What are the major ERP products of Microsoft Dynamics?
Learn more about Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management, the reason Microsoft narrowed its ERP portfolio it offered, and the significance of this decision.
Microsoft entered the enterprise resource planning (ERP) market by acquiring Great Plains Software and Navison A/S approximately 20 years ago. This resulted in a total of four different ERPs, several of which competed directly with one another.
The business intends to concentrate on two main products going forward: Dynamics 365 Business Central for small and midsize businesses, and Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management for larger corporations. However, the company still has tens of thousands of users using the four original ERP systems, and it still has at least another eight years of support planned for those products.
Here’s an overview of the Microsoft ERP portfolio.
1. Microsoft Dynamics GP
Great Plains served as the precursor to Dynamics GP. It caters to a worldwide audience, but North America, where it has been a top ERP system for small to medium-sized businesses since the middle of the 1990s, has seen the strongest adoption. Although Microsoft Dynamics GP is excellent for financials and distribution, it lacks any substantial CRM features, and customization is frequently difficult. It provides a browser-based client, but in order to operate to its full potential, it must be executed as a conventional desktop application.
2. Microsoft Dynamics SL
At first, Dynamics SL was known as Solomon Software. Additionally, North America has had the most growth for this product, which is particularly well-liked by businesses that require excellent project management capabilities. A lesser number of people use Dynamics SL than Dynamics GP. Due to its age, Microsoft Dynamics SL runs mostly as a desktop application, while some features can also be accessed using a web browser.
3. Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Initially created by the Danish software company Navision and was a direct rival of Dynamics Solomon Software and Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains. Compared to Dynamics GP or Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics NAV has a significantly wider worldwide audience and offers more customization options. Independent Microsoft-approved software providers have created numerous industry-specific Dynamics NAV versions.
4. Microsoft Dynamics AX
It was originally called Axapta. It was likewise created by Navision, but it is geared toward larger businesses with complex requirements. Additionally, Microsoft Dynamics AX has been successful in expanding its global user base, and it currently competes in certain ways with more powerful ERP systems like Oracle E-Business Suite and SAP S/4HANA.
Microsoft will focus on just two ERP products going ahead
1. Dynamics 365 Business Central
It is the successor of Dynamics NAV. However, Microsoft is undergoing some significant changes, including a significant shift toward a cloud-based architecture. Microsoft will encourage users of Microsoft Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, and Dynamics NAV to switch to Business Central, which is primarily designed for small and midsize organizations.
2. Dynamics 365 for Finance & Supply Chain Management
The successor to Microsoft Dynamics AX is Dynamics 365 for Finance & Supply Chain Management. It is therefore designed for larger enterprises with more complicated needs. Once more, Microsoft is making some significant changes, switching to a more cloud-friendly architecture, and further integrating it with its Azure platform. Microsoft has at last made progress toward greater portfolio cohesion in its ERP line by concentrating on these final two items. The corporation now has a more solid future strategy for its business applications, which it has built in conjunction with the Dynamics CRM product line.
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