From Dynamics AX 2009 to Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM: How a Manufacturing Company Modernized ERP with GraVoc
About the client.
The client is a precision engineering and manufacturing company specializing in close-tolerance parts. With decades of experience, they serve customers ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing
Location: North America
Project overview
- ERP System (Before): Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
- ERP System (After): Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management
- Dynamics 365 Implementation Partner: GraVoc
At a Glance
Originally implemented by GraVoc many years ago, the client relied on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 for its core ERP functions. As the business grew, they became increasingly reliant on customizations to support critical processes. While these customizations enabled short-term success, they introduced significant complexity that made the system harder to maintain and less adaptable to change. Over time, the aging and heavily customized ERP environment became a barrier to growth. To remain competitive, the company needed real-time data access, streamlined manufacturing workflows, and stronger integration capabilities.
That’s when the company decided to modernize their ERP and move to Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, the modern evolution of Dynamics AX 2009. When it came to selecting a partner for this upgrade, the company turned to GraVoc once again. Our knowledge of their Dynamics AX environment and their confidence in our expertise made GraVoc the clear choice.
The Challenge:
Outdated Dynamics AX 2009 caused manual processes, poor reporting, & limited system integration.
Like many manufacturing companies running on Dynamics AX 2009, our client had hit a wall. Dynamics AX 2009 was no longer supported by Microsoft, which made the ERP more of a maintenance headache than an engine of growth. Add to that, the end of Microsoft support meant that Dynamics AX was no longer receiving regulatory updates and security enhancements, creating potential compliance risks and security vulnerabilities.
They had been running Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 for more than a decade, and while the system had once supported their operations well, it was increasingly strained under the weight of changing business demands. To bridge the gap, the organization relied heavily on customizations and third-party integrations, layering on functionality that the legacy platform could not provide natively.
Over time, this created a tangled web of code and interfaces that were difficult to maintain and risky to modify. The result was a system that was critical to the business yet fragile and inflexible, holding the company back from innovating and adapting at the pace the market required. Here are some of the challenges that GraVoc needed to solve:
Legacy Limitations:
AX 2009 was no longer supported by Microsoft, and critical customizations were becoming unstable.
Inflexible Reporting:
Generating custom reports required significant effort from IT, delaying key business insights.
Manual Workarounds:
Engineering change orders and inventory tracking were heavily reliant on spreadsheets and manual updates.
Integration Pain Points:
Their ERP lacked connectivity to modern CAD systems, customer portals, and supplier networks.
The Solution:
Implement Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM, cut tech debt, & build integrations.
Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (Finance & SCM) was the natural choice to replace Dynamics AX 2009 for the client. The next-gen ERP offers Microsoft Azure-based cloud scalability, real-time insights, and advanced supply chain capabilities. It is also powered by innovative AI-based features, including Microsoft Copilot, for more efficient demand planning and forecasting.
When we sat down with the company to plan the Dynamics 365 implementation roadmap, two priorities quickly rose to the top: cut down on customizations and build the right integrations. Too much custom code was becoming a burden, making upgrades slower and maintenance harder. At the same time, a lack of modern integrations was creating data silos and increasing manual effort.
By focusing on these two areas, we were able to deliver an ERP system that was not only modern and scalable, but also faster to adapt and more connected across the business.
Here’s the structured upgrade and transformation framework we used throughout this project.
Business Process Discovery
GraVoc’s dedicated, multidisciplinary team of Solution Architects, Business Analysts, Functional Consultants, and Software Development experts conducted deep business process reviews with the client’s Engineering, Production, Sales, and Finance teams to understand:
- How the business had evolved since the original AX 2009 implementation
- Which processes were unique to the company’s high-mix, low-volume manufacturing model
- Opportunities for automation and simplification
Customization Audit & Rationalization
Dynamics AX 2009 had numerous customizations. Our team:
- Identified which customizations could be replaced with out-of-the-box features in Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, so the client could take advantage of Microsoft’s native features and future updates without disruption.
- Flagged unsupported code for refactoring
- Used Power Platform tools for lightweight extensions instead of deep custom development
Data Migration Strategy
GraVoc implemented a phased data migration approach:
- Legacy transactional data was archived for audit and compliance
- Master data – customers, vendors, parts, Bill of Materials (BOM), and routings – was cleaned, validated, and migrated to the new system
- Custom mappings were created to account for schema differences between Dynamics AX 2009 and Dynamics 365
Systems Integration
GraVoc helped design and implement new integrations:
- CAD-to-ERP BOM imports for engineering efficiency
- Supplier portal connectivity to improve lead time visibility
- CRM-to-ERP workflows to connect customer quotes to manufacturing planning
Training & Change Management
Understanding the importance of user adoption, GraVoc provided:
- Hands-on workshops for engineers, production planners, and procurement teams
- Role-specific training manuals
- Post-go-live floor support
the outcome:
Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM delivers real-time visibility, improved engineering processes, & AI-driven insights.
Today, the client is running on a modern, Microsoft cloud-based Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management system that can grow with them instead of holding them back. For us, this project was less about replacing software and more about building a foundation to support the company’s future growth. Here’s a quick overview of the results we accomplished together.
Faster BOM Entry
%
Reduced tech debt
Modernized ERP Platform
The client now operates on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, with Microsoft Azure-backed cloud scalability and security.
Real-Time Visibility
Leadership has real-time dashboards to monitor production, inventory, and supply chain disruptions.
Replaced Aging Customizations
Existing customization levels reduced significantly and replaced with out of the box functionality. Core customizations migrated to Dynamics 365.
Improved Engineering Efficiency
CAD integration reduced BOM entry time by 70%.
Stronger Compliance
Built-in audit trails and financial controls aligned with ISO and AS9100 standards.
Power Platform Flexibility
The integration with Microsoft Power Platform will enable low-code development, automation, and dashboards to extend the ERP.
Faster Time to Quote
The quote-to-order process was streamlined, improving responsiveness to customer RFQs.
Reduced Technical Debt
Over 80% of AX 2009 customizations were eliminated or replaced with native capabilities.
AI-Powered Efficiency
The client can now leverage Microsoft Copilot capabilities in the ERP for real-time insights and intelligent recommendations to enhance decision making.
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