Are you curious as to why Dynamics 365 is causing such a stir? It’s because it’s a revolution in the making.

It has to be said, if we’re being absolutely truthful, that life is rarely simple. What is it like to be an entrepreneur? You have a mountain of obligations piling up, an entire organization counting on you, and coworkers waiting for you to make a decision. It is, without a doubt, the best job in the world, but it isn’t always fun nor easy.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if life were more like a movie, with a superhero who came to our rescue and solved all of our problems – someone who makes them vanish so effortlessly? It’s not that Microsoft was inspired by DC comics while developing their apps, but they did want something magical.

That’s why they invented Dynamics 365. So what is it, really? It’s a superhero team composed of Batman, Robin, Superman, and Wonder Woman who come to your aid to fix all the problems your business could face. It’s important to note that this isn’t magic; better yet, it’s technology.

Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology has given us a software that combines CRM and ERP into a single efficient, consistent, and simple-to-use solution. Let’s take a look at how CRM, ERP, and Dynamics 365 will make your life easier, so you can better understand how revolutionary this actually is.

First of all, what is a CRM?

Customer relations, whether you’re the CEO of a small company or a multinational corporation, can be challenging. On the one hand, having a sales team committed to identifying new buyers, nurturing those relationships, and closing sales can be difficult. On the other, following up with those customers and ensuring that their case is transferred from one salesperson to the next with all relevant details can also prove quite complex.

This is why CRM exists: to help you develop your customer relationships so you can concentrate on the rest of your business. Customers are necessary for the survival of any company, large or small. The CRM thus helps you boost sales, simplify ads, enhance customer support and even manage your projects.

By putting all of your customers’ information in one place, you will not only have a better understanding of the situation, but it will also be easier for you to grasp the sales cycle, build relationships with prospects, generate quotes, and work with your team to make more money and have greater customer satisfaction.

Since it encompasses so many facets of your customer relationship, you can expect to work with a variety of applications tailored to your company and goals, ranging from sales to customer service. They’re all right there in your reach, interacting with one another without requiring you to leave the interface or even close and open various modules. It’s likely that you have never worked at such a fast and efficient pace before.

So, how can a CRM assist you in resolving your everyday issues?

• Automate parts of your sales and marketing;
• Create a dynamic sales cycle;
• Gain a better understanding of the situation in order to generate better quotes;
• And much more.

A CRM will really help you get all of your data in one location, gather some useful information for a stronger marketing campaign, monitor your customers more easily, and work even better with your team to demonstrate your talents together. As you can see, both SMEs and multinational corporations can prosper and relieve stress, thanks to this tool. It’s not sorcery – it’s a clever application of technology.

From Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to Microsoft Dynamics 365

Many are unaware that Microsoft CRM has been around since 2003, and the solution has evolved significantly over time, with an important milestone as it added a cloud solution in 2013: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Online. Microsoft also introduced a revolutionary way of dealing with the sales cycle (Business Process Flow) in the new wave of Dynamics CRM. With buyers reaching 60% of the sales cycle these days, you need to be able to adapt or your prospects will slip away.

The idea is thus to create a task-based structure for each step of the sales process.

That’s why this CRM is so great: it’s simple to use, has a lot of features, and allows you to build a dynamic sales cycle that effectively converts prospects into customers. Your customer will be in your sales cycle regardless of where you find them.

Sales, project management, marketing, and customer support are all areas where Dynamics CRM can assist you in converting customers and increasing profits. You’ll be able to make informed follow-ups with your customers and build outstanding deals by putting all of the information together in its amazing database, facilitating your workflow by creating a shared space, and keeping track of your company’s customer relationships.

All of this is fascinating, but it doesn’t cover all of the issues that a company faces, does it?

Combining ERP and CRM with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Although all of this sounds fantastic for all types of companies, what about resource planning, inventory management, and the rest of the business processes? We all know that a business owner’s challenges and conundrums don’t end with the customer relationship…

So, with angels singing in the background, an ERP appears, shining like a ray of sunlight from heaven, and comes to solve all the problems. We can possibly do away with the angels, but the sunbeam is still there. ERP is yet another fantastic, and almost surreal, business solution that manages the company’s capital. CRM and ERP will work together to overcome any barriers.

Naturally, Microsoft has its own ERP, Dynamics NAV, which is a versatile solution that is simple to use and integrates easily with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

So, from a CRM to an ERP, how does it all link to Dynamics 365?

If we’ve taken all this time to explain CRM and ERP to you, it’s because they solve common but very specific problems in the lives of business owners. Many of you can find yourselves in a situation where you need not only a CRM but also an ERP. A company has a lot to deal with, from customer service to inventory management, and a little support is always welcome.

As you can tell, they are quite powerful when it comes to making the company run smoothly. However, they share a challenge in that they sometimes collaborate, but not at every stage.

That is to say that they do collaborate, but there are some problems, such as the requirement for custom links and the fact that they can’t share all of the data or enable you to move between the two within the same interface. In this regard, if they’re not well combined, they can still improve your life, but not to their full potential.

Why is it revolutionary to have a CRM and ERP in the same solution, such as Dynamics 365?

