Great Plains Software vs. Microsoft Business Central
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Great Plains Software vs. Microsoft Business Central
Posted on April 20, 2021
Today’s technology and advancements allow businesses to handle day-to-day operations with ease and efficiency. Companies like Microsoft offer a multitude of software solutions that range across all departments of a business. While under the umbrella of one company, ERP software comes in two different software solutions – Great Plains Software (Dynamics GP) and Microsoft Business Central.
Read on to learn what they offer and the differences between them.
Great Plains Software
Great Plains Software – now known as Dynamics GP – is a business management software solution or ERP software. It handles much of the necessary capabilities to manage small and medium-sized businesses. Main functions consist of:
- Financial and accounting management
- Overseeing inventory
- Managing sales communications and opportunities
- HR resources
- And data tracking with reporting.
Microsoft Business Central
On the other end, there is a software solution that handles similar functions and capabilities titled Microsoft Business Central. Similar to Great Plains Software, it is an all-in-one business management software solution. According to Microsoft, Business Central has improvements to all ERP software functionalities. These functionalities and improvements consist of:
- Improved performance
- Increased financial visibility
- Sales and customer service management
- Optimization of inventory management
- and more
Business Central is a powerful software solution that offers all the necessities to run a business from small to large.
Differences Between Great Plain Software (Dynamics GP) and Microsoft Business Central
While Great Plains Software and Microsoft Business Central offer similar functionalities, there are numerous differences between the two. If you’re looking for a business management software and stuck between choosing Great Plains or Business Central, these differences may help resolve your situation.
License Price
Perhaps the difference that most people are interested in is the pricing for licensing. Great Plains Software offers two options to choose from – a flat-rate cost and a subscription-based price. You may license GP starting from $5,000 for three individuals. If you’re more interested in subscription-based licensing, it starts from a $65/month cost per user.
Microsoft Business Central offers one subscription cost for $75/month per user.
Cross-section Integrations
Dynamics GP and Microsoft Business Central integrates with other software solutions that Microsoft offers. The ease of integration differs greatly, however. Generally, Microsoft Business Central improves upon all of the software integrations offered on Great Plains. Some examples are Power BI, Sales and CRM, reporting, and budgeting integrations.
An example of this benefit is the capabilities that come with integrating Power BI with Business Central. By utilizing both, Power BI provides the high-quality charts and reports while Business Central offers an avenue to showcase them. The combination of powerful software solutions with easy integration gives all the necessities to provide valuable reports.
Hosting
Dynamics GP requires an on-premise setup while Microsoft Business Central offers both cloud-based and an on-premise setup.
This is especially important to consider because of the higher costs associated with having an on-premise setup. The solution would require a larger budget to manage and maintain a hosting environment whereas a cloud computing environment would eliminate those needs. Another area for worry is the possibility of the setup breaking and the high costs that may bring to fix it.
While cloud-based deployment has its benefits, security is a large concern for such solutions. If login information or security credentials fall into the wrong hands, the threat and loss of intellectual property may be severe.
However, if you are choosing between the two, it may be worth knowing that cloud deployment is easier with Business Central. While it is possible with GP, Business Central offers a cheaper and easier deployment.
Conclusion
There seems to be discourse among Dynamics GP users voicing their desires to switch to Business Central. The interface is similar to GPs with additional benefits that improves business operations. Nonetheless, Dynamics GP is still a powerful tool, and given the specific situation of a business, it may be more fitting than Business Central.
Like all decisions, choosing between the two software solutions should be done carefully with due diligence. Research should be done, and a lot of time and consideration should be placed in this process. While individual research may suffice, you may want to work with a software consultant company to ensure your vision and goals align with the solutions you choose.
A Digital Earth has a team of experienced business software consultants with developers that customizes software solutions tailored to the business’ needs. We are proudly partnered with Microsoft to offer the best software solutions that’s optimized to function at the highest standards. If you’re still uncertain of which solution to go for, we’re offering a free one-hour consultation to help you discover your needs to pinpoint which solution will work the best for your business.
Sign up for our one-hour consultation or contact us with any questions.
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