DynaTech’s Integrated Sales, Finance, and Customer Service Enhancement Solutions Helped an E-learning Provider Enhance Its Entire System

INDUSTRY

E-learning and Education

REGION

United States

SERVICES

Greenfield Implementation of Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

Microsoft Dynamics AX Upgrade

Testing Automation

Managed Services

Fabric

Data Migration

Enhancing Online Education Management with DynaTech’s Solutions

The client offers a vast range of online courses across various subjects using an "edutainment" approach to make learning engaging. The courses, taught by professors and experts, cover topics from arts and music to science and mathematics. With over 800 courses and 1800 lectures in 13+ categories, the client is a leading global media brand promoting lifelong learning. Whether learning a new language, fundamentals of psychology, or exploring the wonders of national parks, the client provides a comprehensive and convenient learning experience from anywhere.

The client aimed to transform their business operations to reach new heights of efficiency and customer service. With a vast collection of courses and lectures, the teaching company ensures the most competitive prices compared to personalized private offers or public rates. However, maintaining these prices, coupons, and discounts proved challenging due to its complex structure. The company regularly handles substantial order volumes, especially during festive seasons, leading to a spike in transaction volume and order processing demands. Moreover, their commitment to a lifetime guarantee for customers adds to the operational complexity. This increase in activity has culminated in a substantial accumulation of transaction data. The client aimed to streamline customer service by effectively managing and tracking customer issues across various channels to deliver uniform and precise information regarding courses, pricing, and discounts.

Magento was integrated with Dynamics AX through third-party software, requiring sequence and frequency updates to ensure seamless data synchronization and system efficiency. Their integration with application marketplaces was limited due to the absence of a dedicated contact center for booking orders and customer service, necessitating an e-commerce connector.

Additionally, they were utilizing SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), which faced limitations in processing large datasets and posed challenges in maintenance. Consequently, they sought to integrate their online platform with other systems, centralizing pricing, order management, and product data. Furthermore, their use of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) restricted their ability to effectively manage and track reports. To improve overall efficiency and maintain consistency, they aimed to standardize APIs and reporting mechanisms across all platforms.

Due to the on-premises systems like Microsoft Dynamics AX and SQL Server, manual efforts and management costs were increasing. Moreover, Microsoft ended its support for Microsoft Dynamics AX. Therefore, the client was looking to move to Cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.

PRODUCTS

D365 Sales for Order Management

D365 Customer Service

Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement

Power Platform

Azure

Dual Write

E-commerce Connector

Payment Gateway Connector

Shipping Connector

DynaTech’s Unified Solution for E-learning Industry

DynaTech Systems offered a robust Cloud-based platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365, which was a one-stop solution for all the challenges. Leveraging Azure as the backbone, we’ve established a robust integration with the Dynamics ecosystem. Azure serves as the foundation for hosting services and managing data, upon which Dynamics 365 operates. Upon Dynamics 365, our skilled developers layered a custom application built on the Power Platform, creating a centralized solution that eliminates redundant data entry.

To address specific needs, DynaTech implemented tailored solutions like Sales Transformation, Customer Services Enhancement, Finance Optimization, and Supply Chain Modernization. All these solutions were powered by a range of Dynamics 365 solutions, including Dynamics 365 Sales for order management, Dynamics 365 Customer Service for resolving customer issues, D365 Finance for financial needs, a specialized price engine for accurate pricing, Third-Party Logistics (3PL) integration, and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management for seamless production.

Our Experts implemented Dual Write to synchronize data in real-time between Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management and Dynamics 365 Customer Service to ensure that updates in customer orders, financial transactions, and customer interactions are consistently reflected across all relevant systems, maintaining data integrity and streamlining processes.

The integrations within this ecosystem are meticulously managed, providing a seamless operational flow. The Azure solution’s scalability is a key advantage; it allows for easy scaling up of operations to accommodate increased order volumes and scaling down when necessary.

Additionally, to enhance data management and analytics, we integrated Azure Synapse Analytics into the solution. Synapse acts as a centralized data warehouse, allowing for advanced data analysis and integration of data from various sources. This integration facilitates complex queries and comprehensive reporting, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Upgrade:

To refine the order-to-cash cycle, the client upgraded from Microsoft Dynamics AX.

This strategic move automated key processes from order receipt to fulfilment, bolstering efficiency.
The upgrade further equipped the organization with advanced financial reporting tools, enabling precise financial management and sophisticated budgeting capabilities.

Supply Chain Modernization Solution with Microsoft D365 Supply Chain Management:

Integrating production processes with D365 SCM streamlined their manufacturing of physical products, such as DVDs or printed materials for their courses.
By integrating with a 3PL provider, the client can outsource warehousing, transportation, and order fulfilment services. It also ensures that inventory levels are accurately reflected in the system, preventing stockouts or overstocking.

Advanced Finance Optimization with Dynamics 365 Finance:

We offered robust Finance Optimization Solution powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance to address the critical issues:

Financial Planning and Analysis to enable budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
Accounting and Financial Close to streamline financial processes such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger management.
Quote to Cash to manage the entire sales order lifecycle, from creating quotes to order fulfilment.
Cash Management to optimize cash flow by tracking cash balances, reconciling bank statements, and managing payments.

