Real-Time Insight with Business Central
Thistle Scientific Ltd supplies innovative life science products to researchers across the UK and exports its manufactured goods worldwide.
The business needed to move beyond multiple interfacing systems, improving scalability, cloud accessibility, real-time reporting and confidence in a single source of truth.
Qi migrated Thistle Scientific to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, supported by barcode data collection, custom Power BI reporting and a bespoke Power App for sales order dispatch. The result was stronger KPI visibility, improved warehouse and stock management, and better data-driven decision-making across the business.
The Challenge
While Sage 50 Accounts, Cim50 Manufacturing, bespoke barcode data collection applications, and Business Intelligence reports were fit for purpose, Thistle Scientific faced limitations in:
- Scalability & Flexibility – The existing system lacked adaptability to meet growing business needs.
- On-Premise Dependency – A modern SaaS solution was required for better accessibility.
- Integrated Business Insights – The company needed a centralised system to provide concise, real-time KPI reporting across all departments.
- Single Source of Truth – Relying on multiple interfacing systems to share and synchronise data was prone to causing issues, which could cause confusion and reduce efficiencies.
Recognising the value of a cloud-based ERP, the business owner sought a fully integrated, browser-based system to streamline finance, operations, and CRM.
The Solution
Migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Having worked with Qi Ltd for over 20 years, Thistle Scientific was already familiar with Qi’s expertise in Sage 50 Accounts, MRP, and bespoke solutions. Following a pre-pandemic demonstration, they re-engaged Qi to migrate their business systems to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — a unified SQL-based ERP solution.
Single Browser Based SQL Database Solution
One of the key benefits would be a single SQL database providing critical business functionality across Accounts, Sales and Purchase orders, Item Bill of Materials and associated routings.
Key enhancements included:
- Barcode Data Collection for Operations & Stock Movement — Thistle Scientific implemented Qi’s Job Track & Stock Track App, enabling real-time data collection for work time tracking, quality control (QC), and stock movements.
- Microsoft Power BI Sales Reports — Qi developed custom APIs to ensure seamless data integration, providing real-time insights into the lifecycle of a sale.
- Business Central + Custom Power App for Sales Order Dispatch — Qi developed a custom Power App that provides a big-screen real-time view of order dispatches, with a traffic light system for visual prioritisation (red for past-due, orange for due within 3 working days, green for beyond 3 working days).
The Business Central Implementation Process
Qi ensured a smooth data migration with full data integrity, delivering comprehensive staff training, a successful Go-Live, and rapid deployment of the Big Screen Power App and Power BI Reports.
The Outcome
Great Business Central data drives great decision making.
- Real-time data drives greater efficiency and improves KPI tracking.
- Integrated reporting provides better business insights for strategic decision-making.
- Automated workflows improve warehouse and stock management.