01 Case study · Retail and loyalty
ERP-Connected Field Sales with mCommerce365
icitech developed mCommerce365 for B2B field sales teams running Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central who need accurate pricing, live stock availability, and order history at the point of customer contact — without leaving the application to phone the office, take manual notes, or re-key orders on return.
01Challenge
The Gap Between Field Sales and the ERP
In B2B distribution and manufacturing, field sales representatives routinely work with incomplete or delayed data. When current stock levels, customer-specific pricing, campaign discounts, and account balances are held only in the office ERP, the representative has three options: call the office for confirmation, take a manual note and process the order later, or re-enter data into the system after the customer visit. In areas with poor connectivity, or across a demanding field schedule, that friction directly affects order accuracy and representative productivity.
02Approach
Native Integration with Business Central
The core architecture of mCommerce365 is a direct connection to Business Central — no middleware, no parallel database. The application treats Business Central as the single source of truth: pricing, stock, customer records, and order history are not copied to a separate system; they are drawn live from the ERP. This design decision removes the risk of a secondary data layer sitting between the field application and the finance and warehouse systems.
The core architecture of mCommerce365 is a direct connection to Business Central — no middleware, no parallel database.
03Solution
The Field Representative's Experience
When a representative arrives at a customer site, they open the customer record and see the last five orders, live stock status, customer-specific and contract pricing, campaign discounts, and account balance on a single screen. Product search, variant and unit selection, and order creation all take place from that same view. Where connectivity is available, the order is sent to Business Central immediately; where it is not, the order is held on the device and synchronised automatically when the connection is restored. Orders are tracked by status — In Progress, To be Synchronised, and Completed. Role-based access means a representative sees only their own customer portfolio, while a manager can view the full team.
04Result
Offline Order Capture
After an initial synchronisation, customer records, the product catalogue, price lists, and operational data are available on the device without a network connection. Orders taken offline retain full scope and pricing accuracy; transfer to the ERP is automatic once connectivity returns. This capability makes the application suitable for sectors where field connectivity can be intermittent — including FMCG, food distribution, building materials, automotive parts, pharmaceutical and medical consumables, MRO, textiles, and agriculture.
05Result
Security and Platform Support
The application supports encrypted data transmission, user and device authentication, role-based access control, and centralised permission revocation. It runs on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
06Result
Project Outcomes
mCommerce365 is designed so that an order moves from the field team to the ERP without a second data-entry step. Where master data and project scope are ready, a typical order-capture deployment can be completed in approximately one week — a conditional estimate published by the vendor based on a defined set of prerequisites. Because the field application and Business Central operate on the same data, the risk of inconsistencies introduced by manual re-entry is reduced at source.
03 FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
01Which ERP does mCommerce365 integrate with?
The application integrates directly with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central only. No other ERP platform is currently supported.
02Can a field representative take orders without an internet connection?
Yes — the application supports offline order capture. Data synchronises to the ERP automatically once the connection is restored.
03Is pricing updated in real time?
Pricing is drawn directly from Business Central, so it always reflects the current customer-specific or contract tariff. No manual update is required.
04Do office staff need to re-key orders received from the field?
No — orders captured in the field are transferred to the ERP automatically. A second data-entry step is not required.
05Which mobile platforms does the application support?
mCommerce365 runs on iOS and Android, across a range of smartphones and tablets.
06Can a representative check live stock during a customer visit?
Yes — live stock levels are visible from the customer record during the visit. This reduces the risk of committing to lines that cannot be fulfilled.
07Is order history accessible in the field?
A customer's order history is available directly within the application. This gives the representative the context needed for a more informed conversation at the point of visit.
08How is data security handled?
The application uses encrypted transmission and authentication methods consistent with enterprise security requirements. Access permissions are restricted by user role.
09Which organisations is mCommerce365 suited to?
It is designed for B2B field sales teams operating on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central who conduct customer visits in the field. Organisations managing multiple regions or authorised dealer channels are also within scope.
10How long does integration with our current processes take?
Timescales depend on your Business Central configuration and any tailoring requirements. icitech conducts a discovery and needs analysis before deployment to produce a realistic plan.