What is Microsoft Dynamics 365?
It may be hard to imagine that there was a time when businesses including large corporations depended on multiple stand-alone systems to manage payroll, HR, finance, logistics, operations and more. Microsoft too had an era where it offered independent business software solutions including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programs to its customers. Things changed drastically when Microsoft forayed into cloud computing in 2006, which later became the stepping stone for the greatest leap in 2016 to unveil Microsoft Dynamics 365, which brought together CRM and ERP capabilities in the cloud. Long story short – Dynamics 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-based intelligent business applications.
Relying on the power of Microsoft Cloud, Dynamics 365 offers a dozen applications such as Sales, Marketing, Service, HR, Finance, Operations, Commerce, Business Central and others, which works in a highly streamlined and unified manner connecting customers, products, people and data. On one side it offers you the freedom to get started with the app you need and allows you to add more apps as you grow, while on the other side it seamlessly connects and integrates all the Dynamics apps and Microsoft productivity tools that you are familiar with such as Outlook and Excel. It allows you to work from anywhere, anytime by offering the same unified experience and data across all your devices, thereby improving productivity and customer insight.
Microsoft Dynamics Overview
To get an overview of what Microsoft Dynamics 365 is and how it digitally transforms organizations, watch this short video featuring Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
Microsoft Dynamics Apps
Here are the core business applications offered by Microsoft Dynamics. In addition to this, there are various other apps that help you to reinvent efficiency and increase mobility. Visit Microsoft Dynamics 365 page to get the full list of connected and integrated portfolio of Dynamics products.
Dynamics 365 Sales
Improve your sales team’s deal closure rate by providing intelligent contextual insights on your prospects through unified Dynamics 365 Sales, Office 365, and LinkedIn data.
Dynamics 365 Marketing
Rely on marketing automation and AI-driven insights to offer personalized customer buyer experiences that can turn your prospects and customers into long-term relationships.
Dynamics 365 Finance
Get real-time insights on your financial performance and make smart data-driven decisions relying on the power of Dynamics 365 Finance capabilities such as embedded analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
Dynamics 365 Customer Service
Empower your customer service teams with the intelligent tools required to deliver personalized service and resolve complex issues to build customer loyalty, trust and delight.
Dynamics 365 Field Service
Improve the productivity of your technicians and field service staff by being able to effectively schedule resources and manage contracts while proactively detecting and resolving issues.
Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation
Easily plan, manage and deliver your projects on time and budget with the help of intuitive, collaborative and intelligent tools that can anticipate demand and optimize resources.
Dynamics 365 Supply Chain
Automate, simplify and improve the profitability of your manufacturing and supply chain operations by using AI-based intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) across your manufacturing processes.
Dynamics 365 Commerce
Delight your customers and increase brand loyalty by offering a unified and consistent shopping experience by bringing together all your physical and online commerce channels.
Dynamics 365 Human Resources
Optimize your HR processes using Dynamics 365 Talent and reduce administrative work by centralizing your employee data and allowing them to self-service for the information they need.
Dynamics 365 Business Central
The affordable all-in-one business management solution made for SMEs which includes sales, service, financial and operations. Take Business Central Product Tour to know more.
How your business will benefit from Microsoft Dynamics 365?
The affordable all-in-one business management solution made for SMEs which includes sales, service, financial and operations. Take Business Central Product Tour to know more.
According to the Custom Technology Adoption Study conducted by Forrester Consulting for Microsoft, organizations adopting CRM, ERP, BI, and productivity technology as part of their overall strategy received a host of business benefits including improved operational efficiency, better resource productivity, greater customer acquisition, better revenue and others.
Here are some of the findings from the study that compared the performance between Technology Adopters (TA) and Others:
- TA companies increased their customer engagement rate by 62% while others only 29%
- TA recorded 58% improvement in their operational efficiency while others had only 30% growth
- TA showed 51% increase in their overall revenue, while others 32%
Studies such as these and many other growth stories around us, make it crystal clear that organizations embracing digital transformation will see significant improvement in employee productivity and business profitability. However, if you are still not convinced over the benefits of digitally transforming your business through Microsoft Dynamics 365, here are a few benefits to consider.
