Enhancing Expense Management with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance: An Overview Guide

Posted on: April 22, 2024 | By: Fred Liu | Microsoft Dynamics AX/365, Microsoft Dynamics Manufacturing

Managing expenses efficiently in a dynamic business environment is important for maintaining budget control and ensuring financial compliance. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance (D365) offers an expense management process that simplifies and automates expense entry, approval, and reimbursement processes. This solution includes a mobile app, available for both Apple and Android devices, which keeps managing expenses on-the-go accessible.

Key Features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Expense Management

1. Mobile App Convenience:

The D365 mobile app enhances the user experience significantly. Employees can capture receipts instantly using their smartphone camera or by uploading existing images from their photo gallery. This capability is helpful for timely expense report updates and ensures that all receipts are accounted for.

2. Intelligent Receipt Matching:

Utilizing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, the app can automatically match captured receipts with transactions entered manually or imported via corporate credit card feeds. This not only saves time but also reduces errors in expense reporting, making the process smoother and more reliable.

3. Flexible Transaction Entries:

D365 can easily handle expenses made through corporate credit cards or personal cards. The system processes these transactions seamlessly, ensuring they are processed accurately and efficiently through the accounts payable workflow.

Expense Reports:

Users can create expense reports directly in the mobile app or through the D365 backend. The process includes attaching receipts, adding new expenses, and compiling previously entered data into a comprehensive expense report. This flexibility allows employees to manage expenses in a way that best suits their workflow. Once an expense report is compiled, it can be submitted for approval directly from the mobile app or via the backend system. D365’s workflow management facilitates this process by notifying approvers through on-screen alerts, emails, and mobile notifications, ensuring quick responses and efficient processing.

Expense Workspace:

D365 includes a dedicated workspace for expense management, accessible based on user roles and security permissions. Here, users can view and sort expense reports and receipts by various criteria such as status, number, and dollar amount. This centralized view is essential for effective financial management and audit trails.

Advanced Functionalities:

Expenses that require detailed breakdowns such as hotel stays, users can itemize taxes, meals, and other incidentals to provide precise expense tracking. The system categorizes each expense, which directly informs financial postings and budget allocations. Once approved, expense reports are processed for payment as open accounts payable invoices, which can be handled through checks or electronic transfers.

D365 transforms expense management from a mundane process into an efficient operation that enhances organizational control and employee satisfaction. With its advanced OCR capabilities, mobile accessibility, and comprehensive financial integration, D365 not only simplifies the expense reporting process but also provides valuable insights that help optimize spending and improve financial governance.

Next Steps:

If you want to learn more about expense management in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, contact us here to learn how we can help you grow your business. You can also email us at info@loganconsulting.com or call (312) 345-8817.