INDUSTRIES · MANUFACTURING

Manufacturing runs on schedules, materials, and margin. Your ERP should show all three.

From discrete assembly to process manufacturing, Dynamics 365 connects production scheduling, materials planning, and shop floor data to the same finance system that reports on margin.

FIT CHECK

A good fit if, and where the line is.

A good fit if

  • ✓
    Shop floor data sits in a separate MES or spreadsheetProduction status never syncs cleanly with the ERP, so job cost is always a lag behind reality.
  • ✓
    Job costing is done by hand at month-endActual margin per job is a guess until the books close, not a number you can act on mid-production.
  • ✓
    You run both discrete and process manufacturingBusiness Central and Finance & Operations both handle mixed-mode production, not just one or the other.
  • ✓
    Materials planning is disconnected from purchasingMRP recommendations should generate purchase orders directly, not a report someone re-keys.

Look elsewhere if

  • 1
    You need advanced planning and scheduling (APS) at large scaleVery high-complexity, high-SKU scheduling sometimes needs a specialist APS layer on top of either Dynamics ERP.
  • 2
    Your shop floor is already deeply invested in a mature MESIf that system works well, the better question may be integration, not replacement.
WHAT ACTUALLY MOVES THE TIMELINE

What actually moves the timeline.

Bill of materials accuracy
The single biggest driver of a smooth go-live. Dirty BOMs cause more delay than any other factor.
Number of routings
More routings and work centers add configuration time faster than headcount does.
Shop floor data capture method
Barcode/scanner capture at the machine changes the whole reporting picture versus end-of-shift manual entry.
WHAT'S COVERED

The functional areas this touches.

01

Production scheduling

Discrete and process routings, capacity planning, and work center scheduling in the same system as finance.

02

Materials & MRP

Demand-driven materials planning that generates purchase and production orders automatically.

03

Shop floor data capture

Barcode or scanner-based reporting feeding job status back in near real time.

04

Job costing

Actual material, labor, and overhead cost visible per job as production happens, not after month-end close.

If a prior manufacturing implementation stalled, see Rescue →
Running at larger scale? See Finance & Operations →
FAQ

Common questions before committing.

Q.Can Dynamics 365 handle both discrete and process manufacturing?

Yes. Both Business Central and Finance & Operations support mixed-mode production, though which fits better depends on your scale and complexity.

Q.Do we need a separate MES system?

Some shops do, for very granular machine-level data. Many run shop floor data capture natively in Dynamics 365 without one.

Q.How accurate does our BOM data need to be before we start?

It needs to be right, not necessarily complete. Cleaning up BOMs is usually part of the Diagnose and Data stages, not a prerequisite.

Q.Does job costing update in real time?

Costs post as transactions happen on the shop floor, so margin visibility lags production by hours, not weeks.

Considering Dynamics 365 for Manufacturing

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