Microsoft is pushing clients to switch from GP to D365 Business Central. Is it right for you? Both are ERP solutions designed for SMBs. They include an accounting suite and other financial tools that you won’t find in smaller products like QuickBooks. Additionally, these systems can support manufacturing, payroll, multi-company setups, and other advanced functions.
How do you decide? Here’s a little background, some of the key differences and features you will want to consider:
The Cloud Factor
The biggest factor to consider is if you are using GP on-premise, switching to Business Central is a cloud based solution or referred to as SaaS (Software as a Service), so users access the system online. You pay a monthly subscription fee, and overall, save a lot of money, especially up-front.
First, if you have your Dynamics GP on-premise system set up for remote access, you won’t need that anymore. Because Business Central is built for remote use, there’s no more VPN or Citrix servers needed, saving you thousands every year.
Second, let’s compare a typical upgrade. Business Central has free upgrades, whereas, Dynamics GP averages around $3,200 for the upgrade, and don’t forget the end-user time to verify and check features, balances, and reports. And sometimes the third-party products need to be upgraded too.
Another benefit of cloud-based software is that users can access the information securely from anywhere, anytime, making remote work a breeze. Hopefully we don’t see another pandemic, but if people need to work remotely there’s no problem. There might be a slight learning curve for some people, but the cost savings of no more maintenance, upgrades, patches, servers, hardware, etc. outweighs the bit of transition support you’ll need.
Why Choose Dynamics 365 Business Central (D365 BC)
Additionally, there are lots of new features and functionalities that come with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central that make it superior to Dynamics GP:
- More out of the box functionality – less add-ons or third-party products are needed.
- Faster and easier interface without having to navigate to multiple screens
- Apply incoming payments directly to the related customer and mark invoices as paid to automatically reconcile accounts
- AP Automation is built-in with Microsoft Outlook. Inbound AP bills can be processed directly from Outlook into Business Central without copying data into the entry form or without having to purchase a 3rd party application.
- Get recommendations on when to pay vendors to take advantage of vendor discounts or avoid overdue penalties
- Add tags to entries for quicker categorization and analysis
- Improve your organization’s ability to develop, modify, and control budgets
- Out-of-the box library of reports with better functionality. Business Central uses a dimensional chart of accounts, giving you unlimited flexibility without an add-on
- Make fast, informed decisions with seamless Microsoft Excel integration
- Easily track your KPIs by creating your own analyses on general ledger data
- Chart your business’ performance in real time on your dashboard using built-in Power BI integration
- Create purchase invoices and orders to record the cost of purchase and track accounts payable
- Stay in control of expenses by implementing advanced workflow and approval structures
- Automate tasks for vendors to record your agreements concerning discounts, prices, and payment methods
- Intercompany accounting and arms-length transactions are included
- Align your content, data, and processes to deliver engaging customer experiences across all touchpoints, make smarter decisions, and drive business results
- Post sales right from Outlook, then send your invoices as PDF attachments that include a PayPal link to expedite payments
- Get a complete overview of interactions and track current customer status all the way from email to order to invoice
- Negotiate and keep track of special agreements with individual customers, including discount structures
- Prioritize leads based upon revenue potential and opportunities throughout the sales cycle
For growing service or project-based firms, time is money—literally. Every additional service, service code, employee, customer, and supplier adds new layers of complexity that you need to track, control, and manage. Galeforce Consulting Partners has been trusted by project-based companies, for decades, to deliver an objective-driven approach to software, only recommending products after taking steps to understand your needs and how we fit in.
From architecture and engineering to financial services to nonprofits and more, companies like yours have turned to us for unique solutions tailored to their needs. We work with a wide range of vendors and solutions, with one of these being Microsoft Dynamics Business Central.
Talk to a Galeforce specialist and learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central