In the fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency, automate manual processes, and ensure compliance with established business protocols. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 FO) provides a robust and flexible solution with its workflow engine, allowing businesses to define, automate, and manage various business processes. Partnering with a trusted D365 Finance and Operations Partner can further enhance these capabilities, offering expertise and guidance to maximize the platform’s potential.

This article explores how you can enhance the power of workflows in D365 FO by incorporating business event triggers, file attachments in workflows, and Teams-based approvals. Together, these features bring unparalleled flexibility, automation, and real-time collaboration to business process management.

At its core, a workflow in D365 FO is a system that helps automate the movement of documents, tasks, and approvals between users or groups, based on predefined business rules. Workflows can be used for a variety of processes such as: Approving purchase requisitions, Processing sales orders, Handling expense reports, Managing vendor invoices, etc.

Step 1: Create or Configure a Workflow

Before integrating a workflow with a business event, you must define the workflow itself. In this step, you will create a workflow that includes the necessary steps and participants.

Navigate to the Workflow Editor:

Go to Workspaces > Workflows in D365 FO and select the type of workflow you want to create (e.g., Purchase Requisition, Vendor Invoice).

• Submission: Define how and when a document should be submitted.
• Approval Hierarchy: Set up approval logic, such as manager review or multi-tier approval, based on conditions (e.g., purchase requisitions on submission).
• Review and Approval: Include review stages where approvers can review attached documents.

Set Workflow Notifications:

Configure notifications to alert approvers via email or Teams when an action is required.

Step 2: Set Up a Business Event

Business events in Dynamics 365 FO allow organizations to take automation a step further by triggering workflows or external actions based on specific system events. Business events can be defined for critical system points, such as the submission of a purchase requisition, the completion of an invoice, or the rejection of a sales quote.

Now that the workflow is ready, the next step is to set up the business event that will trigger the workflow.

Navigate to Business Events:

In D365 FO, go to System Administration> Setup > Business Events.

Create or Select a Business Event:

Either create a custom business event or use a predefined one (e.g., “Purchase Order Submitted” or “Vendor Invoice Approved”).   Ensure the event is tied to the correct object or process.

Define Event Trigger Conditions:

Set specific conditions to trigger the event. For example, trigger a business event when a purchase requisition

Configure Event Subscribers:

If using external systems, such as Power Automate or Azure Logic Apps, configure the business event to notify those systems for additional actions (e.g., sending notifications to third-party apps).

Step 3: Leveraging File Attachments in Workflows

In many business processes, file attachments are crucial for making informed decisions. For example, managers may need to review attached contracts, quotes, or receipts before approving a transaction. D365 FO supports the attachment of files to workflows, providing stakeholders with all necessary documentation directly within the system.

Attach Documents to the Workflow Submission:

When submitting a document for approval, users can attach relevant files (e.g., purchase agreements, quotes, or invoices).

Document Visibility in Approval Steps:

Approvers can view the attached documents in the same interface where they approve or reject the request, making the review process more streamlined and transparent.

File Retention:

All documents remain part of the workflow record, ensuring a complete audit trail for future reference and compliance purposes.

By incorporating file attachments, D365 FO workflows provide all necessary information to decision-makers in one place, eliminating the need for external communication channels like email.

Step 4: Enabling Microsoft Teams Integration for Workflow Approvals

With the growing popularity of remote and hybrid work models, collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams have become essential for modern businesses. Dynamics 365 FO offers integration with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to approve workflows and receive notifications directly within the Teams interface.

Example: Teams-Based Approval Workflow

Imagine a scenario where a department head is on the go but needs to approve a time-sensitive expense report. With Teams integration, the approval request is sent directly to their Teams app, where they can view the attached files, review the workflow history, and approve or reject the document—all without leaving Teams.

Configure Workflow Notifications:

Set up workflow notifications to send approval requests directly to Microsoft Teams.

Approve Directly in Teams:

Approvers will receive notifications in their Teams chat or approval channels. They can open the workflow, review details, view attachments, add comments and approve or reject the request within the same interface.

Centralized Collaboration:

Teams-based approvals also allow users to discuss the workflow with colleagues, share documents, and track the status of approvals in real-time. This tight integration improves collaboration and ensures that approvals are handled quickly, even when stakeholders are remote.

Step 5: Adding Email Approval for Workflows

While Teams-based approvals offer real-time collaboration, email approval is essential for users who may not always be on Teams or when businesses want to ensure that approvals are accessible through familiar channels like email. Dynamics 365 FO allows email-based approvals, where users can approve or reject workflow requests directly from their inbox without logging into the system.

Example: Email-Based Approval Workflow

Consider a scenario where a finance manager receives an email to approve a vendor invoice. The email contains key information about the invoice and links to any attached documents, along with options to approve, reject, or delegate the approval to another person—all from the email.

Enable Email Notifications:

Configure D365 FO to send workflow notifications to approvers via email. These notifications include actionable options such as Approve, Reject, or Request More Information.

Customize Email Templates:

Tailor email templates to include all necessary workflow details, such as workflow history, approval deadlines, and document attachments.

Approve via Email:

Approvers can review the workflow directly in their inbox, click on the appropriate action, and provide any comments or instructions. Once they respond, the system automatically updates the workflow status in D365 FO.

Mobile Accessibility:

Approvers can handle time-sensitive requests from anywhere through email on their mobile devices, ensuring no approvals are delayed.

Email approval is especially useful for senior management or external stakeholders who may not frequently use D365 FO but are essential for the approval process. It ensures that important business processes continue smoothly, even when approvers are away from their desks.

Combining the capabilities of business events, file attachments, email approvals, and Teams-based approvals creates a comprehensive, efficient, and automated workflow system in D365 FO. Here’s how these features come together in a real-world business scenario:

• Submitting a purchase requisition triggers a business event.
• The workflow then initiates, automatically sending the requisition to the appropriate approvers based on business rules.
• Attachments, including documents and quotes, are added to the workflow to ensure approvers have all necessary information.
• Managers receive notifications via email and Microsoft Teams, allowing them to review the purchase request and attached documents.
• You can approve or reject directly within Teams or by replying to the email, offering multiple easy and flexible channels for approval.
• D365 FO records the entire process, ensuring a complete audit trail for future reference.

Conclusion

Workflows in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations are powerful tools for automating business processes, ensuring compliance, and driving efficiency across the organization. By integrating business event triggers, file attachments, email approvals, and Teams-based approvals, businesses can further enhance their workflow processes, enabling real-time collaboration, quicker decision-making, and a streamlined approval process.

As organizations continue to evolve in today’s digital landscape, these features make D365 FO a critical component of any business aiming for process automation, operational efficiency, and seamless collaboration across departments.