DynaTech engineered a pricing engine that could accommodate Standard Pricing, Master Price Lists, Offers, and Offer Prices.

This engine can manage bulk updates and copy the entire price master, allowing seamless replication of offers from one to another with the Mega Clone feature.
It also facilitates mass updates triggered by any changes in the standard price.
We also implemented a robust Discount Coupon Module with capabilities that included buy one get one, threshold quantity discount, threshold order value discount, and 100% off on shipping-based order value.

DynaTech integrated the WorldPay payment gateway across three application platforms: D365 CE, D365 F&O, and E-Commerce.

Key functionalities include Payment Capture, Payment Settlement, Payment Refund, Transaction Voiding, and Management of Credit Card Master (Masked Credit Card Information).
The integration allowed the merging of payments, including gift certificates, for single orders.

Avalara Tax API Engine was developed and integrated across all application platforms via DynaTech’s D365 APIs.

Within the CE, the Tax API facilitates the creation of new tax codes and tax groups, enhancing integration with FinOps.
Additionally, the tax calculation for return orders is executed with reference to the original sales orders.

DynaTech Implemented Order Type-specific Validation and Processing Rules:

Regular Order

Regular Order - The system conducts necessary checks such as Address Validation, Payment, Tax, and...

Web Orders

Web Orders - Validation is streamlined, leveraging checks already performed by the E-Commerce...

Replacement Orders

Replacement Orders - Users can select a reference order and duplicate order lines to create a new...

Gift Orders

Gift Orders - Customers can gift orders to others, attaching recipient information to these orders.

Mail Orders

Mail Orders - Involves the creation of a single batch with multiple sales orders, pending...

Return Orders

Return Orders - Introduced a new feature in CE allowing users to create return orders with...

Omni Orders

Omni Orders - For physical product orders converted to digital versions, the system retrieves...

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service

DynaTech offered a top-notch Customer Service Enhancement Solution integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service to elevate customer service and ensure consistency across all touchpoints.

This robust system tracks customer issues within individual cases, capturing every interaction to build a comprehensive case history.
It also fosters a unified knowledge base, guaranteeing that all agents provide uniform information on courses, pricing, and discounts.
Moreover, it enhances customer engagement by managing conversations across a multitude of channels, catering to diverse communication preferences.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales for Order Management

DynaTech implemented its Sales Transformation Solution powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales for Order Management to address the sales order lifecycle.

This streamlined operations, empowering sales teams to swiftly handle customer inquiries and efficiently manage orders.
It also provided a centralized platform for meticulously tracking accounts and contacts, essential for maintaining current and comprehensive customer records.

Data Migration

We implemented a strategic approach for the efficient management of extensive data migration through multiple iterations.

This encompassed migrating various data categories, such as products, pricing, customers, addresses, orders, payments, invoices, etc.
To optimize application performance and minimize costs, a selective migration approach was adopted, focusing on transferring only current-year orders to the Dynamics system.
Historical order records were migrated to Azure and are retrieved into Dynamics as needed through seamless API integration.
Middleware storage (Hub) was introduced with API integration to have seamless integration and to manage high-volume order intake.

E-commerce Integration

To handle the high-volume data, DynaTech integrated the E-Commerce application using over 50 APIs, all meticulously managed through Azure API Manager and Azure Functions. These APIs integrated the e-commerce platform with all the systems like sales, customer service, and finance systems.
Additionally, a recurring batch has been configured to facilitate the integration of pricing and product data with the E-Commerce application.
To maintain integration health, multiple reports have been developed using Power Platform and Azure. These tools help monitor and facilitate data reconciliation between applications.
We also developed a comprehensive gift certificate feature incorporating functionalities like digital gift certificates delivered via email, physical gift certificates dispatched through postal services, automatic balance creation in the gift certificate master upon sale with a system-generated unique ID, and capability for partial or full redemption of gift certificates.

Regular Order

Regular Order - The system conducts necessary checks such as Address Validation, Payment, Tax, and Pricing.

Web Orders

Web Orders - Validation is streamlined, leveraging checks already performed by the E-Commerce platform.

Replacement Orders

Replacement Orders - Users can select a reference order and duplicate order lines to create a new replacement order, where the sales price is always set at $0.

Gift Orders

Gift Orders - Customers can gift orders to others, attaching recipient information to these orders.

Mail Orders

Mail Orders - Involves the creation of a single batch with multiple sales orders, pending validation by the Finance team for payment information received via mail before releasing the orders.

Return Orders

Return Orders - Introduced a new feature in CE allowing users to create return orders with references to original sales, supporting partial/full returns and the selection of multiple orders into a single return order. To prevent duplicate return orders, integration with FinOps includes a validation mechanism for Lot ID and its return status.

Omni Orders

Omni Orders - For physical product orders converted to digital versions, the system retrieves details from previous physical product orders and releases the digital version at a $0 sales price.