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Why Microsoft Dynamics?

Highly Customizable, Vibrant Ecosystem, and Microsoft Look-and-Feel

Microsoft Dynamics products have the third largest market share in the ERP segment. These products are especially suitable for companies that might have internal capabilities on the Microsoft stack. And for industries that might perform heavy development on top of the core platform. Microsoft Dynamics products are especially successful in industries such as non-profit, public sector, architectural, and engineering firms: The companies with an overlap in project management and manufacturing.

Most Versatile and Customizable Solution


Microsoft products are designed to accommodate several business models. And provide the technical core to extend further for industry-specific capabilities. The solutions are also highly customizable, even though they might have as strong financial data integrity controls. These controls are typically present in other software that might be slightly more restrictive in their design.

Streamlined Roadmap and Development Methodology


Microsoft is one of the best in producing consumer-centric software products. They also have a defined roadmap and release product updates in a structured manner. Only high-quality OEMs such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft tend to have command of their development standards and roadmap.

Backed by the financial strength of Microsoft


Microsoft is one of the strongest among ERP vendors with the financial strength of their balance sheet. This helps in continuously innovating the product as the technology, user experience standards, and regulations advance.

Credible Marketplace Add-ons


Due to Microsoft’s business model of it being primarily a platform company, it attracts several seasoned independent developers such as Aptean. These seasoned independent developers might be as good as Microsoft with their capabilities in developing quality software products. Along with providing the documentation quality as good as Microsoft. While the add-ons are typically risky, the addons from credible publishers might be better than poorly documented products from smaller OEMs.

Vibrant Ecosystem and Communities


Due to the confidence in Microsoft products and their openness, their communities are vibrant and open. The developers and consultants are highly active in these communities. And they are rewarded for their contributions. These ecosystems and communities help in finding talent whether you need it for your internal hiring or external.

Database Level integration and Common Data Model


Microsoft products tend to be integrated at the database level, provided out of the box directly from the OEM. They also have a common data model to support the translation and communication of master data among Microsoft products. This integration is typically superior to service-layer integration provided by other software vendors.

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MS Dynamics Pros

This is where Microsoft Dynamics really shines

Microsoft Dynamics products are highly technical in nature and designed from the perspective of developers. Even the security roles and access permissions might come across as technical. And maybe harder to translate into the business personas, which might be a need for many industries where SOX compliance may be a need. However, the products are highly customizable, with the capabilities of integrating with other Microsoft products such as Microsoft Azure and DevOps pipelines.

Customizability


The rearchitected Microsoft Dynamics products offer a backend layer through a web services layer to provide an omnichannel experience. The UI offers customizability through the front end. While Microsoft products are customizable, they don’t offer business users to be the ability to modify the tables and stored procedures right from the UI. Microsoft Dynamics products require developers to make these changes.

Product Documentation


Microsoft Dynamics product documentation is part of the same release cycle as the product. Because of Microsoft's background in developing high-quality products, the documentation is one of the best in the industry. Also, since Microsoft primarily commercializes these products primarily through their channel partners and consultants, the documentation is superior as it goes through the scrutiny by their channel partners.

Talent Availability


Microsoft has one of the most vibrant channels globally with several thousands of consulting and channel partners providing support for Microsoft products. Also, the technologies used by Microsoft Dynamics products are similar to other products in the Microsoft ecosystem. So finding talent with .Net background is easier and more cost-effective than some of the other niche vendors.

Product Roadmap


Microsoft follows a defined release process for their products, with the advance announcement of their plans. This helps companies in planning their patches and upgrades. While you still have an option to consume the updates as they release, as with other vendors, the option can help companies plan the updates better. This is especially true for companies that might customize these products heavily.

Mobile Experience


Since Microsoft products have been transformed for the cloud, they offer a much superior experience on mobile that can extend easily through web services. This might not be possible with legacy vendors that might still be on legacy windows-based development environments. The main limitation would be in the separation of the presentation layer to the business layer. The rearchitected and cloud-native platforms are likely to have a better separation of these layers.

