Microsoft

Ultra Insight

Both Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications are cloud-based, and provide in-depth support for global finance, operations, customer relationship management (CRM), field service and other corporate-level activities. The software is primarily sold and implemented through a network of value-added resellers (VARs). The product offers exceptional support for manufacturing companies, and is considered strong in CRM.

---

From Distribution ERP Vendor Update (2021)  DOWNLOAD

Microsoft is the largest software company in the world, and thus provides a stable company with a sizeable research and development budget. In the ERP environment, Microsoft strives to provide 85% to 90% of functionality in its core product, and then relies on its business partners and ISVs to provide the remaining, industry-specific functionality.

Microsoft Dynamics 365’s strength lies in its ability to offer a comprehensive set of functionalities including robust warehouse and transportation management and eCommerce solutions.

---

From Distribution ERP Vendor Update (2021)  DOWNLOAD

Microsoft Business Central is an ERP solution that is well suited for small and medium-sized companies.  The software is designed to allow customers who have outgrown an entry level ERP or home-grown solution from both a process and software perspective. Based on the Microsoft Nav on-premises software, Business Central takes advantage of a mature code set, while providing its customers the support and maintenance advantages of a cloud environment.

Another strength of Business Central is its use of the Microsoft architectural stack, which includes the integration to the Power Platform and Office 365 products, with single sign-on access to all products. The common look and feel of the Business Central software with Office 365 reduce the length of the learning curve for most users.

Use of the Microsoft stack also provides the flexibility to third party providers to enhance Business Central’s capabilities without risk of upgrade issues.  Microsoft certifies third-party software to ensure that it runs with Business Central and provides Business Central customers with the ability to purchase 1,400 third-party apps from AppSource. On average, a Business Central Customer use two to five third-party apps to supplement the functionality of their initial implementation of the product. Many of the apps are developed to directly support the sub-verticals for various industries, including distribution.

Business Central also has one of the more straight-forward pricing models, making it easier to understand the cost of ownership. Business Central is not purchased directly from Microsoft. Instead, customers go through a reseller that usually is contracted to support the implementation of the software.

---

From Industrial Equipment Manufacturing ERP Vendor Update (2021)  DOWNLOAD

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based, single-tenant solution that provides in-depth support for global finance, operations, customer relationship management (CRM), field service and other corporate-level activities. The software is primarily implemented through a network of service providers, including Arbela.

Support for IEM companies begins with project integration: The project is the center point for tracking engineering time, procurement, subcontracting, manufacturing, inventory, resource assignments and project milestones.

Key capabilities include design/CAD integration, advanced data analytics, and enhanced quality assurance, management and control.

MS Dynamics also is considered strong in CRM, giving Salesforce a competitor for the management of sales and marketing activities. This functionality is essential because IEM opportunities can take one or two years to sell, manufacture and install complex engineer-to-order capital equipment.

The solution has robust tools to support post-sale case management and field service activities such as automatic recording of cases and source, case and warranty management status updates, automatic routing of service activities based on previous actions, management of workflow rules, customer entitlements, knowledgebase management and service-level agreements (SLAs).

---

From Food & Beverage Manufacturing ERP Vendor Update (2020)  DOWNLOAD

Microsoft goes to market in a purely channel model. Microsoft has provided a strong foundation in their base product, and then it’s up to their vast network of VARs and ISVs to build their own Intellectual Property, providing industry[1]specific enhancements.

Microsoft D365 is a highly configurable system that can easily scale up and down. Because of its flexibility, Microsoft implementations can be more expensive than some of its competitors, so we typically see it in larger and more complex organizations.