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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs Microsoft Dynamics CRM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.9
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central often achieves ROI in six months, with automation enhancing financial benefits, though experiences vary.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics CRM enhances operations and efficiency, outweighing high costs with improved sales, automation, and data collection.
I recommend that those considering Microsoft Dynamics CRM conduct an ROI exercise to determine scalability and complex business needs because it is indeed a fantastic tool, especially if Microsoft can provide a better commercial model, which can significantly impact cost-effectiveness.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.0
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: praised for responsiveness but some users report slow service, relying on local partners for support.
Sentiment score
5.6
Microsoft Dynamics CRM service receives mixed reviews; praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and varying technical expertise.
The response time before getting someone who can provide a relevant answer is crucial.
Owner at Numex BV
The lack of senior technical consultants means Tier 1 support sometimes has limited experience, which could be better.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Microsoft provides real-time support, which makes a big difference compared to SAP.
Automation Engineer
I would rate customer support as ten out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
While the support operates within their standard SLA, it can be difficult to speak directly with someone over the phone.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Sometimes the technical support for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is not qualified enough, and in some situations, we know the tool better than they do.
Head Of Development at Aleman Software Group
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable for SMEs, with flexibility, though larger setups may require customization and integration.
Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers strong scalability and adaptability, despite challenges with customization and costs, enhancing sales and marketing departments.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is highly scalable, rated at ten, even fifteen out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
I would give it a ten out of ten for scalability.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is scalable; it's easy to scale, but when customizations become extensive, maintainability can become challenging.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is reliable with stable performance, though minor issues occur during updates or heavy data loads.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is stable and reliable, handling workloads well, with Azure integration enhancing resilience despite occasional peak load issues.
For the cloud, we have not faced any downtimes or stability issues.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
I would rate it ten out of ten.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
There have been instances where issues with Microsoft Azure have affected Dynamics due to the infrastructure layer.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Room For Improvement

Enhancements needed in cost efficiency, integration, automation, user interface, customization, AI features, and technical documentation for improved flexibility.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM needs better integration, user-friendliness, expanded AI, customization, and cost-effective options for small business adaptability.
There's a gap in advanced features that other platforms like NetSuite handle better.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
A basic point of sale would help a great deal because there are certain requirements where Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central could fit in small retail operations, and it is quite expensive, so that addition would be beneficial.
Regional Sales Manager at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
There is a need for improvement in consolidation and multi-country master data management.
Owner at Numex BV
More use-case-oriented material should be provided to help users and implementers learn how to do more, faster.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Microsoft Dynamics CRM needs improvement in simplifying the setup and configuration process, which can be relatively complex when we want all features to work properly.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn't provide solutions that allow you to transform easily if you have a heterogeneous mix of technologies or if your contact center is on analog and you try to digitize it.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers flexible, scalable ERP pricing, appealing to startups and enterprises, with moderate to high cost.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is considered pricey, with flexible licensing but possible high costs for small to medium businesses.
However, it was very costly due to the numerous integrations we had.
Automation Engineer
The pricing for Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable.
Owner at Numex BV
The pricing of Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be complex due to Microsoft's complicated licensing model.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Microsoft Dynamics CRM costs about $110 to $115 per user per month, following a recent price increase.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
Although it is a good tool, it is costly.
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides customizable, cloud-based management, benefiting SMEs with seamless integration, real-time insights, and enhanced workflows.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers customizable, user-friendly features with seamless Microsoft integration, robust security, and enhances customer management and operational efficiency.
The value for money is very high as it fits the business well.
Owner at Numex BV
It provides localized compliance for every country, covering VAT compliances, taxing policies, and corporate taxes.
Regional Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable, as it was able to grow with increasing business demands.
Automation Engineer
The backend storage integrates seamlessly with OneDrive, and the solution offers robust security features, including Azure integration, two-factor authentication (2FA), and comprehensive audit trails.
CISO at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
The CRM is very fast, which is the most important aspect, and it's very handy.
Data Scientist at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is its integration with Outlook and other Microsoft products like Microsoft 365, which includes emails, Teams, and SharePoint.
Head of Digital Transformation at Simplified Consulting
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Busi...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
ERP (6th), Activity Based Costing Software (1st)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
CRM Customer Engagement Centers (2nd), CRM (2nd), Local Government CRM (1st), Marketing Management (2nd), Sales Force Automation (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics CRM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is designed for ERP and holds a mindshare of 5.3%, down 6.3% compared to last year.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM, on the other hand, focuses on CRM Customer Engagement Centers, holds 16.3% mindshare, down 25.5% since last year.
ERP Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central5.3%
SAP ERP13.3%
SAP S/4HANA7.3%
Other74.1%
ERP
CRM Customer Engagement Centers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM16.3%
Salesforce Service Cloud12.5%
ServiceNow Customer Service Management7.5%
Other63.7%
CRM Customer Engagement Centers
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user514128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a printing company with 51-200 employees
Mar 15, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2746122 - PeerSpot reviewer
Automation Engineer
Integrations Help Bring Efficiency while Documentation Needs Improvement
When I started working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, I was new and didn't know what ERP was or its purpose, but I was eager to learn more each day. The system can become overwhelmed because you cannot control the number of integrations, and our team struggled to manage the numerous integrations we had. More documentation is needed on how to use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and its capabilities. From a technical perspective, it was challenging because understanding the system requires familiarity with financial sectors. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central could benefit from more AI integration. Learning the application was challenging as there was much to understand about accounts payable, receivable, accounting, and general ledger.
NavinJacob - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Digital Officer at Cipher7
Has enabled seamless integration across platforms while supporting advanced analytics for customer insights
Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn't provide solutions that allow you to transform easily if you have a heterogeneous mix of technologies or if your contact center is on analog and you try to digitize it. A lot of custom work is needed if you have to integrate heterogeneous technologies with the Microsoft suite, but if you are using the Microsoft suite, then it's quite seamless. Microsoft Dynamics CRM should add commercial models that allow smaller companies to use it because it can get pretty expensive. Better commercial options for smaller implementations may be helpful. There should be commercial options for smaller companies, as the overheads and costs of Dynamics can be quite high.
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Answers from the Community

