Cloud conversions drive operational transformation opportunity

Long-time Microsoft partner PwC has been working with Dynamics 365 solutions to help customers achieve operational transformation for more than two decades. Financial business challenges are the most common area that customers want to tackle first, and much of the partner’s practice in this area is being driven by organizations seeking to move from their on-premises enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to Dynamics 365 Finance in the cloud. “Dynamics 365 Finance now offers very robust features that can successfully compete against anyone in the market. We’re increasingly seeing legacy on-premises users, whether they are using SAP, Oracle, Dynamics NAV, or Dynamics AX, ready to embrace the new capabilities and built-in integrations of the Microsoft Cloud to improve scale and productivity of finance workstreams,” said Drew Poulos, Microsoft Alliance Director for Dynamics 365 at PwC.

One of the ways that PwC has helped customers accelerate operational transformation is by building accelerators, such as its Finance Ready solution that packages pre-built business processes and industry specific knowledge to speed time to market. “Our IP solutions like Finance Ready let us jump start implementations for our clients while also laying the foundation for best practices,” said Poulos. “They give customers the ability to get 20 to 30 percent of the functionality they need right out of the gate in a proven, repeatable way. It really extends the value proposition that PwC brings to the table.”

The result of these investments is strong, sustained growth for PwC’s Dynamics 365 practice, which has increased significantly over the last few years. “Even in the recent challenging economic environment, we really aren’t seeing any slowdown,” said Poulos.

Triton International taps into growth potential of cloud-based ERP

One of the customers that PwC has helped move from a legacy finance application to Dynamics 365 Finance is Triton International, the world's largest and most reliable intermodal container leasing company. Triton has the core goal of providing industry-leading service to its customers and it relies on 400+ independent, third-party depots and locations across the globe. As its network of depots continued to grow, Triton quickly realized the only way to scale its corresponding business processes and continue to meet its high expectations for delivering quality customer service was to modernize operations and transition all financial data and reporting to the cloud.

With PwC’s help and its Finance Ready solution, Triton implemented Dynamics 365 Finance over a 10-month period to better integrate business processes across core financial operations, such as general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable. “Simplifying and integrating these processes helped us greatly reduce time-consuming manual efforts,” said Tony Hung, CIO at Triton International Limited. “The Dynamics-365 integrated, pre-configured solution from PwC helped us get off the ground faster so we could focus more on serving our clients.”

PwC was able to help Triton reduce implementation timeline by approximately 10 percent, while also increasing process efficiencies across the enterprise. For example, by automating a manual operation for foreign currency reevaluation, Triton decreased processing time by roughly 33 percent. “The Dynamics 365 platform provides us with real-time data and flexible, consolidated workflows that empower our employees to work more effectively, while also increasing our ability to scale as a business,” continued Hung.

AI capabilities helping accelerate practice growth

PwC sees further opportunities to enhance operational transformation for its customers with generative AI and has announced a $1 billion investment over three years to expand and scale its AI offerings. Microsoft Copilot will play a key role in this new area of focus as a way to drive innovation, further streamline workflows, and deliver business insights within finance and other business functions. “Copilot is really going to enable a lot of efficiency and reduce redundant work for our customers,” said Andy Cheng, Director, Microsoft Business Applications at PwC. “There is a high amount of interest from customers, and it is a top priority for our business to help them understand the use cases and benefits.”

“I think that Dynamics 365 is entering a golden era. With comprehensive product features, our IP for reducing time to value, and the new generative AI capabilities in Copilot, we’re getting considered in more opportunities across industries. It’s an exciting time for our clients and our business,” concluded Poulos.

“The Dynamics-365 integrated, preconfigured solution from PwC helped us get off the ground faster so we could focus more on serving our clients.”

-- Tony Hung, CIO, Triton International Limited

PwC helps businesses scale and grow with Dynamics 365 Finance