Transformation of WoodUpp’s CRM–ERP Workflow with Cloudify Lighthouse Integration

Technical Appendix

1. What the Issue Was

Manual processes were failing under the weight of regional complexity and multi-currency demands, causing inconsistencies and delays in sales order creation and product synchronization. Here’s a closer look at the operational difficulties:

• Manual Data Entry: Sales representatives were manually entering product and customer details from HubSpot CRM into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC), which was prone to human error.

• No Unified Product Logic: Products were not synchronized across regions and languages. This meant different versions of a product might exist in each market, leading to pricing discrepancies and errors in fulfillment.

• Regional Complexity: WoodUpp operates across multiple regions (16 Business Central entities), each with its own unique currency, tax rules, and product variations.

2. Root Cause Identified

The primary root cause of these issues was the lack of automation, combined with fragmented data entry between HubSpot CRM and Business Central. Without an efficient workflow system in place, critical data like SKUs, sales orders, and customer information had to be manually transferred, leading to:

• Inconsistent Product Information: Different entities had varying SKUs and prices, leading to confusion and errors during order processing.

• Human Errors: Manual entry was time-consuming and error-prone, especially when handling complex tasks such as multi-currency conversions and entity-specific data.

• Integration Failures: The lack of real-time synchronization between HubSpot and Business Central meant that product updates and sales orders were not reflected immediately across systems, delaying order fulfillment and impacting customer satisfaction.

3. What We Changed:

To address these challenges, Cloudify Lighthouse facilitated the following solutions:

Webhook-Based Automation:
Webhooks were introduced between HubSpot CRM and Business Central to automatically trigger key actions. These include:

• Automatically creating sales orders in Business Central when a deal is marked as "Closed Won".

• Syncing products in real-time to ensure all regional variations and SKUs are up-to-date.

• Attaching sales PDFs to HubSpot deals for easy access.

  
  

Multi-Entity and Multi-Currency Logic:
Integration ensures product SKUs and pricing are dynamically updated for each of WoodUpp's 16 Business Central environments (e.g., Denmark, US, France). Real-time updates account for local currency, tax variations, and product variations by region, ensuring consistency across all regions.

Validation and Error Handling:
A comprehensive validation layer was added to automatically check for common issues, such as missing data (e.g., customer details, SKUs), incorrect VAT numbers, or format errors in email addresses. This validation ensures that only complete and accurate data is transferred to Business Central, eliminating common manual entry mistakes.

4. How the System Supports the Workflow:

The new system supports the following workflow components:

1. Sales Order Creation and Synchronization:

   Trigger Event: When a deal is marked as "Closed Won" in HubSpot, a webhook triggers the automatic creation of a corresponding sales order in Business Central.

   Actions Performed:

   • Retrieve deal information from HubSpot.

   • Validate and map data to the correct Business Central company and currency.

   • Automatically create a sales order with all relevant customer and product details.

     
     

2. Product Syncing and Price Mapping:

   Real-Time Synchronization: Product data is synchronized instantly between HubSpot and Business Central. This includes:

   • Updating prices, product names, and descriptions in multiple languages.

   • Maintaining region-specific SKUs and pricing fields (e.g., ITEM123-DA for Denmark, ITEM123-US for the US).

   • Ensuring accurate inventory levels by updating the system with changes from Business Central.

     
     

3. PDF Attachment and Sales Order Finalization:

   After the sales order is created in Business Central, a PDF of the sales order is generated and automatically attached to the HubSpot deal for easy access.

   
   

4. Error Handling and Notes:

   Errors encountered during any stage of the process trigger the creation of error notes in HubSpot. These notes contain structured details of the issue and provide links to resolve them.
   
   

Conclusion

The integration has proven to be a game-changer for WoodUpp. By automating critical tasks like sales order creation, product synchronization, and error handling, the entire process has been streamlined and made more efficient.

This approach has led to:

• Faster order processing: Automated workflows ensure that orders are now processed faster and more accurately, enhancing customer satisfaction.

• Error-free data: The integrated validation and error handling systems ensure that only valid and complete data is synced between HubSpot and Business Central.

• Improved scalability: WoodUpp can now handle the complexities of multi-entity and multi-currency operations with ease, supporting the company’s global growth without additional manual effort.

The new system has delivered a robust and scalable integration, ensuring real-time synchronization, improved operational efficiency, and a seamless sales experience across regions.