Murray Fife's Blog, page 9

Dividing the Realm: How the Waterdeep Trading Company Uses Business Units to Manage the Sword Coast

The Waterdeep Trading Company isn’t just a general store, it’s the central nerve of a supply empire that keeps adventurers, merchants, and mystics stocked from Luskan to Calimport. With customers as diverse as noble houses, guild outposts, and lone rangers, the company needed a way to structure its rapidly growing operations while maintaining financial precision and strategic agility.

Enter Business Units, Departments, Sales Channels, and Cost Centers, the quartet of operational clarity in Mi...

Tired of Recasting the Same Spell? Use Periodic Journals Instead

Running a business like the Waterdeep Trading Company involves more than sword sales and enchanted lockboxes. Every tenday, some things stay the same: rent needs paying, guild dues are owed, and inventory costs need logging.

If you find yourself retyping the same entries month after month, it’s time to bring in a little structure. That’s where Periodic Journals come in.

What Are Periodic Journals?

Periodic journals are used for recurring transactions — those repeating entries that don’t...

Budgeting in Faerûn: How the Waterdeep Trading Company Plans Its Coin

Budgeting doesn’t get the same attention as dragon-slaying or spell-slinging, but if you ask Greta Ironfist, it’s what keeps the doors open and the swords sharp. At the Waterdeep Trading Company, budgeting is how we make sure every gold piece has a job to do.

Let’s walk through how you can set up and use budgeting in Dynamics 365 Finance, with a few examples from our favorite trade hub on the Sword Coast.

Why Budgeting Is More Than Just Ledger Scrolls

Running a growing trading company m...

Forecasting and Demand Planning: Gazing Into the Crystal Ball of Inventory

In Faerûn, having inventory on hand when the next caravan arrives is the difference between a profitable month and a letter of apology written in infernal ink. At the Waterdeep Trading Company, we don’t rely on wishful thinking or divination spells to keep our shelves stocked. We use Forecasting and Demand Planning in Dynamics 365 to stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s break down what that looks like when you’re supplying everything from iron spikes to cursed mirror cases.

What Is Forecasting?...

Forbidden Tomes and Black Onyx: Managing Restricted Product Sales in Faerûn

How Dynamics 365 keeps your business (and your soul) out of trouble

Let’s say you’re running a successful trading company in Waterdeep. You’ve got customers from Neverwinter to Calimport, moving everything from grain to griffon tack. Then one day, an order comes in:

Ten pounds of powdered mummy dust, two cursed grimoires, and a case of soulstones. Shipping destination? Thay. Buyer? The Red Wizards.

You pause. Not because you don’t have the inventory—oh, you do—but because you know these...

Tracking Magic Charges with Catchweight Inventory in Dynamics 365 at the Waterdeep Trading Company

“One wand, five charges. One careless wizard, zero left.” — Greta Ironfist, COO, Waterdeep Trading Company

In the bustling arcane economy of Faerûn, inventory isn’t just about counting barrels of ale or bolts of cloth — it’s about precision tracking of the power inside the product. At the Waterdeep Trading Company (WDTC), that includes magical items like wands, staves, and devices that are finite in function, possessing a specific number of charges.

This is where Catchweight Inventory Mana...

Top 10 Most Profitable Magical Products in the Sword Coast

In the bustling cities of the Sword Coast—from Waterdeep’s merchant squares to the shady alleys of Luskan—one thing is clear: magic sells. Whether you’re a potion purveyor, an arcane gear supplier, or an enchanted scroll distributor, knowing which magical products bring the highest margins is critical for growth.

In this post, we’re using Dynamics 365’s Product Profitability Reports, Item Sales Margins, and Sales by Product Category to reveal the top 10 most profitable magical items currently...

Language of the Load: Translating “Backpack” Across the Realms

In the realms of Faerûn, even the most mundane items can carry rich cultural meaning. Take, for instance, the humble backpack—a staple in every adventurer’s kit. While it may seem like a simple sack to the untrained eye, its significance, design, and even name differ across the races and regions of the Forgotten Realms.

As part of the Advanced Dungeons & Dynamics 365 initiative, we’re exploring how everyday items are interpreted across languages and how they could be localized in a multilingu...

Sourcing Griffon Tack & Arcane Saddles with RFQs and Vendor Scoring in Dynamics

From the sky patrols of Waterdeep to the noble riders of Silverymoon, airborne units depend on highly specialized gear—Griffon Tack and Arcane Saddles that can withstand battle, weather, and the raw magical forces of the Realms. These aren’t items you pick up at the local market; they’re sourced through formal procurement strategies, powered by Request for Quotation (RFQ) and Vendor Scoring capabilities in Dynamics 365.

Why RFQs Matter in a Magical Economy

In a traditional D&D setting, mos...

Mastering Transportation Management for The Waterdeep Trading Company: Rating and Routing Across Faerûn

When Greta Ironfist founded the Waterdeep Trading Company, she knew that managing the flow of goods across the Sword Coast would be just as critical as sourcing rare herbs or distilling the finest spirits. In Faerûn, transportation isn’t just about moving cargo — it’s about surviving treacherous roads, stormy seas, and even aerial piracy.

Today, the Waterdeep Trading Company powers its shipping operations with Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management – Transportation Management. Let’s take a clos...