Cloud-based anywhere, anytime access
As a cloud-based solution, Dynamics 365 offers you the convenience of managing your business processes from anywhere and at any time. Even a complex process such as the supply chain management which involves data inputs from sales, manufacturing and suppliers is seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Dynamics offering you real-time information, even on the move. All you need to have is an internet connection and a web browser and you can stay updated and manage your processes from any device and from any part of the world.
Unified data, people and processes
No more siloed systems and data! Dynamics 365 unifies all your business and customer data on the cloud. It connects sales, marketing and customer service application to a centralized data platform thereby empowering your team to offer proactive, consistent and improved customer experience across physical and online channels. It also empowers the user to take quick action from a single screen, without having to toggle between various apps.
Deep integration with Outlook and Office 365
Dynamics 365 is deeply integrated with Outlook and Office 365 productivity tools such as Excel, Teams and others. It helps to shorten the quote to cash time by allowing you to manage the entire process from your Outlook without having to jump back and forth between multiple applications. Apart from this, users can access Dynamics 365 data in Excel with permission to read and edit items such as sales and purchase orders, thereby saving time, reducing errors and improving productivity.
Get actionable AI-driven insights
Microsoft Dynamics comes with unmatched built-in AI capabilities that allow you to make quick and smart data-driven business decisions and nurture a data-driven culture. The multidimensional reports and advanced analytics allows you to drill down and analyze your data against the earlier set KPIs. Apart from this, you will be able to transform selected data in rich visuals and graphs relying on the capabilities of Microsoft Power BI.
Grow and scale at your own pace
Flexibility is at the core of D365 applications. It’s simple and subscription-based pricing model allows you to stay lean and pay for only what you need and add more apps as you grow, evolve and expand. Apart from the powerful apps that suites every industry, there are ample add-ons such as Dynamics 365 PDC, Dynamics 365 UAE Payroll and others which makes it possible for businesses to meet their specific needs without having to spend huge on development or customization.
4 Factors to consider before choosing to invest in Microsoft Dynamics ERP
1. Functionality requirements
Dynamics 365 includes a suite of business applications covering finance, marketing, HR, operations and others, which can be implemented in the cloud, on-premise or as part of a hybrid deployment. Unlike the traditional ERPs, you need not subscribe to the entire ERP suite and end up paying a big sum every month. Dynamics 365 allows you to start with what you need today and easily adapt additional functionalities and applications as your needs evolve. This is why it is important to first list out your functional areas, departments and specific requirements before subscribing to the applications which meet your business-specific needs. Keep in mind that not everything works off-the-shelf and would require customization to suit your requirements.
2. Business Type and Size
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a need-based solution which caters to both large enterprises and SMBs. Take for example, Dynamics 365 Business Central, which belongs to the Dynamics 365 family. Microsoft has positioned Business Central as the next step for businesses who have outgrown their entry-level accounting software and has been made to meet the needs of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs). Though it includes all the key functionalities such as financial management, supply chain, sales, customer service, project management and others, it is best suited for small and medium-sized organizations with not more than 250 employees. Take a look at this article to know more about Dynamics 365 Business Central licensing.
3. Product Demo and References
While it is true that Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive suite of business applications and features, it is always advisable to insist on a free product trial or a live demo of the key functionalities before you make the final decision. It is also advisable to request the Microsoft Partner in your region to share a couple of customer references where they have implemented the ERP solution. This allows you to take feedback and evaluate the implementation team’s experience and have a better understanding of the process followed and the quality of the people involved. You can also request Microsoft to schedule a trial session.
4. Return On Investment (ROI)
Knowing the features and benefits of an ERP isn’t just enough to make a purchase decision. The reason- though technology investments seem to increase productivity, it could also lead to new costs and recurring expenses. This is why it is important to first quantify the cost vs. benefits in terms of Return on Investment (ROI). Though often a complicated process, calculating the cost of investment which is the amount spent to implement, customize and maintain the new system and comparing this against the benefits in terms of employee productivity, output, reduced costs, time saved, expected increase in revenue etc, helps the stakeholders and decision-makers to confidently arrive at the purchase decision. It also allows you to compare the ROI offered by different Microsoft Partners such as ISys Solutions and pick a partner that offers the best return for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 investment.
