For over 30 years, Smarter Furnishings has been a trusted provider of student housing furniture across North America. Their reputation for timely delivery and long-term client relationships made them a go-to partner for universities and developers alike. But behind the scenes, the company was juggling a patchwork of tools—Smartsheet, Zoho, Excel, Outlook, and even text messages—to manage sales, logistics, and customer communication.
Without a centralized system, teams operated in silos. Sales reps tracked pipelines in spreadsheets. Customer data was scattered across platforms. Forecasting relied on memory and hallway conversations. And when key people were unavailable, deals stalled, and opportunities slipped.
JourneyTeam: A Partner in Transformation
Recognizing the need for a unified platform, Smarter Furnishings partnered with JourneyTeam to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Business Central.
What began as a CRM rollout quickly evolved into a company-wide transformation—one that would unify sales, operations, and finance on a single, integrated platform.
“JourneyTeam didn’t just implement software—they helped us reimagine how we work,” said Jason Moore, Director of Continuous Improvement at Smarter Furnishings. JourneyTeam experts embedded themselves in Smarter Furnishings’ operations, mapping out workflows, understanding quoting nuances, and aligning technology with business goals. The agile, collaborative approach ensured that the solution was tailored, scalable, and embraced by users across the organization.
Building a Connected Ecosystem with Microsoft Dynamics 365
The decision to go with Microsoft Dynamics 365 was strategic. Smarter Furnishings was already using Power BI for reporting but lacked integration with CRM and ERP systems. Dynamics 365 offered seamless connectivity across Microsoft tools—Outlook, Teams, Excel—and enabled real-time data sharing through Microsoft Dataverse.
Sales reps could now manage opportunities, track emails, and generate quotes directly from Outlook. Every customer interaction was logged in the CRM, creating a single source of truth accessible to all departments. With Business Central integrated on the backend, quotes flowed seamlessly into order processing, and finance gained visibility into sales activity and cash flow. “We went from Find-Waldo mode to finally having one source of truth,” said Dean Harvison, Managing Partner.
Accelerating Sales and Enhancing Visibility
One of the most immediate wins was in the sales process. JourneyTeam configured quote templates that auto-populate based on customer data and pricing tiers. Reps could generate branded PDFs and send them directly from the CRM—cutting quote turnaround time by up to 80%.
Dashboards gave leadership real-time insights into pipeline activity, while operations and finance teams accessed role-specific views for planning and billing. The result? Faster decisions, fewer errors, and better alignment across departments.
Extending the Impact with Business Central and a Customer Portal
With CRM stabilized, Smarter Furnishings expanded their transformation to include Business Central and a self-service customer portal. The portal, designed for university housing managers, allows customers to reorder furniture based on their purchase history, streamlining one of the company’s most frequent service requests.
Requests submitted through the portal flow directly into Dynamics 365, triggering workflows in Business Central. Quotes are auto generated using historical data and pre-approved terms, enabling rapid response, and reducing manual entry.
Outcomes That Speak for Themselves
The results of the JourneyTeam partnership are clear:
– On-time deployment and 30% under budget
– 80% reduction in quote turnaround time
– Weeks of manual data cleanup eliminated
– Centralized data boosts visibility and accountability
Finance, sales, and operations now operate from a shared set of real-time insights. Reports are easier to generate, KPIs are aligned, and decisions are based on data, not assumptions.
We finally have the visibility and control to grow the way we want to. And we have the right platform—and the right partner—to take us there.
— Johnny Collins, CEO
You can read the entire Smarter Furnishings customer story here to learn more about how Smarter Furnishings employees and executives are benefiting from Dynamics 365 and their continued work with JourneyTeam.
What’s Next: AI, Automation, and Continuous Innovation
Smarter Furnishings isn’t stopping here. With a solid foundation in place, the company is exploring AI-powered copilots, Power Automate workflows, and deeper analytics with Power BI. JourneyTeam remains a trusted advisor, helping the company unlock new capabilities and drive continuous improvement. “We’re still just scratching the surface of what Dynamics can do for us,” Moore said.
Why JourneyTeam?
JourneyTeam is more than a Microsoft Solutions Partner— we are a transformation partner. With over 30 years of experience and recognition as the 2024 Microsoft U.S. Partner of the Year for Dynamics 365 Business Central, our experts bring the strategy, tools, and support that organizations need to modernize with confidence.
Begin Your Business Transformation
Whether you’re looking to unify your systems, streamline operations, or empower your teams with data, JourneyTeam delivers solutions that are both strategic and sustainable.
