Microsoft Dynamics AX Reviews

I'm using Microsoft Dynamics AX to process and monitor the sales process from end-to-end, starting from placing orders. First, the order entry and placing the sales order, creating purchase requisitions, and processing it for the planning team to be reviewed and converted for a purchase order to be shared with our suppliers or vendors. Also, processing the sales orders and following up its approvals regarding the financial approvals and credit approvals, until sharing the confirmations and packing list with the warehouse to follow up deliveries. There is also a crucial part for monitoring the inventory.

I have utilized industry-specific solutions offered by Microsoft Dynamics AX for the medical devices industry and the safety and firefighting industries.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is a very strong ERP system, applicable for customizations to help companies and organizations streamline their processes.

The specific feature I find most valuable about Microsoft Dynamics AX is the applicable permissions. There are many levels of security and permissions for each user to monitor and access specific data relative to their functions. Additionally, the linkage and transition between exploring and moving from window to window, from function to function is valuable.

The impact of Microsoft Dynamics AX on managing financial processes is significant. It's a very important element for financial departments as it represents all transactions, references, and records. The adjustments and availability to create more than one virtual company allow large companies, which combined represent one group of companies, to connect and streamline their financials and operations.

I don't know if Microsoft Dynamics AX is still receiving official technical support from Microsoft. I can see most companies working with AX currently transforming to D365, upgrading their ERP systems, which are more enhanced and have additional features such as dashboards. It also has cloud storage.

Microsoft Dynamics AX has the flexibility that any big company may require. Microsoft Dynamics AX already has multiple functions for sales, inventory, HR, finance, and supply chain.

My experience with the first initial setup of Microsoft Dynamics AX was straightforward. It takes some time to implement the master data for the system and make adjustments for the processes flow for each function.

In the AX version, I didn't use the real-time analytics functionality. I noticed it during our training for the D365 version. The dashboards afford real-time analysis for open sales orders, total sales orders, and total invoices.

The integration capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX are perfect. I am operating from Egypt, and according to Egyptian laws, a company's ERP system must be integrated directly with the taxes authorizations. Microsoft Dynamics AX successfully integrates with the governmental system and perfectly streamlines the invoicing process. We also have integration with some of our customer's portals.

Microsoft Dynamics AX represents the backbone of the company's operations across all functions. It's our main system.

Microsoft Dynamics AX and D365 or GV or even the GP, all versions, are not applicable to be used for SMEs.

On-premises

For industrial companies, I mainly use Microsoft Dynamics AX for those processes. Most of my clients are manufacturing clients, so I work with food industries, steel industries, plastic industries, and electrical industries.

Using dimensions in Microsoft Dynamics AX is the most valuable feature I have found. Dimensions in Microsoft Dynamics AX offer very flexible solutions to customers, making it a great function.

This is not a module; it's a function. In terms of module strength, Microsoft is very strong. All the modules are very strong in Microsoft Dynamics AX, including production, finance, logistics, trade, and master planning.

I think the integration capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX need to be enhanced. There are many features for integration, such as APIs and connectors, but I need more ready APIs that link directly.

I think it would be better to make APIs for each module in Microsoft Dynamics AX, so integration can be easier directly. For example, sales orders, sales quotations, and GL entries should each have direct APIs to facilitate linking to other systems, making the integration stronger.

Real-time analytics is not strong unless I add a Power BI tool. In finance and operations, the new version of Microsoft Dynamics AX is very good, even excellent, but in previous versions, it needs to be linked to a Power BI tool to have strong real-time analytics.

There is a gap for improvement in support. Microsoft support can be very hard to reach and often does not provide proper support for general issues, with responses sometimes being too detailed and not addressing the core issues quickly, which leads me to sometimes solve problems myself.

Business Central has been in use for more than four years, since six years ago.

For stability, I would rate Microsoft Dynamics AX a ten, as I have not faced any problems at all.

For scalability, I would rate it an eight.

Regarding technical support from Microsoft, I would rate them a seven.

Positive

Comparing the initial setup for Microsoft Dynamics AX to SAP, it will be very easy. Comparing it to Odoo, it becomes hard. So it depends, and I would consider it medium.

I do the setup in-house easily because I am a partner and know how to make the setup and apply functions for my customers.

Microsoft Dynamics AX provides benefits like saving time because it is very easy to use and it offers strong processes to implement full business processes, mapping them with customer business for full control. However, the prices are a little high, especially after going to the cloud, costing around 210 to 212 dollars per user per month, which is costly for an enterprise company with 50 users.