So, by merging CRM (Microsoft Dynamics CRM) and ERP (Microsoft Dynamics NAV) under one roof, Dynamics simply brings together Microsoft’s best technology. They will not only use the same interface for working and communicating, but they will also be one piece of software that shares data, customers, and processes. All is basically only a click away, so you won’t have to open and close several applications to get what you want.

This is important because collaboration between applications is one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Microsoft Dynamics 365 has completely eradicated this issue that occurs as most CRMs merge with an ERP.

To put it bluntly, it’s a full package deal. It includes Dynamics CRM, which you’re all familiar with, and Dynamics NAV, Microsoft’s critically acclaimed and well established ERP. By doing this, it lets you cover all facets of your company and take it to new heights.

Of course, just as your business is constantly evolving, so is ours. That’s why Microsoft has some exciting news for you: Dynamics 365 is now being updated to better respond to your needs and solve your issues.

What’s in store for Dynamics 365 in the future?

I’m sure you’ve seen some blog posts over the last year attempting to separate Dynamics 365 Financials from Dynamics NAV, but this confusion is no longer relevant now. Some of the features of Microsoft Dynamics NAV are actually available in Dynamics 365 Financials. Dynamics NAV is now completely integrated with Dynamics 365.

In Dynamics 365, you’ll have all of the capabilities of the well-known ERP. You will soon be able to forget about migration because these two tech combinations will work flawlessly together. This is also one of the upcoming Dynamics 365 features to look forward to.

Remember how difficult migrations could be because personalization was done in Dynamics 365 directly? Microsoft is actually working on keeping the essence of the app unchanged and personalizing it by extensions. As a result, your Microsoft partner will be responsible for the improvements, and you won’t have to spend money on expensive upgrades.

Other enhancements to Dynamics 365 include changes to the marketing side, such as the email marketing function, which allows you to build campaigns right within the platform. Microsoft has recently confirmed public preview access.

Furthermore, pricing will adjust in the near future, shifting from an app-based plan to a feature-based plan. What’s the difference between the two? The fascinating thing about this formula is that it allows you to pick and choose which features you like, as well as the apps that go with them, and pay only for what you want.

Then you can switch between the basic and advanced versions. In either case, you’ll get more bang for your buck: more options for performing complex tasks, and, obviously, a solution that is ideally suited to your requirements.

Last, but certainly not least, Microsoft has agreed to fully redesign the interface’s architecture and usability. That’s right, you read that correctly. They’re also working on unifying the interface to make it simpler to use and more flexible for consumers. Wouldn’t that be just fantastic?

After all, we should anticipate all of these shifts, as well as many others, in the months and years ahead. Dynamics 365 is a successful investment that will continue to evolve because it remains at the forefront of technology and trends.

Dynamics 365 applications at a glance

Are you curious about what you get with Dynamics 365? Microsoft has considered everything from Office 365 integration to hosting in its well-known cloud, Azure, as a way of addressing all of your potential challenges.

Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Project Management, Field Service, Finance, Operations, Retail, and Human Resources are all included in Microsoft Dynamics 365’s 9 integrated applications.

By implementing Dynamics 365, you gain access to tools that address efficiency, analytics, CRM, and ERP requirements, as well as the ability to add personalized extensions to your solution, based on your industry’s specific requirements.

And how much does Microsoft Dynamics 365 cost?

Certainly, we can’t talk about software and solutions without mentioning its price. You may be aware that Microsoft has abandoned its Business and Enterprise versions in favor of a three-tiered approach. So here’s what you need to know to get started, but keep in mind that, like many Microsoft services, Dynamics 365 pricing is not straightforward, and there are many factors that will influence the final price of your investment.

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 choice plan, which begins at $255 per user per month, is the first option. This is without a doubt the most beneficial choice. It offers you complete access to Customer Engagement (CRM) software as well as Dynamics 365 for Operations (ERP).

Then there’s the Customer Engagement plan (CRM), which gives you full access to the apps that are useful for managing your customer relationship, such as sales, customer support, project service automation, and field service, for $140 per user per month.

Finally, there’s Unified Operations, which costs $230 per user per month and includes the Dynamics 365 Operations apps.

Every app can also be purchased separately, starting at $40 per month. Pricing varies by app; for example, the most basic apps with the lowest prices are Sales and Finance.

What is the procedure for obtaining Dynamics 365?

As is customary with Microsoft, there are two options: via a Microsoft Dynamics partner or directly from Microsoft.

The first choice is clearly the most appealing to businesses who want to rely on the resources of a firm that has everything on hand to assist them with implementation, training, and updates. In reality, on top of the software, Microsoft has a network of Microsoft Dynamics partners who are certified to resell their products and provide their expertise, support, customer care, and further development. As you may know, finding the right features for you isn’t always easy, and integrating a CRM and an ERP isn’t always a walk in the park.

Naturally, you can buy the software and install it yourself with the support of your IT team and a strong understanding of technology. Microsoft’s interface makes it a simple task, by allowing you to select and choose what you want.

Finally, while a 21st-century entrepreneur’s life isn’t always a celebration, it goes without saying that technology can solve a wide range of issues. Managing a company will never be the same again, thanks to Dynamics 365, which combines a CRM and an ERP into one efficient solution. Nothing will deter today’s business owner from envisioning their great future, thanks to a plethora of apps, uninterrupted workflows, and automation where it matters most.