Overview
A growing business with multiple entities in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central needed a reliable, automated process to update sales orders with real-time FedEx shipping status. Previously, updating shipping statuses across three Business Central companies required manual data entry, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors.
Crestwood Associates designed and implemented an automated FedEx shipping integration using Power Automate Workflows. This solution ensures that Business Central receives hourly shipping status updates from FedEx without manual intervention, improving efficiency, accuracy, and visibility across all entities.
Project Details
- Go-Live Date: February 18, 2025
- Total Project Hours: 85 hours (Post Go-Live Support continues)
- Key Technologies Used: Business Central, Power Automate, SharePoint, CSV Formatting
- Integrations: FedEx EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) for Order Shipping Status Updates
- Customizations: None—leveraged native Business Central functionality and automation tools
Business Challenge
The client needed to track and manage shipping statuses for customer orders across three Business Central companies. The previous manual process was:
- Time-Consuming – Employees had to manually enter shipping statuses into Business Central.
- Error-Prone – Data inconsistencies and missed updates caused order tracking issues.
- Not Scalable – As order volume grew, managing updates across multiple entities became unsustainable.
They required a fully automated solution that could:
- Import and process FedEx shipping data automatically
- Update order statuses in Business Central across all entities
- Provide real-time visibility into shipping progress
- Ensure accuracy with built-in error handling
Solution Implemented
Crestwood Associates deployed Power Automate Workflows to automate the hourly import and processing of FedEx shipping status files.
Key Solution Components
- Power Automate Workflows: Automated file ingestion, transformation, and data updates.
- CSV File Formatting & Manipulation: Standardized FedEx data for seamless Business Central integration.
- Error Handling Mechanism: Identified and corrected data anomalies to ensure accuracy.
- SharePoint File Sharing: Secure storage and access to processed shipping files.
How It Works
- FedEx generates shipping status files and sends them via EDI.
- Power Automate retrieves and processes these files every hour.
- Shipping status updates are automatically applied to the relevant sales orders in three Business Central companies.
- Error handling routines catch and resolve formatting issues before importing data.
This approach eliminated manual entry, ensuring that order tracking remains accurate, efficient, and scalable.
Results & Business Impact
- Eliminated Manual Data Entry – Reduced time spent on order status updates.
- Increased Accuracy – Orders reflect the latest shipping information without human error.
- Enhanced Visibility – Business Central now provides real-time tracking of shipping progress.
- Scalable & Repeatable – Built-in automation allows expansion as order volume grows.
- Minimal Ongoing Maintenance – Solution runs autonomously with built-in error handling.
Project Execution & Key Contributors
Client Team
- Project Sponsors: Mike Nolan / Quintin Austin
- Project Manager: Bill Lawlor
Crestwood Associates Team
- Lead Consultant & Workflow Architect: Jason McColly
- Technical Specialist: Jett Hawkins
- Customer Account Manager: Nick Cabrera
Special Recognition
This was the first implementation of advanced Power Automate Workflows at this scale, handling complex data manipulations and error handling. A special thanks to Jason McColly for working closely with stakeholders and providing live workflow demonstrations, ensuring a smooth transition and user adoption.
Conclusion
By leveraging Power Automate and Business Central’s built-in capabilities, Crestwood Associates successfully eliminated a manual, error-prone process and delivered a scalable, automated shipping status update system. This project demonstrates how intelligent automation can improve operational efficiency, enhance visibility, and streamline data workflows in Business Central—without requiring costly customizations.
For organizations managing high-volume order shipments and multiple Business Central companies, this approach provides a proven, repeatable solution that reduces manual workload and ensures real-time shipping accuracy.