I think it would be great if Microsoft made the price model flexible per company and per country, considering that some countries face different economic situations which makes Microsoft pricing seem very high. This could increase Microsoft profit through more sales.

The main competitors I see for Microsoft Dynamics AX are Oracle and SAP.

Microsoft is easier than Oracle because Microsoft support is stronger in the Middle East, while Oracle's acquisitions create strong points as well as weak points, leading to a lot of integration issues between its modules.

I am still using Microsoft Visio, and I am using other Microsoft products like Word, Excel, and Power BI from Microsoft, along with Microsoft Dynamics AX because I am a partner for it. I am also a partner with Odoo.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is an ERP, a full complete ERP.

I have been with Microsoft Dynamics AX since 2007.

The customization part of Microsoft Dynamics AX is easy because Microsoft products are very common in programming like C# and X++, so if you understand C#, you will find it easy to develop in Dynamics.

Azure integration is important because I need to integrate with Office and complete Office applications. With over 300 applications, integrating easily with 365 makes it strong.

I primarily use Microsoft Dynamics AX for the financial module, which includes the general ledger, account payable, account receivable, inventory, and purchase order. I have been working with Microsoft Dynamics AX for the last three years.

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is its full integration with Excel, allowing for cut and paste functionality between Excel and the system. This feature is very useful during the implementation and configuration phases, especially for setting up or configuring a new company. It allows for easy transfer of configuration data into the system. This capability is particularly beneficial for small companies, as it simplifies the setup process for payment terms, credit card information, and bank details. Compared to Oracle or SAP, where a lot of effort is required, Microsoft Dynamics AX allows easy copying of data from Excel due to its flexibility. Another beneficial feature is the ease of data conversion and validation, facilitating the process of uploading open sales orders, invoices, or purchase orders without needing programming. This feature is a standout benefit of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Microsoft Dynamics AX has several areas that need improvement, particularly when compared to larger systems. It lacks the concept of month-end closing, which is essential for tight control over financial periods. The schema and underlying table control are weak, allowing data uploads that violate schema integrity. Additionally, when exiting a form or record, it does not prompt to save changes, forcing automatic saves without user consent, requiring heavy customization to alter this. Another drawback is the absence of features like purchase order accruals, critical accounting concepts, and a robust fixed assets module. It is also unsuited for multiple companies, lacking functionality for consolidated financial reports, requiring repeated setups for each company, making it unfavorable for large companies.

I have been using the solution for three years.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is more suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. It struggles with scalability when you need to manage financial reporting or setup for multiple companies, as it requires repetitive configurations for each company and does not support consolidated financial reporting.

I do not know how to contact Microsoft's support directly; it is necessary to go through their partners.

Neutral

The pricing for Microsoft Dynamics AX is generally affordable for small companies, with a yearly maintenance license costing about 5,000 Hong Kong dollars. However, acquiring a developer license for customization is expensive, costing over one hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars. Without it, partners must be hired for customization, which is costly. For our company, it becomes worthwhile to purchase the license if used for more than three years.

For small companies requiring one company setup with no need for consolidation, I would rate Microsoft Dynamics AX between seven to eight out of ten. However, for more complex setups involving tight control over accounting processes or multiple companies, it would not score as highly. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.

Right now, we are moving to a new ERP platform. It is in the cloud, and because of that, the cloud pushes updates every quarter, which could technically break our products. We are looking into an automated testing solution of some kind. That is the reason why we are looking at Tricentis, Avvo, and Executive Automats.

Dynamics AX is very simple to use. That is probably the best feature. I have not had any major issue with stability. Part of my job is to identify slow-running processes and tune them. Generally speaking, it is not too difficult. Once I have tuned it, it is like a nice running engine. It just continues to run smoothly.

It is no longer supported from a security perspective, so it is not getting updated. Other than that, before it became obsolete, it did its job, and there were not any major complaints. However, it is a bit outdated.

I have used it by myself for about two or three years.

I have not had any major issues with stability. Part of my job is to make sure to identify slow-running processes and tune them. So, there is some manual effort there. Generally speaking, it is not too difficult.

There is no problem with scalability. We are not that big of an organization, but even if we had to scale, it essentially uses SQL Server, so more resources can be allocated to it. There are these things called AOS nodes where if you have more users and performance decreases, you can add more servers to the cluster. It is definitely scalable in that regard.

Microsoft has really good documentation, and they are known for that. They have a lot of resources available, even though they do not technically support the product anymore. When we reached out for help, they have still been able to support us without any issues.

