Microsoft Dynamics Customer Solution Case Study

Developer Taps New Revenue Source with Microsoft Business Solutions CRM

Overview “Microsoft CRM represents a good long-term Country or Region: United Kingdom; growth prospect. We’re glad we got involved early United States Industry: High Tech and Electronics and started building the relationships that can make our company even more successful.” Customer Profile Nolan Computers, headquartered in the Kim Haythornthwaite, Business Development Manager/U.S. Division Manager, Nolan Computers United Kingdom, is a company that develops and distributes business The customers of Nolan Computers—an independent software software worldwide, specializing in ® Microsoft® Business Solutions–Great vendor and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the United Plains®. Kingdom—were spending hours combining customer data from

Business Situation their customer relationship management (CRM) software with Customers asked Nolan Computers to the data in their accounting centers. To help them, Nolan find a way to integrate data from Microsoft Great Plains accounting Computers developed Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM software with Microsoft Business (now part of Microsoft Dynamics™), which automatically Solutions CRM software to eliminate manual processes and save time. integrates data from Microsoft Business Solutions CRM with data from Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains® (now part Solution Nolan Computers created Integration of Microsoft Dynamics™) software. The integration software Bridge for Microsoft CRM, software that eliminated time-consuming manual processes, increasing streamlined the integration of Microsoft Great Plains with Microsoft CRM. business efficiency. The software vendor’s partners cut integration implementations from weeks to days. And Nolan Benefits  Helped customers work more Computers boosted revenues—by a projected 20 percent the efficiently first year—added new partnerships, expanded markets, sold  Increased value for partners  Boosted revenues additional products, and gained more opportunities through its  Added partners and expanded markets association with Microsoft. “As we build Situation education and enforcement programs Nolan Computers, a business-software designed to eliminate software theft and relationships based on developer and distributor in the United raise awareness of that problem. Microsoft CRM, we Kingdom and a Microsoft® Gold Certified Customers like FAST and businesses that Partner, was founded in 1988. As an have a lot of customer data to manage raise the level of independent software vendor (ISV) and IT wanted a solution to: awareness of our consultancy, the company serves users and resellers at 1,200 sites through its  Better manage customer contacts and company and the other offices in the United Kingdom, the United eliminate manual processes, such as products in our line States, and Australia. The company’s extracting data from Microsoft Great customers include businesses with annual Plains and bringing it into Microsoft with many more revenues from U.S.$500,000 to $1 million. Office Excel 2003 spreadsheets to track people.” or re-enter accounting information into Nolan Computers has implemented their CRM system. Kim Haythornthwaite, Business Microsoft Business Solutions–Great  Generate customer lists from Microsoft Development Manager/U.S. Division Plains® for its customers since 1994. Over CRM for invoicing and to import the data Manager, Nolan Computers the years, the ISV has developed into the accounting software to prepare enhancements for Microsoft Great Plains to actual billings. extend the software’s capabilities, including  Pass sales orders to the accounting creating modules to automate software as quickly as possible to speed multicurrency bank reconciliation and up the processing and delivery of orders intercompany postings. Nolan Computers —something that businesses in highly also created products to integrate third- competitive fields could use to party customer relationship management differentiate their service. (CRM) software with Microsoft Great Plains. As requests grew to provide the integration between Microsoft Great Plains and “After the general release of Microsoft Microsoft CRM, Nolan Computers began Business Solutions CRM in January 2004, work on a solution. customers approached Nolan Computers about developing a product to integrate Solution Microsoft CRM with Microsoft Great Plains. Drawing on its knowledge of Microsoft Microsoft Great Plains had the accounting Business Solutions–Great Plains and its features we wanted, and Microsoft CRM experience with earlier integrations, Nolan had the member-management features we Computers developed the Integration wanted,” says customer Glenn Higley, Bridge for Microsoft CRM, and in August Group Management Accountant, 2004, the software passed the Microsoft Federation Against Software Theft (FAST). CRM Test for ISV Solutions, performed by “We just needed a way to link them.” the independent testing firm VeriTest.

