ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is a process used by companies to manage and integrate crucial aspects of their business. Many ERP software applications are crucial to companies since they help them in implementing resource planning by integrating all the processes required to run their companies using a single system.
An ERP software system can integrate finance, marketing, sales, inventory purchase, human resources, and planning. An example of the latest ERP software is Business Central Microsoft,
Microsoft made an entry into the ERP business around 20 years back by acquiring Navison A/S and Great Plains Software. This provided it a total of 4 ERPs, many of which competed with each other. In the near future, the company intends to focus on two main products: Dynamics 365 Business Central (for SMEs or Small and Medium Enterprises) and Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management for bigger enterprises.
Still, the company has millions of customers running the original ERP systems, and it intends to continue support for such products, at least for another 8 years.
Microsoft ERP portfolio
- Dynamics GP
This tool began as Great Plains. It caters to a global audience but has been adopted most strongly in Northern America. Here, it has been a leading ERP system for SMEs since the 1990s. Dynamics GP is ideal for distribution and core financials, but it lacks any major CRM (Customer Relationship Management) functionality and faces the challenge of customization.
- Dynamics SL
It began as Solomon Software. This product is most popular in North America and is a favourite with companies that require strong capabilities of project management. It has a smaller customer base than Dynamics GP. Being an old product, it also runs as a desktop application. But some functions are possible using a web browser.
- Dynamics NAV
Originally developed by Danish company Navison, it is a great competitor to Dynamics GP and SL. NAV has reached a wider global audience than the latter, and it provides greater capacities for customization. Many industry-specific versions of NAV have been developed by independent software vendors approved by Microsoft.
- Dynamics 365 Business Central
It is an evolved form of Dynamics NAV. The company (Microsoft) is making some key changes in this, including a major move towards cloud-based architecture. Microsoft Dynamics Business Central caters mainly to SMEs, but MS is encouraging customers of Dynamics GP, SL, and NAV to migrate to this new platform.
Business central promotion from MS
In the case of businesses using legacy or non-cloud ERP solutions (Dynamics NAV, SL, and GP), the idea of moving to a new ERP system is both exciting and anxiety ridden. Hence, Microsoft (MS) is investing heavily in Business Central and attempting to lift everyone to the cloud.
From September 1 (2021) to June 30 (2022), the MS ‘Bridge to the Cloud’ promotion will be available for eligible customers, providing a slew of financial and strategic benefits. Current customers of Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, or Dynamics NAV can move away from their current ERP and into Business Central in a highly cost-effective manner.
The promotion by MS offers a 60% discount on Business Central or Business Essentials per month/ per user licenses along with dual access rights to Business Central and their current solutions. This promotion is valid for a transition within a maximum of 4 years. After the end of the promotion, clients will move to Business Central and no longer have their former solutions.
In sum, ERP solutions from Microsoft are highly versatile, including old ones like Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, and Dynamics NAV. These have evolved into a more sophisticated Business Central. The latest offer is a promotional program for moving customers to the cloud through the ‘Bridge to the Cloud’ solution. The fruits of the promotion can be enjoyed to a length of 4 years. But the promotion ends in June 2022.
