Dynamics 365 within the higher education, charity, and public sectors

It’s unfortunate, but maybe not surprising, that non-profits and public sector businesses can often fall behind big corporates in their software and tech applications. A lack of investment usually leads to slower processes and a disjointed service – with a huge knock on effect on output!

In my experience, a little extra investment in software solutions is well worth the spend. So, for anyone in the public or non-profit sectors still using an Excel spreadsheet to monitor leads, I’ve made a list of key benefits you’ll experience by upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics 365.

For higher education

The higher education sector is one that seems to be moving with the times, and I’ve noticed more and more universities and colleges using Dynamics 365 to streamline the customer / student journey and improve their services.

Dynamics 365 has many core tools specifically designed to support universities and colleges. For example, by using Dynamics 365 Education Accelerator the higher education sector is able to develop solutions based on attributes which are specific to their needs.

The main benefits I've personally noticed include:

• Complete 360-degree insights into student behaviour
• The ability to form strong relationships with students
• Targeted campaigns and a more personalised experience

As learning becomes increasingly digital and online based, higher education institutions with the latest tech will quickly become the most attractive options for students!

For charities / non-profits

Time is money, and for charities and non-profits every penny counts – so any support in streamlining services is definitely welcomed.

That being the case, I’m sure it’s music to your ears that Microsoft offers a discount to many charities and non-profit organisations for Dynamics 365 and other business apps. You can find out if you qualify here.

The Charity CRM software built onto Microsoft Cloud enables the management of:

• Intelligent constituent data
• Fundraising Activities
• Nurturing relationships
• Automating routine processes

And did you know: 82% of non-profits with a CRM platform says it saves time and increases their income! (Source: Preact, A Microsoft Gold Partner).

For local government authorities / public sector

During a cost of living crisis with increased pressure on spend, all while trying to appease growing demand for services, it can be hard to provide support to your community.

Dynamics 365 connects the services you provide directly with the public while seamlessly integrating all your pre-existing Microsoft Technologies (e.g. OneDrive, Teams, Outlook…).

There’s also a handy public sector configuration key in your license configuration page which enables pages and controls that supplement the core Dynamics apps. These controls include functionalities to specifically support the public sector, such as:

• Fund accounting, derived financial hierarchies, and posting definitions for accounts receivable and the general ledger.
• Preliminary budgets, apportionments, and commitments.
• Billing codes, billing classifications, trading partner codes, and custom fields for free text invoices.
• General ledger year-end processing, which includes encumbrances and commitments on purchase orders.
• Electronic payments to vendors, signature pages for payment reports, and invoice payment holds

I hope you found these insights helpful. I’ve specialised within the Dynamics space for the past few years now and it’s fantastic to see how the software continues to develop and support a huge range of industries!

If you’d like to discuss any of the above in further detail, or if you’re wondering whether Dynamics 365 is the best fit for your organisation, do get in touch – I’m always open for a call.

Additionally, for anyone looking specifically into Enterprise Resource Planning, my colleague Simran recently wrote a blog on the benefits of ERP. Check out her blog here.