FAST, a nonprofit software-copyright Nolan Computers used the Microsoft .NET organization with more than 3,000 Framework—an integral component of the members in the United Kingdom, develops Microsoft Windows® operating system that “Prior to deploying this provides a programming model and Nolan Computers includes a management runtime for Web services, Web console in the integration software that product, we’d spend applications, and smart client applications features an intuitive interface for setting up months working on the —and the application programming and customizing integrations, viewing interfaces (APIs) of Microsoft Business current activity, and analyzing historical integration. Now, we Solutions CRM to create the Integration activity logs. The software makes it easy to can do it in days." Bridge for Microsoft CRM. “We created a map data fields—that is, specify which data stable and scalable product using many of fields correspond to one another in the two Shelly Sexton, Vice President, LightEdge the APIs, based on our experience Microsoft Business Solutions products. The Solutions developing products that have already mapping ensures smooth data transfers. been tested for performance and speed in And because Integration Bridge for many large installations,” says Kim Microsoft CRM uses Microsoft SQL Haythornthwaite, Business Development Server™ to store its database content— Manager/U.S. Division Manager, Nolan including configuration, mapping, and log Computers. The Integration Bridge for data—it fits easily within the Microsoft Microsoft CRM runs as a Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated Windows–based service that works with server software that the ISV’s customers the Microsoft CRM server software or the use. Microsoft Great Plains software. Benefits Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM gives For Nolan Computers, its customers, and the company’s customers the ability to its partners, developing an integration tool pass data between Microsoft CRM and for Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Microsoft Great Plains without requiring Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions any hardware beyond that used to run the CRM offered many advantages. At last, Microsoft Business Solutions software. The customers had an easy way to integrate integration software can even bridge their accounting and CRM functions to multiple business units and companies increase their business efficiency. Partners using Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Great found that the new software helped them Plains, bringing them together in one set up solutions for customers in far less system. By using the integration bridge, time. And Nolan Computers itself found its customers gain real-time, two-way data revenues rising and its partnerships and transfers of: markets growing. Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM also provided opportunities  Account/customer data to present other products that Nolan  Case/service call transactions Computers offers, while the company’s relationship with Microsoft and other ISVs The software also provides one-way data positioned it well for the future. transfers of: Helped Customers Work More Efficiently  Product/item data The ISV’s customers have found that the  Quote/order/invoice/return transactions integration of their Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Great Plains software has made “The response has them more efficient. “We have saved hours Sexton, Vice President, LightEdge of time by eliminating manual processes Solutions, an IT services company and been so positive from and double entries,” says Higley of FAST. partner to Nolan Computers since 2002 our customers and Now, FAST uses Microsoft CRM to LightEdge, headquartered in Des Moines, partners that we expect generate a list of the customers to be Iowa, provides fully managed network and this growth to invoiced, query the database for the invoice business services for small and medium- amounts, and send that data to the sized businesses in the midwestern and continue." accounts in Microsoft Great Plains. “We get southwestern United States. LightEdge is Kim Haythornthwaite, Business a 12-month view of which members will be handling several Integration Bridge for Development Manager/U.S. Division invoiced, when, and how much. And all that Microsoft CRM implementations. “The Manager, Nolan Computers detail is there at the press of a button,” configuration and mapping of this software says Higley. “Integration Bridge for streamlines integration for us, which helps Microsoft CRM has really increased our us efficiently adapt the tool to our efficiency.” customers’ unique needs, saving them time and money,” says Sexton. Higley also appreciates the speed of the new integrated CRM and accounting The Workflow Manager interface of the system. “Now that we have integrated Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM is Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Great Plains, flexible and easy-to-use with simple one-to- it’s easy to move from one screen to one mapping and the ability to add scripting another. It’s so much faster, and the to solve more complex requirements. “This important information is more accessible– flexibility allows LightEdge to meet even which helps when you’re on the phone with the most complex integration needs,” says a customer,” he says. Sexton.