it_user514128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a printing company with 51-200 employees
Mar 16, 2017
Mar 16, 2017
Dynamic CRM is “workflow” and base on email integration. CRP in Default Micrososoft Dynamic Nav only simple CRP Please see the comment below in web Key factor is where data is held The key factor in determining whether to deploy Dynamics NAV or Dynamics CRM to meet your needs will depend on where the data is held that your CRM processes need to access. If your marketing is based o...
2 out of 10 answers
it_user392145 - PeerSpot reviewer
Proces & IT adviseur Dynamics NAV & EazyStock at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Mar 14, 2017
Looking into Dynamics CRM is advisable. CRM as part of Dynamics NAV is limited, can be fine for B2B companies having little CRM requirements. For B2C Dynamics NAV CRM will often be to limited. Integration with social media is not available in CRM of Dynamics NAV. In CRM standard NAV you will find: segmentation, campagnes, tasks, interactions / contact moments, opportunities. But limited functionallity to create workflows within your sales proces (like follow up).
Mar 14, 2017
Hi,  there are certainly limitations with NAV CRM in comparison to Dynamics CRM. To understand whether your specific business requirements needs the additional features or not would require more information. In essence Dynamics CRM is about relationship management and has superb functionality for sales, marketing and customer service. NAV CRM is more an internal focussed operational tool. From the information below, I would be more concerned that you are bespoking your system to the extent indicated. This is not a recommended solution.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
6%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise19
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise19
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The platform offers a robust and comprehensive cycle for supply chain and inventory management, with features like minimum and maximum settings, dynamic monitoring of inventory levels, and integrat...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
I don't have specific information about the pricing of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. However, it was very costly due to the numerous integrations we had.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
When I started working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, I was new and didn't know what ERP was or its purpose, but I was eager to learn more each day. The system can become overwhelmed...
What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are all the filters and possible reports.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
Microsoft Dynamics CRM doesn't provide solutions that allow you to transform easily if you have a heterogeneous mix of technologies or if your contact center is on analog and you try to digitize it...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
I have been working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM for five or six years for various customers. I work with CRM and some amount of Microsoft communication server to integrate it. I focus on the area o...
 

Also Known As

Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
Dynamics CRM, MS Dynamics CRM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Harris Farm Markets, Mister Spex GmbH, Bounce Foods, Eurofin Services SA, Medica Medizintechnik, Associated Gaskets, Onduline, Sitka Surfboard Corporation, World Animal Protection
Metro Bank, Nissan, Pandora, Delta, Haynes International, City of London, Trek and many more market leaders.
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879,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.