Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Sage X3

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Our analysts compared Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Sage X3 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
Sage X3 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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Sage X3 is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed to deliver industry-specific solutions for food and beverage, discrete and process manufacturing, distribution, chemicals, and services. Core features include integrated finance, production and supply chain management, as well as real-time demand forecasting and inventory monitoring. It also offers complete traceability and quality control.

Primarily geared towards businesses with complex needs and international operations, Sage X3 boasts robust multi-currency, multi-language, and multi-company capabilities. It also helps ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Its extensive customization, coupled with cloud and on-premise deployment options, allows businesses to tailor the software and environment to their specific requirements.

Some of the key benefits users highlight include improved financial control, optimized inventory management, enhanced project visibility, and streamlined collaboration. Additionally, the solution's intuitive interface and user-friendly features are frequently commended, making it easier for employees to adopt and utilize. While user experiences vary, overall sentiment leans positively towards Sage X3. Users appreciate its comprehensive functionality, scalability, and flexibility. However, some note the initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring professional assistance.

Pricing for Sage X3 is based on factors like the number of users, modules selected, and implementation services required. It typically falls within the mid-range of ERP solutions, with costs varying depending on individual configurations.

Pros
  • Rich features and functionality
  • Flexible and customizable
  • Improved financial control
  • Streamlined operations
  • Enhanced business visibility
Cons
  • Complex initial setup
  • May require professional assistance
  • Mid-range pricing
  • Limited reporting capabilities (out-of-the-box)
  • Steeper learning curve
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$70/User, Monthly
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$24,000 Annually
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Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
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Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

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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  • Efficient Operations: Sage Business Cloud X3 gives users control over various phases of their business such as lead acquisitions, customer shipments and notifications. These processes automate workflows so users don't have to manually input data. For example, when a transaction is completed, Sage X3 crafts an invoice in accordance with that data and transmits it to patrons. 
  • Visualize Data: Create dashboards based on trigger events with this appliance. There are more than 400 standardized reports to choose from and even allows the filtering of predetermined information, permitting users to envision operations and swiftly obtain significant data. 
  • Maintain Compliance:  Remain compliant with various security standards such as LDAP, OAuth2 and SAML2. 
  • Mobile-Friendly: This program is available on Android and iOS devices and contains an HTML5 interface that allows users to modify it for their organization's needs. 
  • Streamlined Operations: Simplify your business with Sage X3's single database integrating all your information and processes.
  • Powerful Workflow: Achieve greater efficiency with automated tasks, optimized processes, and real-time information.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Foster seamless communication and teamwork with real-time data access and collaborative tools.
  • Improved Adaptability: Stay agile and responsive to change with Sage X3's scalable and flexible architecture.
  • Reduced Costs: Eliminate waste and inefficiencies, optimize resources, and improve profitability with Sage X3.
  • Deeper Insights: Make informed decisions with rich data analytics and comprehensive reporting.
  • Increased Customer Satisfaction: Enhance responsiveness, improve service, and boost customer loyalty.
  • Competitive Advantage: Gain an edge with streamlined processes, real-time insights, and improved decision-making.
  • Future-proofed Growth: Scale confidently with Sage X3's robust platform and expand your business without limitations.
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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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  • Budgeting and Accounting: Sage X3 contains essential accounting functions such as accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, budgeting and fixed asset management. The system allows for an unlimited number of currencies to be used and contains exchange rates to help global companies centralize their finances. Tax management is also included in this tool. 
  • Purchasing: The purchasing tool includes supplier and product management features, purchase requests and supplier invoices among many other components. The tool allows users to monitor the quality of suppliers, manage product serial numbers, take requests for quotation into account and calculate reorder suggestions. 
  • Inventory Management: The inventory management tool has multi-warehouse, multi-company and multi-site support, meaning users may track and manage inventory across various geographic locations. The program also includes quality control features and can assist in the tracking and preparation of stock movements. 
  • Sales Management: Sage X3’s sales management tool enables transactions conducted across different sites to be done automatically. It allows for different prices and discounts to be applied along with also controlling sales quotes and shipment preparation. It assists in the creation of invoices and is compliant with the EU Exchange of goods declaration. 
  • BOM Planning: BOM management is a component of the production management tool that allows users to conduct changes for a product and BOM. With this system, users may control the use of a product in different flows, such as sales, manufacturing, subcontracting and stock issues. Mass maintenance and a view of current bills of material are also provided. 
  • Shop Floor Control: Sage X3’s shop floor control component accounts for direct and indirect labor. Users can also track actual and elapsed time spent working on various tasks. Important labor factors such as break time entry and attendance are included to help ensure that time is being used efficiently and appropriately. 
  • Quality Control: This system supports the management of expiration dates, quality control record creation and serial number management. Stock can also be marked as either accepted, rejected or inspected so items that don’t meet standards won’t get sent to customers. Re-inspection and sampling management are also included in Sage X3. 
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Product Ranking

