The Difference Between Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Finance + Operations
Monday, July 22, 2019Eric Zegarski
The Difference Between Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central & Finance + Operations
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a world class leading ERP solution. The 365 branch of ERPs offers two solutions,
Business Central and
Finance + Operations, which were previously known as NAV and AX. Microsoft executed the rebrand of these platforms back in 2018. However, there is still a bit of confusion when it comes to choosing the right Dynamics 365 solution. Therefore, we thought it was only appropriate to provide a high-level overview about the functionalities of both platforms.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central is a revamp of Nav. It comes with all the functionalities of NAV, but now users have the option to have their ERP solution on premises or hosted in the cloud. Curious as to why your ERP should be in the cloud? Then check out our
blog post about it! Even though Dynamics 365 Business Central has the same code base as NAV, it comes loaded with new functionalities and a more user-friendly UX.
Main Benefits of Dynamics Business Central
- Has built-in intelligence functions that predict when a specific SKU need to be restocked
- Allows the use of timesheets which help deliver projects on time and under budget.
- Provides easy financial management by connecting data across business functionalities like accounting, sales, and purchasing, as well as including data from customer interactions
- Can prioritize sales leads based on revenue potential, therefore leading to an optimized sales cycle
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations
Finance and Operations is a revamp of AX. Just like Business Central, it has the capability to be hosted either on prem or in the cloud. Finance and Operations is positioned as an integrated enterprise solution. It can be easily connected with other Microsoft apps like their CRM, Talent, Customer Service, and Marketing platforms. In addition, it comes with modular capabilities allowing users to pick only the apps and features they need.
Main Benefits of Dynamics Finance & Operations
- Use PowerApps and Flow to optimize employee productivity as well as simple integration to Office 365
- Enable sales and customer service people to have real time information at their disposal. Therefore, offer better customer service and drive more data driven sales
- Real time at-a-glance dashboard that gives a high-level company overview
- Adapt to a rapidly changing market with agile and efficient manufacturing operation automaton capabilities
Which Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP is Right for You?
The Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP is perfect for established medium sized businesses. If your organization is between 50 – 200 employees, then BC is the right option for you. It has the capabilities to process thousands of transactions daily accurately. Chances are if you meet these two criteria, then you have outgrown your entry level ERP solution and you should strongly consider upgrading. Business Central has built in capabilities that help unify your business across your finance, operations, supply chain, and project management.
Microsoft Dynamics Finance and Operations is a full enterprise solution, meaning it’s perfect for multi-national and multi-domestic companies. It enables you to unify your business operations in one central hub. It also comes with Dynamics 365 Sales if you opt into the full Dynamics 365 purchase plan. In addition, if you’re operating internationally, then Finance and Operations is available in 30 countries with the ability to customize tax rules per region. Its advanced functions make it perfect for organizations that have a manufacturing division.
A Cloud-Based Integration Can Supercharge Your Dynamics 365 ERP
No matter which Dynamics 365 solution you are running, a cloud-based integration solution can bridge your commerce network with your ERP. Integration allows you to automatically send data back and forth between your eCommerce platforms and retail EDI trading partners. eBridge has pre-built connectors for all major
eCommerce solutions and 100s of
retail EDI trading partners. We also have pre-built connectors for both
Business Central and
Finance and Operations.
In addition, eBridge is hosted on Microsoft Azure, therefore ensuring an almost 99.9% uptime and industry leading security. With an integration solution from eBridge, you can ensure that your commerce network is connected and communicating data bi-directionally.