Enabling Confident Dynamics 365 F&O Adoption for an Automotive Enterprise
- Feb 8
- 4 min read
Industry
Automotive Aftermarket and Distribution
Region
North America with LATAM Operations
Engagement Type
Strategic ERP Consulting and On Demand Senior Dynamics 365 Resources
Project Model
Remote and Part Time Advisory for Dynamics 365 Adoption
Background
A mid to large automotive aftermarket enterprise was evaluating Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations as a long term ERP platform.
At the same time, the organization was dealing with growing pressure across both technology and business teams.
Key challenges included:
Increasing complexity in automotive product and fitment data
Heavy reliance on ACES and PIES XML standards
Demand to support ecommerce platforms, fitment based search, and digital sales channels
Internal uncertainty around ERP architecture, partner selection, and long term cost impact
Before committing to a multi year ERP implementation, leadership wanted clarity. They were not looking for assumptions or sales driven recommendations.
They needed an experienced Dynamics 365 consulting partner who could:
Question existing assumptions when required
Validate ERP and integration architecture choices
Provide neutral guidance without pushing immediate implementation
This is when Live D365 was engaged.
The Core Challenge
The primary concern was not ERP features or licensing. It was data strategy and long term scalability.
Leadership needed answers to critical questions such as:
How should ACES and PIES XML automotive data be integrated with Dynamics 365 F&O
How can complex fitment and product attribute relationships be handled cleanly
How can ERP data be reused across multiple channels including
B2B ecommerce
B2C ecommerce
APIs
Chatbots and digital assistants
How can all of this be done without overloading the ERP or driving unnecessary costs
At the core was one fundamental decision:
Is Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations the right ERP for this business and if yes how should it be designed from day one?
Live D365’s Approach
Live D365 engaged as a Dynamics 365 consulting and advisory partner, not as an implementation vendor.
The engagement was structured around senior advisory and architecture sessions, led by experienced Dynamics 365 F&O consultants and ERP architects.
Live D365 supported the client through:
Strategic ERP consulting for Dynamics 365
Hands on technical guidance for ERP and integration design
On demand access to senior Dynamics 365 F&O resources
Decision support for leadership and ERP project managers
This approach allowed the organization to move forward with confidence while avoiding irreversible technical decisions too early in the journey.
Key Areas of Guidance
1. Integration Strategy and ERP Architecture
Live D365's Consultant helped the client evaluate different ERP integration approaches including:
Direct integration with Dynamics 365 F&O
Staged data pipelines with transformation layers
Use of middleware and decoupled processing models
The final direction focused on a decoupled ERP architecture, where Dynamics 365 F&O remains stable while data processing and transformation stay flexible and scalable.
2. Dataverse vs Azure SQL for Automotive Data
Rather than pushing a single platform, they guided leadership through a practical comparison of Dataverse and Azure SQL.
Key factors considered:
Volume and complexity of ACES and PIES data
Transformation and validation requirements
Accessibility for business users
Reuse of data across ecommerce and digital channels
The recommended approach followed a hybrid architecture:
Azure SQL for transformation heavy automotive data
Dataverse for business facing integrations and services
Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations as the system of record
This balanced performance, usability, and licensing costs.
3. Data Matching and Relevance Control
A major risk identified early was importing large volumes of irrelevant catalog data into the ERP.
Live D365 advised on:
Rule based SKU and part number matching
Manufacturer and brand level mappings
Controlled handling of mismatches and partial matches
This ensured that only business relevant automotive products entered Dynamics 365 F&O.
4. End to End Dataflow Design
Live D365's consultant helped define a clear and reliable data flow:
ACES and PIES XML→ Ingestion and validation→ Transformation and enrichment→ Mapping to internal product catalog→ Dynamics 365 F&O integration→ Distribution to ecommerce platforms, APIs, and chatbots
Tools such as Azure Data Factory and Logic Apps were evaluated based on performance, reliability, and cost rather than trend or preference.
5. ERP Enrichment and Business Usability
Beyond integration, the consultant focused on making Dynamics 365 usable for business teams.
Guidance included:
Extending item and product entities in Dynamics 365 F&O
Structuring fitment and attribute data correctly
Enabling filtering, querying, and reporting within the ERP
The objective was to ensure ERP users could actively work with the data rather than treat it as a passive store.
6. Supporting Ecommerce and Digital Channels
The architecture was designed to support:
Fitment based product discovery
API driven B2B and B2C ecommerce platforms
Chatbots providing vehicle specific product recommendations
Live D365's consultant and advisor emphasized reuse of data across systems instead of duplication, helping maintain consistency while reducing operational complexity.
7. Scalability Governance and Risk Management
Leadership also wanted confidence beyond initial rollout.
It was addressed as:
Frequent ACES and PIES update cycles
XML schema versioning and future changes
Monitoring, logging, and error handling practices
Long term maintenance and support planning
This reduced operational risk and protected long term ERP investment.
8. Cost and Licensing Awareness
Live D365's advisor helped the organization evaluate:
Dataverse vs Azure SQL licensing implications
Data storage and replication costs
Performance versus cost trade offs
This ensured ERP and integration decisions aligned with commercial reality.
Project Leadership Support
Alongside technical consulting, Live D365 also supported ERP governance by helping define:
The role of a senior Dynamics 365 ERP Project Manager
A long term advisory engagement model
Flexible part time support aligned to executive decision making
This gave leadership better control during partner discussions and planning stages.
Outcome
At the end of the engagement, the client had:
Clear validation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations as a suitable ERP platform
A future ready integration blueprint for automotive ACES and PIES data
Confidence in ERP architecture, tooling, and partner strategy
A strong foundation to move forward with implementation on their own terms
Most importantly, decisions were driven by clarity rather than guesswork.
Why Live D365?
Live D365 works with ERP programs by focusing on clarity before execution. Instead of jumping straight into implementation, the emphasis is on understanding the business, the data, and the long-term impact of ERP decisions.
Organizations get access to senior Dynamics 365 expertise on demand, allowing them to validate architecture, integrations, and platform fit before committing to large scale implementations. The approach stays neutral, practical, and business focused, helping teams adopt Microsoft Dynamics 365 in a way that actually works.
Grow More with Live D365!
Comments