Business Central vs Dynamics 365 CRM: A Comprehensive Comparison

Deciding whether you need an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for your business, and then choosing and implementing one, is both an important decision and an onerous task for any team. Now, paired with the challenge of choosing whether you need a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool instead, or deciding if you need both, makes the business choice all the more complicated. 

Fortunately, when you can compare specific solutions head-to-head, you can take the intangible complexity of choosing between them and turn it into an actionable decision-making checklist. 

Among the most popular solutions for ERP and CRM are Microsoft’s offerings: Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Dynamics 365 CRM. Here’s a look at how they compare.

Why Choose Dynamics 365 Business Central?

It’s crucial to note, first and foremost, that if your business is interested in both ERP and CRM solutions from Microsoft, Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. Dynamics 365 CRM solutions must be purchased individually. When it comes to making the case for a Business Central investment, there are a few key factors to be aware of.

Microsoft positions Dynamics 365 Business Central as the solution proven to help brands realize a return on investment in less than one year, and to reduce finance and operations hiring needs by 10%. This success is a result of the powerful ERP system’s advanced capability, allowing businesses to move to the cloud faster, boost sales and service, accelerate sales processes, and optimize supply chain management. Many brands today use Business Central to optimize business processes, scale more elastically, and improve transparency—all without needing to add more IT staff to their organization. 

With Dynamics 365 CRM you can:

• Leverage embedded guidance, dashboards, and interoperability with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to connect your data for better decision-making.
• Manage the entire sales process from within Outlook to deliver improved customer interactions.
• Boost profitability with planning, resourcing, tracking, costing, billing, and real-time intelligence.
• Deliver products on time and remain agile in the face of change by leveraging end-to-end visibility across purchasing, manufacturing, inventory management, and warehouses.

For small and mid-sized organizations, Business Central serves as a connected business management solution that allows you to move with the operational speed, performance, and insights needed to scale your business. 

What are Business Central’s Relationship Management Capabilities? 

In addition to sales enablement, project management, and profitability benefits it offers, Business Central also boasts a key additional capability: relationship management features similar to those of Dynamics 365 CRM. 

The Right Features for Building Strong Relationships

Designed to help you manage and drive sales opportunities, maximize marketing spend, and improve customer experiences, these capabilities include easy management of relationships, contracts, interactions, customer segments, sales opportunities, and marketing campaigns. 

More Control and More Options for Back-End Processes 

With Business Central, you can define default settings for the use of contacts and interactions; manage communications; process incoming leads; and create marketing plans to identify, attract, and retain customers. You can also use Business Central for back-end activities such as processing orders, managing inventory, and doing your finances.

For an upgraded ERP solution capable of simplifying otherwise complicated operations in the cloud while prioritizing relationship management, Business Central is the ideal solution. 

Forging Relationships with Customers with Dynamics 365 CRM

Dynamics 365 CRM is where business innovation and exceptional customer relationship management combine. This powerful CRM solution offers a platform with seamless integration to help streamline your sales, marketing, and customer service processes, with intelligent features that help businesses foster customer connections, improve decision-making, and drive growth. 

Create Immediate Impact for Your Company

Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM comes with the advantage of easy deployment because it requires minimal configuration, and often offers an immediate impact on business. For organizations looking to facilitate a faster ROI by optimizing business processes, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM solutions can help. In practice, this looks like enriched user experiences, standardized and enhanced business processes, flexible workflows, and automated tasks and processes.

This means you can:

• Get a holistic view of customers
• Connect sales and marketing
• Close more deals

But how do you choose which solution (or combination of solutions) is right for your particular business needs?

Evaluating Costs for Your ERP Investment

Because they are both Microsoft products, Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 CRM have a built-in integration with each other. This gives customers who use Business Central the opportunity to both use the ERP tools they require and leverage Dynamics 365 CRM to gain the full range of sales and customer management features. Microsoft Dynamics 365 also has built-in analytics tools and real-time insights, with Azure Machine Learning, Cortana Intelligence, and Power BI all embedded in the software. 

But with all these advantages, which is right for your business, and how do you know?

In order to choose whether Business Central vs. Dynamics 365 CRM, or both solutions, are the right investment for your business, it’s important to compare costs to your ERP budget. Per the latest pricing from Microsoft, you should consider implementation cost, as well as a licensing cost. For Business Central, for example, that falls between $70 and $100 per user per month, depending on whether you license Business Central Essentials or Business Central Premium. These kinds of considerations can help you be mindful of what to expect, and plan your budget and investment accordingly.

The Value of ERP, CRM, and Cavallo for Manufacturing Businesses

Organizations choosing an ERP with Microsoft have a long list of options, including Microsoft Dynamics GP or Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (formerly known as Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations). But for many, choosing Business Central is a no-brainer. And when paired with Cavallo, Business Central’s advantages can go even further. 

Organizations can supercharge Business Central by optimizing BC data to enhance customer service, control the flow of orders, and increase profits—all with Cavallo’s solutions for BC. Users can enjoy a customizable and user-friendly UI offering complete control over their orders. Sell with confidence, gain visibility into your sales cycle and order process, and provide better care for your customers. Get in touch with our team to learn more.