What Is Dynamics 365?
Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s collection of cloud-based applications for business. These products are the latest evolution of Microsoft’s popular on-premise solutions, re-engineered for today’s business needs. This portfolio of sales, marketing, and accounting products covers customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) responsibilities for businesses across various industries.
ERP + CRM
In the past, ERP and CRM solutions were developed separately. In order to use both types of software, businesses would purchase individual products and integrate them, which could prove costly and clunky.
Microsoft gives you the best of both worlds with products that are developed individually so they have strong feature sets. They’re also all built on the Microsoft platform, so they’ll come together and work in sync like a combination best-in-class suite.
Dynamics 365 bridges the business solution integration gap by delivering an all-in-one solution that includes both ERP and CRM functionality. Here’s a list of the solutions you’ll find under the Dynamics 365 umbrella:
CRM
ERP
Microsoft gives you the flexibility to pick and choose the applications you need to run your business. For example, you could purchase the Sales app only to start, but in the future, you could easily tack on Marketing and Business Central.
Dynamics 365 Integrations with Power Platform
The Power Platform is a set of Microsoft business analytics applications that can empower your organization to make faster, smarter decisions. These applications provide task automation, data visualization, and business intelligence capabilities. Each Power Platform application can synchronize with Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 products.
Dynamics 365 Integrations with Microsoft 365
Formerly Office 365, Microsoft 365 is a suite of office productivity tools. Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint are four of its most well-known applications, but Microsoft 365 provides many more offerings to fit the needs of any business. While these are not Dynamics 365 applications, they integrate seamlessly with Dynamics 365 and Power BI!
Mixing and Matching Microsoft Integrations
Businesses often choose to use these solutions together, including the following combinations:
- Embedding Power BI dashboards into CRM for analytics
- Using outlook to manage CRM activities (instead of jumping back and forth between systems)
- Exporting tables between Business Central and Excel to easily edit large sets of data
Microsoft’s portfolio of products will cover both small and mid-market businesses as well as enterprise-level organizations. So, no matter the size of your company, you can find a product to fit your needs and your budget with options to scale up as you grow. SMBs might use the Sales CRM and Business Central, while large organizations with complex needs might combine Finance and Project Operations.
Why Dynamics 365?
So what’s the difference between Dynamics 365 and Microsoft’s other CRM and ERP offerings? Unlike Microsoft’s other products, which are meant for on-premise deployment, Dynamics 365 applications are built on a cloud-based platform.
This architecture allows the Dynamics 365 apps to work together and incorporate Microsoft’s other cloud-based tools (like Microsoft 365 for productivity and Power BI for analytics), as well as third-party software.
In addition, cloud users enjoy 24/7 access anywhere from any device, real-time information flow, easy integration through web APIs, and reduced hardware costs.
What Does Dynamics 365 Cost?
Applications can be purchased individually, but the price will vary based on which modules and tiers you choose. For instance, the Sales Professional package is $65 per user per month and Sales Enterprise is $95 per user per month.
Microsoft also offers several packaged plans, allowing you to bundle applications together. Marketing is $1,500 per tenant per month if it is your initial Dynamics 365 application, but you can receive a 50% discount if Marketing is a subsequent application.
Some applications like Business Central are not currently included in any Microsoft bundles, and must be purchased individually.
For the most accurate pricing estimate, especially if you’ll be purchasing multiple Dynamics 365 applications, you should reach out to an implementation partner.
Is Dynamics 365 a Good Fit for My Business?
Many businesses in various industries use CRM and ERP solutions in tandem to improve efficiency and productivity, centralize data, and drive revenue. Putting that functionality in the cloud makes those solutions more accessible and flexible than ever before, so you have the tools you need to keep up in today’s fast-paced world.
The first step to determine whether Dynamics 365 is viable is to identify your needs and requirements. Then look for solutions that check as many of those boxes as possible. During your search, you’ll also want to carefully consider your software partner. Be sure you connect with an organization that understands your business and will support you through the implementation process and beyond.
Dynamics 365 is a great fit if you want to transfer business operations to the cloud. Additionally, if you’re already a Microsoft user, Dynamics 365 will merge seamlessly into your existing Microsoft system.
How Do I Learn More?
Cargas specializes in Dynamics 365 applications for CRM and Dynamics 365 Business Central. If you’re ready to move your business to the cloud, we’re here to help. We were the first Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner in the world, and we’ve been implementing ERP solutions for more than 25 years. We’d love to learn more about your business, help you assess your needs, and share what Dynamics 365 might offer you. Contact us to learn more and get a free assessment of your company’s needs.
Ready to Learn More?
There’s always plenty to learn about Microsoft and its product offerings. If you’ve got questions, we have answers! Reach out to our team of trusted Microsoft partners and discover which Microsoft offering is the best fit for your business.