salesforce, thanks to MuleSoft’s powerful message transformation capabilities.
• Real-Time Data Syncing: By leveraging MuleSoft’s asynchronous processing, data was transferred in near-real-time, with an average delay of just a few seconds.

Results

Enkaytech’s solution delivered a substantial improvement in operational efficiency, data accessibility, and accuracy for the client. Key outcomes included:

1. Streamlined Process:

• With the integration in place, customer updates in D365 Business Central automatically reflected in Salesforce in near real-time.
• The company observed a 30% reduction in data-related errors, thanks to the automated sync, and saved an estimated 20 hours per week previously spent on manual data entry and verification.

2. Enhanced Data Accessibility in Salesforce:

• The customized Salesforce fields now display comprehensive D365 Business Central data directly on each customer’s details page, enabling the sales team to make informed decisions quickly.
• This improvement has led to a 25% increase in productivity for the sales team, as they no longer need to switch between systems to access customer information.

3. Seamless Integration for Future Growth:

• With MuleSoft, the company now has a scalable integration solution that can accommodate future updates or additional integrations with minimal disruption.
• This future-proof setup positions the client to adapt quickly to new business requirements or software changes without incurring major redevelopment costs.

Statistics and Success Metrics

Through the D365 Business Central and Salesforce integration, the client achieved the following measurable improvements:

• Data Integrity Improvement: Achieved 99.5% data accuracy between systems, reducing data mismatches by 80%.
• Process Efficiency: Reduced time spent on manual data entry by 50%, translating to a productivity gain of approximately 20 hours per week for the team.
• Sales Efficiency: Sales representatives were able to access up-to-date financial data from D365 Business Central directly in Salesforce, boosting their productivity by 25%.
• Scalability: The MuleSoft solution provides scalability for future integrations, supporting potential growth in both systems with minimal reconfiguration.

Why Choose Us for Business System Integrations?

Enkaytech’s experience with complex ERP and CRM integrations positions us as an ideal partner for businesses looking to optimize data workflows. Our technical expertise with platforms like MuleSoft, coupled with in-depth knowledge of D365 Business Central and Salesforce, allowed us to deliver a custom solution that met our client’s specific requirements.
We understand that each integration has its challenges, whether they involve custom mapping, security configurations, or complex data transformations. Enkaytech’s approach ensures that we create a secure, scalable, and effective integration that enhances productivity and enables data-driven decision-making.
If your organization relies on multiple systems and needs to streamline data across them, Enkaytech is here to help. Contact us today to discuss how we can assist in transforming your systems into a cohesive, efficient digital ecosystem that drives business success.