Integration with other Microsoft Products


Most Microsoft products are natively integrated at the database replication layer with an option to use the Common Data Model for the cross-compatibility of apps. This integration is better than the error-prone integration at the service layer because of the increased amount of business rules and exceptions in the business rule layer. And since this replication layer is provided directly by Microsoft, the integration workflows have been designed from scratch without breaking the referential integrity of data.

Cloud-friendly pricing


Microsoft is the only vendor that follows the app model for their products where you can subscribe to the licenses as you like on a monthly basis. While you might have a contract, you will not have to pay for the full term or face any penalties should you decide to reduce the license count. This is beneficial for companies that might have experienced seasonal spikes with their workforce throughout the year.

Rearchitected for Cloud


Unlike other legacy vendors, some of the Microsoft products have been completely transformed for the cloud. That said, the larger products might still have some areas that are legacy. The other smaller products such as GP and SL might not have a clear direction for the cloud and are likely to be sunset.

Rich Accounting and Supply Chain Functionality


Microsoft likes to offer vanilla products that have applicability in many industries that their consulting partners can consume and write industry-specific applications on top of it. Because of these reasons, Microsoft applications have a rich accounting, Supply Chain, and procurement functionality. The specific of this functionality could include bin-level controls and planning across multiple warehouses.

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Lack of Industry-specific Functionality


Unless you plan to use Microsoft products primarily for accounting and procurement, you would need significant development or add-ons on top of the core Microsoft Dynamics platform to enable operational workflows to host most of your teams on one platform. The industries that require deeper functionality for their operations are likely to require even more customization and fail with their implementations.

MS Dynamics Cons

This is where Microsoft Dynamics struggles

Microsoft Dynamics’ primary weakness is that its products are designed for pure-play industries. The companies that might have multiple business models such as manufacturing and distribution or manufacturing and construction might struggle in finding products that might be equally good for both industries. Also, each of the Microsoft dynamics products uses a different underlying technology. And because of this reason, there is no clear migration path among product lines.

Lack of Control with Implementation Standards


Microsoft channel is loosely regulated with it being primarily commercialized through the IT channel partners. These partners typically treat the ERP implementation as technical. And because of this, they end up overly customizing or overengineering areas that should have been simplified from the process perspective. With Microsoft, anyone and everyone who is a Microsoft partner can sell licenses of Microsoft Dynamics products.

Overly Engineered UI Requiring More Clicks


Microsoft UI’s design follows a layered methodology from the perspective of technical users, just the way their other products are designed. But business users typically have very different workflows and the way they like to see their products. Sure, you can modify the products tailored to your unique needs. But that typically increases the total implementation time and budget for the project.

Transactional Workflows Not as Intuitive


For larger companies, the traceability of the transactional workflows may not be as intuitive. Because it’s not built part of the product. The other products such as SAP have the transactional workflow traceability built as the document moves through stages and departments. Along with the ability to access the physical invoice or sales order document, right from the transaction map.

Risk of Integration Failure


The Microsoft partners have a tendency to customize the product and bypass the business layer for integration scenarios where the interfaces are likely to change frequently and may require inputs from the business users. These integrations are better done through APIs and web services. This often results in significant technical integration issues and failure with projects.

Risk of Implementation Failure


Most Microsoft partners try to push their IP and products on top of the core Microsoft Dynamics platform regardless of the quality and documentation of these products. Sometimes they might not even be expressive about their IP. And the customers might know until they start getting strange issues with their products. This increases the risk of implementation as the business users might never feel comfortable using these products due to the issues.

Distribution Model


Microsoft has several different licensing agreements to distribute their products including tier 1 channel partners and OEMs that might modify these products partially and sell it under their brand. This unique distribution model leads to the lack of control on the quality standards and traceability of successful implementation. Due to this model, the success of implementation might highly depend on the quality of the channel partner you might hire.

Some Products Not Fully Architected for Cloud Experience


The larger products still have patchy screens that might not be used as often. They have architected the front-end of the product to make their products demo-able and presentable for the customers and prospects that might care for a cloud-native experience. This might result in an inconsistent experience and strange issues for business users.

