Dynamics 365 Business Central vs SAP Business ByDesign

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Our analysts compared Dynamics 365 Business Central vs SAP Business ByDesign based on data from our 400+ point analysis of ERP Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Dynamics 365 Business Central Software Tool
SAP Business ByDesign Software Tool

Product Basics

Dynamics 365 Business Central, formerly known as Dynamics NAV, is a widely used ERP platform that benefits businesses of small and medium sizes. It’s a multi-faceted ERP product that assists in the streamlining of aspects such as accounting, contact management and inventory management. This program has high integration capabilities due to its status as a Microsoft product and is currently used by more than 100,000 companies.

Personalization is a key benefit of this tool that is expressed throughout the program’s different modules. For example, you can customize dashboards and reports to ensure that your employees are obtaining useful insights quickly and easily. The program is also highly automated and can reduce human error through its connected systems.

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Seamless integrations
  • Flexible customization
  • Robust financial management
  • Strong reporting capabilities
Cons
  • Limited industry-specific features
  • Potential customization complexity
  • Scalability concerns for large enterprises
  • Reliance on third-party add-ons
  • Potentially high ownership costs
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SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software designed to serve the needs of midsize businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, including financial management, customer relationship management, supply chain management, and project management, among others. This software is particularly well-suited for businesses looking for a scalable solution that can grow with them, providing the flexibility to adapt to changing business needs. One of the key benefits of SAP Business ByDesign is its ability to offer real-time analytics and insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions quickly. Additionally, its user-friendly interface and the fact that it's a cloud-based solution mean that it can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, which enhances operational efficiency. When compared to similar products, users often highlight its comprehensive feature set and the robust support provided by SAP. Pricing for SAP Business ByDesign typically follows a subscription model, based on the number of users and the scope of the services required, making it a flexible option for businesses looking to manage their expenses effectively.