Neutral

I used SAP previously. I have had about twelve years of experience with SAP.

Generally speaking, the initial setup is fairly straightforward.

I implemented it by myself. I have had to redeploy it to new servers and whatnot, so it is not a complex infrastructure.

We evaluated Tricentis, Avvo, and Executive Automats as part of our search for an automated testing solution.

I would never recommend moving to an obsolete product that cannot get support. If you are still on it, that is a decision since moving over to a new platform is extremely expensive and difficult. 

I would probably give it about an eight out of ten.

On-premises

We are a customer of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The ERP system is used to keep tracking our processes.

I am using Microsoft Dynamics AX in the distribution and retail industry, wholesales, and we have our own stores and our field agents.

Currently, more than 150 users are working with Microsoft Dynamics AX in my company.

The features of Microsoft Dynamics AX that I find most useful range from logistics to transportation, warehousing, stock, sales, financing, and service.

The sales module, with features such as pricing and creating promotions, stands out to me as the most useful.

Apart from the sales module, it has a very understandable database.

I have faced challenges with Microsoft Dynamics AX, specifically localization; it's very challenging because we are from Romania, so the finance module has to be harmonized with the Romanian law. That's really challenging.

As an expert, I prefer to not answer what should be improved in Microsoft Dynamics AX because this version is very old, not even promoted by Microsoft, and many things have changed since then when we implemented it.

We are using a desktop version of Microsoft Dynamics AX, so something web-based would be more ergonomic.

A web-based version would be great, as it's currently running in Explorer.

I have been working with Microsoft Dynamics AX for more than 11 years.

We are making many developments in-house, so we have our own developers. Over the years, we had many customizations, so it's not an easy question.

Regarding stability, I have complaints about Microsoft Dynamics AX; it has many bugs, but we fixed them over the years. If you do the maintenance and have your own people, it could be stable, but it means a lot of work. If you have your own team, it's workable, but if you don't have your own people, it's not stable.

It is not really scalable for my business because we are using on-premises and SQL servers on-premises, so everything has to be planned more before we want to scale our businesses.

It could be more scalable; this is not a cloud technology and is a very old version.

I have never contacted Microsoft support.

Positive

I have not evaluated any other ERP tools recently before Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Regarding the setup of Microsoft Dynamics AX, I am not a very technical person, but it has documentation which helps you to set up the system.

If you have developers, it is easy to customize Microsoft Dynamics AX.

The cost to use the solution was a very high one-time cost, and after that, we have to pay our people who are developing the system and who do the maintenance of the system. It's not a cheap system.

Regarding measurable benefits from Microsoft Dynamics AX, we probably are not measuring it; everybody is using an ERP system to keep tracking their processes, so we cannot work without an ERP system. I don't have a straight answer for that, but it has to be useful. Without an ERP system, we cannot be running our businesses.

I do not know if I have planned to use a new version; it depends on many things.

I can recommend that those people who plan to use Microsoft Dynamics AX should test the system before they implement it. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Microsoft Dynamics AX a seven.

On-premises

I believe Microsoft Dynamics AX is good for retail purposes. If anyone has a retail business, it is a good choice. It's ranked number one for retail, ahead of competitors like Odoo and QuickBooks.

The tool's most important capabilities are for retail and finance. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 doesn't have many integration capabilities, but Microsoft 365 has the most capabilities to integrate with any type of standalone software and has many more features.

The 2012 version is obsolete, and we don't have any support for it.

I have been using the product for three to four years. 

The tool is cheap. 

One key difference is that Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 integrates all modules - it's one solution that includes payroll, finance, inventory management, and supply chain. Microsoft Dynamics 365, on the other hand, is a modular solution that allows us to choose the modules ourselves. I rate the tool a seven out of ten. 

In various domains, I've witnessed the utilization of GP. For instance, educational institutions continue to offer GP as an option, and more recently, I've collaborated with many individuals involved in e-commerce businesses. They often operate through their websites or marketplaces like Amazon, and they find GP to be a seamless solution. This is because GP boasts a well-developed integration platform that allows for easy integration of all master data and transaction data. Additionally, individuals engaged in the IT sector also find GP appealing, particularly due to its robust project accounting module. In my experience, these groups of people tend to prefer using GP as their choice of software.

In terms of features, GP offers a wide range of strong capabilities, particularly in the financial module. Moreover, the sales and distribution modules are robust, and reliable, and seldom encounter issues. Customizations and integration are well-executed in GP, providing a solid foundation for building various additional models. Many users have leveraged GP to create their own models and seamlessly integrate them into the system. These features are undeniably strong points of GP.

