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Plug It In, Plug It In: How D365 F&O Powers a Modular ERP Stack (Without the Meltdown)

  • Beau Schwieso
  • 38 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

Why did the ERP break up with its monolithic suite?

Because it needed space… in the cloud.





If you’re in food distribution, or, honestly, any industry with boots on the ground; you’ve probably already stitched together a tech stack that works. Your scanners talk to your WMS. Your TMS maps routes better than your kids' soccer carpool. Your eComm platform may not be pretty, but it gets the job done.


Then someone says, “Let’s rip it all out and replace it with an all-in-one ERP suite,” and you smile the same way you do when your toddler serves you a Lego sandwich: very proud… but absolutely not.


Because when it comes to ERP, modularity isn’t a feature—it’s survival.

Bring Your Own Stack: ERP Shouldn’t Be a Control Freak

Here’s the deal: if you’ve already invested in a best-in-class WMS (like Manhattan, or even something like a BFC Daktoa) or even aren't ready to have the undertaking of replacing all of your legacy systems (hello, fast follow work), you shouldn’t be forced to abandon it just to make your ERP feel “complete.” That’s like tossing out your chef’s knife because your new kitchen came with butter knives.


Where D365 F&O delivers:

  • Disable internal WMS logic and plug in your own.

  • Run Advanced WMS in select sites, while other sites use external tools.

  • Let D365 centralize inventory, while your execution lives elsewhere.


Food distribution example: Central DCs run Advanced WMS, while smaller depots rely on simpler tools that D365 still integrates with.

Construction example: Materials are ordered and tracked centrally via ERP, but job sites use mobile apps or handheld tools for receiving and usage reporting.


Dad joke: Why didn’t the ERP argue with the WMS? It knew its place in the stack.


APIs Are the New APIrations (get it?)

In a world of real-time everything, batch-only data sharing is like using a pager in the age of smartphones. Fortunately, D365 F&O comes API-packed and plays well with others.


Integration options that get the job done:

  • DMF (Data Management Framework): Like Excel imports on caffeine. Bulk data moves for setups, nightly syncs, or data loads.

  • OData & REST APIs: Your go-to for real-time reads—inventory lookups, open orders, or customer profiles.

  • Business Events: Let workflows trigger based on key actions. Order confirmed? Notify the TMS. Delivery missed SLA? Escalate it.

  • Dual-write: Keeps D365 F&O and D365 CE (CRM) singing the same tune.


Retail example: Real-time inventory syncs between eComm sites and ERP ensure customers don’t order what’s not available.

Logistics analogy: Like a dispatcher relaying live updates from delivery drivers—except it’s your systems talking to each other, not walkie-talkies.


Dad joke: Why did the ERP stop using batch jobs? It wanted to make better real-time connections.


Azure: It’s Not Just Cloudy Buzzwords

You don’t have to be a tech nerd to appreciate this: D365 F&O lives natively in Azure, and that’s a game-changer for modularity.

The Azure toolkit:

  • Logic Apps: Set up “if-this-then-that” automations across systems. Like: if an invoice is overdue, ping accounting in Teams.

  • Event Grid: React to system changes in real-time. Warehouse closed? Notify every downstream app.

  • Azure Synapse Link + Data Lake: Copy data to the lake, run BI or AI on top of it, and keep your core ERP humming.


Professional services example: When a timesheet is submitted in a 3rd-party app, F&O gets notified, and billing kicks off.

Chemical industry: When a tank status changes, Event Grid updates environmental reporting tools—without touching F&O directly.


Dad joke: Why did the ERP fall for Azure? Because it finally found a cloud with range.


Integration Is a Strategy, Not a Patch

A modular ERP isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing only what you should, and doing it well. The glue between systems needs to be intentional, not last-minute duct tape.

What DynamicsDad recommends:

  • Know what to keep and what to ditch. Don’t replace systems just for consolidation’s sake.

  • Pick the right handshake: DMF for batches, APIs for real-time, Events for triggers, Dual-write for syncing platforms.

  • Govern and document: Integration is an architectural layer—not just something IT handles behind the scenes. Secure it. Track it. Love it.


Music analogy: Your stack should be like a band—ERP on drums, WMS on guitar, CRM on vocals. Each plays their part. F&O isn’t the lead singer, it’s the conductor.


Dad joke: Why did the ERP join a band? Because it finally learned how to play well with others.


Final Thought: Modularity Is the Menu, Not the Special

You wouldn’t trust a chef who says they only know how to make one thing. So why trust an ERP that demands all-or-nothing loyalty? And when it's done right? Your ERP isn't the center of attention, it's the backbone of an ecosystem.

DynamicsDad

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