Not the Best Fit for Pure-play Business Models


Microsoft products are suitable for businesses for which niche options might not be present. Or the companies that require global capabilities that might not be available with products primarily sold in North America. If your business is primarily a pure-play business model such as manufacturing or distribution, there might be superior options out there in the market that can provide deeper functionality for operational workflows without spending on expensive custom development or integration.

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We help select And Implement

MS Dynamics Products

Microsoft has many different products, with some already rearchitected for the cloud, while others are still being supported and sold with an announced sunset date. The only cloud products that Microsoft has a clear roadmap for are F&O (AX), Business Central (NAV), and CRM. The other products such as GP and SL are available through the single-tenant cloud or in the partners’ infrastructure.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (AX)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations product targets businesses with more than 10 entities and over $1B in revenue. This product has deep manufacturing and supply chain capabilities accommodating various product types and business models. And would not require as many add-ons as their smaller counterparts. But maybe more expensive than the smaller products.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 GP

Microsoft Dynamics 365 GP is the legacy product primarily distributed as a desktop application with a single tenant. The product has deep financial and procurement capabilities, similar to NAV. Due to the overlapping nature of this product with Business Central, Microsoft may not choose to rearchitect the product.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (NAV)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central product is the cloud variant of the old NAV product. And it targets smaller businesses with less than $1B in revenue and less than 10 entities. The product has depth in FMCG distribution, project management, and the public sector. The companies that primarily use an ERP system for their accounting and procurement are likely to benefit the most from this product.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 SL

Microsoft Dynamics SL is the legacy product primarily distributed as a desktop application with industries in the construction, professional services, and architectural firms. It has financial workflows tailored to those companies and has deeper multi-entity capabilities, typically not found in products primarily targeted at product-centric industries.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is one of the most adopted CRM systems after Salesforce. It has a vibrant ecosystem of app partners. The partners that augment its technical capabilities with use cases such as telephony integration or marketing automation. The product also has a rich data model that can support complex CRM workflows. These workflows typically require tighter data integrity with their sales operations in product-centric industries.

Our

MS Dynamics Services

We are your one-stop shop for all your Microsoft Dynamics ERP needs, whether you need assistance in evaluating Microsoft Dynamics’s capabilities, implementing it as per your business requirements, or extending its capabilities.

Microsoft Dynamics Purchase Assistance


We have end-to-end capabilities to support your needs for the demo, price quote, or help you compare Microsoft Dynamics products with any other ERP systems.

Microsoft Dynamics Change And ERP Project Management


We take a very pragmatic iterative approach to change management of Microsoft Dynamics projects. Along with involving users from day one through hands-on exercises. We also play in role in managing the expectations of top management. This alignment helps in ensuring that the right party is involved at the right time during the selection and implementation phase.

Microsoft Dynamics ERP Implementation


Not only can we help with selecting the right Microsoft Dynamics configuration, but we also have end-to-end capabilities to implement Microsoft Dynamics for your business.

Microsoft Dynamics End User Training


Our implementation services include training your business users on Microsoft Dynamics. We conduct group or individual training in the on-site and virtual settings. We also have the capabilities to create a customized video library or learning management system. Along with maintaining it over time as the software changes.

Microsoft Dynamics Project Rescue, Recovery, And Optimization


50% of the Microsoft Dynamics projects don't deliver business results. And some causing significant disruptions to your business operations. If you need help recovering the project by analyzing the current implementation and taking interim steps to prevent damages or pivoting strategy, we can help.

Microsoft Dynamics Data Migration and Third-Party System Integration


We can migrate your proprietary or legacy transnational or master data and ensure that it is successfully imported into the new system. We can also help with integrating any of your proprietary systems. In addition to shop floor machines or any of the third-party apps such as CRM, HCM, or BI apps

Check our popular Microsoft Dynamics blogs

MS Dynamics Is Strong

With These Industries

Microsoft Dynamics products provide last-mile functionality out-of-the-box for several industries including Architectural, Engineering, Non-profit, Logistics, Media, Healthcare, Oil and Gas, and Telecom.