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$70/User, Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Centralized Data: Dynamics 365 Business Central leans in to the essence of ERP software — data centralization. For example, the system’s contract management program maintains a shared database of customers and prospects that can be customized and filtered. The program also removes any duplicates found in the system, which is especially helpful when you have multiple people entering prospect information or liaising with customers. Customized dashboards and visualizations are also available for insights developed across your company. 
  • Accessibility: This software is available either on-premise or as a cloud-based ERP. If you opt to go with a cloud deployment, the solution will be accessible to your employees anytime and anywhere as long as an internet connection is available. This broadly increases the scope of where your employees can complete their duties and access pertinent information. 
  • Forecasting: Dynamics 365 Business Central contains forecasting tools that include the use of historical demand to estimate future demand. This is helpful because it can improve efficiency, reduce spoilage and improve the likelihood that you will be able to fulfill orders from customers. 
  • Simple Integration: As a Microsoft product, Dynamics 365 Business Central is well poised for integration. The software can work with programs such as Word and Excel and is also available across iOS, Android and Windows devices. Microsoft offers a wide variety of software solutions that can be connected to Dynamics 365 Business Central, such as Dynamics 365 for Sales. 
  • Collaboration: Dynamics 365 Business Central provides visibility and control over multiple production sites. This allows you to collaborate with employees located in that facility to determine benchmarks such as optimal inventory level. Additionally, because of Dynamics 365 Business Central’s availability as a cloud-based solution, it is easy for employees to collaborate on and access materials whether they are in a corporate office or at a production facility. 
  • Security: With this program, you can configure user access to different components of the software. For example, if you don’t want an account representative to have visualization of the payroll, you can limit the scope of a user’s access to the application. Disaster recovery tools also assist with security measures. 
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  • Enhanced Visibility: It contains real-time data analysis and visualization tools. For example, users can look at their finances minute-by-minute as transactions are processed and payments are made. Additionally, the project management feature will enable users to see how projects are progressing and allows them to look at attachments and information associated with individual project stages. 
  • Growth-Oriented: The configuration ability of this tool is relatively high, which allows it to transform as business needs grow and change. Modules and different software systems can also be integrated with the program to account for the company's specific workflows. ;
  • Increased Collaboration:  It supports multi-site and global operations, allowing for centralization of information and employees’ collaboration across different business centers and workflows. The project management tool increases collaboration as it enables visualization of project tasks, accessed by users with the appropriate permission levels. 
  • Improved Customer Experience: Browse through customer history to target marketing collateral and sales discussions to a specific user. Not only does this improve sales, but it also offers personalized and nuanced experiences to the customers, which makes them happy and improves retention rates. 
  • Demonstrated Opportunities for Improvement:  It provides insight into the areas in which a business could be streamlined or where money could be saved. For example, the procurement management tool lets users look at contracts and bids from suppliers and compare them to negotiate better deals and discover snags in the supply chain by visualizing real-time production information. 
  • Data Security It secures data through AES-256 encryption and SOC 2 compliance. Firewalls and 24/7 security monitoring can help deter hackers. Additionally, SAP’s data centers are ANSI/TIA EIA-942 Tier III facilities with bulletproof walls, meaning that the threat of unauthorized access to the system is further reduced. 
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  • Sales Order Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s sales order management module allows you to alter quantity available amounts based on posted invoices. You can also use the program to create prepayment invoices and to manage partial shipments. 
  • Analysis Reports: The analysis reports tool is based on helping decisionmakers within your company gain meaningful insights that will positively influence daily decisions. With this customizable tool, you can use factors such as customers, items and vendors to view information such as inventory turnover and customer behavior. You can also use this tool to more accurately pinpoint problems across your business that are creating bottlenecks or inefficiencies. 
  • General Ledger: Accounting and financial reporting tools are a commonly requested feature in ERP software. Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a general ledger in its base package that includes internal and external reporting tools, ability to export data in various formats, employee ledger entries, linking to external documents and reporting in your company’s preferred currency format. 
  • Requisition Management: Dynamics 365 Business Central’s Requisition Worksheet allows you to optimize your inventory based on factors such as predicted demand and material availability. You can also set minimum and maximum quantity levels to determine a reordering point in your manufacturing center. 
  • Multi-Site Functionality: With this software, you can track inventory levels across multiple distribution centers, warehouses, production plants, showrooms and more. You can also track inventory as it moves from different locations while accounting for its value during transit. 
  • Contact Management: The contact management feature allows you to input and maintain a list of your business contacts and prospects. The tool lets you know when duplicate contact information is entered, enables you to issue quotes or sales documents, allows for the categorization of people associated with a specific contact and segments people based on profiling questions. 
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Dynamics 365 Business Central includes support for Kofax Invoice Capture Service (ICS) out of the box. This tool can take information from unstructured PDFs, extract it, and turn it into structured data. 
  • Currency Exchange Rates: This system allows you to update currency exchange rates as they shift. This can be done either manually or automatically. Dynamics 365 Business Central supports Yahoo and European Central Bank (ECB) currency feeds out of the box, but you can add other currencies to the tool using the currency exchange rates setup. 
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  • Financial Management: Leverage customer and supplier transaction data to look at the organization’s financial position in real-time. It supports multiple different currencies and reporting standards, ensuring that business conducted globally is accounted for and centralized. 
  • CRM 360 View: The CRM 360 view contains the ability to manage customers from the time they are prospects to their final purchase. The system uses historical purchase data to generate targeted advertisements. The customer history can be handed over to your sales team, who can use this information to refine and improve sales tactics.. 
  • Human Resources Management: The human resources tool allows employees to manage their timesheets and personal information. The program also gives HR professionals the ability to monitor purchase requests, complete payroll processing and manage time and labor. 
  • Project Management: The project management feature includes a project cost report that lets users calculate revenue and expenses on a project basis. It also enables users to analyze document flow through this feature’s integration with your supply chain. Documents such as customer invoices can be attached to projects to increase collaboration and visibility. 
  • Procurement Management: It centralizes supplier information, therefore enabling users to negotiate better deals and recognize inefficiencies. Users can also manage supplier contracts in the system. 
  • Supply Chain Management: Users can conduct demand planning in real-time using forecasting methods such as seasonal linear regression and moving average. The tool also contains outlier correction. Production management and supply network visibility are other helpful features of this tool. 
  • Localization: It allows users to operate globally. It centralizes information from different countries, companies and accounting systems to create a complete and accurate view of an organization’s state. 
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Product Ranking

#18

among all
ERP Software

#34

among all
ERP Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Analytics And Reporting Asset Management Customer Relationship Management Finance And Accounting Human Resource Management Inventory Management Manufacturing Order Management Procurement Project Management Service Management Supply Chain Management Warehouse Management 92 41 90 96 66 91 58 83 88 91 78 64 66 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 366 reviews
Great User Sentiment 137 reviews
75%
of users recommend this product

Dynamics 365 Business Central has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 366 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

