35 Years of Lasernet: Extending the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365

For 35 years, Lasernet has been formatting, printing, delivering and archiving data for businesses worldwide. In this, the final instalment of our 35 Years of Lasernet series, we spoke to Pernille Wichmann, Product Manager for Lasernet’s Dynamics 365 solutions and Michael Wibe, Product Manager for Lasernet’s Dynamics 365 Business Central offering. We explore how, through Microsoft Dynamics 365, Lasernet has a significant impact on various industries’ output and document management processes.

Within a few minutes of speaking to Michael and Pernille, it’s clear that they have deep knowledge and hands-on experience extending the output and document management capabilities of Dynamics 365. The pair are always on the lookout for ways to extend the platform’s output and document management capabilities. This raises the question: how did Lasernet become such an integral part of Dynamics 365 for thousands of customers worldwide? 

From Navision to Microsoft Dynamics 365

To understand how Lasernet’s relationship with Dynamics 365 has changed over the years, we need to go back to 1980s Copenhagen. Three friends created a single-user PC accounting solution to track warehouse, finance, debits and credits all in one place. They called the solution Navision, which, over 30 years, would evolve into the Microsoft Dynamics 365 we know today.

The friends had created one of the world’s first ERP systems, purchased by Microsoft in 2002 for over one billion dollars. The system would undergo several rebrands—in 2005, Navision became Dynamics NAV, and 15 years later, it became Microsoft Dynamics 365. 

Despite continuous advancements across the Dynamics platform, there was still room for more advanced capabilities. Specifically, users needed more power over output and document management, especially in Finance and Operations and Business Central. It’s here that Formpipe saw an opportunity to make a difference. 

Evolving to meet customers’ needs

In the 35 years of Lasernet’s existence, the software has evolved to meet the needs of our customers. Our ability to extend the platform’s output and document management capabilities stems from our long-standing relationship with Microsoft. 

As a gold and co-sell partner, our products aren’t add-ons but deeply integrated solutions that seamlessly blend with Microsoft products to extend output and document management functionality. Lasernet gives you the power to enhance the customer experience with polished branded documents. Design documents quickly and easily with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface, pull data from different areas of your Dynamics environment, and save destination preferences and output formats to streamline the printing process.

35 years of bringing value to our customers

Over the past 35 years, Lasernet has helped thousands of organisations across the retail, manufacturing, banking, logistics, and utilities sectors (and more) create perfectly designed and presented business documents that save them time and elevate their brand image. 

The story of Lasernet is best told by those who shaped its journey: Pernille and Michael. When asked how the software has brought value to Formpipe’s customers over the years, the pair brought to life the software’s transformative impact on customers from the retail and manufacturing industries:

Retail: High-end fashion brand

First, Pernille detailed how Lasernet transformed output and document management for a prominent high-end fashion brand. She explained that the brand delivers goods with various variables, including colours, sizes and quantities. However, in Dynamics 365, these variables would result in lengthy and complex order documents that were difficult for the brand’s employees to digest, which inevitably led to errors. Lasernet allowed the brand to trade complex order documents for clear documents that were easy to read, reducing errors and boosting efficiency.

Efficiency improvements, however, were just one piece of the puzzle. The documents the company created using Dynamics didn’t align with its high-end image. To appeal to their customers and further elevate their brand image, they needed to go the extra mile with their documents, such as receipts. “If I go to a store and buy a high-end bag, then leave with a standard receipt, it doesn’t align with the experience,” Pernille said. They needed A4 receipts that were digestible and pleasing to the eye, with elements such as headers, footers, stamps, certificates and signatures reflecting the brand’s luxury status. 

Supporting Pernille’s point about the importance of branding for retailers, Michael said, “Many of our clients want to brand themselves. Many have a branding guide they want to follow, and every document from the company should follow those guidelines.”  Pernille added, “That is what’s appealing for luxury brand owners—we can make documents look exactly how they want them to look.” Lasernet is a great solution for retail businesses searching for a way to create and distribute branded documents that look the part.

Manufacturing: International food manufacturer

Dozens of manufacturers, such as Cross Manufacturing and Copper State Bolt & Nut Company, have simplified their complex document creation and management processes with Lasernet. For example, Pernille drew on her experience working with an international food manufacturer who sought to harmonise document processes across their subsidiaries. Lasernet allowed the companies to use templates aligned with their needs, including essential information like batch numbers and certificates of origin across all their brands. 

Formpipe’s deep understanding of the food industry's unique documentation needs proved invaluable. Beyond simply extending Dynamics’ capabilities, we provided solutions that addressed industry-specific requirements, such as incorporating batch numbers and certificates of origin. “We made the different templates they needed because we know the food industry,” Pernille said.

From streamlining order fulfilment for high-end retailers to harmonising document workflows for international manufacturers and their subsidiaries, Lasernet proves its versatility and value. 

Read more of our customer stories to discover how our solutions have transformed organisations across various sectors.

What does the future hold for Lasernet?

Lasernet has an exciting future ahead. Always prioritising customer needs, the software continues to evolve in response to user feedback and industry demands. Pernille explained the rationale behind this customer-centric shift: “The embedded Lasernet package works well for many enterprise customers. However, this is challenging for some organisations as Lasernet is so big. We realised we needed to make it easier for businesses to access it, which didn’t require all the software’s features.” Instead of purchasing the full Lasernet package, you can choose the most suitable option for your business based on the features you require.

Same great software, a new risk-free way to try

The good news is you have the option to try some of Lasernet’s core features without spending anything at all. We recently launched Lasernet Essentials, giving you a risk-free way to try our versatile, no-code output and document management platform. 

Pernille explained why those seeking a new document management tool should try Lasernet Essentials: “Lasernet Essentials is the best of Lasernet for Dynamics. You can use the query wizard to add information from Dynamics, add labels, produce documents in different languages and much more.” 

Lasernet Essentials gives you a glimpse of the time and money you could save by streamlining your document processes, but it’s just the beginning. As your business grows, you can choose to upgrade to the Professional or Advanced plans or unlock the full power of Lasernet with the Enterprise plan.

Add-on modules

To make sure the package aligns with your organisation’s needs, we also offer add-on modules that provide extra functionality. For example, email tracking allows you to see if the person you contacted received your email. “It’s based on requests from our partners and customers. That’s how Lasernet has developed over the years,” Michael said. This modular approach gives you the freedom to tailor the software to your specific needs.

Lasernet for any ERP

While many of our customers use Lasernet for Dynamics 365, our acquisition of Dictymatec expands our expertise into other ERP platforms. Irrespective of the ERP system you use - be it SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage, Infor, Infosys, IFS or Oracle - Lasernet extends ERP system functionality to work the way you want it to.

Output and document management made simple

Asked to describe the benefits of Lasernet in a just a few words (quite the challenge for a solution this feature-rich), Michael came back with four: “Grow as you go,” a nod to Lasernet’s new packages that give you the power to use what you need. Pernille, on the other hand, settled on two words that neatly summarise the essence of Lasernet: “Beautiful documents.”

Our versatile, no-code output and document management platform and access the tools you need to develop a seamless customer experience—with no strings attached.

Try Lasernet Essentials for Microsoft Dynamics 365 today, risk-free.