Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Dynamics 365 ERP

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Our analysts compared Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Dynamics 365 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

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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Dynamics 365 ERP is a suite of cloud-based applications designed to optimize key functions such as finance, supply chain management, project operations, human resources, sales and customer service.

According to our data, it stands out in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Finance and Accounting in our product directory. It also delivers 81% of essential features out of the box, ensuring robust functionality. Its modular structure allows growing businesses to select and customize components to match specific needs.

Users praise Dynamics 365 ERP for its seamless CRM and ERP integration that simplifies workflows, enhances collaboration, and provides actionable insights through advanced analytics and AI-powered tools.

Dynamics 365 ERP offers a 30-day free trial for a few of the apps within the ERP suite. Pricing depends on the selected modules, user licenses and deployment options. For example, Dynamics 365 Business Central’s standard license costs about $70 per user per month, while Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations starts at $210 per user per month for a full license.

Implementation costs vary widely, from $16,000 for smaller projects to over $1,000,000 for large-scale deployments. Ongoing support and maintenance fees depend on service agreements with Microsoft or its certified partners. To ensure the best fit, you should evaluate your needs and consult a Microsoft partner for tailored recommendations.

Our Research Process for Dynamics 365 ERP

A 30-day free trial is available for only a handful of the 10 apps that make up the ERP suite, and only one trial can be active at a time. Due to these limitations, I felt that a trial wouldn’t provide a comprehensive end-user experience to fully evaluate the suite.

Instead, I relied on their user reviews, product demo videos, detailed documentation, and success stories to explore the software’s strengths and unique features.

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$70/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$70/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
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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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  • Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Streamline core business processes across finance, supply chain, manufacturing, operations, and customer service. Automate workflows, reduce manual tasks and increase productivity.
  • Improved Financial Control: With a best-in-class award and a 99 score for its financial management capabilities in our assessment, it provides real-time visibility into financial data, tracks expenses, and manages budgets to support informed financial decisions. It also strengthens financial reporting and ensures compliance with industry standards.
  • Optimized Inventory Management: This functionality scores a perfect 100, equaling top solutions like Visibility ERP and Cetec ERP. You can track inventory levels, manage stock locations, optimize purchasing and reduce stockouts. There are also tools to improve supply chain visibility and responsiveness to customer demand.
  • Enhanced Customer Experience: With a score of 99 for CRM features in our assessment, Dynamics 365 ERP has a lot to offer to improve customer experiences. It also streamlines service delivery and simplifies order fulfillment, while providing a 360-degree view of customer interactions for personalized, impactful experiences.
  • Strengthened Data-Driven Decision Making: Access real-time data insights, generate reports, identify trends and make informed business decisions. Leverage predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize resource allocation.
  • Improved Collaboration and Communication: Break down silos, foster collaboration across departments, and streamline communication. Improve teamwork, knowledge sharing and decision-making.
  • Enhanced Mobility and Accessibility: Access information and manage tasks from anywhere, on any device. Empower employees to work remotely and stay productive.
  • Better Scalability and Flexibility: Adapt to business growth and changing needs with a scalable cloud-based platform. Add or remove modules, users and features as needed.
  • Robust Integration With Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft products like Office 365, Power BI and Azure. Extend functionality and create a unified business environment.
  • Complete Security and Compliance: This capability earns a perfect 100 from our analyst team for its ability to provide secure accounting views and restrict manual adjustments. Safeguard sensitive data with advanced security features designed to meet strict compliance and regulatory standards.
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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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  • Financial Management: Comprehensive financial management suite for general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, budgeting, and financial reporting.
  • Supply Chain Management: Integrated supply chain management for procurement, inventory management, production planning, warehousing, logistics, and quality control.
  • Sales and Customer Service: Tools for sales force automation, customer relationship management, lead management, opportunity tracking, order management, and customer service.
  • Project Management and Accounting: Project planning, resource scheduling, time and expense tracking, billing, and project accounting.
  • Business Intelligence and Analytics: Built-in reporting and analytics tools, including Power BI integration for advanced data visualization and analysis.
  • Workflow Automation: Visual designer for automating business processes across departments, eliminating manual tasks, and streamlining operations.
  • Mobile Accessibility: Native mobile apps for iOS and Android devices for accessing data and managing tasks on the go.
  • Cloud-Based Deployment: Scalable cloud-based platform with automatic updates and continuous innovation.
  • Customization and Integration: Low-code tools for customization and integration with other business systems and applications.
  • Industry-Specific Modules: Specialized modules for manufacturing, retail, professional services, and other industries.
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Product Ranking

#18

among all
ERP Software

#1

among all
ERP Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Analytics And Reporting Asset Management Customer Relationship Management Finance And Accounting Human Resource Management Inventory Management Manufacturing Order Management Procurement Project Management Service Management Supply Chain Management Warehouse Management 97 76 99 99 83 100 79 96 90 99 78 64 73 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 366 reviews
Great User Sentiment 8415 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.

85%
of users recommend this product

Dynamics 365 ERP has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 8415 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

3.6 (142)
3.8 (1594)
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4.4 (5760)
4.3 (9)
4.4 (120)
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Awards

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SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Dynamics 365 ERP and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Customer Relationship Management and Finance and Accounting.

Customer Relationship Management Award
Finance and Accounting Award

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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Streamlined Operations: Users praise Dynamics 365 ERP for simplifying complex processes, boosting efficiency, and reducing manual tasks.
Enhanced Visibility: Real-time data insights and improved reporting are lauded for providing better decision-making capabilities.
Scalability and Flexibility: The ability to adapt to changing business needs and integrate with other systems is a major plus for users.
Improved Collaboration: Seamless integration with Microsoft tools and mobile accessibility are seen as key strengths for teamwork.
Reduced Costs: Users report cost savings through optimized inventory management, streamlined processes, and improved efficiency.
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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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Implementation Complexity: Some users report challenges with initial setup and configuration, requiring technical expertise.
Cost Concerns: While cost-effective compared to some competitors, upfront licensing, implementation, extensive modifications and ongoing maintenance fees can be significant.
Learning Curve: The interface can be complex for new users, requiring training and adaptation.
Performance Issues: Handling large datasets or complex configurations can hinder overall efficiency and productivity.
Integration Challenges: While offering integration with Microsoft tools, seamless integration with non-Microsoft systems can be complex.
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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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Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP is a suite of applications designed to help growing businesses manage Enterprise Resource Planning alongside CRM. After exploring user reviews, product demos, documentation and success stories, here’s what stood out:Its seamless integration with Microsoft tools like Power BI, Power Automate, and Teams improves productivity through better data visualization, automated workflows, and collaboration.For instance, Belgotex1, a global carpet manufacturer, faced challenges with outdated, disconnected systems. Critical data was scattered, and collaboration between departments was hindered. By implementing Dynamics 365 alongside Power Apps, Power Pages, Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, they unified operations and empowered employees to address these inefficiencies.Its modular structure is another major strength. It consolidates various processes into a single system, reducing data silos and improving collaboration across departments.Pricing is flexible and varies by application and licensing type. You should carefully assess your specific needs to determine the best solution.Another strong feature that stood out to me is its ability to automate repetitive tasks. It reduces manual errors and frees up time for more strategic activities. Customization options further improve its value, allowing you to tailor the system to your unique requirements. However, some users have reported challenges, including a learning curve for beginners, implementation hurdles and occasional performance issues.Overall, Dynamics 365 ERP is a versatile solution for businesses aiming to integrate operations across departments. With its robust features, AI-powered tools, and seamless integration with other Microsoft products, it stands out as a compelling choice for businesses looking to boost efficiency and drive growth.

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