The advantages are consistent, and the most significant one is reliability. In North America, the analytics within GP are notably straightforward and user-friendly. The interface is intuitive, resembling the familiar look and feel of Windows and integrating seamlessly with Microsoft Office. This user-friendliness is a key reason people prefer using it. Additionally, I've noticed that individuals often choose to work with .NET specific functionalities within GP.

In GP, there are certain features like financial reporting that aren't part of the core GP package. Users might need to install additional components for these features. For example, there's a reseller product called Management Reporter, but many users would prefer to have the reporting capabilities integrated within GP itself, rather than relying on external tools.

The manufacturing module in GP is quite basic, and those who require more advanced manufacturing capabilities often turn to third-party modules or tools. Additionally, you might be aware that in 2028, GP is expected to reach its end of life. Microsoft has already ceased selling GP to new customers. It's essentially the same product, but this marks the final year for GP's availability.

Dynamics GP is a highly popular ERP platform for small and modern businesses, and I primarily work with clients in the USA, specifically in North America. I've observed that the common trend involves businesses migrating from QuickBooks to GP. This software, which I've been using for the past two decades, offers a wide range of functionalities. For instance, the sales and distribution module is particularly popular. Many e-commerce businesses prefer using GP because it provides seamless integration, making it their preferred choice.

It is stable.

As I previously mentioned, GP is quite exceptional. It's the first multi-user ERP in North America, which is a significant distinction. Before GP, there weren't any multi-user ERPs originating from the United States. There were alternatives like SAP, but they weren't US-based. GP began with a basic version, the DAF version, and has been meticulously maintained by Microsoft.

Microsoft's technical support is outstanding, although it comes at a high cost. Nowadays, many GP users prefer to handle their support internally. As an alternative, they seek assistance from external resources rather than opting for Microsoft's services, which are expensive not just for GP but for various other Microsoft products as well.

Business Central is another Microsoft product, and Microsoft is actively encouraging GP users to transition to Business Central. This push is driven by the fact that, as mentioned earlier, in 2028, Microsoft plans to cease support for GP. They have already begun pushing their clients towards adopting Business Central. I have hands-on experience with Business Central as well.

GP requires installation either on an in-house server or a hosted server. In either case, you need just one SQL server. For smaller companies, a single server is sufficient, combining the SQL server and GP. Some individuals even opt for installing GP on multiple desktops or laptops, which is an older way of using GP. However, even larger companies still prefer this approach. It involves using an RDP mechanism, allowing multiple users to access and utilize GP on the same system.GP is not a cloud-based ERP. It's always installed on the user's server and infrastructure. Therefore, individuals or organizations that opt for GP need to cover the costs of hardware. They must either purchase their own hardware or host it on-premises or through other platforms.

Recently, I've come across individuals who offer subscription-based models for GP. However, even in these cases, the users are responsible for their hardware and allocate resources for their subscription business. It's important to note that GP is not a cloud-based software.

The duration of GP implementation varies significantly depending on the company's size and its specific requirements, especially in terms of integrations and other factors. I've been involved in GP implementations that were as short as two weeks for small setups, while the largest ones could seemingly go on indefinitely. It's a dynamic process. For instance, during my time at Outdoor Network, a company in the outdoor business, I worked with them for six years, and they kept implementing new features and refining existing ones throughout that period. So, the timeline ultimately depends on how people wish to utilize GP and the ongoing developments they pursue.

The maintenance interface involves regular additions of new features on ServiceStack, as well as the implementation of hot fixes and localized updates, such as those related to taxation. These patches are released periodically.

In the US, many individuals and businesses are effectively using GP, and it unquestionably delivers a return on investment. It's proven to be a profitable solution, even for those managing multi-billion dollar enterprises. This showcases its capacity to handle comprehensive infrastructure and operations.

Comparatively, Business Central appears to be more cost-effective. Microsoft offers Business Central at only $70 per user per month in the US. In contrast, GP requires an initial investment, including around $9,000 for the GP license for three users and additional expenses for hardware. Therefore, the initial investment for GP is quite substantial. On the other hand, cloud-based ERP products like Business Central do not entail the same upfront investment and operate on an ongoing, subscription-based model.

I don't personally advise people to use it, but given Microsoft's decision to discontinue GP support, it's better to transition to Business Central instead of starting fresh with GP.

I would rate it an eight because Business Central is an excellent choice for small and mid-sized businesses. However, larger businesses with more extensive needs may find it unsuitable, as they often require advanced features such as those offered by ECP, which is a highly secure product with numerous configuration options and capabilities not available in GP.

