Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Aptean ERP

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Our analysts compared Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Aptean ERP based on data from our 400+ point analysis of ERP Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Software Tool
Aptean ERP Software Tool

Product Basics

Dynamics 365 Business Central, formerly known as Dynamics NAV, is a widely used ERP platform that benefits businesses of small and medium sizes. It’s a multi-faceted ERP product that assists in the streamlining of aspects such as accounting, contact management and inventory management. This program has high integration capabilities due to its status as a Microsoft product and is currently used by more than 100,000 companies.

Personalization is a key benefit of this tool that is expressed throughout the program’s different modules. For example, you can customize dashboards and reports to ensure that your employees are obtaining useful insights quickly and easily. The program is also highly automated and can reduce human error through its connected systems.

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Seamless integrations
  • Flexible customization
  • Robust financial management
  • Strong reporting capabilities
Cons
  • Limited industry-specific features
  • Potential customization complexity
  • Scalability concerns for large enterprises
  • Reliance on third-party add-ons
  • Potentially high ownership costs
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Aptean ERP is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline and automate the core processes of businesses across various industries. It is particularly well-suited for manufacturing and distribution companies looking for an integrated approach to manage their operations, from supply chain management to financials and beyond. One of the key benefits of Aptean ERP is its ability to provide real-time insights into business performance, enabling more informed decision-making. Users appreciate its robust feature set, which includes inventory management, quality control, and customer relationship management, among others. When compared to similar products, Aptean ERP stands out for its industry-specific functionalities that cater to the unique needs of its users. Pricing considerations for Aptean ERP typically involve a range that varies based on the size of the business, the specific modules required, and the payment frequency, which could be monthly or annually, ensuring that businesses can find a plan that fits their budget and operational needs.

