11 Advantages of STAEDEAN’s Data Migration & EDI Solutions for Microsoft Dynamics 365

In today’s competitive world, there is an abundance of options available for software solutions. While there are several solutions in the market, it is often difficult to gauge the advantages of solutions from Capterra or G2’s customer reviews. Since the challenges for every organization vary and a solution that is a good fit for your organization might not work for another, we believe it is best to respond to customer questions through our articles. And one of the questions we often get asked about our Data Management Solutions is the advantages of using them.

At STAEDEAN, we have helped 500+ customers integrate their application landscape, simplify data preparation and extraction, streamline data entry processes, improve data quality, and accelerate data migration in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (D365 F&SCM) with our Data Migration Solution. We've also empowered them to enhance business communication and fast-track EDI implementation in D365 F&SCM using our Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) solution—EDI Studio.

We have worked with both small and medium businesses, and large enterprises. We have worked across industries globally to help them digitally transform their business processes with our Data Management Solutions for D365 F&SCM. Therefore, in this article, we will share the advantages of our Data Migration and EDI solutions and explain what differentiates us from our competition.

What is Data Migration Solution for D365 F&SCM?

STAEDEAN's Data Migration Solution is an advanced, no-code application integration, data migration, and data export solution, embedded in D365 F&SCM, that can help D365 customers handle complex ERP implementation scenarios, without relying on developers. The solution helps you migrate data from from Microsoft AX 2012/AX2009 or any legacy system or application into Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM and integrate your D365 ERP with any external application or 3rd-party system, without leaving the D365 environment. While we have helped businesses implement our Data Migration Solution for both cloud and on-premise, there are more perks of switching to the cloud, such as our flexible support plans.

Besides helping with data synchronization, our solution also helps D365 customers monitor their key integrations across their Dynamics landscape, initiate timely error resolutions in case of an integration failure, process large data volumes, prepare and extract data at high speed for faster analytics, speed up data entry, and improve the quality of data in D365.

What is EDI Studio for D365 F&SCM?

EDI Studio is a fully configurable EDI-handling solution that automates the exchange of critical business documents, helps you set up trading partners, resolve data discrepancies, and retrieve EDI message history in Dynamics 365 F&SCM, without IT dependence. The solution has been embedded in D365, enabling business users to easily handle EDI exceptions without switching between systems.

Using EDI Studio, our customers can send and receive important documents such as purchase orders, invoices, advance ship notices, and more using several EDI formats. Using our solution, you can connect with your trading partners and customers and send messages internally within the organization as well.

With Data Migration Solution's integration monitoring app, you can track the messages exchanged through EDI Studio, making it more beneficial to use them together. 

11 Advantages of STAEDEAN’s Data Migration & EDI Solutions

Below are the combined advantages of using our Data Migration Solution and EDI Studio solution.

1) Embedded within Dynamics 365

While other solutions can be integrated with the D365 ERP, our solutions are built inside the D365 environment, so we use the same code. So, when you are working on your ERP and you need to send out an EDI message, EDI Studio will do this automatically from the regular processing in the ERP.

An embedded solution provides a holistic overview of processes, easier troubleshooting, easier configuration, and improved performance, among other benefits. Additionally, an embedded solution is easier to manage and will need lesser maintenance in the long run.

Since our solutions are embedded in the D365 database, data transfer is automatic, and you do not need to manually copy data in and out of the ERP. Therefore, any incoming data can be directly validated in Microsoft’s D365 database.

Related reading: How Well Are STAEDEAN’s EDI and Data Migration Solutions Integrated with Microsoft D365 F&SCM?

2) Configuration-based solutions

Both Data Migration Solution and EDI Studio are configuration-based solutions, which means there is no need for you to engage with developers or take on any coding activity in-house after the solution has been implemented. Our solutions have been designed keeping business users in mind and are easy to use. Since the user experience is the same as D365, it is easy to get started with the in-built tutorials and initial training sessions. We also offer training, implementation, and on-demand support based on the customer’s specific business requirements.

3) Flexible data mapping

Based on customer feedback about the challenges of being unable to use any field or table from D365 and being limited to the data entities provided by Microsoft, we developed Data Migration Solution. While Data Migration Solution helps transfer data in and out of D365, it can override the inflexibility of mapping to any field or table in the database. This also simplifies customizing EDI messages.