The product is used for the university.

The accounting and inventory management features are valuable.

The product must be made accessible online.

I have been using the solution for the last ten years.

The product is very stable.

The tool is scalable. In my organization, 20 people use the solution. The solution is extensively used in my organization.

The technical support team is pretty reliable. Whenever we have an issue, it gets resolved.

The initial setup is complex. We took six months to deploy the solution. We need a manager, a systems administrator, two developers, a database admin, and a consultant to deploy the solution.

We deployed the product with the help of a consultant and an integrator. It needed integration into other systems. The consultant asked us what we needed the tool for. The product has different modules like HR, accounting, and inventory management. We needed accounting, so we installed it first.

The solution did not have a feature for online registrations. So, we had to deploy it using an integrator. We also had to link the solution to the bank with the help of the integrator and a third-party application.

There is a pretty good return on investment because it does the job and tracks pretty well on the accounting side. It is a very good accounting platform. We see a return on investment in terms of our savings compared to processing transactions using paper-based methods or other online accounting systems. On the accounting side, we've seen a very good return on investment.

The tool is very expensive. One license costs $1,000. So, we paid $20,000 for 20 licenses. We have to pay the license fee annually.

It is a good solution but quite complex, especially when integrating with other systems. Some simpler products like Sage are much easier to integrate with. I think it is because of the product’s proprietary database, MSSQL. Other databases are more open source. They use MySQL in the background, so it is easier to integrate with other products. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

On-premises

I use the solution in my company since we are providing services to a US client, so we have created different kinds of use cases to meet the requirements of their environment.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is good for its NAS service and operation features.

The tool's setup phase and pricing are areas with certain concerns where improvements are required.

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics AX for a year.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

My company deals with more than 30 customers who use the product.

For the two or three tickets created with the support team, I have received help via email and phone calls from Microsoft.

The product's initial setup phase is a little bit complex because we need to create an environment on different environments and then collectively integrate them with the database while taking care of the creation of tokens, after which we get the environment on our company's system. Though the process is not too difficult, it is not too simple either, so it is bearable to an extent.

The solution is deployed on the cloud model.

The solution's deployment process takes 12 to 16 hours, after which it becomes fully functional.

The benefit of the tool comes from the fact that in a centralized environment, one can create multiple user codes and their designations, choose multiple features to meet certain requirements and pay for such features only. It is a very easy tool for our company to use.

The product's license is expensive. My company is located in a region where we have to pay the most for the tool due to our currency and inflation scenario. The product may be available in the US at a very good cost. If my company opts for the annual subscription offered by the product, we get some discounts.

I have worked on Microsoft Dynamics AX, and I feel it's fully functional as it was able to fulfill all the requirements of my company's customers. The tool is able to provide a friendly environment to fulfill the needs of my company's customers. My company is satisfied with the services offered by Microsoft Dynamics AX.

My company usually sees some issues with the connectors while integrating Microsoft Dynamics AX with our existing systems. Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Office 365 provide connectors to create the environment, after which we need to increase the connectors to be able to create and download the VMs for our company's environment. In general, everything is okay, and there are no issues with the tool.

I recommended the product to others since it is very easy to use. It is not difficult to use compared to other platforms providing similar services. It is easy for admins and users.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use the solution for automation. We use different modules, like, payroll, protection, sales, and getting supply chain. We're using it to streamline our resources from the start of the supply chain, to purchase. We are using it for payroll, HR, and protection.

We create demand, purchase, and acquisition by sending quotations. We analyze and sell them at the best price. We receive it in the warehouse. When it comes to the warehouse, they issue barcodes in the inventory. Finally, it goes to finance to make journal entries.

We are using Microsoft Dynamics AX for warehouse, finance, payroll, HR, production, enterprise assets, and assets except budgeting.

Managing admin is difficult. Also, it is expensive and can be cheaper.

I have been using Microsoft Dynamics AX for 10 years.

The product’s stability is good enough.

The solution is scalable. The solution is very good for small to medium businesses.

75 users including 50 guests and 25 enterprise users are using this solution.

Technical support is good. They resolve issues at their level.

Positive

The initial setup is easy. It is doing everything according to our requirements.

The solution is on the cloud. They send us one form for the requirements. We are making the requirement. Developers are making this machine. At the end, we download the virtual machine setup for our developer setup.

The solution’s pricing is reasonable compared to Oracle.

We have a team but one developer is there for maintenance.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Public Cloud