Automate to accelerate – why manual order entry is holding your Business Central system back

Manual order processing is still common across manufacturing and distribution businesses using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Sales orders arrive via emails, PDFs, spreadsheets and customer portals, then get rekeyed into the system by hand.

It might be a familiar story, but it comes at a cost. One that quietly limits efficiency, accuracy and the ability to scale.

Why does manual order entry still create hidden cost and risk?

Manual data entry takes time. A lot of it.

Orders sit in inboxes waiting to be processed. Data is retyped between systems. Skilled people spend hours on administration rather than supporting customers or resolving exceptions.

Time and resource are only part of the issue. Manual entry also introduces risk. Typos, missed lines and pricing errors lead to rework, delayed fulfilment and avoidable customer complaints. Even a small error rate becomes expensive as order volumes grow.

There is also a visibility problem. Until an order exists in Business Central, it cannot inform stock allocation, demand planning or fulfilment. That delay has a knock on effect across the entire operation.

Automation changes this by getting accurate data into the system sooner, without relying on manual intervention.

Will automation replace people?

Order automation is not about removing customer service teams. It is about removing repetitive data entry.

By automating order capture, roles shift away from typing and towards work that genuinely adds value. Teams gain time to handle exceptions, manage complex requirements and build stronger customer relationships.

Experience, judgement and insight still matter. Automation simply removes the low value work that prevents people from using them.

How can order capture be automated in Business Central today?

There is no single approach that suits every organisation. The right solution depends on order volumes, order complexity and how customers prefer to place orders.

• AI agents that interpret emails, PDFs and attachments to create sales and purchase orders automatically. These work well for standard, repeatable orders and can request clarification when information is missing.
• EDI, which remains the gold standard where supported by trading partners, offers extremely high accuracy, low cost per transaction and scales easily once implemented.
• Integrated B2B eCommerce, such as Shopify connected to Business Central, allowing customers to place orders 24/7, view live pricing and availability and reorder easily.
• Document capture beyond purchase invoices. Many organisations already automate invoice processing but continue to manually key sales orders. Applying the same approach on the sales side often delivers quick wins using familiar tools.
• APIs, where customers can provide structured data such as consistent Excel formats. This allows transactions to be imported directly into Business Central with high reliability and minimal setup.

PDFs are often treated as a digital solution, but they remain an inefficient workaround. Data is exported from one system, turned into an image and then converted back into data at the receiving end. While AI can help bridge this gap, direct data to data integration remains the most reliable option wherever possible.

Why does automation become essential as businesses scale?

Getting orders into Business Central sooner improves demand visibility, stock allocation, picking and fulfilment. For manufacturers managing constraints, speed directly affects service levels.

Automation does not fix broken processes. It amplifies them. Before automating order capture, pricing, product data and customer records need to be accurate and consistent. When manual posting works correctly, automation becomes far easier to implement and far more effective.

Most automation options can be implemented in weeks rather than months. The cost should be considered against the true cost of manual processing, including labour, errors and delays, rather than viewed in isolation.

Customer behaviour does not need to be forced. Simple incentives, such as free carriage or promotional support, can encourage adoption of automated channels without damaging relationships.

Typing orders into ERP systems is not the future. Business Central is increasingly becoming the rules engine behind multiple automated channels, not the place where humans rekey data.

Ready to see how automation can help your business grow and scale?

Getting orders into Business Central sooner improves demand visibility, stock allocation, picking and fulfilment. For manufacturers managing constraints, speed directly impacts service levels.

Typing orders into ERP systems is not the future. Business Central is increasingly becoming the rules engine behind multiple automated channels, not the place where humans rekey data.

Interested in hearing more about your automation options withing Business Central? Check out the Tecman talks Dynamics episode “Automate to Accelerate: Unlocking Order Efficiency in Business Central”.