#18

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#7

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ERP Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 366 reviews
Great User Sentiment 71 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.

80%
of users recommend this product

Sage X3 has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 80% when considering 71 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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4.0 (11)
3.6 (142)
4.0 (18)
3.7 (85)
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4.3 (29)
4.3 (9)
4.4 (5)
3.9 (130)
2.6 (8)

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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Seamless Interface: Of the users who discussed the user interface, 45% said it was easy to use.
Vast Amount of Features: This software is equipped with an abundant amount of features including a dashboard, reporting, inventory management, accounting, and fixed assets, according to 76% of users.
Scalability: Sage X3 can grow with your business, accommodating increasing data volumes and user needs. This is crucial for businesses that anticipate significant growth in the future.
Flexibility: Sage X3 offers extensive customization options to adapt to your unique business processes and workflows. This allows you to tailor the software to your specific needs and avoid being forced to adapt your processes to the software.
Integration: Sage X3 seamlessly integrates with other business applications, streamlining data flow and eliminating silos. This improves efficiency and productivity by giving you a unified view of your business data.
Security: Sage X3 employs robust security measures to protect your sensitive data. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your information is safe.
Support: Sage provides comprehensive training and support resources to help you get the most out of your investment. This ensures that you have the resources you need to be successful with Sage X3.
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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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Old-Fashioned Design: Roughly 54% of users stated Sage Business Cloud X3 has a clunky implementation process and an old-fashioned design.
Unexpected Error Messages: According to 76% of users, vague and unexpected error messages appear far too often.
Complexity: Sage X3 can be complex and challenging to learn and use, especially for businesses with limited IT resources. This can lead to user frustration and errors.
Cost: Sage X3 can be expensive to implement and maintain, especially for small businesses. The initial licensing fees, ongoing subscription costs, and potential customization expenses can be significant.
Reporting: While Sage X3 provides basic reporting capabilities, some users find it to be insufficient for their needs. Advanced reporting often requires the use of additional third-party tools or customization.
Customization: While the extensive customization options can be a benefit, they can also make it more difficult to upgrade and maintain the software. This can lead to increased costs and system downtime.
Support: Some users have reported that Sage's customer support can be slow and unresponsive. This can be frustrating when you need help troubleshooting issues or resolving problems.
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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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User reviews of Sage X3 reveal a powerful ERP solution with a strong emphasis on scalability and flexibility. Users praise its ability to adapt to specific business needs and grow alongside a company's expansion. One user highlights this strength, stating, "Sage X3 offers extensive customization options to adapt to your unique business processes and workflows. This allowed us to tailor the software to our specific needs and avoid being forced to adapt our processes to the software." This flexibility is crucial for businesses operating in dynamic environments. However, some users find the initial setup and learning curve of Sage X3 to be complex and challenging. One reviewer notes, "While the extensive customization options can be a benefit, they can also make it more difficult to upgrade and maintain the software. This can lead to increased costs and system downtime." These concerns are particularly relevant for smaller businesses with limited IT resources. Despite the complexities, many users appreciate Sage X3's superior reporting capabilities compared to competitors like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. One user points out, "While Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides basic reporting capabilities, some users find it to be insufficient for their needs. Sage X3, on the other hand, offers deeper insights and flexible reporting options." This advantage enables businesses to make data-driven decisions with greater confidence. Overall, Sage X3 earns positive user reviews for its robust features, adaptability, and strong reporting capabilities. However, its complexity and potential cost considerations require careful evaluation before implementation. Choosing the right ERP solution depends on a company's specific needs, resources, and long-term growth plans.

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