Case study · International distribution
One global template, rolled out country by country
International distributors often run a different ERP in each country, which makes group reporting slow and intercompany trade painful. This is how we designed one global Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations template and roll it out country by country with local requirements respected.
Project overview
A global template programme on Dynamics 365 F&O.
- Industry
- International distribution
- Client
- Confidential
- Solution
- Global ERP template
- Platform
- D365 Finance + SCM
- Timeline
- 9–18 months
- Team
- 6–10 people
- Entities
- 5–25 legal entities
- Localisation
- Tax, e-invoicing, statutory reports
- Approach
- Template, then country waves
Expected business outcomes
What the client set out to achieve
The value compounds as each country joins the template.
-
30–60%
Faster group close
All entities on one chart of accounts and one close process.
Target range once most entities are live
-
Automated
Intercompany trading
Intercompany sales and purchases created on both sides automatically.
Where intercompany chains are configured
-
Faster
Each subsequent country go-live
Later countries reuse the template and lessons from earlier ones.
As later countries reused the template
Business challenges
How international groups ran before
Each country chose its own system when it joined the group.
Systems
A different ERP or version in each country.
Processes
Order-to-cash and procure-to-pay done differently everywhere.
Intercompany
Invoices keyed twice, with differences to resolve at month-end.
Reporting
Group figures assembled from country exports.
IT
Several ERPs to support, upgrade and secure.
Proposed solution
What the programme delivers
A global design with deliberate room for local needs.
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Global template
Common processes, chart of accounts and master data standards for every entity.
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Localisations
Country tax, e-invoicing and statutory reporting configured per country.
-
Intercompany
Intercompany trade chains and settlements across entities.
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Supply chain
Warehousing, transport and procurement on shared processes.
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Group reporting
Consolidated reporting and Power BI across entities.
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Rollout kit
Data templates, test scripts and training material reused in every country.
Project requirements
What the client asked us for
The request was one ERP. The discipline is saying no to local variations that aren't legally or commercially necessary, so the template stays a template.
We pick a pilot country with a strong local team and representative processes, prove the template there, then scale.
What the project had to deliver
- 01One template for every country
- 02Local compliance handled properly
- 03Intercompany that balances
- 04Group reporting without spreadsheets
Key challenges & considerations
What made it harder, and what we did
-
Country teams attached to local practices
What we did
A template owner approved every local variation, and only legal requirements were accepted without debate.
-
E-invoicing rules that change frequently
What we did
E-invoicing used Microsoft's configurable formats and was reviewed before each country went live.
-
Different fiscal calendars
What we did
Fiscal calendars were configured per legal entity and mapped to the group calendar.
-
Data quality varying by country
What we did
A data quality check was run for each country before its rollout wave was confirmed.
What we watched for
- Guard the template against unnecessary variation
- Choose the pilot country carefully
- Build a rollout kit early
- Keep e-invoicing rules under review
Development process
Template first, then waves
Each wave reuses what the previous one learned.
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Global design
Processes, data standards and the template scope agreed with group leaders.
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Template build
The template built and tested in a model entity.
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Pilot country
First country goes live with localisations and intercompany.
-
Country waves
Remaining countries in waves, each using the rollout kit.
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Optimisation
Group reporting refined and the template maintained centrally.
Technology stack
Dynamics 365 F&O as a global platform
Microsoft's enterprise ERP with standard localisations.
ERP
- D365 Finance
- D365 Supply Chain Management
- Globalisation features
Integration
- Data management framework
- Azure integration
- Dual-write
Delivery
- Lifecycle Services
- Azure DevOps
- Regression Suite Automation Tool
Reporting
- Financial reporting
- Power BI
Quality assurance & deployment
Rehearsed until cut-over was routine
Finance and supply chain systems cannot be tested in production. Processes were proved end to end in test environments, and the cut-over was rehearsed until it held no surprises.
- End-to-end process tests across finance and operations
- Automated regression tests for standard and extended processes
- Data migration rehearsals, reconciled entity by entity
- User acceptance testing by business process owners
- Performance tests at real transaction volumes
Deployment
- 01Country wavesRemaining countries in waves, each using the rollout kit.
- 02OptimisationGroup reporting refined and the template maintained centrally.
- 03Rehearsed cut-overA timed cut-over plan, rehearsed at least twice, with a go or no-go decision by the business.
- 04Hypercare and warrantyOn-site or remote support through the first period close, and six months of free bug fixing.
Final deliverables
A group that operates as one
Every entity runs the same core processes on one platform, with local compliance built in, and intercompany trade balances by design.
Group finance closes faster and IT supports one ERP instead of many.
- One global template
- Localised compliance
- Automated intercompany
- Consolidated reporting
Handed over to the client
- 01Configured Dynamics 365Production and test environments
- 02Extensions and integrationsSource code and documentation
- 03Migrated dataReconciled entity by entity
- 04Process documentation and trainingBy business process
- 05Six-month warrantyFree bug fixing after delivery
Success metrics
How success is measured
| Measure | Outcome | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Faster group close | 30–60% | Target range once most entities are live |
| Intercompany trading | Automated | Where intercompany chains are configured |
| Each subsequent country go-live | Faster | As later countries reused the template |
Verified reviews
What clients say about our Dynamics work
Verified reviews from our clients on the same kind of work, published on Clutch.
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Custom Software Development
Web-Based Coupon App Development
The work produced by the team was of exceptional quality.
Jon Thies
CTO, Model Rocket Feb 2022 – Mar 2023
-
Custom Software Development
Mobile & Web Platform Development & Design
Silver Scintilla was responsive, respectful, and enjoyable to work with, quickly addressing any questions or requests.
DeShawn Brown
CEO & Founder, Lithios Jun 2021 – Nov 2022
-
Custom Software Development
Web-Based HRM System Development
Silver Scintilla provided the best solution with scalable functionality, personalized features, and robust security.
Suheb Khan
Director, Collaborative Insight Technologies Jul 2020 – Jun 2022
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