What does Business Central for IWS mean?

The modern workplace is rapidly evolving as an increasing number of employees work remotely as internet workers (IW).  

With distributed teams becoming the norm, organisations need solutions that provide collaboration, productivity, and insight across locations. This is where Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central comes in.  

Designed for small and mid-sized businesses, Business Central delivers integrated business management tools for finance, sales, service, and operations. With the Business Central for Internet Workers offer, organisations can easily provide their remote employees access to core business data and processes. 

What is an IW? 

An internet worker (IW) refers to an employee who primarily works remotely while accessing company systems and data via the internet. They may work from home or on the go. The rise of IWs has been driven by digital transformation, the demand for flexible work arrangements, and the ability to tap talent globally. While IWs work outside of a traditional office setting, they still need access to key business applications like ERP and CRM. 

What does a Business Central IW trial account get you? 

Business Central now provides a tailored offering just for IWs. With Business Central for IWs, each remote employee can get a free 30-day trial account. This gives them access to the same Business Central experience that they'd have in the office. 

Some key things a Business Central IW trial includes: 

• Access to core financial details like accounts receivable/payable, cash management, and reporting. IWs can view and update invoices, payments, bank reconciliations, income statements, balance sheets, cash flow reports, and more. 
• View and update sales orders and quotes. IWs have real-time visibility into the sales pipeline, can create quotes, convert to orders, track shipping status, and more. 
• Check inventory levels and product data. IWs can look up stock levels, and item details like descriptions and pricing, and make updates as needed. 

• Update service tasks and view schedules. IWs can manage their own service activities, log details to tickets, and balance assignments. 
• User and permission management. Admins can configure granular user access rights down to the field level. 
• Full integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams. Contextual collaboration through chat, calls, meetings, and file sharing. 

Having these capabilities available through the cloud allows IWs to stay productive and collaborate, regardless of location. 

The 30-day trial also lets IWs validate that Business Central will meet their needs before the company commits to purchasing full subscriptions.

Read our blog “The Essential Role of IT Support in Getting the Best out of Business Central”  

What are the benefits of a Business Central IW account? 

There are several advantages to providing IWs with access to Business Central: 

• Real-time data 

IWs can view and update information in the moment rather than waiting for syncs or batches. This improves decision making with current info on orders, inventory, finances, etc. 

• Enhanced collaboration 

IWs can stay aligned with the broader organisation through integrated Office 365 and Teams access. This means they can chat, meet, and coauthor files. 

• Added mobility 

With cloud access via desktop or mobile app, IWs can check data and complete tasks anywhere with an internet connection. With Business Central, they don't need to VPN in. 

• Streamlined processes 

Automated processes like approvals and workflow in Business Central save IWs time. This is because they have fewer manual steps and paper forms. 

• Self-service 

 IWs don't need to rely on others to look up information for them or make changes. This empowers IWs to do more on their own. 

• Improved security 

Data access and permissions are managed centrally through user groups. Ties into Azure AD identity management. 

Having Business Central user accounts empowers IWs to be more productive, collaborative, and secure. And that translates to better business results. 

How do you onboard IW users? 

It's easy to get started with Business Central IW accounts. First, sign up for Dynamics 365 Business Central. Then assign licenses to each IW user within Microsoft 365 and assign them to the relevant Business Central user groups. This handles security permissions. 

Next, have the IW activate their Business Central trial from Office 365. They can access it from the web or mobile app and will get 30 days to evaluate the experience. Ensure IWs know to take advantage of embedded Power BI dashboards, Power Automate flows, and other features. 

It’s also a good idea to provide links to Microsoft Learn resources so IWs can self-educate on Business Central capabilities.  

After the trial, assign full Business Central licenses to the IWs who need ongoing access. With the licenses applied, their data and customisations will persist. Continue to optimise and enhance their Business Central experience as adoption grows. 

Conclusion 

As internet workers and distributed teams proliferate, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central delivers the tools businesses need.  

With the tailored Business Central for IWs offer, organisations can empower remote employees through cloud access, mobility, collaboration, and intelligent workflows.  

Getting started is easy with free 30-day trials for each IW. And with the right training and community support, companies can realise rapid user adoption.  

Embracing Business Central for IWs allows growing businesses to compete at the next level. To learn more, contact Spidergroup for expert consulting on configuring and adopting Business Central tailored to your internet workers.