Executive Summary
A High-Volume Distribution Company faced significant operational inefficiencies in automating shipment tracking in Business Central. Tracking shipments across multiple Business Central instances required manual updates of sales orders with FedEx shipping statuses, leading to wasted hours, increased errors, and limited scalability. By implementing modern supply chain automation solutions, they moved away from manual updates and toward a scalable, cloud-based framework. This case study explores how what is supply chain automation in practice can save hundreds of labor hours.
To solve this, Crestwood Associates implemented an automated Power Automate for supply chain solution that seamlessly integrates FedEx shipment data with Business Central. The result was a 90% reduction in manual effort, near real-time shipment visibility, and improved data accuracy—all achieved with a cost-effective automation framework.
About the Company
- Industry: Distribution and logistics for concessions and promotional products
- Operations: Works with multiple third-party logistics (3PL) providers for order fulfillment
- ERP System: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, managing multiple company entities
- Shipment Volume: Thousands of open sales orders at any given time, requiring continuous tracking updates
The Challenge
Before automating shipment tracking in Business Central, the company faced the following obstacles:
- Manual EDI processing: Employees had to manually download and process FedEx tracking data.
- Company identification issues: FedEx shipment files lacked company-specific identifiers, requiring manual lookup across three Business Central instances.
- High processing times: Staff had to sift through thousands of records, increasing workload and delaying updates.
- Data integrity risks: Manual entry led to frequent errors in shipment tracking data.
The Solution: Power Automate for Supply Chain
Implementing Supply Chain Automation Solutions
To address these challenges, Crestwood Associates developed a tailored framework for supply chain automation. By leveraging Power Automate, we created a system that doesn’t just move data, but understands the automated supply chain management system requirements of a multi-entity business.
Key Features
- Automated EDI Processing: Power Automate continuously monitors an SFTP server for new FedEx shipment files and initiates processing.
- Real-Time Company Identification: A structured data table in Dataverse dynamically links sales orders to the correct Business Central company.
- Business Central Integration: Shipment details, including tracking numbers and delivery status, are updated automatically.
- Error Detection & Notification: A SharePoint-based feedback loop alerts users of missing or mismatched sales orders.
- Scalability: The system processes hundreds of records per hour, adapting to business growth.
Technical Flow Overview
- FedEx uploads shipment data to an SFTP server.
- Power Automate detects and processes the file, converting raw data into a structured format.
- Company identification logic matches sales orders to their respective Business Central entities.
- Shipment tracking details are automatically updated in Business Central.
- Errors or missing records trigger a SharePoint list notification, enabling quick resolution.
Business Impact & Results
By implementing Power Automate for supply chain automation, Crestwood Associates enabled the company to achieve:
- 90% Reduction in Manual Effort: Eliminated tedious data entry tasks.
- Near Real-Time Shipment Visibility: Updates occur every hour, ensuring accurate tracking.
- Improved Data Reliability: Minimized errors through automation and structured data processing.
- Cost Efficiency: Entire solution operates with a single Power Automate premium license ($15/month), delivering exceptional ROI.
Lessons Learned & Future Opportunities
- Automation is key to ERP efficiency: Power Automate streamlines workflows and reduces human intervention.
- Scalability should be a priority: The solution was built to handle increasing data loads without performance degradation.
- Further enhancements: Future upgrades may include additional 3PL integrations and AI-driven shipment insights.
Conclusion
This case study demonstrates how automating shipment tracking in Business Central can streamline logistics operations and enhance data accuracy for high-volume distributors. If your organization faces similar challenges, contact Crestwood Associates to explore how Power Automate for supply chain can transform your business operations.
Contact Crestwood Associates today to learn more!