81%
of users recommend this product

SAP Business ByDesign has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 81% when considering 137 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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4.7 (14)
3.6 (142)
3.4 (38)
3.7 (85)
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4.2 (24)
4.3 (9)
4.0 (22)
3.9 (130)
4.3 (39)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Easy to Learn: Precisely 53% of users say the system has a simple implementation process and helpful training materials.
Extensive Features: Features include BOM management, finance management, document management, reporting, search filters, accounting and other modules, according to 79% of users.
Intuitive Interface: Familiar layout and guided workflows simplify data entry and task completion for non-technical users.
Automated Processes: Reduce manual tasks and errors with automated workflows for finance, inventory, sales, and customer service.
Actionable Insights: Gain real-time visibility into business performance through comprehensive dashboards and reporting tools.
Powerful Integrations: Connect seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Power BI, and other popular business applications for a unified data ecosystem.
Cloud-based Scalability: Adapt to growth with a flexible cloud infrastructure that supports diverse user needs and data volumes.
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User-Interface: The solution has an intuitive user interface to facilitate understanding of the basic functions and navigate through the system with ease, according to 71% of users.
Reporting: According to 100% of users who reviewed this pro, it has advanced capabilities to create dynamic reports. Visualizations depict KPIs and other critical business metrics.
Documentation: About 100% of users who mentioned this pro said it has extensive documentation, with a user manual, videos, booklets and articles about the product’s use.
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User Interface: Of the users who discussed the interface, 46% said it was not intuitive and the layout is old-fashioned.
Glitchy Performance: Approximately 67% of users said the program's overall performance is slow and glitchy.
Industry Gaps: While strong for core ERP functions, may require additional add-ons or integrations for complex industry-specific needs like manufacturing or healthcare.
Customization Curve: While offering customization options, extensive modifications might require developer expertise, increasing costs and implementation time.
Large Enterprise Scalability: While cloud-based and scalable, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration.
Add-on Dependence: Fulfilling specific needs may rely on third-party add-ons, introducing potential compatibility and support challenges.
Cost Considerations: While offering subscription plans, total cost of ownership can be influenced by user licenses, customization needs, and add-on integrations.
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Expensive: The solution is costly compared to other solutions available in the market, according to 100% of users.
Speed: According to 100% of users who reviewed this con, speed is a significant concern as it affects business productivity.
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Users appreciated Dynamics 365 Business Central's user-friendly interface and automation capabilities, highlighting its ease of use even for non-technical personnel. The streamlined workflows and intuitive layout simplified data entry and task completion, especially compared to competitor solutions with steeper learning curves. The automated processes proved beneficial in eliminating manual work and errors, boosting efficiency in areas like finance, inventory, and customer service. However, some users pointed to limitations in industry-specific features compared to more specialized competitors like SAP Business One or Acumatica. While Business Central excels in core ERP functions, complex needs in manufacturing or healthcare might require additional add-ons or integrations, increasing complexity and potentially cost. Customization, while available, also presented a potential hurdle. While offering flexibility, extensive modifications could necessitate developer expertise, raising implementation time and costs compared to competitors with more drag-and-drop customization options. Business Central's cloud-based scalability was praised, accommodating growth and diverse user needs effectively. This stood out compared to some on-premise competitors with less flexibility. However, very large enterprises with intricate operations might encounter limitations or require additional configuration compared to solutions like Oracle NetSuite designed for such complexity. Overall, user reviews suggest Dynamics 365 Business Central shines for its user-friendliness, automation, and cloud-based scalability. However, limitations in industry-specific features and potential customization complexity compared to some competitors are important considerations, especially for niche businesses or large enterprises.

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SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that has garnered positive feedback from users for its comprehensive functionality and ease of use. The software provides a wide range of features, including financial management, customer relationship management (CRM), human resources (HR), supply chain management, and project management, all within a single, unified platform. Users appreciate the intuitive interface and the ability to access the system from anywhere with an internet connection. The cloud-based nature of the solution eliminates the need for on-premises infrastructure, reducing IT costs and complexity. While SAP Business ByDesign offers numerous strengths, some users have noted that the initial implementation process can be time-consuming and may require specialized expertise. Additionally, the software's extensive functionality can lead to a steeper learning curve for new users. However, SAP provides comprehensive training and support resources to assist with implementation and user adoption. Compared to other ERP solutions, SAP Business ByDesign stands out for its scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to adapt the system to their specific needs as they grow. The software's ability to integrate with other business applications further enhances its value proposition. SAP Business ByDesign is particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that require a comprehensive ERP solution without the complexity and cost associated with larger enterprise systems. The software's scalability ensures that it can grow alongside the business, while its cloud-based delivery model provides flexibility and accessibility. Additionally, SAP Business ByDesign's industry-specific functionality caters to the unique needs of various sectors, making it a versatile choice for businesses across different industries.

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