Dynamics 365 Kazakhstan Localization for Brunel — Business Central

Brunel engaged Awara IT to deliver a Kazakhstan-specific localization for its Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environment as part of a regional expansion. The project focused on aligning global finance processes with Kazakhstan regulatory requirements so Brunel could open operations quickly while preserving consolidated reporting to the Netherlands headquarters.

Awara IT merged the local finance and accounting rules into Brunel’s existing Business Central deployment, implementing statutory reports, local chart of accounts mapping, automated VAT handling and bank integrations. The outcome reduced manual compliance tasks, shortened month-end close and provided the Brunel finance team a single, auditable source of truth for local and group reporting.

Client / Industry / Country

Brunel is a recruitment and workforce solutions provider operating across regions including the Netherlands and the Middle East, expanding into Kazakhstan. The engagement covered local legal entities and finance teams responsible for payroll, statutory reporting and intercompany transactions between Kazakhstan and Brunel’s European headquarters.

Business challenge

Brunel’s expansion to Kazakhstan required rapid activation of finance operations in a market with distinct tax, reporting and banking formats. The company already used Dynamics 365 Business Central globally but lacked a Kazakhstan localization that would produce statutory reports, support KZT currency handling, and integrate with local banks and payroll providers.

Key pain points included manual journal adjustments to meet local tax forms, lengthy month-end close due to reconciliations across differing charts of accounts, inconsistent AP/AR processes across countries, and compliance risk from ad-hoc spreadsheet reporting. Brunel needed a predictable implementation that preserved global master data and consolidation while ensuring local compliance and faster operational readiness.

Why Dynamics 365 was selected

Brunel selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central because it was already the company’s global finance platform. Extending Business Central with a Kazakhstan localization avoided a second system, preserved consolidated reporting and reduced training overhead for finance staff.

Awara IT was chosen as the implementation partner to build the localization layer, given their experience implementing Dynamics 365/Business Central in multi-country professional services environments and integrating local reporting and bank formats into global deployments. The partner approach emphasized reuse of global processes, controlled local deviations and integration with Microsoft 365 and Power Platform for reporting automation.

Modules implemented

• General Ledger with Kazakhstan chart of accounts mapping
• Accounts Payable with automated VAT handling
• Accounts Receivable and electronic invoicing support
• Cash & Bank Management with local bank statement import
• Fixed Assets (statutory depreciation rules)
• Intercompany and Multi-entity Consolidation
• Localization pack: statutory ledgers, VAT returns, tax forms
• Dimensions and cost center accounting for project billing
• Power BI financial reporting and Power Automate approvals

Integrations

• Local payroll provider (file/API interface for statutory reporting)
• Bank statement import and payment file exchange (local banks)
• Headquarter consolidation system for EU reporting
• Azure Active Directory for SSO and user provisioning
• Expense/employee portal for AP automation (CSV/API)
• Power BI dataset for consolidated finance analytics

Localization & compliance

Awara IT implemented Kazakhstan-specific compliance features in Business Central: KZT currency handling with dual-currency reporting, a localized chart of accounts aligned to local statutory requirements, VAT calculation rules and automated generation of the standard tax return formats used by Kazakh authorities. The solution supports Russian-language labels in key screens and configured output for local statutory forms.

Compliance was validated with Brunel’s local accountants and an independent auditor during UAT to ensure that e-reporting formats, VAT declarations and statutory trial balances met filing expectations. Where electronic submission formats were required, Awara IT implemented export routines and documented procedures for submission and audit trails.

Business value

The localization delivered a controlled, auditable finance environment in Kazakhstan integrated with Brunel’s global Business Central landscape. Automation of VAT, bank imports and intercompany posting removed repetitive manual work, reduced compliance risk and accelerated the local month-end close. Consistent dimensions and chart of accounts mapping preserved consolidation processes at the Netherlands headquarters and reduced reconciliation effort.

Operationally, Brunel achieved faster onboarding of local finance staff, clearer visibility into cash positions and improved AP throughput, enabling the business to scale recruitment operations in Kazakhstan without adding disproportionate finance headcount or local IT complexity.