Architecture and Engineering Firms

Architecture and Engineering

Architecture and engineering firms typically sit at the intersection where they might have deep project management workflows and collaborative workflows at the site, manufacturing, and procurement capabilities. They might also require a series of approvals at each step of the process. This helps avoid the cost and budget overruns with the projects. Microsoft products are really strong with these capabilities.

Oil and Gas

Oil and Gas is another vertical that requires customizations due to the unique joint-venture billing requirements. This vertical might also require depth in procurement, finance, and multi-entity functionality. Finally, the oil and gas business model is primarily project-based where each project may have its own entity. And for these use cases, Microsoft products are uniquely suitable.

Healthcare Industry

Healthcare

Healthcare companies are likely to have proprietary applications to manage their operational workflows while using ERP only for their finance processes. These companies might also require customizations on top of the existing applications to accommodate reporting and compliance needs, unique to these companies and industries. And because of this, Microsoft products are ideally suited for these companies.

Media

Media companies are likely to have their own internal assets and custom apps that might drive how they bill their customers. For example, they might have a need for heavy subscription billing and controlled release of digital products. Because of these custom integration and workflow needs, Microsoft products are ideal for such companies.

Logistics and Transportation

Logistics and Transporation is the industry where you have requirements such as driver compensation, fuel measurement readings driving the driver compensation, and billing for your customers. These custom integration and customization make Microsoft products ideal for these verticals.

Telecom

Telecom companies may have very involved asset management and field service workflows, along with deep CPQ and CRM requirements for their sales operations workflows. The telecom offerings are unique to an extent that they require custom development and integration with their in-house apps. And for these reasons, MS products are ideal for these verticals.

Manufacturing

While Microsoft products offer deep capabilities for manufacturing organizations, the last-mile capabilities may not be as strong for specific micro-verticals with their needs for specific products or integration with manufacturing-centric software. They would require several add-ons and custom development on top of the core platform.

Construction

Construction is very unique with its accounting, reporting, and procurement. The other platforms available in the market can provide deeper operational and reporting capabilities out of the box than relying on the error-prone add-ons and custom development on top of the core platform.

MS Dynamics Is Not as Strong

With These Industries

These are the industries where other products in the market can offer much deeper operational and last-mile functionality where Microsoft Dynamics may not be the strongest.

Industrial Distribution Industry

Industrial Distribution

Industrial distribution companies need several capabilities unique to these verticals such as integration with product codes with the associations, rebates, and integration with eCommerce platforms. These capabilities are available out-of-the-box with other products in the market. And because of this reason, Microsoft products are likely to be risky and expensive for these verticals.

Chemicals Industry

Chemicals

The chemical companies have unique requirements for their SKUs and products including the uniqueness in their vendor and quality processes. There are options in the market that might provide out-of-the-box capabilities for this vertical. And because of this reason, Microsoft products might not be the strongest in this vertical.

Fashion and Apparel

Fashion and apparel companies require deep integration with their PLM workflows and R&D processes. They also need costing, pricing, planning, and replenishment based on style and PLU. The unique requirements of this vertical might set Microsoft products set up for failure unless they are only used to close the books.

Retail

The retail companies are unique with their integration needs with the marketplaces, eCommerce platforms, PIM, CRM, and customer experience platforms. These integrations are so involved that they could turn out to be risky and expensive with Microsoft products.

Most Recent Questions Our Customers Asked

About Microsoft Dynamics

An ERP stands for “Enterprise Resource Planning. ” It’s a business management suite that can integrate all business processes of a manufacturer such as production management, BOM, and MRP in one software system. Read more here.

An ERP is a management information system that helps automate your manufacturing processes such as production management, procurement, supply chain planning, and providing real-time insight across processes. Read more here.

Unlike other ERP vendors, Microsoft Dynamics products are technical in nature and are designed to be more platforms that can be modified by business consultants. The other vendors, on the other hand, can offer much deeper operational capabilities out-of-the-box as part of the platform itself.

SAP products have much superior financial and change management control built as part of their products. But due to this, they might be restrictive and might not allow customization or ad-hoc processes as easily. Microsoft Dynamics on the other hand is a technical product that allows you to customize and extend as you like. This is why Microsoft Dynamics products require much more consulting and functional expertise with their products.

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