The IoT is not a new concept in business. The internet and then the cloud created a primitive sort of IoT some time back. But with Dynamics 365, we are now seeing a new era in business IoT and it could forever change the way we run businesses and organizations. We finally have a way to integrate different functions, work with Microsoft Dynamics AX and create a fully installed system throughout an organization.

IoT in Business

The idea that everything is connected by Internet and hence, accessible is no longer a matter of fantasy. The smartphone connected weather apps, cabs and grocery shopping has been a reality for sometime now. This is an example of IoT in our everyday life. When it has made our day-to-day life so convenient and productive, can you imagine how it can revolutionize the way we work?

Let’s imagine a dairy business that run on IoT.  Integration starts from the production, that is the dairy farm. Monitors will constantly check the health of cows, any illness is detected before it can spread, coordination with doctor (medications are bought and treatment schedules automated) and you can ensure that your produce remains free of any contamination.

Decisions on feed quantity automated based on average consumption and the order for feed decided on this. Then total production of milk and milk related products, like cheese, are again decided and monitored by various processes. Here the marketing is integrated to factor in fluctuating demands. Customer service software gathers feedback and incorporates changes accordingly. Parallel to all this is the constant interaction with suppliers, distributors and authorities like health inspectors.

But How Does IoT Change The Business Here?

• Wastage of resources is minimized as decision on feed are decided on a day-to-day basis after factoring in all elements.
• Contamination of produce is avoided or minimized as any disease is caught in time.
• Timely medical monitoring ensures that the stock remains healthy.
• Communication with suppliers are timely and chances of feed shortage are minimal.
• Milk testing ensures that the quality of milk never dips.
• Temperature control, weather forecasts and other equipment is critical for production.
• A distribution network makes sure that your marketing runs like a smooth machine.

Dynamics 365 And IoT

How does the Dynamics 365 fit into this? What the Dynamics 365 has done is combine all the above processes and put them in one place where it is accessible to all easily — in the cloud. In many ways it is IoT as it should be. Gathering data, analyzing and making informed decisions.

Microsoft IoT Suite uses the Azure Intelligent Machine to create an integrated business model which runs on business intelligence. The business cloud covers all functions — sales, marketing, finance, logistics,service, resource management, production, purchasing and strategy. What’s more it creates a user friendly interface that is easy to use.

The Dynamics 365 also gives us a scalable model that grows with your business. The Azurecloud is designed to be scalable in CPU, RAM and storage requirements. The Dynamics 365 itself comes in many options, according to the size of business, functions, application etc. This allows you to pick and choose what you want and scale up as your requirements increase with time.

Remodelling Enterprise Systems

The ERP component of the Dynamics integrates three main tech functions —  cloud, analytics, and mobility. This, in turn, is integrated with the CRM. The result is a truly impressive mix, which if installed and followed carefully, can have far-reaching consequences.

• Synchronisation: The Dynamics 365 has completely redefined the way IoT is integrated in business functions with much a wider cross-platform usage across industry verticals. Now we have people in the field — from sales to tech — logging on to one system and pooling their data. The result is a smooth and synchronized business operation. The best part is that everyone is now part of the decision making process.
• Collating data: Modern organizations today work on humungous amount of data and not all of it is generated in-house. Big Data is today flowing in from all directions, from the social media to emailers. The challenge has always been about collating this data in a form that makes sense in a business. The IoT works by piecing together all the data — from the suppliers, sales people, technicians and diagnosticians  and arranging it in a form that is easy to interpret and analyze.
• Ease of use: The Dynamics 365 is easier to use than most ERP systems in the market today. Most of these functions are probably already in use in your organization, such as Outlook or Office functions. This means that most of the workforce finds it easy to adapt and use.
• Business intelligence: What makes Dynamics 365 special is the business intelligent apps we have, such as PowerBI, Cortana Intelligence and Azure IoT. Dynamics also gives plenty of scope for third party app developers to create an overarching IoT-enabled business solutions.

Author Bio: This article has been shared by Ethan Millar, working with Aegis SoftTech as technical writer. Having more than 6+ years of experience to write technical articles especially for Microsoft Dynamics AX, Hadoop, Big Data, Java, CRM and Asp.Net.