Dual Write in practice: opportunities, pitfalls, and alternatives

In recent years, Microsoft has addressed this issue with Dual Write, a standard integration that brings CE and F&O closer together. But anyone who really wants to establish a future-proof integration strategy must look beyond the promise of “out-of-the-box synchronisation”. The question is not only whether you can technically connect the systems, but especially whether Dual Write fits your organisation's scale, complexity and readiness for change. In this article, we discuss what Dual Write means in practice, which pitfalls you may encounter during implementation and which alternatives may be interesting depending on your ambitions. 

What is Dual Write?

Dual Write is Microsoft's standard mechanism for CE and F&O to communicate with each other in (near) real-time. Core entities such as customers, suppliers and orders are instantly synchronised, making changes in one system, visible in the other. In theory, this creates a single integrated data landscape. 

Important to note: Dual Write is not middleware, but a preconfigured integration layer that works within Microsoft ecosystems. It differs from alternatives in that it does not require separate infrastructure or licensing. Instead, it is positioned on the basis of its simplicity. In practice, the challenges lie not in activating Dual Write, but in the extent to which your business processes and data models align with the standard offered by Microsoft. 

What are the potential pitfalls?

In theory, Dual Write sounds like a simple, approachable solution. However, there are some limitations that can make using Dual Write challenging in practice. First of all, problems arise because of the differences between Dynamics 365 CE and Dynamics 365 F&O. They don't quite speak the same language, so to speak. Jorrit van Brugsteden, ERP consultant at Enshore explains, “The systems are not built with the same thought. A good example is country codes. In CE, the name of a country can be written out completely where F&O works with ISO country codes. The same fields don't always have the same rules.” Microsoft does actively work on bringing CE and F&O closer together. However, the differences are still obvious. 

Not only do the systems speak different languages, there is also a difference in modules. For example, price lists in F&O look very different from those in CE. The difference lies in the complexity of the price lists. In CE, the price lists are more based on a fixed template and you cannot do much with, for example, applying certain discounts. In F&O, these options are available, which makes integration extremely difficult. It is virtually impossible to manipulate the data. This makes customization very difficult or, in many cases, impossible.  

One of the biggest pitfalls is in implementing Dual Write in an already existing installation. “So then you are dealing with two separate systems that need to be tied together. Whereas you should be able to see it as one system. So when there is already an existing installation, you have to start adjusting the work process, which is the norm within your company.” This increases the challenge even more. 

What are the alternatives?

A solution that is as easy to integrate as Dual Write is not really there (yet). There are a few organisations developing something similar, but it does not yet seem that the pitfalls posed by Dual Write are being solved by a competitor.  

Lobster could be an alternative. The big difference with Dual Write is that Dual Write is an integration mechanism. Dual Write falls into the category: standard integration services. Lobster is a complete EDI system which is used to link all your systems.  

Where Lobster and Dual Write agree is that both offer the possibility of setting up an integration between a CRM and ERP system. With Dual Write, this is the main objective and with Lobster it is one of many functionalities. Lobster offers the ability to manipulate data, something that is less possible with Dual Write. “What sets Lobster apart from other EDI systems is that it is a low-code system requiring minimal technical knowledge and training. I was able to use it within a week.” Says Jaco Buiten, ERP consultant at Enshore. So you easily manipulate and integrate the data you need. 

Another alternative can be found at Microsoft itself. The Microsoft Power Platform seems to offer a solution to some shortcomings with Power Automate. To begin with, Power Automate is accessible, but if more customization is required, more technical knowledge is needed than with Dual Write. On the other hand, this does allow for more customization. Power Automate between F&O and Dataverse. Once the data is in Dataverse, CE apps can use it.   

For less complex synchronization, you can work with templates. Simple flows, such as “if a new customer enters F&O, create a record in Dataverse,” are easy to build. Do you want to manipulate the data? Then you need knowledge of Power Fx. That is the language of Power Platform, which corresponds to Excel formulas. In addition, you need to be able to read and write JSON structures. “So you don't have to be a developer, but if the flows become complex, you mainly need knowledge of data, formulas, and APIs,” says Allard Boonstra, ERP & CRM consultant at Enshore. 

An example

When you want to build a flow in Power Automate, which redirects a new customer from F&O to Dataverse: 

• Create Automation cloud Flow 

• Select the trigger: When a record is created. Enter “Customers” for Entity name and your F&O environment for Environment.

• Add a new step. Choose Dataverse Connector and select “Add new row.” Choose “Account.”

• You will now see fields that you can fill in with data from F&O. Name is F&O customer name, Account number is F&O customer Account, and Address is F&O primary address. You could use formulas to transform the data.

• Save the flow and test it by creating a new customer in F&O and checking the Dataverse for this customer.  

• You can choose to add conditions so that, for example, only certain types of organizations are carried through.  

The right choice for you?

As an organization, it is important to carefully consider what you need from a solution such as Dual Write. Do your needs extend beyond simple integration between F&O and CE? If so, Dual Write may be a suitable solution for you. However, if you need a more customizable integration, you should consider other solutions such as Power Automate. If you are truly prepared to take a completely different approach and are considering switching to a new EDI system, Lobster may be the solution for you.