Unifying dairy trading finance with Business Central

Dairy Products is a dairy merchandising company that buys and sells cheese, non-fat dry milk, whey, butter, and cream across domestic and international markets. After operating on an inherited, aging grain-trading ERP, the team faced growing inefficiencies and heavy spreadsheet reliance. Dairy Products partnered with Rand Group to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and integrate it with their CTRM (commodity trading risk management). The result is a streamlined accounting and treasury environment where financial data flows cleanly from commodity trading operations into a modern ERP, enabling faster close, more reliable reconciliation, and a more controlled financial operation.

Client: Dairy Products Inc.

Case Study - Dairy Products Inc.
Goal

The Goal

Implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for accounting and treasury, and connect it to the trading platform to eliminate manual work and improve financial visibility.

Solution

The Outcome

Dairy Products now runs its financial operations in Business Central with trading activity integrated from its industry platform, enabling faster close cycles and more reliable reconciliation.

There’s a deep level of knowledge at Rand Group. The team was attentive, well organized, and the entire process was clearly planned from the start. Everything ran smoothly on the Business Central side.

Sam Rentz, Corporate Controller

Dairy Products Inc.

The problem

Dairy Products was using an aging trading ERP that no longer supported how the business operated. Over time, the system became a constraint rather than a platform, forcing employees to manage critical activity in Excel and increasing both risk and manual effort. As Dairy Products modernized its trading operations, it also needed an accounting and treasury system that could stay aligned with daily activity and support financial management without interruption. The business required a stable financial foundation that could operate in lockstep with its CTRM.

Primary challenges included: 

  • An outdated ERP that lacked modern features and functionality expected from today’s ERP solutions
  • Heavy reliance on spreadsheets for operational and financial tracking
  • Limited visibility into balances and true financial position
  • Manual reconciliation between trading and accounting 
  • Cash management challenges without reliable daily connectivity 
  • No room for disruption during system transitions 
Disconnected

Disconnected systems and manual financial processes

Business Central Homepage

The solution

Rand Group implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as Dairy Products’ financial system of record and delivered an integration to the new trading platform to ensure trading activity flowed directly into accounting. Rather than deploying unused features, the team focused on delivering a controlled, dependable financial core that integrated cleanly with daily operations. Business Central now supports treasury, journals, payables, receivables, and financial reporting, while the trading system manages buying and selling activity. Rand Group also integrated Business Central with banking systems through FISPAN, allowing the finance team to reconcile cash transactions directly inside the ERP and reduce manual matching effort. 

  • Implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for accounting and treasury 
  • Integrated Business Central with the trading platform for automated data flow 
  • Automated AR and AP entry from trading into accounting 
  • Configured treasury and financial close processes 
  • Integrated bank feeds through FISPAN
  • Delivered structured UAT materials and testing guidance 
  • Led project execution with milestone tracking and budget reporting 
  • Provided post-go-live support with responsive turnaround 

The result

Dairy Products now closes faster, reconciles cash more efficiently, and operates with greater confidence in its financial data. Instead of uncovering issues at month-end, most discrepancies are identified and resolved throughout the month as transactions are reconciled continuously. The finance team now works in a unified environment where trading and accounting remain aligned, and Business Central serves as the company’s financial foundation, supporting today’s operations while positioning the business for future improvements such as streamlined budgeting and variance analysis.

Results achieved: 

  • Faster monthly close through continuous reconciliation 
  • Clean system-to-system accounting without re-keying data 
  • Improved accuracy in cash and transaction matching 
  • Reduced reliance on spreadsheets 
  • Stable integration between trading and finance operations 
  • Responsive ongoing support 

“Everything we asked, Rand Group was able to accommodate. The process was extremely organized, the implementation plan was well thought out” – Sam Rentz, Corporate Controller 

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If you are evaluating Dynamics 365 Business Central or need to integrate it with an industry platform, Rand Group can help you design a practical path forward. Our team works with you to assess your current systems, define realistic goals, and implement a solution that improves financial visibility and control.

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