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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Centralized Data: Dynamics 365 Business Central leans in to the essence of ERP software — data centralization. For example, the system’s contract management program maintains a shared database of customers and prospects that can be customized and filtered. The program also removes any duplicates found in the system, which is especially helpful when you have multiple people entering prospect information or liaising with customers. Customized dashboards and visualizations are also available for insights developed across your company. 
  • Accessibility: This software is available either on-premise or as a cloud-based ERP. If you opt to go with a cloud deployment, the solution will be accessible to your employees anytime and anywhere as long as an internet connection is available. This broadly increases the scope of where your employees can complete their duties and access pertinent information. 
  • Forecasting: Dynamics 365 Business Central contains forecasting tools that include the use of historical demand to estimate future demand. This is helpful because it can improve efficiency, reduce spoilage and improve the likelihood that you will be able to fulfill orders from customers. 
  • Simple Integration: As a Microsoft product, Dynamics 365 Business Central is well poised for integration. The software can work with programs such as Word and Excel and is also available across iOS, Android and Windows devices. Microsoft offers a wide variety of software solutions that can be connected to Dynamics 365 Business Central, such as Dynamics 365 for Sales. 
  • Collaboration: Dynamics 365 Business Central provides visibility and control over multiple production sites. This allows you to collaborate with employees located in that facility to determine benchmarks such as optimal inventory level. Additionally, because of Dynamics 365 Business Central’s availability as a cloud-based solution, it is easy for employees to collaborate on and access materials whether they are in a corporate office or at a production facility. 
  • Security: With this program, you can configure user access to different components of the software. For example, if you don’t want an account representative to have visualization of the payroll, you can limit the scope of a user’s access to the application. Disaster recovery tools also assist with security measures. 
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  • Supply Chain Planning: Build a robust business model by planning and forecasting demand proactively, minimizing inventory costs and optimizing production schedules. 
  • Streamline Operations: Streamline business operations to identify opportunities for cost savings and increase ROI. 
  • Ensures Efficiency: Plan, schedule, execute and track business operations to ensure efficient and flexible business processes. 
  • Improve Production Planning: Take into account the availability of resources, including raw materials, packaging supplies, equipment and labor required for production accurately. 
  • Understand your Costs: Make accurate cost predictions, track project costs, develop budgets and analyze actual-to-estimated costs any time during the project. 
  • Automate Business Processes: Automate business processes end-to-end from the initial request for quote (RFQ) to the shipment of completed orders. 
  • Leverage Data and Analytics: Access and analyze critical data to make strategic, data-driven business decisions. 
  • Optimize Product Management: Optimize product management with seamless distribution of product information across various departments in the organization. 
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  • Sales Order Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s sales order management module allows you to alter quantity available amounts based on posted invoices. You can also use the program to create prepayment invoices and to manage partial shipments. 
  • Analysis Reports: The analysis reports tool is based on helping decisionmakers within your company gain meaningful insights that will positively influence daily decisions. With this customizable tool, you can use factors such as customers, items and vendors to view information such as inventory turnover and customer behavior. You can also use this tool to more accurately pinpoint problems across your business that are creating bottlenecks or inefficiencies. 
  • General Ledger: Accounting and financial reporting tools are a commonly requested feature in ERP software. Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a general ledger in its base package that includes internal and external reporting tools, ability to export data in various formats, employee ledger entries, linking to external documents and reporting in your company’s preferred currency format. 
  • Requisition Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s Requisition Worksheet allows you to optimize your inventory based on factors such as predicted demand and material availability. You can also set minimum and maximum quantity levels to determine a reordering point in your manufacturing center. 
  • Multi-Site Functionality: With this software, you can track inventory levels across multiple distribution centers, warehouses, production plants, showrooms and more. You can also track inventory as it moves from different locations while accounting for its value during transit. 
  • Contact Management: The contact management feature allows you to input and maintain a list of your business contacts and prospects. The tool lets you know when duplicate contact information is entered, enables you to issue quotes or sales documents, allows for the categorization of people associated with a specific contact and segments people based on profiling questions. 
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Dynamics 365 Business Central includes support for Kofax Invoice Capture Service (ICS) out of the box. This tool can take information from unstructured PDFs, extract it, and turn it into structured data. 
  • Currency Exchange Rates: This system allows you to update currency exchange rates as they shift. This can be done either manually or automatically. Dynamics 365 Business Central supports Yahoo and European Central Bank (ECB) currency feeds out of the box, but you can add other currencies to the tool using the currency exchange rates setup. 
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  • Intelligent Inventory Management: Get a clear picture of stock in real-time visibility across all sales channels and operations. Align the demand and supply ratio and make sure the orders are fulfilled efficiently. 
  • Role-Based Dashboards: Use role-based management dashboards equipped with drill-down capability to monitor and analyze business processes effectively. Leverage pre-built charts and graphs to create intuitive dashboards. 
  • Production Management: Use production scheduling tools to determine what to produce, when to produce and what resources to use to facilitate optimal production. 
  • Robust CRM: Store comprehensive customer information in a central database and integrate it with the solution, giving employees access in different departments. It enables them to identify sales opportunities, foster customer relationships and improve customer service. 
  • Real-Time Reporting: Enable precise tracking of customer orders and shipping information to provide accurate status updates with real-time reporting tools. 
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Product Ranking

#18

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ERP Software

#30

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ERP Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 366 reviews
Great User Sentiment 40 reviews
75%
of users recommend this product

Dynamics 365 Business Central has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 366 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

83%
of users recommend this product

Aptean ERP has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 40 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

