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From Excel-Based Budgeting to Structured Financial Planning: Budgeting and forecasting software for Dynamics 365 in practice

How BGSF Improved Budgeting and Forecasting with Dynamics 365 and Solver

Budgeting and forecasting software for Dynamics 365 in practice

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The Situation

BGSF, a multi-division professional services organisation, had implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O) as its core financial system.

While this provided a strong foundation for financial data, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes were still managed outside the system using Excel. These models included multiple driver-based calculations and required ongoing manual updates.

As the organisation grew, there was an increasing need to forecast more frequently and improve visibility into operational performance.

The existing approach worked, but it required significant coordination and effort to maintain consistency across teams.

What Was At Stake

As planning cycles became more frequent, the reliance on Excel-based budgeting introduced challenges:

 

  1. Time spent updating and managing multiple versions of spreadsheets
  2. Limited ability to align financial reporting with forecasting in a consistent way
  3. Increased effort required to maintain accuracy across departments
  4. Reduced visibility into performance between reporting cycles

The finance team needed a more structured approach that could support ongoing budgeting and forecasting without increasing complexity.

The Turning Point

BGSF began looking for budgeting and forecasting software for Dynamics 365 that could extend the capabilities of their ERP.

 

The focus was not on replacing existing systems, but on introducing a layer that could:

 

  1. Bring budgeting, forecasting, and reporting into one environment
  2. Reduce reliance on manually managed spreadsheets
  3. Support more frequent and consistent planning cycles

 

Solver was selected as the platform to provide this structure alongside Dynamics 365.

 

(This project was delivered by the Solver US team.)

What We Did

Solver was introduced as a structured environment for budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting, using data from Dynamics 365.

 

The approach focused on:

 

1. Structuring Budgeting and Forecasting

Excel-based models were replaced with centralised budgeting templates, allowing departments to update their inputs in a consistent format.

 
2. Aligning Reporting and Planning

Financial reporting and forecasting were brought into the same environment, making it easier to compare actuals against budget and forecast.

 

3. Reducing Manual Coordination

Instead of managing shared spreadsheets, teams could access and update their budgets independently within Solver.

 

This allowed the finance team to maintain control over structure, while reducing the effort required to manage the process.

The Result

With Solver in place, BGSF established a more structured approach to budgeting and forecasting.

 

  1. Budgeting became faster and more accurate across departments
  2. Financial reporting and planning were aligned in one system
  3. Teams could update budgets independently, improving consistency
  4. Comparisons between actuals and forecasts became easier to manage

Submitting budgets no longer required coordinating shared files. Instead, inputs could be updated directly, resulting in more up-to-date and reliable forecasts.

What They Can Do Now

With a structured approach in place, the finance team can now:

  1. Maintain accurate budgets without managing multiple spreadsheet versions
  2. Update forecasts more frequently with less effort
  3. Compare financial actuals and forecasts in a consistent way
  4. Support better visibility across departments and operations
  5. Spend more time reviewing performance rather than maintaining models

Why It Worked

This shift from Excel-based budgeting to structured financial planning was effective for three reasons:

 

1. Built Around Existing Systems

Solver extended Dynamics 365 rather than replacing it, allowing BGSF to build on their existing financial data.

 

2. Familiar but Structured

The solution retained the familiarity of Excel while introducing a controlled environment for budgeting and forecasting.

 
3. Designed for Ongoing Use

The focus was on supporting regular planning cycles, not just improving a single budgeting process.