Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management
It is no small decision to choose which ERP solution to implement for your business. It is one of those decisions that have a lasting impact on business performance and growth. An ERP which is not a business fit can result in complications.
There are multiple ERP solutions in the market today. Two such ERP solutions from Microsoft which are quite popular are Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain. Since both are industry-leading solutions from Microsoft it sometimes raises a question of which one is the right ERP for my business.
We are here to shed some light on the Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Finance & Operations dilemma. Please note that Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain was used to be called Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations in the recent past. Many people still call it Finance & Operations. You may also see us using these terms interchangeably but they both are referring to the same solution.
First things first. Let us know in brief what these solutions are and what is unique about them. We will then lay out a comparison between the two that will further help with Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Finance & Operations quest.
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Dynamics 365 Business Central is an all-in-one business management solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It is primarily available on the cloud, but it can also be deployed on-premises or in hybrid mode. The best part about business central is that it is a unified solution that connects all your departments and all the back-office operations including finance, sales, purchase, inventory, production, service, etc. The solution draws from a common pool of organization’s data thus it provides transparency, eliminates any redundancy, offers real-time intelligent reporting on various areas of business, keeps all processes in sync with each other. No hassles of maintaining separate systems and building integrations, etc. It is best suited for organizations that are still in the growth phase and have outgrown their basic finance/accounting system. Faster implementation, low cost of ownership, comprehensive features & functionalities, and ease of use makes it a great ERP option for SMBs.
Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain
Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain is two ERPs that are being referred to collectively. You can guess the names. These two ERPs are Dynamics 365 Finance and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. They are normally implemented side by side. Sometimes just Dynamics 365 Finance works depending on the nature of the business.
Dynamics 365 Finance is a finance management solution. Primarily available on the cloud, it can be deployed on-premises as well. It offers built-in predictive analysis, and the ability to manage, plan and analyze business finances. Users also get real-time insights into their business performance enabling them to make quick and informed decisions.
Dynamics 365 Supply Chain is a cloud-first ERP solution that can be deployed on-premises as well. It facilitates manufacturing and supply chain processes. Core capabilities include Asset Management, Inventory, Logistics, Manufacturing, Planning, Product information management, etc.
Unlike Business Central, these solutions are more recommended for large businesses that have multi-country or diversified operations. The solution comes with the capability to handle multi-country setups and regulatory requirements for reporting, data sharing, etc.
The right ERP for your Business
Now that we have briefly covered what these 2 ERPs are about it’s probably good to look at a comparison to move further on our Microsoft Dynamics Business Central vs Finance & Operations quest.
| Features | Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain | Business Central |
| Type of companies | An enterprise-level solution for large corporations with matured processes and business practices. | Best for SMBs who have outgrown their entry-level Finance/Accounting solution. |
| Industry | Trade & Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, Professional Services, Public Sector. | Trade & Distribution, Manufacturing, Professional Services. |
| Manufacturing Capabilities | Highly advanced manufacturing functionalities; suggested for discrete, lean, and process manufacturing companies. | Premium license covers service management capabilities and manufacturing capabilities. |
| Integration with other Dynamics 365 Products | Designed to work out-of-the-box with other Dynamics 365 apps like Sales, HR, Talent, Customer Service, Marketing, etc. | Connects finance, sales, purchase, inventory, projects, service, and operations. Integration with other Dynamics apps may require to be developed. |
| Minimum user requirement | 20 | 1 |
| License Cost | AUD 248 per user per month | AUD 97 (Essential), AUD 138 (Premium) per user per month |
| Localization | Includes out-of-the-box multi-country localizations (legal & fiscal) | Microsoft-led and partner-led localization work. Localization features are easily available through 3rd party partners and Microsoft AppSource |
| Reporting | Embedded Power BI for rich reporting along with internal reporting tools. | Embedded Power BI for rich reporting along with internal reporting tools. |
| Scalability | Well suited for large organizations who have the potential to grow more. | Ideal for fast-growing Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) |
| Deployment | Cloud and On-premise | Cloud and on-premise |
Hope that by looking at some of the key differentiators you would have got an idea of which ERP suits you better. Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Finance & Operations is not a very complicated decision if you have clarity on some important things. You need to consider your business goals, processes, requirement, and future growth potential.
Let’s conclude
We hope the above information was helpful on the Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Finance & Operations matter. Business Central scores better when it comes to speed plus ease of implementation and overall cost of ownership. On the other hand, Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain has got other advantages such as built-in enterprise-level functionalities which make more sense to bigger businesses.
For a free-of-cost assessment and more accurate guidance on which ERP solution you should go with, please contact our sales team.
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