In addition, the easy access to Microsoft LightEdge has saved enormous amounts of CRM with the Microsoft Office Outlook® time since working with the Nolan 2003 messaging and collaboration client Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM. “Prior makes a difference to the staff at FAST. to deploying this product, we’d spend “After using the Lotus product, being able months working on the integration. Now, to access Microsoft CRM from Outlook was we can do it in days,” Sexton says. As a like going home for me,” says Higley. “I result, LightEdge is including the was back in a familiar environment.” Integration Bridge with all of its Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Great Plains Increased Value for Partners deployments as a standard integration tool. For the partners of Nolan Computers, the Based on its success with the software, flexibility of Integration Bridge for Microsoft LightEdge expects to maintain a long CRM helps them implement even complex relationship with Nolan Computers. integrations. “Enabling such tight integration between Microsoft Great Plains Brought More Success to Nolan Computers and the CRM data has surpassed all our For Nolan Computers itself, the move to customers’ expectations,” says Shelly develop the software based on Microsoft CRM has proven to be a good one. Among becoming a Microsoft partner as one of the the benefits that Nolan Computers has smartest decisions the company has made. experienced are: “Microsoft CRM represents a good long- term growth prospect,” says  Increased revenues Haythornthwaite. “We’re glad we got Nolan Computers has seen its revenues involved early and started building the increase significantly since releasing relationships that can make our company Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM. even more successful.” The company is on target for a 20 percent rise in revenues in the first year. “The response has been so positive from our customers and partners that we expect this growth to continue,” says Haythornthwaite.  Added partners, expanded markets Integration Bridge for Microsoft CRM has attracted the interest of other IT firms around the world. In fact, Nolan Computers added two new partners in South America after introducing the integration software, and the company is now poised to capture more opportunities in these new markets.  Created opportunities for long- term growth Another key advantage Nolan Computers gained by working with Microsoft was the exposure to other Microsoft partners. “As we build relationships based on Microsoft CRM, we raise the level of awareness of our company and the other products in our line with many more people,” says Haythornthwaite. “We are forging the trust and respect that will serve us over time.”

Although Integration Bridge for CRM is still early in its life cycle, based on the product’s early success, the response of its customers, and the encouragement of its own partners, Nolan Computers sees For More Information Microsoft Dynamics For more information about Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, products and services, call the Microsoft adaptable business management solutions Sales Information Center at (800) 426- that enables you and your people to make 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft business decisions with greater confidence. Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard- Microsoft software such as Microsoft of-hearing can reach Microsoft text Office, which means less of a learning telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) curve for your people, so they can get up 892-5234 in the United States or (905) and running quickly and focus on what’s 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 most important. And because it is from United States and Canada, please Microsoft, it easily works with the systems contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. your company already has implemented. To access information using the World By automating and streamlining financial, Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com customer relationship and supply chain processes, Microsoft For more information about LightEdge Dynamics brings together people, Solutions products and services, call processes and technologies, increasing the (515) 471-1000 or visit the Web site at: productivity and effectiveness of your www.lightedge.com business, and helping you drive business success. For more information about Nolan Computers products and services, call For more information about Microsoft (44) (0) 1252 811 663 in the United Dynamics, go to: Kingdom or (303) 665-9343 in the United www.microsoft.com/dynamics States or visit the Web site at: www.nolancomputers.com

Software and Services  Microsoft Windows Server System  Microsoft Dynamics − Microsoft SQL Server 2000 − Microsoft Business Solutions CRM − Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Partners Plains  LightEdge Solutions  Microsoft Office System − Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Great Plains, Microsoft Dynamics, Outlook, Windows, and Windows Server System are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Document published March 2005