Business Central vs Finance and Operations: What You Need to Know

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has exploded in popularity in recent years as more and more organizations have started to realize its game-changing potential. Connecting data and operations, automating manual work, enabling smarter decision-making, and driving digital transformation are all possible with a well-suited ERP. 

Making the right choice when selecting an ERP system relies on a multitude of factors, including business size, needs, maturity, and goals. Often, smaller businesses lean toward a solution like Dynamics 365 Business Central, while larger organizations tend to leverage a system like Dynamics 365 for Finance and Supply Chain Management (which you may have once known as Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations). 

In addition to their potential to help drive digitization and automation across a business, ERP solutions have been proven to minimize operational spending by 11%, help standardize back-end processes by 77%, and reduce decision-making time by more than 35%. 

If you’re considering an ERP investment, and find that Business Central vs. Finance and Operations are on your shortlist, here’s a look at how they compare. 

The Right Business Fit for Cloud-Based Business Central

Through Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft offers businesses an extensive array of integrated, intelligent business applications to simplify and manage complex business processes. Among the offerings under the Dynamics 365 umbrella are Microsoft’s powerful and dynamic ERP systems. One of the most popular solutions is Dynamics 365 Business Central (predated by Microsoft Dynamics NAV).

Improve Customer Service, Product Delivery, and Manufacturing Processes

The cloud-based ERP is the ideal solution for scaling small- and mid-sized companies in search of a comprehensive, unified business management tool. Business Central’s wide range of powerful capabilities ensures that you can: 

• Adapt and embrace agility in the face of constant change
• Automate business operations and workflows to work smarter and faster
• Glean meaningful business insights for better financial management 
• Drive stellar customer service 
• Streamline project management
• Enable end-to-end supply chain management
• Optimize and maximize your manufacturing outputs

As a result, according to Microsoft, businesses investing in Business Central have seen as much as a 162% return on investment with Dynamics 365 Business Central over three years.

Select the Extensible Solution for Businesses Eyeing Global Expansion

Business Central is a highly flexible, customizable, and trusted solution that helps companies upgrade from entry-level accounting applications and legacy ERP systems with ease. Not only is it a user-friendly solution that can change the way you do business. It integrates with other Microsoft cloud services, including Office 365, and can be extended with Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI. This means you have an end-to-end suite of tools that enable streamlining; automating; and managing finances, operations, sales, and customer engagement—all in one application. 

When it comes to deployment, Business Central gives you a user-friendly, simple way to move to the cloud faster. It’s the solution that runs where you need it, offering the same rapid deployment on-premises or in the cloud, while ensuring reliability and security. Plus, these deployment options are now available in more than 130 countries and regions, making international expansion easier than ever.

For larger international organizations, however, it may be wise to consider Dynamics for Finance and Supply Chain Management.

Choosing Finance & Supply Chain: What’s the Difference?

While still referred to by many long-time ERP advocates as Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (predated by Dynamics AX), the solution is now licensed under two distinct applications. One is Dynamics 365 Finance and the other is Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management. 

Only Worry about One Implementation

On one hand, Dynamics 365 Finance is ideal for budgeting, financials, accounting, and project management. On the other, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management offers capabilities for streamlined and simplified engineering, production, warehousing, and distribution. But you don’t have to choose just one. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, you can decide whether you want access to one or both apps. And no matter what you choose, you can rest assured you’ll only need to worry about one implementation.  

Choose from Many Different Modules 

Similar to Business Central, this solution comes with different modules and capabilities, perfect for scaling businesses hoping to improve their financial performance. Offering capabilities for reporting, streamlined production, scheduling, and cost management (ensuring lower prices per month per user), this comprehensive solution also integrates with tools like Power BI and Power Apps.

How to Choose the Right Solution — And Make the Most of It 

Selecting the right ERP solution for your company can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Especially when you’re choosing between powerful, comprehensive ERP solutions from Microsoft: Business Central vs. Finance and Operations.

If your ERP system of choice is Business Central, Cavallo provides game-changing additions to your investment. These solutions put you in command of every line item of every order to ensure maximum profitability. With Cavallo for BC, nothing slips through the cracks. 

Leverage a no-code order management workflow engine, improve data accuracy and flexibility with virtually unlimited custom fields, and ensure secure credit card processing with every transaction. Connect with our team to learn more about how you can stop low-margin orders in their tracks immediately following implementation.

Whichever ERP you select, rest assured that you’ve put a business tool in place to help accelerate sales, marketing, and supply chain operations: all from one unified platform. And it very well may be the accelerator your organization needs to reach its full potential and exceed business goals.