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In this case study:
Client: Field Effect
Industry: Software / Technology
Products and Services: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft Power Apps
Location: Global
The Company
Field Effect Software Inc., a global cybersecurity leader headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, needed a modern, scalable financial management solution to support its rapid growth. With operations in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, the company faced challenges managing multiple financial entities, consolidating reports, and ensuring audit compliance.
To address these issues, Field Effect partnered with Quisitive to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, transforming its financial operations and enabling efficiency at scale.
The Challenge
Before implementing Business Central, Field Effect relied on five separate instances of QuickBooks—some cloud-based and others on-premise. This fragmented system created significant operational inefficiencies:
- Manual consolidation: Financial statements required extensive data exports, currency conversions, and reconciliation in Excel, making the process error-prone and time-consuming.
- Lack of integration: Separate systems meant no direct communication between entities, requiring manual intervention for intercompany transactions and multi-currency conversions.
- Audit complexity: The finance team struggled with process consistency, controls, and compliance, making year-end audits cumbersome.
The Solution
Field Effect evaluated several ERP solutions, prioritizing seamless integration with Microsoft’s suite of tools, strong multi-currency capabilities, and a system that could scale with their growth. Based on these criteria, the company selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, implemented in partnership with Quisitive.
"Business Central checked all our boxes—multi-entity consolidation, process automation, and deep
integration with Microsoft 365. Quisitive guided us through a fast, seamless implementation that met our aggressive timeline."
Paul Landry, CPA, Director of Finance, Field Effect Inc.
Key implementation priorities included:
- Cloud-based consolidation: Business Central enabled automatic multi-entity consolidation, eliminating the need for manual data exports and reducing reporting errors.
- Automated currency conversions: Integrated exchange rate updates streamlined financial reporting across different geographies.
- Robust process controls: Approval workflows for purchase orders and expenses enhanced financial governance.
- Seamless integration: Compatibility with Microsoft’s ecosystem allowed for easy adoption of complementary tools like Binary Stream for recurring billing and Collect 365 for accounts receivable automation.
The Implementation
With a strong sense of urgency, Field Effect set an ambitious goal: complete the ERP migration in just four months. Quisitive collaborated closely with Field Effect’s finance team to ensure a smooth transition, following a structured implementation approach:
- June: System evaluation and selection
- August-September: Data migration, process configuration, and sandbox testing
- October: Training, user acceptance testing, and go-live
Despite the aggressive timeline, the implementation was a success, thanks to meticulous data preparation and a collaborative approach between Quisitive and Field Effect.
"We knew the timeline was aggressive, but Quisitive provided the structure and support to make it happen. Their team was responsive, and we had clear milestones to keep us on track."
Paul Landry, CPA, Director of Finance, Field Effect Inc.
The Results
The impact of Business Central was immediate and substantial:
- 50% reduction in financial close time: Monthly financial close now takes just five days instead of ten, with consolidation reduced from two days to half a day.
- Seamless multi-currency management: Currency conversions are now automated, reducing manual errors and improving reporting accuracy.
- Enhanced audit readiness: Stronger process controls and real-time financial visibility have streamlined year-end audits.
- Scalability for growth: With Business Central as the foundation, Field Effect continues to expand its financial capabilities, integrating additional tools like Collect 365 for accounts receivable tracking.
"The time savings with Business Central have been game-changing. We’re no longer buried in spreadsheets—we can focus on strategic finance initiatives that drive business value."
Paul Landry, CPA, Director of Finance, Field Effect Inc.
Next Steps
With Business Central fully implemented, Field Effect is now optimizing its finance operations further:
- Expanding Binary Stream capabilities: Implementing revenue recognition automation for subscription billing.
- Enhancing accounts receivable automation: Leveraging Collect 365 to centralize customer communication and payment tracking.
- Implementing Power Automate workflows: Strengthening financial controls and efficiency through automation.
"Our journey with Business Central is just beginning. We continue to explore new ways to optimize and automate our financial operations, ensuring we’re always ahead of the curve."
Paul Landry, CPA, Director of Finance, Field Effect Inc.
By migrating to Business Central with Quisitive’s expertise, Field Effect has transformed its financial management operations, reducing complexity, improving efficiency, and positioning itself for future growth.
The partnership between Field Effect and Quisitive exemplifies how modern cloud-based ERP solutions can empower high-growth companies to scale seamlessly while maintaining financial precision and control.
