25 Feb Dynamics 365 Business Central vs NetSuite
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and NetSuite are two of the fastest growing ERPs in the market. It is not surprising then that you are considering which one would be better to implement in your company. Although in terms of functionality have few divergences, they do have differences in other aspects more operational. In this article we have tried to summarize some of their main differences.
IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS
Dynamics 365 Business Central can be implemented on-premise or in the cloud. There is also the option of implementing a hybrid approach that allows you to work locally replicating data in the cloud. This way you can take advantage of the advantages offered by the cloud. If you want to know more in detail what advantages and risks each modality offers, consult this article here.
In contrast, NetSuite can only be implemented in the cloud because it has always been presented as a 100% cloud product.
LICENSING AND PRICING
In the first place, it must be taken into account that both Dynamics 365 Business Central and NetSuite license per nominal user, that is, per user that requires connection to the program. It must be distinguished from the concurrent user, historically existing in Dynamics NAV / Navision.
Dynamics 365 Business Central licenses 3 types of users: Team Member (user of consultation and limited functionality), Essentials (user with all the functionality except for the Manufacturing and Service Management modules) and, finally, Premium (user with access to all the functionality). Now, the price is different if we acquire the license or if we work in SaaS mode with a monthly subscription.
In the purchase option, the Team Member user costs € 300, the Essential € 1,500 and the Premium, € 2,100. In contrast, in Business Central Cloud the monthly price per user is € 6.80 for Team Members, € 59.03 for Essentials and € 84.33 for Premiums. The monthly payment per user offers access to all the ERP functionality and includes hosting and maintenance of the environment without any charge. This modality supports the growth strategy of small and medium-sized companies without increasing their price in the future. In addition, for each Cloud installation, 3 users are provided free to give access to the tool to external accountants.
However, NetSuite licensing is not as transparent. The price of NetSuite depends on several factors such as the total number of users, the permanence of the contract and the additional modules to be licensed. The base price of the license for this software is $ 999 per month for access to the application and $ 99 per month per user.
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADOPTION
Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation process is fast and agile. A complex company can start in Business Central in 2/3 months on average. The latest figures available are that Dynamics 365 Business Central, formerly known as Dynamics NAV, is implemented in 220,000 companies around the world. It is used by 33 million users daily and is present in almost 200 countries.
In terms of adoption, the family interface, built-in configuration wizards, preconfigured templates and generated documentation reduce training time and allow for faster adoption. Deep integration with Office helps improve productivity and usability for users.
On the other hand, NetSuite implementations are relatively longer. On average it is estimated that 6 months are needed to start working with the tool. As for adoption, the latest available figures speak of 40,000 companies worldwide.
CUSTOMIZATIONS
Customizations in Dynamics 365 Business Central, both On-Premise and Cloud, reach the end user level. You can configure, at the individual level, work areas, list views, columns in reports, etc. On the contrary, all users who use NetSuite have the same look & feel of the product and can not make customizations at the user level.
If we talk about customizations at the functional level of the company, there are also differences between the two ERPs. In NetSuite different authorized partners can develop basic adaptations to the program, but it is a complex process. On the other hand, Business Central offers us different possibilities. On the one hand, creating separate extensions of the standard code at 100% is the only way to develop customizations for the Cloud version. These extensions can be exclusive for a single client. There is also a Marketplace (Appsource) where you can buy different apps to expand functionality. For On-Premise installations it is advisable to follow the same development methodology. This option offers a deeper level of customization.
In addition, for companies that want to take advantage of the cloud’s potential without sacrificing a medium / high level of customization, Business Central offers hybrid scenarios.
VERSION UPDATING
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has two major annual updates (April and October). In addition, Cumulative Updates are published monthly with small improvements and solutions to bugs. If you work On-Premise you have to agree with the calendar and version update project. If you work in the cloud, the updates are automatic if desired. You will have to schedule the date and time for the update.
Likewise, NetSuite usually launches 2 updates per year, but unlike in Business Central, the company can not decide whether to implement the update or not and at what time this migration is performed. Updates are required.
FUNCTIONALITY
Dynamics 365 Business Central works with the Common Data Model and integrates natively with the rest of the products of the Microsoft suite: Office, Power BI, Power Apps, Flow and Cortana Intelligence, among others. NetSuite does not offer native integration with these applications.
If we look at more specific areas, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers more reportingoptions, both native within the ERP and integrations with specialized reporting and BI products (such as Jet Global or Power BI). In contrast, in NetSuite, reporting is more limited. It is necessary to have a specialized partner for any task of reporting customization that escapes from the standard.
Without leaving this subject, Dynamics 365 Business Central provides 8 analytical dimensions for the analysis of company data, while NetSuite sets the limit at 3.
The area in which NetSuite stands out above Business Central is in Human Resources. At this point NetSuite offers additional functionalities. Dynamics 365 Business Central allows you to segment your employees’ information and manage employee expenses.
If we take into account additional features, Business Central provides artificial intelligence and machine learning in the hands of Cortana Intelligence to the ERP to add predictions and learn after these results to refine the predictions. NetSuite does not incorporate these new features in its product.
Finally, in the Business Central Cloud mode, each installation has a free test environment (also known as a Sandbox) in which to perform tests without affecting the company’s data. In On-Premise mode, the partner must configure it if desired. For its part, the basic version of NetSuite does not offer a free test environment. It has to be acquired in addition to the amount of the license.
If you still have doubts about which ERP is more suitable for your company, do not hesitate to contact us here and we will evaluate it free of charge for you.