Microsoft offers professionals two powerful ERP solutions. Even though both are distinguished by their ability to evolve and improve with your business, choosing which ERP works best for you can be more complicated than it seems.
What are the differences between Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and Business Central? This article gives you the answers you need to make the right choice for your business realities.
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?
Business Central overview
Microsoft 365 Business Central is a more advanced version of Nav, a former integrated management software from Microsoft. To those accustomed to Nav, Microsoft 365’s features will feel familiar and intuitive, as the two interfaces are quite similar. Yet beyond its new name, 365 offers far better integration and functionality. It belongs to a totally new generation of ERP solutions.
ERP Business Central is designed for small and medium businesses that want to automate and analyze their many moving parts. In practice, this ERP is suitable for SMEs with 0 to 500 employees. Regarding pricing, two subscriptions are offered via the Cloud or website:
- Essentials – offered at $70 per month per user
- Premium – offered at $100 per month per user
Essential features
Business Central provides solutions for numerous sectors, including those related to distribution, the public sector, manufacturing, and professional services.
As an ERP, Business Central is designed with a finance module, which ensures all financial operations are accounted for, processed, and analyzed from an accessible interface. Whether leveraged for accounting, financial transactions, accounts payable/receivable, or BI reports, this module gets the job done.
Moreover, merchants can use its warehouse management module to process stock. Optimize shipping and sales management thanks to this clear, automated system.
Finally, businesses in the manufacturing sector can use the production module to create and manage orders, keep production agile, and make critical forecasts.
The 3 main advantages of Business Central
Beyond its unparalleled accessibility, Business Central offers a slew of advantages, including:
- Intelligent tools that provide forecasts, thus ensuring you know when to restock
- A detailed view of accounting information, sales/purchases, and specific customer interactions, all of which ensures your financial operations are managed smoothly
Its analytic capabilities can prioritize prospects based on purchase orders and, in turn, optimize sales
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What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations overview
Originally named AX, Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations is considered Microsoft’s most advanced ERP. It’s dedicated primarily to large organizations as well as enterprise groups ranging from medium to large. Many professionals rightly regard F&O as an all-in-one solution and appreciate its compatibility with other Microsoft applications. Like Business Central, this ERP’s modular capabilities make it easier than ever before to customize the user experience.
F&O’s functionality
Featuring analytics tools based on Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations is designed for distribution, retail, the public sector, manufacturing, and professional services.
To deploy F&O, a minimum of 20 users is recommended. Microsoft offers several plans, including:
- The Unified Operations subscription at $190 per month per user
- The full Dynamics 365 plan for $210 per month per user
Thanks to its ability to centralize retail locations, digital portals, back office, and call centers, retail analytics help boost company profits. It’s also possible to set up a loyalty program. Additionally, advertising campaigns can be carried out from start to finish via Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations.
Businesses in the manufacturing industry are given numerous tools to automate specific processes such as Kanban systems, production orders, batch orders and project monitoring.
The 3 main advantages of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations
F&O is such a robust and efficient ERP service that it would be impossible to detail every feature in an article of this length. However, there are three main advantages worth highlighting:
- It’s easy to integrate other Microsoft software such as Office 365. By connecting seamlessly, this ERP helps businesses optimize results.
- Its retail module is ideal for centralizing a large amount of data, ensuring each seller and customer service agent has access to the information they need.
- Microsoft 365 Dynamics Finance and Operations lets you adapt to the market by optimizing every one of your manufacturing processes.
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What are the main differences between Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and Business Central?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations is an ERP for companies with more than 500 employees. Conversely, Business Central favours SMEs. Here are a few other notable differences to help you make your choice:
Product localization
Whereas Business Central offers geographic tracking of products according to the batch number or serial number, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations also offers highly precise pallet tracking. Once again, the right choice depends on your needs.
Finances
With Business Central, regional management and currency options are available for 16 countries. With F&O, it’s 30. That’s no small distinction.
More transactions
Finally, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations lets professionals process hundreds of thousands of transactions. Business Central, by contrast, suits companies with more limited needs (i.e. several thousand sales).
Conclusion
Both Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and Business Central are formidable ERPs that automate every one of your processes and maximize profits. Of course, the option that works best for you depends on your business’s needs. To help you make the right decision, Gestisoft offers consulting services that assess your business and its expectations.
Why are our services so successful? Indeed, we all understand the benefits of implementing an ERP or CRM. However, selecting the wrong solution can have serious negative consequences. Simply put, for your ERP to quickly translate into concrete, profitable results, you need the help of our experts.
