A rapid Business Central implementation replaced legacy systems, automated grower settlements, and gave a growing seed company the financial visibility it needed to scale.
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids ran its finances on a legacy AS400 system with budgets managed through offline Excel files. Grower settlements were manual, and the finance team lacked reliable reporting for executive decisions. Folio3 AgTech deployed Dynamics 365 Business Central using RapidStart, covering financials, inventory, and seed production assembly, then added Power BI dashboards and budgeting tools.
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids (WPH) is part of the Weaver Popcorn family, one of the most established names in the American popcorn industry. WPH focuses on hybrid popcorn seed production, processing, and distribution, working with over 200 growers across the United States. The company operates on seasonal cycles tied to planting windows and reports to a parent company.
Industry
Agriculture — Hybrid Popcorn Seeds
Headquarters
New Richmond, Indiana, USA
Technology
Dynamics 365 Business Central (Cloud), Microsoft Power BI
Total implementation cost vs. $250K+ for enterprise alternatives
Estimated revenue increase over two years from expanded sales capacity
Annual savings from avoided finance headcount
Of seasonal admin work eliminated per grower invoicing cycle
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids had outgrown the tools it was built on. The company's AS400 accounting system could not keep up with growing transaction volumes, and critical financial workflows still ran through offline Excel files. Grower settlements were calculated by hand, invoicing was slow, and the finance team spent more time reconciling data than analyzing it.
The AS400 accounting system could not support growing transaction volumes. It limited financial transparency and blocked the company from scaling operations.
Budgets and forecasts lived in offline spreadsheets. Version control was unreliable, and reconciliation between files required heavy manual effort.
There was no system for real-time financial or operational reporting. Executive decisions were delayed by the time it took to compile data manually.
Settlement calculations for 200+ growers were done by hand. Errors in prior years had resulted in overpayments costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Folio3 Agtech used the RapidStart methodology to get WPH onto Business Central quickly without the cost or complexity of a traditional enterprise implementation. Standard Microsoft templates kept data migration lean, and a phased rollout ensured each capability was adopted before the next was introduced.
Scoped the implementation around WPH's core financial and operational needs. Selected standard Business Central modules and RapidStart templates to minimize customization and accelerate deployment.
Implemented General Ledger, AP/AR, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Warehousing, and Bank Reconciliation. Configured standard workflows to replace legacy AS400 processes and manual tracking.
Configured assembly management to support WPH's seed production workflow from raw corn through cleaning, sizing, and finished inventory ready for distribution to growers.
Deployed Power BI dashboards connected to the production environment for real-time analytics. Added a budget and forecast module with multi-version support. Conducted phased training for adoption.
Folio3 Agtech delivered a connected Business Central environment covering the full scope of WPH's financial, operational, and reporting needs. The platform replaces legacy accounting, Excel budgets, and manual processes with a single cloud-based system.
General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Bank Reconciliation run on standard Business Central workflows with automated roll-ups and period close.
Sales orders, purchase orders, and vendor management are centralized. Pricing, terms, and transaction history are accessible from one system.
Seed inventory is tracked from receipt through storage and distribution. Warehouse operations use system-guided processes instead of manual logs.
Assembly management supports WPH's production flow from raw corn to cleaned, sized, and packaged seed ready for grower distribution.
Real-time dashboards cover Sales, AR/AP, Cash Flow, and Inventory. Connected directly to the production environment for live data.
Multi-version budgeting with rolling forecasts and comparative reporting. Actual vs. Budget vs. Revised views support seasonal financial planning.
ISV-based document templates standardize invoices, purchase orders, and settlement statements. Professional, consistent outputs replace manual formatting.
Settlement calculations for 200+ growers are system-generated. Automated processing eliminates manual errors that previously led to costly overpayments.
"What worked about this implementation was that the approach matched the size and pace of our business. We did not need the complexity of a heavy enterprise rollout. We needed something that could get us live quickly, fit our production workflows, and actually get adopted by the team. That is what we got, and we kept the whole project under $50,000. When you consider what SAP or a fully custom build would have cost, that gap is hard to ignore."
Zach Parton
Finance Director, Weaver Popcorn Hybrids
After deploying Business Central with RapidStart, WPH replaced its AS400 system and Excel-based processes with a connected cloud ERP. Finance runs on automated workflows. Grower settlements calculate without manual intervention. Power BI gives leadership real-time visibility into every part of the business. The operational improvements below reflect what changed once the platform went live.
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids went from a legacy system to full financial visibility without the cost or timeline of a traditional enterprise implementation.
Let's explore what's possible for your operation.
Start Your Success Journey With Folio3 Today!