4) Hassle-free data management

Data Migration Solution makes it easy to segregate and synchronize data and manage multiple scenarios. Since you can customize mapping with this solution, you can segregate data using conditional mapping. For example, a data migration project with our Data Migration Solution can help you import data into multiple companies simultaneously using a mapping specific to each company. Additionally, the solution allows you to import and sync large amounts of data.

It is possible that each of your business systems has different data fields. During integrations and data transfers, this could be a problem using your ERP or another software. But with our solution, you can make changes on the go. For each field mapping, you can set up constants, defaults, conversions, and transformations to ensure smooth integration and data synchronization between business systems. 

5) Works with Microsoft upgrades

If Microsoft updates or changes functionality, especially its data entities, then our solutions will work without the need for any development. Our Data Migration Solution offers you the flexibility to use (custom) tables or a combination of multiple standard tables for integrations. Additionally, our license fees include the cost of any upgrades or changes we make to both our solutions, EDI Studio and Data Migration Solution.

6) Flexibility of EDI VAN/broker partners

Depending on the EDI scenario, whether you decide to go with an indirect or hybrid scenario, we can help you figure out what will work best for your organization based on your current setup and business requirements. We offer our customers the flexibility to connect with a value-added network (VAN)/broker of your choice using EDI Studio.

7) Error management for EDI messages simplified 

Since EDI Studio has a staging area, any messages that are incorrect will show up there till they can be validated by a business user. When you implement EDI Studio, you can set up notifications for errors. So, when an error is detected in a message sent or received, an alert will be sent out to the assigned data owner/ IT team.

If there is a problem that the IT team needs to fix, they can check all past records in the history management feature of the EDI solution and resolve the issue. In either case, the recipient of the notification can check the error and validate that document to ensure business continuity.

Related reading: EDI error handling simplified using EDI Studio

8) Option of an app to monitor integrations and EDI messages

Our Data Migration Solution features an integration monitoring app for monitoring the performance of all your integrations implemented with Data Migration Solution. Using this app, you can also track interactions in the form of EDI messages. The app makes it easier to track the health of your integrations on the go as it is easily accessible using a mobile phone or tablet. The app is powered by Power BI and displays integration failure, if any, across your ‘Companies’ and ‘Applications’ involved in the graphical dashboard.

In case of an integration failure, you can check the actionable message log that keeps an account of all the messages and can track the source of the error without wasting too much time. You can set up notifications that can be sent out in Teams when an integration fails.

9) Several connector types and document formats available

Using our Data Migration Solution, you can exchange synchronous and asynchronous messages in near real-time. The solution gives you the option to implement technical integration by means of several connectors. You can choose from the D365 F&SCM database, file system (folders), web services, email, SharePoint, or data connection with ODBC.

Data Migration Solution supports several document formats, including Delimiter-based (CSV), flat file, fixed text, ODBC, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, EDI, JSON, and XML file (with XSD or XSLT). Additionally, custom formats can be used as well.

10) Automated processes

After you implement the solution and set up your integrations, you can simply automate steps using the rich transformation library. And in case of any changes, an event log will simplify data synchronization once applied for each connection. Once this has been done, the database triggers will detect insertions, deletions, and updates, if any, and only the changes in data will be synchronized.

11) Cost effective solutions

Data Migration Solution solution is priced not on the number of integrations or users but on the number of companies or legal entities used for operations/production within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management. So, you can have multiple integrations for each company without worrying about the cost. Additionally, if we upgrade our solution or add new features, the licensing cost includes those updates.

While other solutions usually charge you per transaction and also to add each connection, for Data Migration Solution, the number of connections, or the number of transactions does not impact the cost of the solution.

And nor do we charge for the number of integrations you configure using Data Migration Solution. So, if you have a direct scenario, our solution works out quite affordable in comparison to other solutions.

For EDI Studio, we do not charge for the number of messages you send using our solution. The price of the solution is chargeable per legal entity or the number of companies within D365 F&SCM. To understand the cost involved in detail, please read our EDI Studio cost blog.

Would you like to consider our Data Migration and EDI solutions?

If you think you need more information about our Data Migration Solution, we recommend downloading our solution factsheet. We also have an honest review blog you can read to understand both the advantages as well as the limitations of EDI Studio.

If you do use Microsoft Dynamics 365, then our Data Management Solutions can help you harness the power of your ERP and surpass the limitations of Microsoft’s data entities. If you do not use D365, then we hope this blog has helped you understand the benefits of using data management and EDI solutions embedded within your ERP.

If you are ready to explore our solutions, please book a demo with our data management and EDI experts today by clicking on the link given below.