How an Electronics Distributor Connected CRM and ERP to Give Every Salesperson Only What They Need?
User-Level Security Across 100,000+ Parts | Live ERP Sync Every 5 Minutes | Automated QA and Commission Validation
At a Glance
| Client | Vijay Electronics — an independent electronics distributor with over 40 years of trading experience |
| Industry | Electronics Distribution / B2B Trade |
| Service | MS Dynamics CRM 2011 Customisation | ERP Integration (Dynamics GP) | Security Configuration | Reporting |
| Challenge | The ERP system could not restrict salesperson access to their own accounts. Quoting, ordering, and commission tracking were all disconnected. |
| Solution | A fully integrated CRM layer connecting sales workflows, parts availability, QA approvals, and ERP synchronisation in one system |
| Key Result | Salespeople work faster with focused data. Quoting and ordering accuracy improved. Commission calculations are now automated and verified. |
About the Client
Vijay Electronics is an independent electronics distributor based in India. They stock and source a wide range of board-level electronic components. With over 40 years of experience in the field, they supply retailers and trade customers across their distribution network.
Their business runs on two systems: MS Dynamics CRM for sales relationships and quoting, and MS Dynamics GP as their ERP for financials and inventory. Getting these two systems to work together securely and accurately was the core challenge Aegis was brought in to solve.
The Challenge of the Client
Vijay Electronics had a clear problem. Their ERP could not restrict which accounts and contacts each salesperson could see. Every salesperson had visibility of every record. That was a security and focus problem.
But the gaps went further than security:
- Salespeople had no filtered view of parts available to them.
Finding relevant stock required searching through hundreds of thousands of records. - Orders, quotes, and invoices were not connected to a single source of truth.
Cross-referencing required manual effort and introduced errors. - Buyer commission calculations were done manually.
Comparing purchase cost against sale price for each transaction was time-consuming and error-prone. - There was no inspection gate before orders reached the ERP.
Parts that failed quality checks could progress through the system without being flagged. - Vendor and customer records existed in both the CRM and the ERP, with no sync between them.
Maintaining consistency between the two systems required duplicate data entry.
The Solution
Aegis designed and built a customisation layer for the CRM that addressed every gap. The solution used MS Dynamics CRM 2011 as the central sales and operations hub, with C#/.NET integration connecting it to MS Dynamics GP.
Here is what was built:
What Was Built
| User-level security | Each salesperson sees only the accounts and contacts assigned to them. Nothing else is visible. This was the core requirement that CRM’s security role system solved, and that the ERP could not. |
| Availabilities database | Hundreds of thousands of electronic parts are imported into CRM and assigned to salespeople by security role. Each salesperson sees only the parts relevant to their portfolio. |
| Orders linked to Availabilities | Orders are created directly against the Availabilities database. Every order references the correct part, quantity, and vendor without manual cross-referencing. |
| Commission validation report | A custom PO Shipments Report compares purchase costs against sales prices for each buyer. Commission accuracy is verified automatically, removing the need for manual calculations. |
| Product drill-through on orders | A single button on any order line opens the full quote and order history for that product across all accounts. Staff see the complete picture without leaving the order screen. |
| QA and credit approval workflow | Orders do not transfer to the ERP until they have passed both QA and credit approval. Parts that fail inspection are flagged with a reason. The workflow enforces this gate automatically. |
| Parts Catalog with live ERP sync | The full product catalogue is available in CRM and refreshed from the ERP every five minutes. Quantity on hand and availability figures are always current. |
| CRM-to-ERP order transfer | Approved orders in CRM are transferred to MS Dynamics GP automatically. Purchase orders in the ERP are triggered as soon as a Sales Order arrives from CRM. |
| Vendor & customer synchronisation | Vendors and customers are kept in sync between CRM and Dynamics GP. Data entered in one system is reflected in the other without manual duplication. |
The Solution in Detail
The following screenshots show the key features of the delivered system.
1. User-Level Security Roles
Each salesperson is assigned a security role that limits their view to only their own accounts and contacts. The screenshot below shows the role configuration for the Ravin Sales profile — with User-level access set on Account and Contact entities.
Security role configuration — salespeople see only their assigned accounts and contacts
2. Availabilities Database
The Availabilities view shows the parts assigned to a salesperson. Hundreds of thousands of parts are imported into CRM and filtered by security assignment. Each salesperson sees only the parts relevant to them, along with part number, vendor, delivery timeframe, quantity, and pricing.
