Global Advertising Holding
One of the world’s largest advertising holding companies upgraded Dynamics AX 2009 to Dynamics 365, ensuring SOX compliance and the security of finance processes in London and New York.
A global leader in the communications and marketing sector
Our client is a global leader in communications and marketing. The holding brings together many of the industry’s most respected advertising and marketing agencies, spanning media, data and analytics, PR, brand consulting, and health and wellness. The company employs more than 115,000 people in more than 100 countries.
Project Description
The holding was running Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, which was approaching the end of extended technical support. The lack of security updates and new functionality posed a risk to application compliance and data protection, and for an organisation subject to SOX requirements this risk was unacceptable. At the same time, the existing automated bank payment module needed modernisation: transactions involved manual intervention through the interface, which reduced security and slowed down processes.
ANEGIS, selected from three vendors in a tender, carried out the migration to Dynamics 365 together with the implementation of an external module, Treasury Automation Suite (TAS), and Power BI reporting. The project covered the finance teams in London and New York and all UK and US employees who handle personal expenses. ANEGIS’s cooperation with this client dates back to 2014, and the engagement was a continuation of a long-standing partnership.
The project began in February 2021, and the phased rollout continued until May 2022. The solution was significantly tailored to the client’s needs, with customisation going beyond the system’s standard functionality.
Challenge
- End of extended support for Dynamics AX 2009, creating risks to application security and compliance
- SOX compliance requirements imposing high standards of access control and auditing of finance processes
- Manual intervention in bank payment processes through the interface, creating a risk of errors and misuse
- No flexible reporting tool meeting the needs of the teams in London and New York
- Limited control of user access to financial data
- Time-consuming, manual processes related to employees’ personal expenses
Solution
- Migration from Dynamics AX 2009 to Microsoft Dynamics 365 while maintaining continuity of finance processes.
- Implementation of the external Treasury Automation Suite (TAS) module, enabling fully automated, interfaceless bank payments that meet security requirements.
- Ensuring SOX compliance: full user access control, audit trails and segregation of duties.
- Implementation of Power BI as a flexible reporting tool, standardising financial reports for both locations.
- A new module for managing employees’ personal expenses, shortening and simplifying existing processes.
- Significant customisation of the system going beyond the standard Dynamics 365 functionality, tailored to the holding’s needs.
- Post-implementation care and continued software development after go-live.
Benefit
- Full compliance with SOX requirements: the finance system meets the control standards required by UK and US law.
- Automated bank payments through TAS eliminate manual intervention and the associated risk of errors and misuse.
- A higher level of control over user access to financial data.
- Standardised reporting in Power BI for the teams in London and New York.
- A shorter, simpler process for handling employees’ personal expenses.
- A foundation for further digitalisation: moving invoice approval into the system and electronic circulation of supporting documentation.
London and New York included in the rollout
employees in the client's organization across more than 100 countries
Let's see how Dynamics 365 can transform your business
We implement, develop, and maintain Microsoft systems: from finance and operations to data and AI. Let’s start with a free consultation about your current situation.
A clear, structured path for change in your company
Switching systems doesn't have to mean chaos. We guide you through four simple steps,ensuring that at every stage, you know exactly what is happening, why it’shappening, and what comes next.
Needs analysis
We get to know your situation, processes, and goals.Together, we determine what needs to change and how we will measure the successof that change.
Choosing the right solutions
We recommend the scope, path, and variant, always startingwith standard options. You make your decisions based on facts, notassumptions.
Roadmap
Schedule, budget, roles, and decision gates. Everyone knowswho is responsible for what and when decisions are made.
Implementation and monitoring
We implement in stages, incorporating testing and risk management, and once live, we stabilize thesystem and transition to ongoing support.
Wondering if this will work for you?
BBK
BUUK Infrastructure
Eton Shirts
CTDI
Exterion Media
Georg UTZ
WPP
Westfield
TERG
S&P Polska
Saller Polbau
OSTP
Nicols
New Yorker
NCC
Global Advertising Holding
Looking for a Microsoft partner? Let's talk about your project
Work with a team that has delivered implementations and projects for dozens of companies. Schedule an introductory call and see:
How to tailor Dynamics 365 to your company's processes, rather than the other way around
Which areas are worth automating to save time and reduce costs
Here is the step-by-step implementation process with Anegis: from analysis to post-launch support
