Aircall Integration Explained
Setting up webhook triggers in Aircall allows you to send real-time data to your external systems based on specific events. This is essential for building custom integrations and automating workflows.
Integrating Dynamics 365 Business Central: A Comparison
There are three popular no-code/low-code platforms for connecting Business Central (BC) with your other applications.
What is Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a cloud-based, all-in-one ERP solution designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It provides core business management capabilities such as finance, operations, sales, and supply chain management in a streamlined and affordable package.
💡 Three Common Integration Methods
There are three popular no-code/low-code platforms for connecting Business Central (BC) with your other applications:
- Zapier
- Make.com
- Power Automate
1. Zapier
Zapier is a web-based automation tool that allows users to connect different web applications. It automates various workflows and tasks between them without the need for extensive programming knowledge.
Connecting with Business Central
Zapier provides native features for BC, but its functionality is currently limited. It only offers two possible actions:
- Find Shipment: Finds a Shipment by its number.
- API Request (Beta): Allows you to make raw HTTPS requests to the BC API.
Pros & Cons
👎 No Triggers Available: You can only perform actions in Business Central. You cannot trigger workflows in other apps based on events happening from Business Central (e.g., a new customer is created).
👎 "API Request" Action is Difficult: This action requires a deep understanding of the Business Central API framework, its limitations, and some programming knowledge. Testing and debugging can be very challenging for non-developers.
Verdict
👨💻 Recommended only for technical users and developers with hands-on API experience who need to perform simple, one-way actions in Business Central.
2. Make.com
Make.com, formerly known as Integromat, is a powerful cloud-based platform that enables users to automate and streamline their digital workflows by seamlessly connecting various online tools and services through a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface.
Connecting with Business Central
Compared to Zapier, Make.com offers a much more robust native integration with a wide range of triggers and actions covering most tables and fields in Business Central.
- Triggers: Use the "Watch Records" module to trigger a workflow when a record is created or updated.
- Actions & Searches: Modules to search, get, create, update, and delete records.
- Custom Calls: Use the "Make an API Call" module for customized requests.
Pros & Cons
👍 Rich Functionality: Offers a comprehensive set of triggers and actions, making it powerful for building complex, two-way workflows.
👎 Very Expensive: Dynamics 365 Business Central is classified as a "Premium Tier 3" application. This requires an Enterprise plan, which can be a significant cost for small and medium-sized businesses. The connection works on a trial, but workflows will not run without upgrading.
Verdict
💬 A very powerful and flexible option, but the high cost is a major barrier. It is essential to have a conversation with Make.com's sales team about pricing before committing to development.
3. Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, is a cloud-based service that allows users to create and automate workflows and processes across multiple applications and services, enabling greater productivity and efficiency within their digital ecosystems.
Connecting with Business Central
As a Microsoft product, Power Automate has distinct advantages when working with Business Central.
Pros & Cons
👍 Tight Ecosystem Integration: It seamlessly integrates with the entire Microsoft ecosystem. If you are using the same account, it automatically detects your Business Central environment, skipping the complex authorization steps required in other tools.
👍 Versatile Native Connectors: Provides a rich set of built-in triggers and actions that are more versatile than those on other platforms.
👍 Cost-Effective: At around $15/user/month for a high volume of daily requests, it is significantly cheaper than other integration platforms, especially Make.com.
👎 Less User-Friendly for External APIs: Sending custom HTTPS requests to external (non-Microsoft) platforms can be challenging. The error handling is also strict, preventing you from saving a workflow if there is a single error in any step.
👎 Less Straightforward Logic: The platform's logic can feel unintuitive. For example, to use data from an incoming JSON object, you must first add a "Parse JSON" step and then set up variables before you can map the data to subsequent steps.
Verdict
✅ The most cost-efficient and deeply integrated solution, especially for workflows within the Microsoft ecosystem. However, users familiar with Zapier or Make may face a learning curve adapting to its logic and user experience.
Summary & Comparison
The best tool depends on your budget, technical expertise, and the specific requirements of your workflow. Power Automate stands out as the most cost-efficient option, but its learning curve is steeper.
Tool | Key Advantage | Key Disadvantage | Best For |
Zapier | Simple interface | Very limited triggers/actions | Developers needing to perform simple, one-way "push" actions into BC. |
Make.com | Powerful, flexible, rich features | Extremely expensive (requires Enterprise plan) | Businesses with large budgets needing complex, two-way automations. |
Power Automate | Deep integration, cost-effective | Steeper learning curve, less intuitive logic | SMBs already in the Microsoft ecosystem, especially for internal process automation. |
📚 References
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