Availabilities grid — parts filtered by security assignment, with delivery and pricing details
3. Product Order History Drill-Through
The ‘Quote and Order Information’ button on any product record opens the full history of quotes and orders for that part across all accounts. This gives salespeople instant context — who has bought it, when, at what price, and in what volume — without leaving the screen.
Product drill-through — full quote and order history accessible in one click from the product record
4. Commission Validation Report
The PO Shipments Report compares purchase cost against unit selling price for every line item. This validates buyer commissions automatically. Managers can filter by date range, buyer, and PO status to review any period.
PO Shipments Report — purchase cost vs sale price comparison for automated commission validation
5. Order Line Drill-Through
Clicking a product line on any order opens the full Order Product detail record — including pricing, vendor, buyer, salesperson, and fulfilment dates. The Form Assistant panel on the right enables quick product lookup without leaving the order.
Order line drill-through — full product and pricing detail accessible directly from the order
6. Orders List with ERP Transfer Status
The Orders view shows every order with its current status — including whether it has been transferred to the ERP (Dynamics GP). Orders progress through Product Approval, Credit Approval, and then transfer. The status column gives management a real-time view of where every order stands in the pipeline.
Orders list — showing transfer status to Dynamics GP after QA and credit approval
7. Parts Catalog — Live ERP Sync
The Product Catalog in CRM shows current stock levels, open sales orders, open purchase orders, MOQ, and SPQ. These figures are refreshed from the ERP every five minutes. Salespeople always quote against live data.
Parts Catalog — quantity on hand and availability refreshed from ERP every five minutes
8. Product Approval and QA Gate
Before an order can transfer to the ERP, it must pass product inspection. If parts fail QA, the approval record captures the reason for disapproval. The order does not move forward until the gate is cleared.
Product Approval record — QA gate with disapproval reason captured before ERP transfer
9. Vendor Synchronisation
Vendors maintained in CRM are synchronised with the same records in Dynamics GP. The same set of vendors exists in both systems. Staff update in one place. The sync keeps both accurate.
Vendor records in CRM — synchronised automatically with MS Dynamics GP
Results
The delivered system gave Vijay Electronics a connected, secure, and automated sales operation. The impact across the team was clear:
- Salespeople work faster.
Each person sees only their accounts, contacts, and parts. The interface is focused and uncluttered. - Quoting and ordering are more accurate.
Orders are created against live availability data. Parts are always correctly referenced. - Commission disputes are eliminated.
The PO Shipments Report gives buyers and managers an objective, automated comparison. - Nothing bypasses QA.
The approval workflow enforces the inspection gate. Disapproved orders cannot transfer to the ERP. - CRM and ERP stay in sync.
Vendor, customer, and order data flows between the two systems without manual intervention.
The Aegis CRM team received positive feedback from the Vijay Electronics team. Salespeople found the new system easier and faster. Management gained the visibility and controls they needed to run the business with confidence.
Key Takeaways of Vijay Electronics
| Security drives usability | Restricting salespeople to their own data was not just a security requirement, but it also made the system faster and easier to use. Less noise means faster decisions. |
| CRM and ERP serve different purposes | The ERP handled financials. CRM handled relationships and sales workflows. Connecting them through automated sync gave Vijay Electronics the benefits of both without duplication. |
| Approvals should be part of the process, not added on top | Building QA and credit approval into the order workflow meant nothing slipped through. The gate was automatic, not manual. |
| Real-time data prevents real-world errors | A parts catalogue refreshed every five minutes means salespeople quote based on actual availability. Stale data leads to over-commitment and fulfilment failures. |
| Commission accuracy builds trust | Automating the comparison of purchase cost vs sale price removed a source of ongoing disputes. Buyers and management saw the same numbers. |
Technology Stack
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
- Microsoft Dynamics GP (ERP)
- C# / .NET
- CRM SDK
- CRM Workflows & Plug-ins
- SQL Server Reporting Services
Need CRM and ERP to Work Together?
If your sales team is working around disconnected systems, Aegis can help. We design and build CRM integrations that connect your quoting, ordering, and ERP workflows into a single reliable process.
Talk to the Aegis team about your integration project
Client identity is confidential. Project details verified through internal delivery records. Reference available on request.