3.6 (142)
4.0 (11)
3.7 (85)
n/a
n/a
4.5 (13)
4.3 (9)
4.5 (6)
3.9 (130)
3.6 (10)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Easy to Learn: Precisely 53% of users say the system has a simple implementation process and helpful training materials.
Extensive Features: Features include BOM management, finance management, document management, reporting, search filters, accounting and other modules, according to 79% of users.
Intuitive Interface: Familiar layout and guided workflows simplify data entry and task completion for non-technical users.
Automated Processes: Reduce manual tasks and errors with automated workflows for finance, inventory, sales, and customer service.
Actionable Insights: Gain real-time visibility into business performance through comprehensive dashboards and reporting tools.
Powerful Integrations: Connect seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and other popular business applications for a unified data ecosystem.
Cloud-based Scalability: Adapt to growth with a flexible cloud infrastructure that supports diverse user needs and data volumes.
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Industry-Specific Functionality: Aptean caters to specific industries like manufacturing, distribution, and food and beverage with tailored features and modules that address unique challenges and compliance requirements.
Scalability and Flexibility: Aptean is designed to grow alongside businesses, accommodating increasing data volumes and user numbers without compromising performance. Its modular structure allows companies to add or remove features as needed.
Cloud-Based or On-Premise Deployment: Aptean offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, providing flexibility for businesses with varying IT infrastructures and preferences.
User-Friendly Interface: Aptean prioritizes user experience with an intuitive interface that simplifies navigation and reduces the learning curve for new users. The system's dashboards and reporting tools provide easy access to critical business data.
Comprehensive Functionality: Aptean encompasses a wide range of ERP functionalities, including financials, supply chain management, inventory control, customer relationship management (CRM), and human resources, providing a centralized platform for managing core business processes.
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User Interface: Of the users who discussed the interface, 46% said it was not intuitive and the layout is old-fashioned.
Glitchy Performance: Approximately 67% of users said the program's overall performance is slow and glitchy.
Industry Gaps: While strong for core ERP functions, may require additional add-ons or integrations for complex industry-specific needs like manufacturing or healthcare.
Customization Curve: While offering customization options, extensive modifications might require developer expertise, increasing costs and implementation time.
Large Enterprise Scalability: While cloud-based and scalable, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration.
Add-on Dependence: Fulfilling specific needs may rely on third-party add-ons, introducing potential compatibility and support challenges.
Cost Considerations: While offering subscription plans, total cost of ownership can be influenced by user licenses, customization needs, and add-on integrations.
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Customization Challenges: Modifying the system to fit specific business needs can be difficult and time-consuming, often requiring specialized developer knowledge.
Reporting Limitations: Generating reports with desired levels of detail can be cumbersome, sometimes necessitating manual data exports and manipulation in external tools like Excel.
Usability Concerns: The user interface can feel outdated and unintuitive, leading to a steeper learning curve for new users and occasional frustration during daily tasks.
Integration Complexities: Connecting Aptean ERP with other essential business systems or third-party applications can pose technical challenges and may require additional development effort or middleware solutions.
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Users appreciated Dynamics 365 Business Central's user-friendly interface and automation capabilities, highlighting its ease of use even for non-technical personnel. The streamlined workflows and intuitive layout simplified data entry and task completion, especially compared to competitor solutions with steeper learning curves. The automated processes proved beneficial in eliminating manual work and errors, boosting efficiency in areas like finance, inventory, and customer service. However, some users pointed to limitations in industry-specific features compared to more specialized competitors like SAP Business One or Acumatica. While Business Central excels in core ERP functions, complex needs in manufacturing or healthcare might require additional add-ons or integrations, increasing complexity and potentially cost. Customization, while available, also presented a potential hurdle. While offering flexibility, extensive modifications could necessitate developer expertise, raising implementation time and costs compared to competitors with more drag-and-drop customization options. Business Central's cloud-based scalability was praised, accommodating growth and diverse user needs effectively. This stood out compared to some on-premise competitors with less flexibility. However, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration compared to solutions like Oracle NetSuite designed for such complexity. Overall, user reviews suggest Dynamics 365 Business Central shines for its user-friendliness, automation, and cloud-based scalability. However, limitations in industry-specific features and potential customization complexity compared to some competitors are important considerations, especially for niche businesses or large enterprises.

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Aptean ERP has garnered a range of user feedback, highlighting both its strengths and areas for improvement. Users frequently commend its user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for those without prior ERP experience. The software's flexibility to adapt to various business needs through customization is also a significant advantage. However, some users have expressed concerns regarding its cost, which can be a barrier for smaller businesses. Additionally, the complexity of certain features and occasional challenges with customer support have been noted. When compared to similar products like SAP and Oracle NetSuite, Aptean ERP stands out for its ease of use and affordability, particularly for mid-sized businesses. While it may not offer the same level of advanced functionality as its larger competitors, it provides a comprehensive solution that caters to the core needs of many organizations. Its industry-specific modules, such as those for manufacturing and distribution, further enhance its value proposition. Aptean ERP is best suited for mid-sized businesses seeking a balance between functionality, affordability, and ease of use. Its industry-specific solutions and customization options make it a versatile choice for companies with unique requirements. However, businesses with complex needs or those requiring extensive customer support may want to consider alternative options.

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